Abraham's bond and relationship with God was solid and it came to a point that it could withstand testing not of adversity but of voluntary worship and obedience.
Trials promote and train us for involuntary worship - because we want to get out of the trial we know out of survival instinct to obey. Freedom is a different thing. When we are not compelled, freedom trains us and calls us to voluntary obedience.
Abraham experienced the reality of God. Abraham heard His voice of promise that spoke to his deepest desire and dream of his heart to be a father.
he experienced supernatural protection of himself and His wife, provision that made him rich, fought impossible odds in battle and won, worshiped and finally saw a supernatural miracle in the promise God spoke over his life the birth of Isaac Gods fulfillment of his promise and a miracle child.
ll these things pointed to one main thing - that God is good lovely and mighty and wild and a good father to Abraham giving all things into the hand of this man. Abraham did nothing - God did everything for him. Abraham believed God that he may be a father of faith to us.
We who believe the gospel of a God doing everything for us and wanting to show us His mercy and power and grace if we will but believe the gospel.
What is the gospel? the good news that He is king of the universe and wants to be a forgiving and saving and healing king to us. we do nothing but believe in the divine exchange of Christ for us sinners given once for all.
we are in similar faith and straits as Abraham for we are also given these awesome promises of new life, forgiveness of sins walking w god as righteous through the word of God. if we believe the gospel the bible indeed calls us children of faith.
and what is the gospel? that Christ is our God, savior and righteousness and we are called to forsake all other forms of saving ourselves and abandon ourselves to him in submission obedience and trust Him.
Friday, December 21, 2012
The Faith of Abraham and reasoning on the resurrection
slaying his son in worship and sacrifice was a voluntary act not co erced in any way. he demonstrated an extraordinary form of human love for God as yet unknown. a love like Christs love for the father in the sacrifice of everything dear in obedience to god Himself.
saying in effect God you are my possession above all possessions. without you I cannot live and would rather live in eternity with you than have the present world a brief moment without you.
yet it was more multi layered than that for Hebrews says Abraham believed god would raise isaac from the dead. this is advanced and sophisticated thinking on Abrahams part.
for he reasoned thus if God spoke once to me that I would be a father of many nations then fulfills his own word by bringing me a son, then tells me to sacrifice him, he will not by this new order undo his previous promise to me , for He is no liar but true - through and through as his previous experience with God had informed him.
so he reasoned that God was true and faithful and could not be faulted with duplicity - double mindedness.
He saw a consistency in Gods character through multiple and tried and proven experiences. the conclusions in Abrahams mind and in his heart were concrete. God is good. God is faithful. god is merciful and kind to me. he will never betray me. he got at God's heart and perceived it and honored God he was God's friend.
God is single minded and sure. and his promise certain. psalms says his purposes are unchanging from generation to generation. Abraham saw that.
so everything he knew about God was filtered through this solid matrix of knowing Gods character. he could be tested. this thing would stand.
every new order was fit into this paradigm of faith in the character of God which was built over time by God.
so he reasoned that God would raise up Isaac up from the dead. an extraordinary reasoning that reasoned and depended on the goodness of God. faith sees God is good despite the circumstances. it sees beyond this realm to a good God. praise him for he is good and His mercies endure forever the Israelites were commanded to do so especially in dire straits. because that is the nature of our faith.
abrahams faith in which he believed that God would resurrect isaac was a precursor to Christ's time in which Christ believed that His Father would raise Him from the dead because of His goodness.
this is the faith we are called to have as we give God our puny lives can we believe that God wants to raise us up from the dead and make us new?
we are called not only to believe in resurrection but also to experience resurrection of our own personalities our lives our relationships everything can be resurrected by God but do we believe and will we go on till we experience this personally for ourselves?
the teaching of resurrection can be found in Romans 6 Hebrews 12 and the gospels the message is consistent. give all to God and He will give u far more than u can imagine but all on His terms do we dare follow his rules and prove his promise?
Thursday, November 01, 2012
Christianity is not a life without trouble.
Christianity is a life arguably with more trouble - but with an overflowing supply, more life, grace, power, strength, divine comfort, promise, hope, love, eternal life, deepest peace, wisdom and everything you need to overcome this life in fellowship with the Savior, Father and Spirit who has overcome all.
If you want a life without trouble don't come to Christ. you will get by better that way.
If you are looking to get out of this 80 years alive at the end of the age having what really counts in this life, then follow Christ by all means.
But know it will come with trouble but along with Trouble a promise of increasing experience of the abundance of Christ - life, abundance, abounding strength, grace, peace, mighty experiences of Him and you will know Him- the greatest treasure of all, and the only thing which you can take away when this life is done.
