The Mystery of God's Love

The word 'mystery' is mentioned 22 times in the New King James version of the Bible. Here are some of the important ones:


The Kingdom of God is a mystery (Mark 4:44); the Wisdom of God is a mystery (1 Cor. 2:7); the rapture is a mystery (1 Cor. 15:51); God's will is a mystery (Eph. 1:9); the Church is a mystery (Eph. 5:32); the Gospel is a mystery (Eph. 6:19); Christ is a mystery (Col. 4:3); lawlessness is a mystery (2 Thess. 2:7); Godliness is a mystery (1 Tim. 3:16); and the Christian faith is a mystery (1 Tim. 3:9).


Moses said to the children of Israel, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deu. 29:29, NKJV).


Solomon said, "It is glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter" (Prov. 27:2).


The word 'kings' here refers to Christian believers (Rev. 1:6).


Paul said, "Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God" (1 Cor. 4:1).


Therefore, in general, God and the things pertaining to God are secrets and mysteries, hidden and waiting to be searched out by His saints - us.


Dr. A. W. Tozer was aware of this and he once prayed:


"O Majesty unspeakable, my soul desires to Thee. I cry to Thee from the dust.


Yet when I inquire after Thy Name it is secret. Thou art hidden in the light which no man can approach unto. What Thou are, cannot be thought or uttered. for Thy Glory is ineffable.


Still, prophet and psalmist, apostle and saint have encouraged me to believe that I may in some measure, know Thee. Therefore, I pray, whatever of Thyself thou has been pleased to disclose, help me to search out as treasure more precious than rubies or the merchandise of fine gold; for with Thee shall I live when the stars of the twilight are no more and the heavens have vanished away and only Thou remainest. Amen."


God's attributes and attitudes


It is true that the Bible does not actually say that God's love is a mystery. Since everyting about God is a mystery, God's love is also a mystery. But it does not mean that we know nothing about God's love. In fact the Bible says a lot of things about God's love.


But we cannot begin to talk about God's love without knowing something about the attributes and attitudes of God. His attributes are: His greatness, His power, His goodness, His creativity, His personality and so on. His attitudes are: His feelings, His likes and dislikes, His motives, His actions and so on.


It is beyond the scope of this message to talk anything abut His attributes in any detail except that God is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipresent (present everything).


God alone is perfect


It is impossibe to talk about the moral attitude of God without facing a great probloem because it it almost impossible for us (being imperfect) to comprehend Him. God is perfect in all His ways, and it is almost impossible for us to realize what that means, as we never encounter perfection in human existence. Our source of revelation is the Scripture.


Here are some examples of the perfection of God: God is absolutely honest - He cannot lie (Heb. 6:18). He is absolutely fair. No one have any grounds for accusing God of injustice (Gen. 18:25; Heb. 12:23). He is sbsolutely pure - no impure thought, intention, word or action ever occurs to Him. He is absolutely loyal - He keeps His promise. He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim. 2:13).


The most common Biblical statement of God's perfection is 'God is good'. But, unlike Jesus, we do not normally use the word 'good' in this absolute sense.


Jesus said to a certain ruler: "Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God" (Luke 18:19, NKJV)


God alone is good or perfect, in this absolute sense.


The expression of God's Love


The Bible calls Christian believers 'saints'. Paul addressed the believers in the Church at Corinth, as 'saints' ((1 Cor. 1:2). God can make a sinner perfect. He can take a sinner and turn him into a saint. He can take a person full of vices and faults, the worst of men, and begin a process of transformation.


God looks at the life of a person and says, "I can see a saint, because I have begun to do something in that life and I'm not going to stop until my glory is in it". God, in other words, is willing and able to make people perfect, and that is the only way for anyone to get to heaven. That is the expression of God's Love!


Someone may ask: "If that is true, why does God not just go ahead and make me good, holy and perfect without delay"? The answer is - you cannot compel a man to be holy. Before a life can be made perfect, God has to wait for one thing - our willingness to be made perfect. This willingness is, in Biblical language, called 'repentance'! When we are willing to repent, God is going to say: "Give me that old life - no matter how bad it has been; how low or corrupt, I will make it perfect and give you eternal life".


That life is not easy or comfortable, because God keeps on stirring it up, uncovering various imperfections, putting His finger on them, and dealing with them in a long process that leads to perfection in Christ.


The nature of God's Love


The Bible says 'God is love'. It does not say, as it well might, that 'God has love' or that 'God is loving', but that God is love.


John said, "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8).


As far as I know, there is not one religion, whose god can claim that - he is love. Therefore, the followers of all religions do not know genuine love and consequently do not know God.


The nature of God's love is revealed by answering these two questions - Why does God love us? How does God love us?


1. Why does God love us?


At a start, instead of asking "Why does God love me?" first let us ask, "Why did God love and choose Israel? Out of all the world why He chose this one nation of people to reveal His salvation through His Son?


God gave His reason in Deuteronomy 7 - "The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your father, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharoah king of Egypt" (Deu. 7:7, 8).


Notice that God loves Israel because He loves Israel and because He is love! His love lies not in them at all, but in Him!


Similarly, we can say God loves me not because I am lovable but becuse He is love. His love is unconditional - called 'agape' in Greek. It is the love that one could have for a person who has nothing within himself to attract that love. It is the love only God can give - a love which begins in the lover and goes on to create in the loved one all the attractive and lovable qualities that were not there to begin with.


Paul said, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:7, NKJV).


Jesus described human love as, "love those who love you" (Matt. 5:46). The best expression of human love is what Jesus said: "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13).


2. How does God love us?


The general notion of God's love is that it is a kind of sentimental sympathy for our plight, a love which turns a blind eye to our shortcomings and simply wants us to be happy. If that is true, then this kind of 'love' is totally inconsistent with the perfection and holiness of God.


It is often argued by well-meaning people that a God of love would never exclude anyone from heaven. Surely, they say if you believe in the love of God you cannot also believe in ideas of hell or judgment?


But this is not the 'love of God' we read of in the Bible. If God overlooked my sin He would not be showing real love, but unconcern. Because he loves me, and because His love is pure and holy, He did something far more costly than simply to overlook my sin. He gave His only Son to die for my sin. He paid the price, which makes sin the most expensive commodity in the World! It is expensive for the sinner - it cost him eternal life. It is expensive for God - it cost Him the death on the cross of His son Jesus.


Sin has to be paid for, because this is a moral universe, where God reigns - and He is perfect, holy, just and true. God's holiness demands that all sins must be punished, but God's love provided the Cross of Jesus by which men can have forgivness and cleansing.


There is the divine dilemma. God hated sin but He loved sinners. God wanted to destroy sin, but He wish to save the sinner who committed it. How could He separate the two? Even before the first man committed the first sin, God knew the answer, and He also knew what that answer would cost - the sacrifice of His only Son. That is how He loved us!


Paul said, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ did for us" (Romans 5:8).


There can be no Christianity without a cross. There can be no true reconciliation and no true relationship with God that does not begin beneath the shadow of that Cross. That is the cost of our forgiveness.


Paul said further, "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation" (Romans 5:10, 11).


The measure of God's Love


The cost of our forgiveness has been borne entire by God. Try to appreciate something of the suffering of Jesus. Try to imagine the physical agony of crucifixion under a hot sun; the mental agony of being executed for crimes He did not commit; the spiritual agony of being cut off from His own Father, of going through hell itself. We must also try to appreciate the suffering of the Father. He was not an indifferent spectator of His Son's sufferings for mankind. Far from it, Christ's agony was the agony of the Godhead.


God shared the agony of Calvary. The Father put your sins and my sins on His own Son to save His people. That is the measure of His love.


Indeed, God's love does not finish at the Cross. There the guilt of sin was dealt with, but God goes on pouring His love into our lives to sustain us in the forgiven life. Not only did Jesus take my place in His death, He takes my place in life, too. So Jesus died in my place and lives in my place, and God's love begins to remould me until I am perfect, fit for glory.


