Put It Into Practice

James 1:21-22 (NKJV)

²¹ Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

We who call ourselves Christians are called to be “doers of the Word.” If I can rephrase it as a question, “Are you a real Christian who demonstrates the Word, or are you just a philosopher?”

You have the joy of hearing the Word preached with authority every week. Your pastor imparts to you what you need to see life that is worth living, life to the full under the influence of the Holy Ghost. But it is not enough to hear the Word, you have to put it into practice.

Being one who does the Word is not just doing “good things,” it is not just being a good person, no, look at Hebrews with me.

Hebrews 4:1-2 (TEV)

¹ Now, God has offered us the promise that we may receive that rest he spoke about. Let us take care, then, that none of you will be found to have failed to receive that promised rest.

² For we have heard the Good News, just as they did. They heard the message, but it did them no good, because when they heard it, they did not mix it with and accept it by faith.

The Word is our instructions for how to live. It is all we need to be a success. And yet, each week people hear it and walk away unaffected, because “they did not accept it with faith.”

Faith is taking God at His Word. It is acting in agreement with the Word even when everything around you looks like it doesn't work. It means that you put your trust in God, knowing that He cannot lie. It means that you demonstrate to the world around you the truth, the reality of God, His kingdom, His economy, and His overwhelming power. But that can't happen if you don't know the Word or if you don't mix the Word you hear with faith and put it into practice.

When the Bible says, “... let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature.” (Galatians 5:16 TEV) then you learn how to listen to His voice and obey, because, I can tell you, the price of not listening can be high.

Here are some of the things the Word says, are you doing them?

1. Go into all of the world and make disciples

2. Live a holy life that makes you different than the world

3. Take the message of God's healing power to those who need it and then demonstrate it.

4. Let your wealth and increase be a testimony to the favor of God rather than your reason for living.

5. Go find people who are bound by the devil and set them free.

6. Live a life that God will be proud of when you're done.

7. Give, give, give! Be just like your Father. Let your love free up your resources and show people what love looks like.

Being a doer of the Word means you are living a life that mirrors the life of Christ. As I shared with a young man who was trying to decide if he would follow Christ, this Christian life is really living, and then I showed him by my example that it was true. He did choose to become a believer! What are you doing with the Word you've heard?

Let Redemption Find A Voice

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, " (Ps 107:1-2)

My life has been forever changed by my relationship with Christ. Yes, I am thrilled to be saved from damnation and to life eternal, but I had no idea how this relationship would impact my life here and now.

When I responded to the altar call to make Jesus the Lord of my life no one told me that He wanted to bring increase to every area of my life. He has improved my relationships, given me wonderful ways to earn income, made me a better parent, and given my life purpose and direction. Everything about life is better as a result of what Jesus has brought to the mix.

Considering the benefits outlined in the Scriptures, why wouldn't everyone want to be part of His family? Yes, it does put restrictions on me, but only to prevent me from being stolen from by destructive behavior and negative influences. Because of His great love for me, He is doing everything possible to position me for blessing and increase. If only I could help people see how much more wonderful life is in Christ than as one devoid of this life.

This is the point of preaching the Gospel and living a life so that not only will people hear about the great things God wants to do in their life, but they will also see it demonstrated in our lives. I love one of the things that is recorded in the Book of Acts describing those who had followed Jesus, "they realized that they had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13)

Do you claim Christ today? So you take every chance you can to tell people how very good God is to you, of the wonderful way He has impacted your life? Are you a living demonstration of God's heart?

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, " (Ps 107:1-2)

Let us rise up and give redemption a voice.

Extreme Faith

I was thinking back over the years since I came to Christ and remembering some of the things and people who have impacted my life. I cherish each and every one. What still amazes me is those who think that my faith is extreme.^

^20 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, ^21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (EPH 3:20-21)

I have to ask, what does it take to be extreme?

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?" (Je 32:27)

I know there are things that are more challenging than others for us to believe, but extreme seems to be excluded from the Father's vocabulary.

Too big, too hard, too expensive, too much - no wait, I do remember that God is the God of "too much." Everything we see God doing for His kids is always too much. Jesus feeds the 5,000, but there is too much and they have twelve baskets of left overs. Manna and quail in abundance were given to those of the Exodus. And, have you read what God gave Adam and Eve in the Garden before the Fall? Too much!

As a matter of fact, it seems as if someone is always trying to talk me out of what God is more than able, more than willing to do. Sometimes I wonder which team some folks are on.

God has given us so much, more than we realize, and certainly more than we walk in. It seems that the only limit He has placed on what He will give us is set by us. Our attitudes, our willingness to believe Him, and our motivations seem the only barriers to our seeing His riches manifest in our lives, our relationships, our churches, and our families.