Then go all the way and become an over comer in Him. all the way for Jesus.
If it were a life without trouble then what cross do we take up? be courageous for Jesus. The cross is shame, the cross is rejection by the world, the cross is the persecutions that come with the faith. the being labelled a fool. we are fools for Christ that we may in the end be proven right.
That the way and secret of life and satisfaction of live is not the mad worship of ambition and material possessions but in the self sacrificial love.
Remember Jesus who endured, taking up the cross, scorning its shame, what hardships he endured from sinners. He walked this dusty ground which is not our home. lest you become weary.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
also because there is an angry devil who hates us and we are born into the world which is nothing less than a war zone between forces of light and dark. those who do evil will always hate those who love right and do right. if they hated Him they will hate us also.
Philippians 1: 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,
Romans 8: 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Philippians 2: 10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death;
v.11 if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead.
Remember they hated Him 'without a cause'. so they will hate us who bear His likeness for we are the stench of death unto death to them but life unto life to those who seek righteousness justice and life.
If you want a life without trouble don't come to Christ. you will get by better that way.
If you are looking to get out of this 80 years alive at the end of the age having what really counts in this life, then follow Christ by all means.
But know it will come with trouble but along with Trouble a promise of increasing experience of the abundance of Christ - life, abundance, abounding strength, grace, peace, mighty experiences of Him and you will know Him- the greatest treasure of all, and the only thing which you can take away when this life is done.
Then go all the way and become an over comer in Him. all the way for Jesus.
If it were a life without trouble then what cross do we take up? be courageous for Jesus. The cross is shame, the cross is rejection by the world, the cross is the persecutions that come with the faith. the being labelled a fool. we are fools for Christ that we may in the end be proven right.
That the way and secret of life and satisfaction of live is not the mad worship of ambition and material possessions but in the self sacrificial love.
Remember Jesus who endured, taking up the cross, scorning its shame, what hardships he endured from sinners. He walked this dusty ground which is not our home. lest you become weary.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
also because there is an angry devil who hates us and we are born into the world which is nothing less than a war zone between forces of light and dark. those who do evil will always hate those who love right and do right. if they hated Him they will hate us also.
Philippians 1: 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,
Romans 8: 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Philippians 2: 10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death;
v.11 if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead.
Remember they hated Him 'without a cause'. so they will hate us who bear His likeness for we are the stench of death unto death to them but life unto life to those who seek righteousness justice and life.
Thursday, October 04, 2012
The Humility of Father God
love is not arrogant, love does not boast. Father God is love. therefore Our Father is not arrogant, He does not boast
Boast :- to exaggerate with pride. to take glory to one's self.
Father will say the truth about what He has done but never to boast, never to exaggerate, never to be arrogant there is no evil, no pride in God.
there is good pride -a pride born out of self sacrificial love and an evil pride born out of ambition and egotistical love of self.
just as there is good jealousy a jealousy that is born of love - and there is envy.
our Father is humble for when we see Jesus' humility we see the humility of our Father. As Jesus was willing to die on the cross being humbled as a man and a bond slave of the Father, even humbling Himself to be servant of all men, even the lowliest servant of all - to die for man's sins on the cross and to wash the feet of men.
so we see the heart of the Father the humility of the Father who stoops down who sends help, who sends His tender love who sends Jesus he son and Himself comes to lift up even the lowliest of men. Our Father.
Boast :- to exaggerate with pride. to take glory to one's self.
Father will say the truth about what He has done but never to boast, never to exaggerate, never to be arrogant there is no evil, no pride in God.
there is good pride -a pride born out of self sacrificial love and an evil pride born out of ambition and egotistical love of self.
just as there is good jealousy a jealousy that is born of love - and there is envy.
our Father is humble for when we see Jesus' humility we see the humility of our Father. As Jesus was willing to die on the cross being humbled as a man and a bond slave of the Father, even humbling Himself to be servant of all men, even the lowliest servant of all - to die for man's sins on the cross and to wash the feet of men.
so we see the heart of the Father the humility of the Father who stoops down who sends help, who sends His tender love who sends Jesus he son and Himself comes to lift up even the lowliest of men. Our Father.