The Amazing Grace


God is love and He loves us in our sin, not by letting us off but by providing His Son to die for us. By grace we received God's love - a love that is not deserved and cannot be earned, a love that is simply poured out (Romans 5:5) at the expense of the Giver. Someone defined grace as "God's riches at Christ's expense". There simply is nothing to pay. God has done it all. No wonder it is called 'Amazing Grance'!

Understanding the Kingdom of God

Three of the most confusing terms found in the Bible are "The Kingdom", "The Kingdom of God" and "The Kingdom of Heaven". The term "The Kingdom" is generally used to describe the dominion ruled by the Lord Jesus for the unbelieving world. The other two terms are used to describe the dominion ruled by the Lord Jesus for believers.

Contrary to what many Christians, including Bible teachers, believed, the terms, "The Kingdom of God" and "The Kingdom of Heaven" are neither identical nor interchangeable despite the fact that Matthew employed the terminology of the "Kingdom of Heaven" and Mark and Luke, when presenting practically the same teaching; employed the phrase "Kingdom of God".

The "Kingdom of God" is evidently a more comprehensive term than the "Kingdom of Heaven" and it embraces all created intelligences, both in heaven and on earth, who are willingly subject to God and thus in fellowship with Him. The "Kingdom of Heaven" (more precisely the "Kingdom of Heavens - in Greek) is a term descriptive of any type of rulership God may assert on the earth at a given period or dispensation. This will become clearer as you read on.

The Kingdom

As a predicted Kingdom it has reference to the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel on the earth:

"Therefore, when they (Jesus' disciples) had come together, they asked Him, saying, 'Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel'" (Acts 1:6, NKJV, emphasis added)?

Notice that, in relation to the Old Testament prophecies, the term "Kingdom" is used to describe both the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. The reason being, the Bible uses the term "Kingdom" to designat the rulership of the Lord over the Gentle nations of the earth.

David, the psalmist said, "For the kingdom is the Lord's, and He rules over the nations" (Ps. 22:28).

The Lord being the King of the nations, rules over all the nations (Gentile and Israel) of the earth.

Daniel's prophecies concerning the Kingdom

Daniel was called to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream. After the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar there would arise four other kingdoms. All these were political kingdoms. After these kingdoms, the God of heaven would set up an everlasting Kingdom - a spiritual Kingdom:

"And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever" (Dan. 2:44).

Daniel was given a vision of God (the Ancient of Days) and the Son of Man (Jesus Christ).

"I was watching in the night vision, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they (beasts) brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed" (Dan. 7:11 - 14, emphasis added).

Here is a further description of this everlasting Kingdom:

"Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him" (Dan. 7:27, emphasis added).

The above prophecies indicate that all political kingdoms will be destroyed by the Kingdom of God. Only His Kingdom and His Dominion shall not pass away and shall not be destroyed. And His Kingdom will be given to Christians (saints)!

The difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven

Jesus Himself indirectly declared that the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are not similar.

The entrance to the Kingdom of God (a spiritual kingdom) is by a spiritual rebirth:

Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

Jesus continued, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).

Even though you are born again and consequently entered the Kingdom of God, there is no assurance that you will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

At the close of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave a warning:

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matt. 7:21, NKJV, emphasis added).

So, the condition of entering the Kingdom of God is born again by the Spirit of God; the condition of entering the Kingdom of Heaven is by doing God's will. Obviously, these two apparently similar Kingdoms are not the same. But you cannot do God's will unless you are born again. And so, only born again believers will ultimately enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven

Every kingdom (political or spiritual) has a king or ruler and Jesus is the King of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Let us look a what the Gospel according to Matthew says about Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven:

"In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!' For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight'" (Matt. 3:1 - 3, emphasis added).

John the Baptist astonished his hearers when he announced that this expected and hoped-for Kingdom was "at hand" in the Person of Jesus.

Jesus repeated this message: "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'" (Matt. 4:17).

He went even further by announcing clearly that the Kingdom was already present in His ministry:

"But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Matt. 12:28).

Jesus was, therefore the full embodiment of the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. The entire ministry of Jesus is understood in relation to this important declaration of the presence of the Kingdom. His ethical teachings (the Beatitudes), for example, could not be understood apart from the announcement of the Kingdom. They are ethics of the Kingdom; the perfection to which they point makes no sense apart from the present experience of the Kingdom.

The Kingdom has been growing from stage to stage during Jesus' earthly ministry. He Himself was there, embodying the Kingdom of God in His Person; and the circle gathered around Him partook of the blessings of the Kingdom.

A call to the highest level of righteousness

Participation in the new reality of the Kingdom involves a follower of Jesus in a call to the highest level of righteousness.

Jesus said to His disciples: "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:20).

The "righteousness" of the scribes and Pharisees consisted in outward observances of ceremonial and traditional law. They offered sacrifices, fasted often, prayed much, were punctilious about ablutions, and tithes, and the ceremonies of religion, but neglected justice, truth, purity, and holiness of heart (read Matt. 23:13 - 33). The righteousness that Jesus required in His Kingdom was purity, chastity, honesty, temperance, the fear of God, love of God and men, blameless before God and men. It is pure, eternal and holy.

Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God explained

It is true that Jesus did not actually define the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God, but to His disciples He explained them using parables.

A parable is a simple story, drawn from everyday experience, to communicate a spiritual truth. Jesus used parables to illustrate the truth about the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God (please read my earlier posting - "The Purpose of Parables").

Jesus explained to His disciple why He spoke to them in parables:

"Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees) it has not been given. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear" (Matt. 13: 11, 13, 16, NKJV, emphasis added).


The above passage of Scripture clearly shows that only believers can understand the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God.


It is interesting to note that the parable of the wheat and tares (Matt. 13:24 - 30) and the parable of the dragnet - good and bad fish (Matt. 13:47 - 50) are only spoken of in connection with the Kingdom of Heaven. On the other hand, the parable of the sower is applied to both Kingdoms (Matt. 13:18 - 23).


The two opposing Kingdoms


The two opposing spiritual kingdoms are the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan or the kingdom of the world.


It is important to understand that God is not ruling in this world; He is not ruling on the earth now. But thank God, He will one day - when Jesus returns to establish His Kingdom on earth.


Paul said, "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age (world) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Cor. 4:3, 4, emphasis added).


"The god of this age" is Satan. After the Fall Satan has dominion in this world. He will have that dominion and he will be god of this world, until Adam's "lease" runs out.


That is the reason why Paul and Peter wrote the following passages of Scripture:


"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, ..." (Eph. 2:1, 2, emphasis added).


"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).


"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 of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9, 10, emphasis added).


Here are some statements of truth:


1. Paul and Peter were writing to believers who were born again and thus had entered the Kingdom of God.


2. Even though you are in the Kingdom of God, you still suffer under the rulership of the "god of this age". But this suffering cannot be compared with the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven when it is revealed!


3. Before you were born again, you were under the dominion of "the prince of the power of the air" - Satan.


4. God had "called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" means He had called you out from the kingdom of the world into the Kingdom of God.


Conclusion


John heard a loud voice from heaven saying: "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" (Rev. 21:3, 4, emphasis added).


The above description is the ultimate Kingdom of God - God's tabernacle on the new earth. This will be the dwelling place of Christ and His bride!

To be filled with the Holy Spirit

The early Church depicted in the Book of Acts reveals that the Holy Spirit should fill the Church of Jesus Christ and that He should fill individuals who make up His Church. In fact all believers were filled with the Holy Spirit before they became a Church. That is the reason why in the contrmporary Pentecostal or Charismatic Local Church it is common for Pastors or preachers to invite or even to persuade believers to come forward to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the end of the Church service. Many do come forward but very few are baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Why? There are two reasons for this: One is misconception of being filled. The other is failing to meet the conditions.

Misconceptions of being filled

Here are some basic misconceptions of being filled with the Holy Spirit:

1. Some think that you can be filled with the Holy Spirit without knowing it. I cannot find in the Old Testament Scripture nor in the New Testament Scripture, neither in Christian biography, in Church history nor in personal Christian testimonies, the experience of any person who was ever filled with the Holy Spirit and who did not know it. No one was ever filled with the Holy Spirit who did not know that he had been so filled!