In Malachi 3 we see a word of correction and rebuke, not a limit on His willingness to do, but on our willingness to believe and act in faith. The key to overcoming our unbelief is given there, but it is still our choice. IF ... if we will be worshipers, if we will but trust Him we will see Him move mightily on our behalf.

Church, it's time to take the limits off, get i to His presence and see what it is He wants to do in and through us, and then go manifest His Kingdom to a world that is looking for the real deal. It is time for extreme faith!

No Condemnation

I spend a lot of time meditating on the Word and listening to the Author. It is amazing what He will show you if you just keep your ear to His heart.

In the church there are those who seem to think that the best message is one that drills you into the ground, buries you in concrete, and fills in the hole on top of you. I have seen them ask for "a harsh word." While some in the pursuit of Christ act in rites of torturous self loathing - beating themselves with a flagellum, walking on their knees in penance until they are bloodied, or even having themselves crucified alive - to be found worthy of God's forgiveness and mercy, this is not what we see in Jesus.

Jesus dealt with people who felt they were not worthy (Matt. 8:8,) walked among a culture that operated by the power of legalistic religion (Luke 6:1-5,) and preached a message that flew in the face of the traditions that had come from the perversion of what God had really spoken (Matt. 9:10-13.) It wasn't much different than the things we deal with in our own world.

The message of hell fire and damnation is not new, but I have to ask, if the message of damnation were what it took to turn men's hearts toward God, the whole world should have been saved by now. Why didn't Jesus use this message of condemnation? Simply, it doesn't lead to repentance, nor does it lead people to walk in fellowship with God.

Let's back up to the first sinner. Adam fell and felt the full force of condemnation. When his Friend, God, came for their regular stroll in the cool of the day (Gen. 3) he hid himself, overwhelmed with condemnation over his failure. We can follow that pattern to the present day, if one falls, he usually pulls away from God, hides himself at the Father's presence where his sin leaves him wallowing in grief and pain. But God was seeking them out, trying to bring the solution for their sin, wanting to restore them to fellowship and to get them into that place where His blessing and favor could once again flow to them.

Listen to the words of Jesus,

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:16-21)

Notice, condemnation is not part of the plan of redemption, it is part of the Fall, that is, it is what the flesh does in response to sin. Jesus gives us a shining example in John 8.

Jesus went to church to teach and is put on the spot by the leagalists when they brought the "woman caught in adultery." In the end, Jesus gives voice to the heart of God when He says to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."

The message of the Gospel is a message of hope, a message of reconciliation, a message of restoration to the original plan of God for man. May we who call ourselves Christian, Christ-like ones, take His message and ministry of hope, reconciliation, and restoration to a world lost in sin. Let the Good News ring out from our hearts, our pulpits, and over the many forms of media we use.

Original Intent - Part 3

We have looked at God's plan for man in terms of the material things and the intent of God in spiritual matters, that only leaves one area to be considered, the realm of the soul. Again, let's consider the account of Man's beginning in Genesis.

The realm of the soul is often seen as too complex for generalizations. But certain things can be seen as basic to all men, the standards by which mental health is measured. I find it interesting that mental health is measured by the absence of maladies rather than the presence of attributes, but then, we are Post-Fall.

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Ge 2:7 KJV)

Man, in his original sinless state is marked by being in the image and likeness of God. His make up is clearly outlined - Spirit, soul, and body. The body, devoid of a spirit is but a handsome sculpture, lifeless and empty. But take that body, impart the essence of the real man, his spirit, and a third part is formed, the soul. While the flesh and spirit remain identifiable, they interface via the soul to make the complete man we see.

The soul has been defined and described in many ways. It is identified as the "mind, will, and emotions" of man by many, but that is not sufficient to explain it. For others, the soul is that part of man which makes each one uniquely individual. It is our character, our passions, our appetites, our dreams, and our personality all rolled into a package we call the intellect.

So what can we glean from this initial revelation of man's soul at Creation?

Rational Thought: At the point of origin, Man, the living soul, became aware of his surroundings. He knew who he was and who God was. Man was able to interact in a meaningful dialog and make rational, logical judgments. As a matter of fact, in this very same account we see Man working in cooperation with God in the set up and management of the Creation. God gives him tasks to complete, and Man is able to do what God asks to His satisfaction. We can, from this, see that rational thought is part of what God reveals as His perfect intention for Man.

Relational Interaction: We also see that Adam had emotional needs. God saw His man and declared, "It is not good for Man to be alone." Man, the living soul, needed someone just like him with whom he could interact and share his world. Good mental health involves not just being able to interact with others, but being able to walk in mutually beneficial relationships, each one adding his part and increasing the whole.

