Monday, August 31, 2009
taking a spiritual stand
According to the Word of God there are only two kinds of people
on this earth, those who have the Spirit of God and those who don’t.
It’s really shocking when you think about it.
God doesn’t divide people between good and bad; men and women;
rich and poor; black and white.
As Spirit indwelled people we are in a really unique position.
God encourages us to be Spirit filled and Spirit led.
He wants us to take a spiritual stand in our life situations.
I Cor.4:7 puts all things to their proper place.
We don’t have anything unless we receive it.
David, the most beloved king of Israel, knew this.
He knew that his life was a gift, so was his success, opportunities.
This helped him to take a spiritual stand in those situations that
the plan of God led him into.
In I Sam.24 he got a piece of Saul’s garment and was right away
convicted by the Spirit of God.
He didn’t do what his men told him to do.
He didn’t do what everyone else would have done.
He took a spiritual stand and bowed down before his persecutor.
He knew that Saul was wrong, but he also knew that Saul was
anointed by God. David would not raise his hand against God’s
anointed.
A similar thing happened with the water from the well in Bethlehem.
After his men had risked their life to get him the water he refused
to drink it. He took a spiritual stand and poured it as an offering to
the Lord. Probably some people got offended by this, but I’m sure
that his men saw something that they had never seen before.
Could that happen with us, too.
Yes, the Spirit in us leads us to take a stand for God’s character.
We are here to lift up his name.
“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples
to myself ” John 12:32
on this earth, those who have the Spirit of God and those who don’t.
It’s really shocking when you think about it.
God doesn’t divide people between good and bad; men and women;
rich and poor; black and white.
As Spirit indwelled people we are in a really unique position.
God encourages us to be Spirit filled and Spirit led.
He wants us to take a spiritual stand in our life situations.
I Cor.4:7 puts all things to their proper place.
We don’t have anything unless we receive it.
David, the most beloved king of Israel, knew this.
He knew that his life was a gift, so was his success, opportunities.
This helped him to take a spiritual stand in those situations that
the plan of God led him into.
In I Sam.24 he got a piece of Saul’s garment and was right away
convicted by the Spirit of God.
He didn’t do what his men told him to do.
He didn’t do what everyone else would have done.
He took a spiritual stand and bowed down before his persecutor.
He knew that Saul was wrong, but he also knew that Saul was
anointed by God. David would not raise his hand against God’s
anointed.
A similar thing happened with the water from the well in Bethlehem.
After his men had risked their life to get him the water he refused
to drink it. He took a spiritual stand and poured it as an offering to
the Lord. Probably some people got offended by this, but I’m sure
that his men saw something that they had never seen before.
Could that happen with us, too.
Yes, the Spirit in us leads us to take a stand for God’s character.
We are here to lift up his name.
“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples
to myself ” John 12:32
Saturday, August 29, 2009
just one face?
Jesus told his disciples to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees,
which is hypocrisy...” Lk.12:1
Is it really possible to live our life with one face only?
Isn’t it unwise?
Hasn’t God given us an ability to mislead and cheat in order
to protect ourselves?
What does it mean to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves”?
Matthew 10:16
Didn’t Rahab leave us an example of a person who was led by God
to lie and therefore was later promoted and honored by God for
doing so? Joshua 2
Can we lie at least to bad people, if not to the righteous ones?
Jesus was not just full of truth, He is the Truth. John 14:6
He identifies Satan as the Father of ALL lies. John 8:44
I don’t believe that Rahab had to lie in order to save the spies.
She was not honored for her lies, but for her faith.
Spiritual discernment and wisdom sometimes look like lying.
Even the expression of our faith looks like a lie in the kigdom
of darkness. When a Spirit filled believer says that he is a new
creation , Satan accuses him for lying and living in a denial.
All statements of faith look like lies to the faithless world.
We don’t need to lie in order to help God out.
However, when facts are distorted and used for evil we should
obey God more than men. Acts 5:29
When the 12 tribes returned from their mission, ten of them
brought back the facts. Numbers 13, 14
They were the majority and they all agreed
in their testimony. Joshua and Caleb brought a contrary report.