2. Some think that the Holy Spirit comes upon you gradually and fill you gradually. In the Scripture (as recorded in the Book of Acts), it was never a gradual filling. It says that He fell upon them, He came upon them, He fille them - it was an instantaneous act.

3. Some think that the Spirit-filled life is abnormal. The fact is, if we really mean business about pressing on follow the Lord, we will be brought to the conclusion that it was His plan, and part of the purchase of the blood of Christ, that He should fill everyone who names the Name of Jesus Christ. There isn't anything about the Spirit-filled life that is abnormal, extra, strange or queer. Actually, it is the way that Christians are supposed to be!

The conditions which must be be met

Here are some basic conditions which must be met by anyone who desires to be filled with the Holy Spirit:

1. You must be sure, to the point of conviction, that you can be filled. If you have the impression that you have received everything God has for you the day you received Christ as your savior, you will never move on to the fullness.

The New Testament Scripture tells us that after the filling of the Holy Spirit a believer's life is transformed. Spirit-filled Christians are changed people and they will do what Paul said:

Paul said, "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph. 5:18 - 20, NKJV).

Unless you are convinced about this, I suggest you don't come forward to be baptized in the Holy Spirit yet. I suggest you search and meditate the Scripture, read the Word, and see for yourself what the Lord has spoken.

2. You must be sure that you desire to be filled. Does every believer desire to be filled with the Spirit of God? The answer is no. Many do not wish to pay the price of being possessed by the Holy Spirit.

It is plain in the Scripture that the Holy Spirit wants to fill us and possess us if we are believers. The Holy Spirit is pure, for He is pure, for He is the Holy Spirit. He is wise, for He is the Spirit of wisdom. He is true, for He is the Spirit of truth. He is like Jesus, for He is the Spirit of Christ. He is like the Father, for He is the Spirit of the Father. He wants to be the Lord of your life, and He wants to possess you so that you are no longer in command of the little vessel in which you sail. You may be a passenger on board, or one of the crew, but you definitely are not the captain. The Holy Spirit, the Captain is in command of the vessel.

He expects obedience to the written Word of God. But our human (fleshly) problem is that we would like to be full of the Spirit and yet to go on and do as we please. The Holy Spirit who inspired the Scripture will expect obedience to the Scripture. And if we do not obey the Scripture, we will quench Him.

3. You must be sure that you need to be filled with the Spirit. Why are you interested in the baptism in the Holy Spirit? you have received Jesus, you are converted and your sins have been forgiven. You have studied the New Testament Scripture. You know that you have eternal life and no man can pluck you out of God's hand. In the meantime, you are having a wonderful time going to heaven.

Are you sure that you can't get along all right the way you are? Do you feel that you just cannot go on with your Christian walk resisting discouragement? Do you feel that you cannot obey the Scripture and understand Biblical truth and bring forth fruit and live in victory without a greater measure of the Holy Spirit only the baptism in the Holy Spirit can fulfill? You must come to a place where you would still be happy and joyful if you had only Him! You don't need God and something else. God does give you Himself and lets you have other things too. But there is that inner loneliness until you reach the place where it is only God that you desire. If you have reached that place, then baptism in the Holy Spirit is for you and that you need it desperately!

Bible passages on how to be filled with the Holy Spirit

There are four Bible passages on how you can be filled with the Holy Spirit - baptized in the Holy Spirit.

1. You must present your vessel

Paul said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1, 2, NKJV, emphasis added).

"To present your body" means "to surrender your vessel". That must come first. A vessel that has not been presented will not be filled. God cannot fill what He cannot have. God wants us to be intelligent to take the initiative to come to Him. If you will not present your personality, you will not get the fullness of the Spirit of God.

Are you ready to present your body with all of its functions and all that it contains - your mind, your personality, your spirit, your love, your ambitions, your all? This is the first thing and it can be a simple act. Are you willing to do it?

2. You must ask

After presenting your vessel, you must ask.

Jesus said, "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion" (Luke 11:10 - 12)?

The answer, of course, to each of these questions is "No", and so Jesus draws His conclusion:

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him" (Luke 11:13)!

God's people all over the world have taken advantage of this gracious offer. They have believed Him - they have asked and they have been filled. How much more shall the Holy Spirit is given to them that ask God, so you ask. First, you present your vessel, and then you ask. That is perfectly logical and perfectly clear. I set aside all theological objections to this text. Many so-called believers say that this is not for today.

Let me just ask them why the Lord left us this promise in the Bible. Why didn't He put it somewhere else? Why did He put it where I could see it if He didn't want me to believe it? Some believers may say, if the Lord wanted to do it, He could give it without our asking. But He chooses to have us ask. "Ask of me I will give thee" - it is always God's order (see Ps 2:8). So why not ask?

3. There must be willing obedience

Peter said, "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him" (Acts 5:32).

The Spirit of God cannot give a disobedient child His blessings. The Father cannot fill a disobedient child with the Holy Spirit. God gives His Holy Spirit to them that obey Him - those who are obedient to the Word, obedient to the Spirit, obedient to the Risen Lord. Are you ready to obey and to do what you are asked to do? What would that be? Simply to live the Scriptures as far as you understand them - simply, but revolutionary.

4. To have faith in God

Paul asked the questions: "This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being mad perfect by the flesh" (Gal. 3:2)?


The answer is, of course, by the hearing of faith. You are not filled with the Holy Spirit by law-keeping. You are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith and obedience to your Lord. I am talking about His coming and possessing the full body and mind and life and being, taking over the entire personality, directly but gently making it His, so that we may become a habitation of God through the Spirit.


The Holy Spirit and Christians


Here are two important Biblical facts concerning the Holy Spirit and every believer in Christ:


1. Every believer is given a measure of the Holy Spirit


Paul said, "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those are God's possession - to the praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:13, 14, NIV, emphasis added).


2. Any believer who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him


Paul said, "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ" (Romans 8:9, NIV, emphasis added).


The anointing of the Holy Spirit


"Anointing" is an Old Testament word and is an act accomplished by pouring oil on an individual's head. When they poured oil on a man's head, it was not a gradual process. When they poured the oil they turned the oil vessel (container) over and poured it out, and it ran all over and down the skirts of the man's garment.


At the consecration (of priesthood) of Aaron and His sons, it it written:


"And you shall take the anointing oil, pour it on his (Aaron's) head, and anoint him. Then you shall bring his sons and put tunics on them. ..." (Exodus 29:7, 8, NKJV).


Similarly, the anointing and outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not a gradual process, but an instantaneous act of God. God gives us the anointing because we are priests of the New Covenant.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

The importance of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in the lives of individual believers cannot be over emphasized. We need to understand the place of the Holy Spirit in the growth and fruitfulness of the individual believer. I believe if you have the desire to honor or glorify Jesus you will come to understand the work of the Holy Spirit. The following are some areas of truth concerning the Holy Spirit revealed by the Scripture.

Holy Spirit comes as a result of glorifying Jesus Christ

I believe the Church has overlooked one single all-important fact - Wherever Jesus is glorified, the Holy Spirit comes! With reference to the Second Chapter of Acts, contrary to what most people unintentionally assumed, the important thing here was not the Spirit had come - the important thing was that Jesus had been glorified.

Peter and all the disciples were gathered together when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, and they were all with one accord in one place. Suddenly as they gathered there came a sound from heaven as the sound of a rushing mighty wind. It was not the rushing wind itself, but the sound of it. It was the coming of the Holy Spirit. "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:2, NKJV).

some thought these people were drunk. But Peter stood up and explained that it was the fulfillment of the prophecy (Verses 14 - 21). Peter proceeded to tell them how Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the prophecy.

Peter testified, "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear" (Acts 2:32, 33).

So, the important thing, according Peter, was the fact that Jesus had been exalted. Jesus Himself said, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). And in the next verse John said, "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for this Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

It is therefore plain that the glorification of Jesus brought the Holy Spirit. When Jesu is glorified, the Holy Spirit comes. He does not have to be begged - the Holy Spirit comes when Jesus is glorified and when He is honored. How many times have you seen the Local Church "begs" the Holy Spirit wherever or whenever the congregation meets on Sunday or Saturday night?