The Father's Suffering Love
our Father does not seek His own welfare His own increase in wealth or good or His own reputation. He is willing to suffer and take up the cost of loving men to His own impoverishment and cost Of Himself.
there is a unique suffering that comes with loving people with free will. of loving prodigals whom you never really know whether or when they will come home to you. Here is an ache of heart a pronounced suffering, agony and pain of love from loving people who do not love you. There is a painful endurance of love and depth of suffering to the Father heart of God is unique to God for Gods is love and perfect compassion.
to love means to suffer. to love means to give to the coat of everything you own down to the joys of your own heart to give all and not hold to anything. Jesus sacrifice was such, so the Love the Father is also.
the Father bears the pain of rejection and derision and scorn of His own person. our Father gives all of Himself even to pain and death and shame, withholding no good thing from His sons. Our Father gives His very heart, His very best to men in the only beloved Son of God Jesus Christ.
there is a unique suffering that comes with loving people with free will. of loving prodigals whom you never really know whether or when they will come home to you. Here is an ache of heart a pronounced suffering, agony and pain of love from loving people who do not love you. There is a painful endurance of love and depth of suffering to the Father heart of God is unique to God for Gods is love and perfect compassion.
to love means to suffer. to love means to give to the coat of everything you own down to the joys of your own heart to give all and not hold to anything. Jesus sacrifice was such, so the Love the Father is also.
the Father bears the pain of rejection and derision and scorn of His own person. our Father gives all of Himself even to pain and death and shame, withholding no good thing from His sons. Our Father gives His very heart, His very best to men in the only beloved Son of God Jesus Christ.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Self sufficiency is not a God attitude. Dependence on God our Father is.
John 5 :15 the son can do nothing of himself unless it is something he sees the sees the Father doing.
everything Christ had was given by the Father. it was in dependence on His Father that He did anything. self sufficiency is not a god attitude.
I need to receive all from the Father to complete and do His will. I need to receive His deep wisdom, His directive, his power, authority His skill. His love. to do all He wants me to do.
Adam received every step of development and thing from His Father whether small or great. every benefit and blessing came from His Father much like Christ who also received all things of His Father, who walked hand in hand and step in step with His Father growing into His fullness and stature even dying on a cross in obedience.
the tension is not whether we receive all things from god and not work or work and not receive from God.
we receive all things from God and work and develop with God at every step receiving grace and peace to grow and develop as we depend also on Him everything comes of God Our Father is the source. but everything comes through God - our Father is also our fuel, our sustenance, how can we live but to depend on Him at every step?
The Wisdom of Love
love is wise. when u have your heart full of love you then can better think and conceive the thoughts of god for God is first love. love prepares the heart to receive wisdom and in the prepared posture of love, wisdom comes to guide loving responses. Both are God but one takes precedence.
He thinks from love and compassion. His wisdom is subject to the over-riding intent and purposes of love.
love is wise for it is patient and refrains to judge prematurely and avoids errors in judgement through compassion.
even justice is subject and tampered with His love. for "mercy triumphs over judgement" and in His judgement He remembers His love His faithfulness His covenant His mercy. His mercy lasts a thousand generations but anger is but a mement. the highest revelation of God was the mercy seat during a dispensation when judgement was the ruling order of that covenant.
wisdom is an expression of love. Wisdom conforms the world and shapes it to the standards of love and relationships over things tasks and objects.
things tasks and objects are arrayed deployed and arranged by wisdom to produce love's directives and goals.
God looses His counsel and wisdom and strategies to those who would act and rule with His heart. the secret counsel of the lord is with those who fear, love worship, Him. the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom but love is its end thats how the bible ends with reconciled love.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Abiding in the Father's love
loving the Father is the greatest command and greatest goal of Christianity. even as the Son loved His father and did all things in love with and for him.
the commands, the law is only fulfilled by love. for love is the command. the royal law is love. all works are to be but an overflowing response to the love of god. every other work is childish work. love is manly work, mature work.
Jesus fulfills His commands in us by loving us to fullness. we love for god has fist loved us. God has immense love for His creation. the Father loves us even as he has loved His son. He wants to be one with us. He wants perfect reconciliation and intimacy and the cost that was paid for that is infinite. the cost of the sacrifice of Christ. the punishment of Christ.
it is not merely knowledge of reconciliation that counts but the deep and growing experience of intimacy in His presence that makes love real, not only to the mind but to the heart. for it is from the heart that our lives flow from. any real change and transformation starts at our core of our beings - our hearts.
abiding - keeping in the deep experience of the love of Jesus and the father is therefore the greatest command. He wants to pour out His love on us more than we want to receive His love. for it is only by His love that we can live right. only by His love can we be transformed into love and fulfill the great command and upholds the law.
he desires that we live right, that our lives be expressions of His love. he desires our love to be mature love.
the only way that love can mature is in the ever greater experience and revelation of the mighty love of God our Father
only this can give us the power to leave the world - the love of our father. if anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in us. but if we keep experiencing the love of the Father, the love for the world will be left behind for a higher and greater joy.