They looked at the same place with the eyes of faith and gave
a positive report. Were they lying?
No, they were simply looking beyond the visible, beyond the
facts in order to see the truth.
which is hypocrisy...” Lk.12:1
Is it really possible to live our life with one face only?
Isn’t it unwise?
Hasn’t God given us an ability to mislead and cheat in order
to protect ourselves?
What does it mean to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves”?
Matthew 10:16
Didn’t Rahab leave us an example of a person who was led by God
to lie and therefore was later promoted and honored by God for
doing so? Joshua 2
Can we lie at least to bad people, if not to the righteous ones?
Jesus was not just full of truth, He is the Truth. John 14:6
He identifies Satan as the Father of ALL lies. John 8:44
I don’t believe that Rahab had to lie in order to save the spies.
She was not honored for her lies, but for her faith.
Spiritual discernment and wisdom sometimes look like lying.
Even the expression of our faith looks like a lie in the kigdom
of darkness. When a Spirit filled believer says that he is a new
creation , Satan accuses him for lying and living in a denial.
All statements of faith look like lies to the faithless world.
We don’t need to lie in order to help God out.
However, when facts are distorted and used for evil we should
obey God more than men. Acts 5:29
When the 12 tribes returned from their mission, ten of them
brought back the facts. Numbers 13, 14
They were the majority and they all agreed
in their testimony. Joshua and Caleb brought a contrary report.
They looked at the same place with the eyes of faith and gave
a positive report. Were they lying?
No, they were simply looking beyond the visible, beyond the
facts in order to see the truth.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
no Creator, no purpose
It’s difficult to become better in reaching your goal in life,
if you don’t believe that you have one.
May it be in irresponsible Fatalism or abstract Atheism,
it’s all the same: people lack direction and with it a fulfillment
as their souls are swimming in the merciless ocean of purposelessness.
Goals can ultimately be defined only with a Creator.
I am on my way from Him to Him,
not just from nowhere to nowhere.
Believing in the existence of the Creator doesn’t yet guarantee that
I’m living out my purpose.
My choices express my identity.
I can glorify my Creator or bring shame to His name.
I cannot change Him , nor get rid of Him.
He has thoughts of grace towards me.
Grace is full of purpose.
It doesn’t work as a general concept.
It can only be understood in a situation where real people are
deciding what to think, say and choose.
God’s love, which is always greater than ours, helps us to get back
from sin (failing His purpose) to His eternal purpose.
Hell is the furthest place from His purpose.
My grandmother used to say, ”Why do you hurry in a ready world?”
I believe she had understood something about the eternal purpose of God.
He has made everything ready before we were even born.
That’s why his purpose will stand and doesn’t need to be modernized
nor adjusted to the “changing” world.
Ephesians 3:8-12
if you don’t believe that you have one.
May it be in irresponsible Fatalism or abstract Atheism,
it’s all the same: people lack direction and with it a fulfillment
as their souls are swimming in the merciless ocean of purposelessness.
Goals can ultimately be defined only with a Creator.
I am on my way from Him to Him,
not just from nowhere to nowhere.
Believing in the existence of the Creator doesn’t yet guarantee that
I’m living out my purpose.
My choices express my identity.
I can glorify my Creator or bring shame to His name.
I cannot change Him , nor get rid of Him.
He has thoughts of grace towards me.
Grace is full of purpose.
It doesn’t work as a general concept.
It can only be understood in a situation where real people are
deciding what to think, say and choose.
God’s love, which is always greater than ours, helps us to get back
from sin (failing His purpose) to His eternal purpose.
Hell is the furthest place from His purpose.
My grandmother used to say, ”Why do you hurry in a ready world?”
I believe she had understood something about the eternal purpose of God.
He has made everything ready before we were even born.
That’s why his purpose will stand and doesn’t need to be modernized
nor adjusted to the “changing” world.
Ephesians 3:8-12
Monday, August 24, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
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