Jesus Christ is revealed by the Holy Spirit

We need to understand that, by nature, man does not have the ability to comprehend divine things.

Paul said, "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14, NKJV).

At this point, please refer to my earlier messages: "Saving of Souls" and "The Spirit, Soul, and Body of Man". The natural man has intellectual knowledge and so his knowledge of God is intellectual (in the realm of "reason"). The spirit is the agency by which we apprehend divine things. But the natural man's spirit has died - it is dead because of sin. When we are born again our spirit is made alive again by the Holy Spirit. That is God's plan for us - He gave us His Spirit to apprehend Himself; and intellect (the soul realm) to apprehend theology. Therefore, by theology alone, no one can understand God and divine manifestations.

Jesus said, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you" (John 16:12 - 14).

The One who reveals God to us, who reveals Christ to us, is the Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit gives "The ability to do"

Jesus said, "And when He (Holy Spirit) has come, he will convict the world of sin, ..." (John 16:8).

One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to show sinners their sins. Another function is to show Christ to the believers.

The last words of Jesus, before His ascension, were: "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49, emphasis added).

A definition of the word "power" means "the ability to do" - one of the meanings of the Greek word, "dynamite". As an illustration: One man picks up a violin and gets nothing out of it but squeaks and raucous sounds. This man does not have the ability to do. Another man picks up the same violin and he soon playing beautiful and rich melodies. The difference here is this second man has the ability to do.

It is the same with spiritual things. If you are baptized in the Holy Spirit you have the ability to do many things according to his will and calling. If you a soul winner (an evangelist), you will have the ability to win souls. If you are a preacher or a Pastor you have the ability to proclaim the Word of God with authority and power. If you are a Bible teacher you have the ability to make the Word of God plain. Whatever you do in the Name of God, He gives you the ability to do. He gives you the ability to be victorious, to live right, to behold Jesus and love Him, and to live with heaven in view. It is the ability to do.

The Holy Spirit make a difference

The Holy Spirit certainly made a difference in the ministry of the first disciples of Jesus. In order for us to assess the great difference in the men to whom the Holy Spirit has come in power, we will look first at these disciples to whom Jesus spoke.

First of all they were His called and chosen disciples. The Scripture plainly tells us who they were, and it tells us about the long instructions by Jesus Christ Himself. In a sense, they had graduated from the greatest Bible school in the world. Jesus Himself had taught them for more than three years.

Notice also, that they had received and possessed a divine authority. They had an authority that very few believers would dare to try to exercise now. They had been with Jesus throughout the three years; they had seen Him die on the Cross; they had seen Him after He had risen from the dead. So, they knew Him living, dead and living again! They had shown evidence being truly converted persons. There is no doubt about their conversion. Jesus Himself had declared them to be such.

Jesus prayed to the Father: "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in you name. Those whom You gave me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. I have given them Your word; and the world had hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world" (John 17:12, 14, NKJV, emphasis added).

This does not sould at all like the Lord talking about a bunch of sinners still needing to be converted. They were true disciples, and they possessed the consciousness of their discipleship and their authority from Christ. They were converted, forgiven and had fellowship with Christ. They had something a lot of ministers do not have now - they had the gift of preaching and worked miracles (Luke 9:6). They worked miracles before the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. You do not need the baptism of the Holy Spirit to work miracles; you need authority from Christ!

The difference Pentecost made

Here is a list of things that the Holy Spirit did for the disciples after Pentecost.

1. They knew the sudden, brilliant conciousness of the actual divine presence of God. There was the sudden, illuminating knowledge of God Himself actually being present with them.

2. They actually received the joy of the Holy Spirit. In the four Gospels, there was not too much joy. There was instruction, and there was a subdued and quiet peace, but not very much joy. Believers in the contemporary Church always praying for joy, praying for light, praying for every benediction, and yet they don't receive. True joy results the fact that in Christ, we have already died, and risen, and there is not real death out there for the true child of God.

3. They spoke and preached with penetrating power of the Words. When Peter preached at Pentecost, they were stricken in their hearts when they heard him.

"Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do'" (Acts 2:37)?

4. There was suddenly the clear sense of the reality of all things. Throughout the four Gospels the disciples were asking questions - while in the Book of Acts and after Pentecost they were answering questions. They stood with authority and answered questions. The same Peter who had sneaked around and warmed his hands at the fire and lied to the girl, who recognized his accent, was standing boldly and with authority to preach the Word of God! What a difference!

5. The infilling of the Holy Spirit brings a sharp separation between the believer (disciple) and the world. After Pentecost, they were looking at another world (the Kingdom of God). Nowadays, a large part of Christianity (both Charismatic and evangelical) is trying to convert this world to the Church (not to Christ). We are bringing the world - the unregenerated, uncleansed, unbaptized, unsanctified right into the Church. If we can just get some famous, wealthy big shots to say something nice about the Church we will tell the world about our Church through the media. We want our pews filled at all costs.

6. They took a great delight in prayer and communion with God. The Gospel recorded that when Jesus and His disciples were at Gethsemane, none of the disciples could stay awake as Jesus prayed (Matt. 26:36 - 45). After Pentecost they became praying people. In the Book of Acts you will find them in prayer meetings. But before that, they would fall asleep.


When the Holy Spirit comes He takes the things of God and translates them into language our hearts can understand. Even if we do not know the will of God and do not know how to pray, the Holy Spirit does know, and He prays with groanings that cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).


7. They love the Scripture. Notice that Jesus quoted the Scripture in the Gospels but the disciples quoted the Scripture in the Book of Acts. There was a difference! When you are filled with the Spirit you will feel like "eating" the Word. Well, you may not get the Word by eating it, but the Word of God is sweet to the Spirit-filled person because the Spirit wrote the Scripture.


The Psalmist said, "How sweet are Your words to my taste. Sweeter than honey to my mouth" (Ps.119:103).


The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit


To have fellowship with the Holy Spirit means to walk with the Holy Spirit in perfect agreement. Contrary to what professing Christians like to think, many of God's people are not willing to walk in perfect agreement with Him. For this reason, many believers do not have the power of the Spirit, the peace of the Spirit and many of the other qualities, gifts and benefits which the Spirit of God brings.


The fact is that we cannot walk with Him unless we are agreed and if we are not agreed, we will not walk with Him in harmony and fruitfulness and blessing.


Amos wrote, "Can two walk together unless they are agree" (Amos 3:3)?


This is a rhetorical question, equivalent to a positive declaration that two cannot walk together except they are agreed, and the affirmation that if the two walk together, they must in some sense, be one.


We need to understand that the Holy Spirit is a living Person, and He can be known in an increasing degree of intimacy. Since He is a personality, He can never be fully known in a single encounter. God's personality is so infinitely rich and manifold that it will take thousands of years of years of close search and intimate communion to know even the outer edges of the glorious nature of God. When we talk about communion with God and fellowship with the Holy Spirit, we are talking about that which begins now but will grow and increase and mature while life lasts. In other words, we can cultivate our fellowship with the Holy Spirit in our Christian walk.


As I have said at the beginning of this message, wherever Jesus is glorified the Holy Spirit comes. We must also remember that we will know the Spirit more intimately as we make more of Jesus Christ, the Lord of our lives. This is so, because on of the ministries of the Holy Spirit would be to take the things of Christ and show them unto us.


To glorify Jesus is the business of the Church, and to glorify Jesus is the work of the Holy Spirit. I can walk with Him when I am doing the same things He is doing and going the same way He is going and travaling at the same speed He is traveling. I must honor Him by obedience, by witness, and by fellowship.


It all boils down to the need of knowing Him in His Word. The Spirit of God inspires the Word and He will be revealed in the Word. Every problem that touches us is answered by the Word. We need to read the Word, read if often, brood over it, think over it, and meditate over it. As we do this we will understand the presence of the Spirit everywhere, all the time. You will find it impossible to just walk out and hide from His presence.


David, the psalmist said, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me" (Ps. 139:7 - 10, NKJV).

Worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth

Much of the focus of the contemporary Charismatic and Pentecostal Churches has been on in the Spirit. We worship God in Spirit; we sing in the Spirit; we pray in the Spirit and we dance in the Spirit and so on. The question is - are we doing it right in the eyes of God in the right spirit?