Love must grow. love must increase and expand to take in all our spirit soul mind and strength yes filling our bodies which are to be temples of living Spirit.
all that matters is to receive and give out His love- for love is mighty. in love the power of the spirit is released. acting and responding out of love is the key to the release of the power of the spirit. 1 cor 13 the higher way that releases 1 cor 14 the gifts of the Spirit. the Spirit is a Spirit first of love (the fruit of the Spirit is first love) and manifests Himself when we love as He loves. when we consent to believe in love to know love and to act in love to practice love in practical tangible ways then is His Spirit activated alive and flowing in our lives.
in love we bond with God. in love we are made perfect in oneness with the nature of God. this love is Holy. it is incompatible with a flesh led life. we will never know how deep this love goes if we hold dear the pleasures of flesh and sin.
Let us be made one with God in love. to be filled with compassion. this is the highest order.
the commands, the law is only fulfilled by love. for love is the command. the royal law is love. all works are to be but an overflowing response to the love of god. every other work is childish work. love is manly work, mature work.
Jesus fulfills His commands in us by loving us to fullness. we love for god has fist loved us. God has immense love for His creation. the Father loves us even as he has loved His son. He wants to be one with us. He wants perfect reconciliation and intimacy and the cost that was paid for that is infinite. the cost of the sacrifice of Christ. the punishment of Christ.
it is not merely knowledge of reconciliation that counts but the deep and growing experience of intimacy in His presence that makes love real, not only to the mind but to the heart. for it is from the heart that our lives flow from. any real change and transformation starts at our core of our beings - our hearts.
abiding - keeping in the deep experience of the love of Jesus and the father is therefore the greatest command. He wants to pour out His love on us more than we want to receive His love. for it is only by His love that we can live right. only by His love can we be transformed into love and fulfill the great command and upholds the law.
he desires that we live right, that our lives be expressions of His love. he desires our love to be mature love.
the only way that love can mature is in the ever greater experience and revelation of the mighty love of God our Father
only this can give us the power to leave the world - the love of our father. if anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in us. but if we keep experiencing the love of the Father, the love for the world will be left behind for a higher and greater joy.
Love must grow. love must increase and expand to take in all our spirit soul mind and strength yes filling our bodies which are to be temples of living Spirit.
all that matters is to receive and give out His love- for love is mighty. in love the power of the spirit is released. acting and responding out of love is the key to the release of the power of the spirit. 1 cor 13 the higher way that releases 1 cor 14 the gifts of the Spirit. the Spirit is a Spirit first of love (the fruit of the Spirit is first love) and manifests Himself when we love as He loves. when we consent to believe in love to know love and to act in love to practice love in practical tangible ways then is His Spirit activated alive and flowing in our lives.
in love we bond with God. in love we are made perfect in oneness with the nature of God. this love is Holy. it is incompatible with a flesh led life. we will never know how deep this love goes if we hold dear the pleasures of flesh and sin.
Let us be made one with God in love. to be filled with compassion. this is the highest order.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Is it safe to ignore the bible and rely solely on revelations from the Holy Spirit?
John 14:16
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
John 14:23
Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
The Spirit's main means of operation is through the written word of God, and the word of God is ineffective apart from the empowerment and speaking of the Spirit of God.
Does God move in visions and dreams and revelations when we don't read our bible, does He act when we disobey His word? Undoubtedly He does.
Does this mean it is safe for us to ignore understanding the word of God and dilligent study of His ways?
When we give time and effort to diligent study, and endeavour to obey the word of God to the best of our ability, we are providing a template, a framework, materials in the form of ideas for His Spirit to speak, enlighten and move.
It can be compared to building a highway or an aircraft landing strip for the Spirit of God to speak and move in power and deliver gifts to us, rather than having Him try to hack through the swamp of the multitude of our fleshly thoughts in order to operate. The word of God gives us wise counsel and ministers life, provoking change, repentance, obedience. Obedience and submission to the word of God opens channels of peace and quietness in our hearts by which we can hear Him speak and can then obey further, opening channels for breakthrough and for the empowerment of the Spirit to function.
The word operates as a template, a pattern, a promise, an God-born idea that is planted in the heart, which the Spirit then comes to make experiential, through an encounter with His presence. The word teaches us what Jesus is like, what His motivations are, What His person feels and sounds like, what He values and what He hates, but the Spirit comes to give us a real contact, heart to heart relationship with Him and a real experience of infilling.