How many times have you heard a preacher said in the Local Church something like this: "Let us raise our hands; speak in tongues and worship God in the Spirit. The Bible says we should worship God in Spirit and in Truth!"? The preacher usually did not explain what is meant by "Worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth.

The fact is that raising our hands does not make us true worshipers. True worshipers worship God in two ways: In Spirit and in Truth. You will not see any physical manifestation when someone is truly worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth. The fact is, praying in the Spirit goes far beyond just speaking in tongues. I can speak in tongues and not be "in the Spirit" at all. The physical gyrations I put myself through may have very little to do with worship. I must enter into the spirit of worship, and to do that I must come to God in truth.

True worship of God is only being done by those people who are truthful in their relationship with God. How can we worship a God that we are lying to? Here is where the problem of worshiping God in Spirit comes in. We will never enter into the true spirit of worship if we are not truthful with God. In my opinion the woman at the well (John 4) was in much better shape than many Christians today. One thing about her was that she was truthful. When Jesus pointed out her sin, she said, "You are right; I'm living in sin".

The woman at the well

In John Chapter 4 we find the account of Jesus and the woman at the well. Jesus explained to the woman of Samaria that if she would drink from what He could give her, she would never thirst again. Let us pick up part of the conversation between them:


"The woman said to Him, 'Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw,' Jesus said to her, 'Go, call your husband, and come here.' The woman answered and said, 'I have no husband.' Jesus said to her, 'You have well said, 'I have no husband.' 'for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly" (John 4:15 - 18, NKJV).


When Jesus pointed out this woman's sin, she was very quick to admit it. She did not try to whitewash it; she simply said, "I have no husband." She did not try to cover her actions at all. She allowed Jesus to reveal the truth about her.


Proper way to worship God


When Jesus was asked by the woman about the proper way to worship God, He responded:

"Woman, belive Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:21 - 24).


Here are som statements of truth:


1. Many heathens considered certain places pecularly holy or fit for the worship of their deities. But Jesus was pointing out that the place was a matter of little importance. The time was at hand in which the spiritual worship of God was about to be establised on earth, and all the rites and ceremonies of the heathens and the Jews were to be abolished entirely. The fact is that salvation is of the Jews (the Messiah, being a Jew, will bring salvation), only the Jews understand the true form of worship. But many Jews had corrupted it.


2. True worship was no longer going to focus un on a place but rather on an attitude. True worship was going to take place in the heart from that moment on. The issue was no longer the outward actions or rituals. The issue was becoming focused on who we are in Christ. Jesus was trying to make the point God now lives in the heart, and the heart becomes the place of worship. If a person's heart is not right with God, if there is no truth, he cannot properly worship God. Without truth we will never enter into the true spirit of worship.


3. The woman was dealing with the physical aspect of her relationship with God, but Jesus was dealing with the spiritual aspect of that relationship.


Renaming Sin


The world and the Church are diligently working to rename sin. Instead of dealing with the truth of the matter, we rename it. If it can be renamed, then it does not bother anyone and we don't have to deal with it! There are no alcoholics in the Church; there are only social drinkers. There are no gamblers in the Church; there are only investors of stocks and shares. Nobody in the Church has a problem with lust; all we deal with is sexual indiscretion. Renaming sin is like not admitting sin. We have the mentality that if a sin is not fully committed, it will not be considered sin by God. The root cause of renaming sin is disobedience. We have this mentality that as long as we sin in moderation it will be tolerable to God. But the Scripture says: "Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God" (1 John 3:9, NKJV, emphasis added).


Notice that not only a truly born-again believer does not sin, but also he cannot sin - not capable of sinning! God's seed in him will not allow him to sin. Therefore, those who rename sin are not born again; they are not saved.


Result of not dealing with truth


The person who will not deal with the truth ultimately deals with great sacrifice. A good example is found in 1 Samuel 15 where there is an account of the prophet Samuel and King Saul. God had instructed King Saul to go and utterly destroy the Amalekites. However, when King Saul returned, it was discovered that he did not utterly them. The Lord was grieved that He had made Saul king because he didn't carry out the Lord's instruction (1 Samuel 15:10).


It is interesting that Saul was fully convinced that he had completely fulfilled them, He even said to Samuel: "They (the people) have brought them (animals) from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed" (Verse 15).


Samuel then told Saul how God was grieved that He had made him king, and yet Saul still did not get the message. He was still fully convinced that half-sin is not full sin. He said to Samuel: "But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal" (Verses 20, 21).


Saul obviously misunderstood what Samuel said about "utterly destroy" - destroy everything, people, animals and things. He said that he brought back these few things so that he could sacrifice them to God. Samuel then made his now famous statement:


"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22, NKJV).


It is not that God does not want sacrifice. It is that obedience is better than sacrifice in that obedience goes before sin; sacrifice goes after it! If Saul had simply obeyed God, it would not have been necessary to make a sacrifice. No matter how we try to justify our sin today, it will be the first thing we sacrifice once God has us on our knees. What we are finding in contemporary Christianity are people who will search the Scripture to justify their life styles and yet not search their hearts to find their God!


Make no provision for the flesh


Whenever we justify our sin, we will live in a world of sacrifices. Since we don't fully put to death things which appeal to our flesh, we will constantly be asking God to forgive us for our involvement in them.


Paul said, "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Romans 13:13, 14).


But, instead of clothing ourselves with Jesus Christ, many of us make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust of it. People who have a drinking problem often pattern their lives so as to make it easy for them to drink - they keep company with drinkers and hang around the bars. People who have a gambling problem make frequent trips to Macau or Las Vegas for "sightseeing". People who have a lust problem, have internet assess where pornographic websites are freely available.


Paul also said, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish" (Gal. 5:17).


Many of us have this constant struggle going on inside us. Our flesh does not want to seek God. Our spirit does. The one we give into, whether the flesh or the spirit, will determine what comes out of our lives.


It is interesting to find out the reason why King Saul was instructed by God to utterly destroy the Amalekites. The Amalekites were very immoral people. They represent the constant struggle man has with his flesh. The Amalekites (speak of the flesh) were always fighting against God's people (speak of the spirit). Saul would not utterly destroy them because he was as fleshly as the Amalekites. His spirit had no power to overcome his flesh. That is the reason why God rejected him as King.


On the other hand, King David lived in a world of sacrifices. David had his problems with obeying God. However, David had a heart for God and eventually learned what God was looking for.


After he had committed adultery with Bathesheba and after Prophet Nathan had confronted him, David wrote: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart - these, O God, You will not despise" (Ps. 51:17).


The phrase "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit" indicates David came to God and worshiped Him in Spirit. The phrase "A broken and a contrite heart" indicates David came to God in truth. David was honest with God.


We will never shock God with truth. If we decide to tell God about our problem with sin, we will not set God back on His throne in astonishment. We must come to God in truth; otherwise, we will not let God deal with us. If I am trying to hide my sin from God, then I will refuse any help from Him because to accept His help is to admit to my sin.


We must ask ourselves, "Do I want to be one of the true worshipers of God?" If we do, then we must go to Him with our hearts opened. We must allow God to minister to us. God will never reveal sin to bring judgment upon us. God reveals sin for one purpose: to bring repentance and reconciliation. God does not want to condemn us to hell anymore that we would want to send our own children to damnation!

Victory in the Strong Tower

The Old Testament indicates that there are two different types of towers. The first of these is the Strong Tower or High Tower, two of Bible's many pseudonyms.


Solomon said, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe" (Proverbs 18:10, NKJV).


David, the psalmist said, "For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from my enemy" (Psalm 61:3).


David also said, "Blessed the the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle - my lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge, ..." (Psalm 144:1, 2, emphasis added).


The second type is the watchtower or tower.


Isaiah, talking about the Lord's vineyard, said: "He (God) dug it up and cleared out its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, ..." (Isaiah 5:2).


Spiritually speaking, the watchtower is the Church, a refuge from the world.


General situation today


The Strong Tower (the Lord) and the watchtower (the Church) both serve a similar function in that they are always to provide a refuge from the enemy. However, only one of these is functioning at full capacity today - the Strong Tower, the invincible, eternal Tower (God). The watchtower is growing weak and crumbling, no longer offering the saints a refuge where they may enjoy thoughts that mirror God's thoughts and ways that are the ways of God. If a Church adopts the ways of the same world it is supposed to oppose, the saints can no longer receive the relief they used to in their Church.


Today believers do not pray as much as they should and so they cut themselves from God. Consequently, they lose the knowledge of the Holy God. Yet, at the same time a few believers sense a need to return to seeking the Lord in prayer. These are the ones that regularly attend the Church prayer meetings. They want to know and experience their Lord, not just promote a moral way of living. What unavoidably ensures is a split between those who attend prayer meetings and those who do not.


The watchtower divided against itself


The most basic cause of all these splits is a lack of unity. The contemporary believers lose their unity when they begin to develop vastly different convictions. This potpourri of convictions surfaces because most of the believers base their convictions on elements they do not share in common: their respective pasts and feelings. Everyone has a different past. If everyone bases his convictions on his past, his convictions will, therefore, be as distinct as his past. The same is true of feelings, whcih are both unique and fickle. Believers are living their lives in the soul realm instead of in the spirit realm. They are divided because they were not led by the Spirit of God.


The early New Testament believers, on the other hand, were of one mind, sharing common beliefs and convictions. These common convictions became the mortar that held their tower together, without which it would have crumbled. They shared common convictions because they received them from a common source - the Holy Spirit. As I shared in an earlier message - "Victory in seeking God", convictions are established by the Holy Spirit (John 16:7 - 11). Not only they shared common convictions, but also shared everything together:


"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer" (Acts 2:42).


Notice that instead of Church split, the following verses (Acts 2:44 - 47) say many were added to the Church daily!


Transformation brought by the Strong Tower


God will always be a refuge for His people. He will always be a strong tower. This means if the Church does not also act as a refuge, we will go to God for our protection from the world. This can happen if the world gets into the Church and the Pastors and leaders have no communication with God - not seeking God in prayer.


A transformation takes place when you spend time with God. Slowly, you begin to think the way God thinks. Your thoughts become His thoughts. For example, Solomon, talking about the wisdom of God, said:


"The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate" (Proverbs 8:13).


The above teaches that God hates evil and that the one who truly fears the Lord will hate evil. Yet today very few believers hate evil. Most of us can't even grasp the notion of despising and loathing evil as God does. We don't hate evil. We tolerate it. We form indifferences toward it. Sometimes, we even flirt with it!


The word "hate" is a very strong verb. It transcends "dislike" by miles and not even in the same category with "indifference". Hate indicates strong, passionate, sometimes uncontrollable emotion. The believer who spends time with God will understand and know this hatred of evil. The believer who neglects to spend time with God will never know or even begin to understand it.


A bond strengthens in prayer between God and the believer. As he begins to think and act more like God, issues around him become very black and white in contrast. For him, "to live is Christ" (Phil. 1:21). Either issues around him are for God, or they are against God. Nothing is truly neutral for him. Whatever is not for God is against Him (Matt. 12:30). He sees no middle ground because he evaluates life on God's scale of importance - eternity.


Isaish said, "Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are are the desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness" (Isaiah 26:8, 9, NIV).


Here are some statements of truth:


1. Isaiah was following God's law, doing things God's way. Futhermore, he said that he wanted God, he wanted His Name to be know, and he wanted God to be remembered.


2. Isaiah wanted God, day and night. There was nothing in the world that he wanted more. His spirit was contnually longing after God; his spirit was continually seeking Him.


3. According to Isaiah, people only learn righteousness when judgments of God come upon the earth. I believe the presnt economic crisis is God's way of teaching the poeple of the world righteousness! Amazing!


Calling sin, sin


As far as the people of the world are concerned, sin is not big news. After all who doesn't sin? The news is judgment. That which the world discovers as sinful in the Church is not the problem. The problem is how the Church handles sinfulness. Once a Church stops dealing with sin, it no longer show the world the majesty of God.


A Christian who spends time with God and seeks Him in prayer develops the sensitivity of the prophet Isaiah. He has the eyes and ears of a prophet. He wants his God glorified; he wants his tower (the Church) to remain strong, a refuge from the world. His whole thought is that the Church must call sin, sin!


A person's concept of the Strong Tower


Most people receive their concept of God from their Church or denomination. A believer is generally able to have faith in God only to the degree that his Church does. For example, a believer who attends a Baptist or Lutheran Church will not believe in divine healing or speaking in tongues. Why? It is because his Church does not teach it. On the other hand, a believer who attends a Charismatic or Pentecostal Church will believer most fervently in such divine manifestations. It is because his Church teaches it.


Your faith in God is limited to your concept of God. No Church can rise above its own level of faith. If your Pastor preaches that divine healing is a manifestation of God limited to the days of the apostles, then it is likely that you will believe this also. Consequently, you will not have the faith that would lead you to pray for healing.


Elisha's and Moses' concept of God


We need to develop our own concept of God and not to rely on another person's concept of God. I discovered, with amazement, that even Elisha failed to have his own concept of God in the beginning of his ministry.


Elisha was following Elijah all the way from Gilgal to River Jordan. He had just witnessed the power of God in parting the waters and in taking Elijah up in a chariot of fire. The Scripture says:


"Then he (Elisha) took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, 'Where is the Lord God of Elijah?' And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over" (2 Kings 2:14, NKJV, emphasis added).


Now, why didn't he cry, "Where is the Lord, my God"? It is because Elisha was dependant on Elijah for his concept of God. he has no concept of God of his own yet.


Similarly, God revealed Himself to Moses at the burning bush as a third Person for the simple reason Moses and the children of Israel had no concept of God of their own yet.


"God said to Moses, 'Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The Lord God of your fathers; the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations'" (Exodus 3:15, NKJV, emphasis added).


The danger of an inaccurate concept of God


The contemporary Church, in general, has been focusing on the Word of God to the exclusion of prayer. This has resulted in a very human concept of God. The Word of God deals with the fleshly aspect of God - the Word became flesh. Because of a focus on God's Word only, we have developed a very fleshly approach to God. Our worship of Him is also fleshly. We need to understand that the Word of God gives us the human concept of God. Prayer reminds us of the deity of God. Today, because of the lack of prayer, we have lost sight of the deity of Christ. From the lack of prayer and the Word, we have developed a concept of God that is off-center. Ministries that have a wrong concept of God then develop wrong concepts of God in the lives of those they bring to Christ. Mistakes like these are very serious because our concept of God determines how we worship God.


If we are not seeing God as He is and developing a concept of Him that is true to His nature, then we will see Him as He is not. The result will be that we will offer Him offensive worship - strange fire. There is a good example of offering strange fire to God recorded in the Book of Leviticus:


"Nadab and Abithu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. And Moses said to Aaron, 'This is what the Lord spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified.'" (Lev. 10:1 - 3, NKJV, emphasis added).


Moses was telling Aaron not to be surprises at what happened to his sons because God has said that anybody who worships Him must treat Him as holy. Aaron's sons came before God offering Him strange fire or worship that is not in character with who God really is. God will not accept worship that is contrary to His true nature.


Revelation of the Strong Tower


Whenever God revealed Himself afresh to His people, it changes their concept of Him and their worship of Him. Isaiah had a supernatural revelation of God in which the Lord was surrounded by seraphim crying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of host; the whole earth is full of His glory" (Isaiah 6:3)! With this revelation, Iasiah became a great prophet of God, and he said to God, "Here am I! Send me" (Isaiah 6:8).


Many Church revivals started with a fresh revelation of God. For example, Charles Wesley received a fresh revelation of God and this enabled him to write many classic hymns. Those hymns were a result of a concept of God that was based on the revelation knowledge he received from God. His brother Jonathan was bringing the revival in with his anointed preaching.


God wants us to have our own revelation of Him, not some warmed-over revelation that was somebody else's. The only way we'll ever have our own revelation of God is through seeking Him in prayer and the Word. There is no short cut. If we don't see God as He is, how can we show others who God really is? We may be leading them into false worship!