How do you know what spirit you are opening yourself up to apart from the word of God who tells you what Jesus is like? It is our agreement with the word of God that the Holy Spirit then uses to make us into a temple of the living God by filling you with power and coming in to speak with you, to empower you and to live the Christ life within you. The Spirit also empowers and causes the word of God to come alive in the first place.
What pattern does the Holy Spirit come to fulfill in us?
It is the pattern, the ways of living, it is the heart values of Jesus as revealed in the written word of God that the Holy Spirit comes to make flesh. The pattern of Christ, as revealed in the word of God, revealed through the Spirit.
Ps 119:97 Oh, how I love your teachings! They are in my thoughts all day long. If I could count the number of your thoughts they would overwhelm me. Thank God for His word, and thank God for the glorious operations of His Spirit which are one.
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
John 14:23
Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
The Spirit's main means of operation is through the written word of God, and the word of God is ineffective apart from the empowerment and speaking of the Spirit of God.
Does God move in visions and dreams and revelations when we don't read our bible, does He act when we disobey His word? Undoubtedly He does.
Does this mean it is safe for us to ignore understanding the word of God and dilligent study of His ways?
When we give time and effort to diligent study, and endeavour to obey the word of God to the best of our ability, we are providing a template, a framework, materials in the form of ideas for His Spirit to speak, enlighten and move.
It can be compared to building a highway or an aircraft landing strip for the Spirit of God to speak and move in power and deliver gifts to us, rather than having Him try to hack through the swamp of the multitude of our fleshly thoughts in order to operate. The word of God gives us wise counsel and ministers life, provoking change, repentance, obedience. Obedience and submission to the word of God opens channels of peace and quietness in our hearts by which we can hear Him speak and can then obey further, opening channels for breakthrough and for the empowerment of the Spirit to function.
The word operates as a template, a pattern, a promise, an God-born idea that is planted in the heart, which the Spirit then comes to make experiential, through an encounter with His presence. The word teaches us what Jesus is like, what His motivations are, What His person feels and sounds like, what He values and what He hates, but the Spirit comes to give us a real contact, heart to heart relationship with Him and a real experience of infilling.
How do you know what spirit you are opening yourself up to apart from the word of God who tells you what Jesus is like? It is our agreement with the word of God that the Holy Spirit then uses to make us into a temple of the living God by filling you with power and coming in to speak with you, to empower you and to live the Christ life within you. The Spirit also empowers and causes the word of God to come alive in the first place.
What pattern does the Holy Spirit come to fulfill in us?
It is the pattern, the ways of living, it is the heart values of Jesus as revealed in the written word of God that the Holy Spirit comes to make flesh. The pattern of Christ, as revealed in the word of God, revealed through the Spirit.
Ps 119:97 Oh, how I love your teachings! They are in my thoughts all day long. If I could count the number of your thoughts they would overwhelm me. Thank God for His word, and thank God for the glorious operations of His Spirit which are one.
Friday, January 20, 2012
False Idea of Christ are blockages to revelation
The man with an incorrect idea about Jesus is worse off than the man with no idea about Him. The man with the incorrect idea about Jesus thinks he knows Him and is satisfied in his wrong idea, this he is not motivated to press in to pray or to gain a correction to his understanding.
The man with no idea is open to the operation of the Holy Spirit and can gain a true revelation of the Spirit of the knowledge of Him.
We have so many wrong ideas about Him today but so little revelation and certainty about who He is what His character is like, what the church needs most today is a return to true personal and living revelation and knowledge of the living Christ.
To return to times of prayer to the God of glory that would grant us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, and then to grow to a complete living and certain and personal revelation and relationship of Jesus, abiding and growing in the living Christ.
Christ will destroy false ideas about Him and show us who He is, Himself through our prayers and the church would revive again to her former glory.
Ephesians 1:17
False ideas about Christ become blockages of true biblical revelation. Remove the stumbling blocks and let us press on to know the Lord
Hosea 6:3
Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.
The man with no idea is open to the operation of the Holy Spirit and can gain a true revelation of the Spirit of the knowledge of Him.
We have so many wrong ideas about Him today but so little revelation and certainty about who He is what His character is like, what the church needs most today is a return to true personal and living revelation and knowledge of the living Christ.
To return to times of prayer to the God of glory that would grant us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, and then to grow to a complete living and certain and personal revelation and relationship of Jesus, abiding and growing in the living Christ.
Christ will destroy false ideas about Him and show us who He is, Himself through our prayers and the church would revive again to her former glory.
Ephesians 1:17
False ideas about Christ become blockages of true biblical revelation. Remove the stumbling blocks and let us press on to know the Lord
Hosea 6:3
Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.
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