Victory in Seeking God

Most of us have heard this story - "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp". It is a story about a boy, named Aladdin, who found a magic lamp in which a genie resided. The genie granted Aladdin three wishes, and the rest is history. What baffled me is the lack of any real relationship between Aladdin and the genie. Aladdin and the genie never socialized and never really developed a friendship. Their only communication was initiated by Aladdin when he was in a tight spot and needed something. He was interested only in getting as much as he could out of the genie. Surely you will agree with me that Aladdin was a very selfish and insensitive person.

Our Lord is not a genie

It is easy to see that many contemporary Christians are guilty of the same selfishness and insensitivity of Aladdin. Tragically, we treat the Lord, our God, like a genie in a magic lamp. Like young Aladdin with his genie, we often have very little relationship with our God. We call on Him only when we are in a tight spot and need something.

Many of us are seeking things from God under the pretense of seeking God. When we are sick, we seek healing from God. When hard financial times hit, we seek money from God. We call this seeking God, but in reality we are light years away from seeking God. The one who truly seeks God expects only one thing: God. He is looking for God, not just the things God. The prayer of his life is, "God, I just want You".

I believe we share a common trait with God in relationships. Any time we begin a new relationship we are hesitant to reveal very much about who we really are. However, if that relationship begins to develop and we recognize that this person is truly interested in who we are, we begin to tell this person things about ourselves that we would tell no one else. In the same way, God is hesitant to reveal very much of Himself to any casual seeker. However, when a person is truly interested in knowing who He is, he will seek Him in prayer. To such a person, God will reveal Himself in dynamic ways.

The urgent or the important

In contemporary Christianity, the demand of time in our work life, family life, Church life and social life is so great that we do not find much time in a day to pray. But when one of our children is seriously ill, or we receive a salary cut at work, or we are diagnosed as terminally ill, the day seems to expand. Suddenly, there is time enough to pray.

If we only pray when we are in the midst of a crisis, we develop the idea that prayer is just an "SOS" to God. Consequently, we never pray unless there is a disaster so great that we need to transmit a distress call to God. We are left with the misconception that prayer is a communication used exclusively as a remedy to overwhelming tragedy.

During tragedy we focus our prayers on the urgent and tend to ignore th important. It may be urgent that we receive a healing, but is is very important to just sit back and tell God how much we love and need Him. During a crisis, praying an "important" prayer is difficult. That is why we need to pray in non-crisis times. There is nothing wrong with praying during a crisis (in fact, we must), but if that is the only time we pray, there is something wrong!

Inferior substitute for the Gift of God

When Simon, who practiced sorcery, saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money saying: "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive that Holy Spirit" (Acts 8:19, NKJV).

Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money" (Acts 8:20).

The Holy Spirit, the gift of God which speaks of the Anointing, is not a marketable commodity. We need to invest time in God's presence to receive that divine touch - the Anointing. In other words, we need to seek God continuously if we want to be used by him to touch lives.

Paul said, "I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speeech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God" (1 Cor. 2:3 - 5).

Paul was convinced that the Holy Spirit would confirm his preaching without making use of his own human wisdom. Yet many of today's preachers depend solely upon their showmanship and eloquence or human wisdom. There is no substitute for the gift of God's Spirit which comes only with much prayer.

Seeking God in prayer develops conviction

Jesus said, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; ..." (John 16:7, 8).

Clearly, convictions are established by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit convicts in three areas: in sin, in righteousness, and in judgment. We need to give good thought to the area of righteousness. Many Christians today claim to be - "In the world and not of the world" and yet there is very little righteous living, even among the believers in the Local Church.

The key to our conviction is having a consistent prayer life. When there is no prayer, there is no Holy Spirit to convict. You can base your convictions on the Bible, but only if you are a person of prayer. If you are not a person of prayer, you will not have the guidance and instruction from the Holy Spirit that you need.

The Scripture has never been a source of conviction apart from the Holy Spirit. The New Testament Pharisees are ample proof of this. They knew and could quote all the Old Testament Scriptures, but that knowledge was useless to them because they had a wrong spirit. With their knowledge of the Old Testament, they were able to crucify the Son of God. That is why Jesus said it was to our advantage that He lieves to send the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit we can end up no better than the Pharisees!

God working in us

Paul said, "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ..."(Eph. 3:20, NKJV, emphasis added).

Paul also said, "... for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13, emphasis added).

Paul understood that God only does things in accordance with His power at work in us. Paul did not say "according to the power that works through us". There is a great difference here.

Most contemporary Christians want to be used mightily by God. In other words, they want God to work through them. But the fact is that anyone desires to be used by God. God has to work in him and not work through him. To desire God to work through him is a selfish desire.

How many of us are not tempted to pray for the gifs of the Spirit? Our fleshly nature tells us that if we are going to attract big crowds and to become a popular minister, we have got to have the Word of Knowledge; the Word of Wisdom; and the gifts of healings. We want God to work through us while God wanted to work in us. Wanting God to simply work through us is a pursuit for our own satisfaction and glory. On the other hand, wanting God to work in us is a pursuit of character development.


The fact is that we don't have to earn gifts and we don't even have to pray for gifts because we don't deserve any gift at all! The whole thought of being used by God is very appealing to the flesh. However, God can use anybody. God can work through a donkey. God's working through us is not the problem; God's working in us is!


We need to understand the connection between Jesus and the gifts. If seeking Jesus is our way of life, we will receive His gifts. Consequently, we must not focus on more of God using us than God Himself. We must not concern ourselves with the gifts as much as the fruit of the Spirit - Love, Joy, Peace, ... (Gal. 5:22, 23).


Paul said, "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another" (Gal. 5:24 - 26, NKJV).


Conseder what Paul said to the Corinthians: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but I have not love, I am nothing" (1 Cor. 13:1, 2).


Paul's emphasis here is on character (the fruit) rather than the gifts. The gifts are of no value without the character (love) of Christ. Even if the gifts are in operation, the thing that impresses God is not what He can do through us but rather what He can do in us.


The gifts of the Spirit never prove a ministry. They work through us and can work in the life of any person to whom they are given. The fruit of the Spirit, on the other hand, proves who we are. Keep in mind that gifts are received, but fruit is developed!


To be used by God effectively


As we have seen above the key to effectiveness in our ministry is God working in us. When we spend great amounts of time in seeking God in prayer, it changes our ministry. We become far more effective because through spending time in the presence of God, people tend to see Jesus in us. It is not that fasting and prayer make a person a better speaker; it is that prayer and fasting denote self denial and character is developed through self denial.


When we focus on God's working through us, we primarily concern ourselves with what man sees. When we focus on God's working in us, we primarily concern ourselves with what God sees. We must develop a deep love for God, for God is love (1 John 4:8) and love is His fruit in us.


Jesus said, "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad treee bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them" (Matt. 7:17 - 10).


The kind of fruit we produce is determined by how much time we spend in the presence of God. God must always be our objective and never the gifts. We must let the gifts flow out of a right relationship with God.


Genuine Authority


One of the most prominent qualities of Jesus' preaching and teaching was the authority with which He spoke.


"And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes" (Mark 1:22).


Many contemporary Christians do not understand what is meant by "authority" in this context. We must first acknowledge that this genuine authority is granted to us because of our position, not because of our vocal power. Since we are in Christ (that is our position), we have authority. One man's ability to project his voice further than another man does not means he has greater authority. In prayer, for example, if we are required to pray for something a second time, we will do so, only more loudly than the first time. If we are required to pray a third time, we will shout.


Jesus said to the Sudducees, "You are mistaken, not knowing the scripture nor the power of God" (Matt. 22:29).


Jeus mentioned two constituents of authority here - authority through knowledge of Scripture and authority through God's power.


Authority through knowledge and Power


We have the authority that Jesus spoke abut if we seek Him in prayer and in study of God's Word. God's Word provides us knowledge about God, while prayer will help us to know God.


A preacher might understand the Scipture and able to quote God's Word in both Hebrew and Greek; able to preach with great eloquence and fabulous style, but if he failed to let God working in him through seeking Him in prayer, he is a talented but powerless preacher. And his preaching lacks power and authority to change lives.


Proverbs 2:1 - 5 shows us the importance of the combination of God's Word and prayer. Through the practice of these two elements will result in the knowledge of God. Therefore, a preacher must discipline himself to pray diligently and to study God's Word diligently. Then only will he know God. Then only will signs and wonders manifested in his ministry.


God spoke to Jeremiah: "Call to me, and I will answer, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3).


God has promised you those great and mighty things if only you will call to Him. When you are seeking and communing with Him, you are developing an awareness of His power. However, you will not see and experience that power until you transfer your head knowledge about God's power into heart knowledge through prayer. After much prayer, your intellectual assent will blossom into a life-changing reality which will permeate your life and ministry!

Victory through God's Word

To live according to God's Word is to live in victory. In fact the Bible says Jesus Himself is the Word of God. Jesus is the Word made flesh - "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14, NKJV).

The Word became a man and lived among those who believed in Him. When Jesus speaks, the Father Father speaks through Him, revealing eternal truth to us. Jesus' words are spirit, life and truth.

Moses said to the children of Israel: "So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord" (Deut. 8:3, emphasis added).

Therefore Jesus also said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63).

If you are to live by faith, every Word that proceeds from God's mouth you will have to live by. If you are to live by faith you will not base your decisions on your own intellect or rational thought, nor on your senses, but on what God says in His Word. His Word will be a constant source of life for you and the foundation upon which you structure your life.

Rock and Sand

Jesus told a parable to his disciples toward the end of His Sermon on the Mount:

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings (words) of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall" (Matt. 7:24 - 27, NKJV).

A man built his house on the rock and another built his house on the sand. The one who built on the rock heard God's Words and put them into practice. The other heard God but did not do what He said.

The obedient one experienced victory when the storm came. He was able to withstand all the pressures that came against him. The one who had built on the sand had heard what God said, but had not obeyed. He suffered the loss of his house in the storm.

If you are to be a man or woman of faith, you will need to apply God's Word to your life. There is no point in possessing a Bible, reading it and even saying that you believe what is written there, if you are not prepared to put the Word into action. The one who lives the Word will be victorious.

Faith is not knowing a series of promises which you claim for yourself. These promises are part of the Covenant God has made with His children. He will certainly keep His side of the covenant and will bless you abundantly. He expects you to live by your side of the Covenant: to live according to His Word and by the power of His Spirit. This can only be done by faith.

The man of faith realizes that the whole revelation of God's Word is for him. He cannot pick and choose what he fancies. These are words to obey and promises to believe. Both belong together.

God intends you to be able to withstand whatever storms batter you, whatever difficulties confront you. Faith and obedience form the way of victory: hearing God, believing what He says and do it.

Being set free by the Truth of His Word

The words of Jesus are the answer to every human need. It is through His words that believers are set free:

Jesus said, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31, 32).

Here are some statements of truth:

1. Notice the conditions for being set free by the truth of the Word. Only those who uphold the truth of His Word are true disciples (true believers or true Christians).

2. Only true disciples (true believers or true Christians) understand the truth of His word.

3. Only true disciples (true believers or true Christians) shall be set free by His Word.

4. Many believers (true or otherwise) try to find liberty and freedom from their needs and problems in other ways - through philosophy and psychology, through techniques in the ministries and prayers of "great" men of God. But none of these methods will work for them. It is only the truth of God's (Jesus') Word and what He had accomplished, that will actually liberate people.

The Holy Spirit guides us into all Truth

The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth and one of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to reveal the Truth of God's Word to us. Without the help of the Holy Spirit there is no way we can understand the Scripture.

Jesus said, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you" (John 16:13, 14).

The Holy Spirit does not act in independence. He "will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I (Jesus) said to you" (John 14:26).

When the truth of God's Word becomes revelation in our hearts, faith will be created within us. Only then can we be motivated to obey Him. Then we are able to act upon his words. When we do so, we experience peace. Failure to live God's Word leads to conflict. We then have no confidence before God. Our prayer life will be affected because we lack confidence of receiving answers from God. And such doubt and lack of confidence prevents both faith and victory.

Faith and Obedience

Faith within you is inspired by hearing God's Word in you heart. The Holy Spirit takes the words of the Scripture and speaks them to you, so you know you have heard directly from God (though not audibly).

The Holy Spirit will not convict a believer of sin and promise blessing at the same moment. What the Lord does, both in Scripture and in Christian's experience, is to give promise of blessing if there is repentance first.

Moses said, "All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the Lord your God" (deut. 28:2).

To recognize Jesus as your Lord is to respect His authority over you. When your soul and body are submitted to the influence of His Spirit you will be mightily blessed, and will have confidence before God in your Christian walk (please read my earlier posting - The Spirit, Soul and Body of man).

To walk in obedience and submission is to walk in love for the Lord. This is not to be a begrudging submission coming from a rebellious heart, but a willing response to His love. It is love answering love. In His love God gives; in your love you submit willingly to His authority and obey.

John said, "Beloved, if your heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight" (1 John 3:21, 22, NKJV).

Allowing Jesus to be the Lord in the daily circumstance of your life gives you confidence before Him. You want to obey Him and do what pleases Him. In response, he wants to bless you and grant the desire of your heart.

Psalmist David said, "delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4).

Those living a victorious life walk in obedience to Jesus and the truth of His Word. This is true fellowship. He is the Victor. He is the Answer to your every need. And you can live in close harmony and fellowship with Him. Not only will you be blessed as a result, but others will be blessed because of you. When your life is submitted to Jesus, His Spirit flows out of your life as rivers of living water (John 7:38). And others are blessed with God's love and power because of you.

Faith, feelings and Reason

It is common to find believers contradict the Truth of His Word with their reason.. There will be occasions when their feelings seem utterly oppose to what God says in His Word. At such time they will have to choose whether they will trust their feelings, or believe the truth of God's word.
This is one of the most important aspects of a life of faith. The temptation to believe the natural reason rather than the supernatural power of God will always be with you. Reason limits the Lord in your life; faith releases His activity in your experience.

Life's experience tells us that it is easier to believe reason than revelation; it is easier to believe feelings than the Word; it is easier to listen to your doubts than to the Lord! Yes, easier - but not right.

This is the point of struggle for many Christians. It is so much more reasonable to believe what you can see, touch or feel. But faith is believing what you do not see (Heb. 11:1). Are you going to adopt the easy way, or live by faith?

A problem of the children of Israel (Numbers 13, 14)

The children of Israel wandered around the wilderness for a whole generation because of their lack of faith. When Moses sent the spies ahead into the Promised Land, ten of the twelve believed what they saw rather than the promises God had given them. They listened to their fears instead of to their faith.

Only Joshua and Caleb listened to the Lord, believing His words. To Joshua was given the privilege of leading the people into their inheritance. But those who listened to their fears perished in the wilderness. For them the promises of God and their own ambitions remained unfulfilled.

God is not opposed to reason; He is beyond reason. His thoughts and ways are much higher than your thoughts and ways (Isaiah 55:9). Do not limit the Lord by your reason. If God says one thing and you say another, someone has to be wrong! Whenever you contradict the Lord you can be sure He is right. He will not change His Word to accommodate your reason or feelings. It is your ideas and attitudes which will need to be changed and be brought into line with His Truth.

Many do not walk in victory and experience triumph in their Christian lives because they choose to believe themselves; to believe what they think or fear, rather than to agree with God's revelation of truth and the promises He gives in His Word. You have to make the decision whether you believe waht God says or whether you trust your own wisdom instead.

For true believers, there can be no compromise on this point. You cannot mix a little of the Word with your own wisdom and expect to see great things from God. Your mind will need to be submitted to His Spirit. And He will reveal the truth to you. What He wants from you is - hear the truth; believe the truth and obey the truth.

The wise man built on the rock. If you are wise you will listen carefully to the Lord and put His words into practice. If on the other hand, you choose to be foolish, you may hear what He says but trust in your own "wisdom" instead. Then you will build your house on the sand and it will not be able to withstand the storms of life. The choice is yours - are you going to be wise or foolish?