Independent Thinking: God also built into man the freedom of choice. Given a set of rules, standards by which to live, Man was left to decide whether or not he would conform or not. God wasn't looking for robots or automatons. He gave Man a free will and allowed Man to consider the consequence of his actions before choosing a path to follow. The ability to think rationally coupled with the freedom to defy logic makes Man unique in Creation. Instead of being a simple animal that follows his every appetite and desire, Man is free to choose to indulge or deny himself based on what he sees as his own best interest. Being free to choose is an element of good mental health.

A Mind At Rest: In the Garden, at the beginning, there is nothing to stress Adam. He is abundantly supplied, has a soul mate designed specifically for him, and is perfectly in tune with the God who created him. All is at peace within and without. He has no sickness and disease to worry him, no bills to pay, no limits to what he can accomplish, and nothing to fear. Life is good! Here is a man whose emotional state is marked by contentment, joy, and peace of mind.

In 2 Timothy 1:7 God paints a picture of contrast between a soul bound by fear and a "sound mind." The Sound mind is marked by strength, inner strength that carries us beyond what we think we are able to do. It is a soul enveloped in love, that is, it is completely aware of the magnitude of God's love toward Man and responds in kind with an overriding and selfless love that knows no bounds. The sound mind is under control, is able to regulate its direction, and is able to set its course into the future.

A soul operating as God intended is not without challenges, but it handles the challenges in a way that shows a perspective that is focused by the Spirit on confronting the needs and appetites of the flesh. Challenges come, but we are up to the test.

The soul we see in Adam before the fall is the soul that God wants us to have. It stands out in the life of Jesus as we see Him interacting as man on earth in the same way and with the same limitations we have. While His were self imposed, He showed us what life was supposed to be like. We can have the same thing, after all, "... we have the mind of Christ." (1 Cor. 2:16)

Original Intent 2

It seems like a fairy tale, the story in Genesis about Adam and Eve and what God did for them, but it is an account of God's perfect will for man. As we read the text of the Scriptures, we see the heart of the Father in creating a world with man in mind.

For thus says the Lord,Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: “I am the Lord, and there is no other." (Isaiah 45:18, NKJV)

Earlier I addressed God's original intent for mankind in terms of the practical things He provided. In this entry I want you to visit with me His intent spiritually.

The earth, in all its glory, was man's habitat. And yet, it was here that the God of the Universe chose to meet with man and have a personal and interactive relationship. We see that God and Adam (which included Eve) walked with God in the Garden. Picture it, a lush tropical paradise with all the flora and fauna surrounding you on every side, and God and man casually walking up the well manicured paths, arm in arm, and discussing the things on their hearts. Can you see it? This was God's intention from the beginning.

Earth was built for man, a luxurious habitat, but also the place of meeting where man and God could enjoy each other's company. The relationship was always meant to be personal, close, intimate, and uninhibited. There was no priest, no intermediary, and nothing to keep them apart. Man was free to walk with God without fear, and he could talk with God face to face. Can you imagine it?

Then came the Fall. It was the saddest day in human history. Everything God had built was for naught. Man was lost from God, and God was now unapproachable, terrifying, and had gone from being a dear friend to being a dreaded judge. But the heart of the Father hadn't changed.

Time went on and certain individuals saw that God still wanted to walk with man. He hadn't changed what He wanted. Enoch got so good at it that he walked all the way to Heaven before he was even dead. Others tapped into the presence of God on a limited basis, but the majority of mankind still stood in terror of what God would do to them in their sinful state.

Thank God, Jesus came and turned it all around. Once again man was able to gain unfettered access to the Father. Our God could again be our friend. The earth, built as man's habitat, could again become the place of God's visitation, not the once in a while, scary visitation of the Exodus, but a place where God could walk with us, talk with us, and be a tangible part of our lives on a daily basis.

As you walk through your day, do you take advantage of being able to walk with God in every situation? Call it "practicing the presence of God" or "life in the spirit," but avail yourself of Him and what He has for you. From the beginning God wanted to walk with you. Walk with Him! You'll find your life changed in ways you could never imagine.

Why Is Faith So Important?

"Without faith it is impossible to please God." (Heb. 11:6)

Faith is critical to being able to see God's favor on our life.  But I have to ask, why is faith so important?  Isn't faith just believing?

Faith is - no, I don't want you to parrot the "Now faith is ..." passage. (Heb. 11:1) Faith is a conviction of the truth of a matter that is so strong it results in a change of behavior marked by a passion for that truth and for sharing it with others.  Faith that leads to salvation also results in those who are saved being passionate about sharing what they have found with others. (Acts 4:20) Evangelism is not a program of visitation or series of special services meant to bring church growth.  True evangelism is, like in the book of Acts, the real outgrowth of a personal and tangible relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Faith, real faith, biblical faith, is the inviolate belief in the truth of the Word and the God who inspired it.  Those who are in true faith will change their behavior, their lifestyle, and their priorities to come into agreement with those of the God who is our salvation.

Faith is the result of impartation that happens when the Word is proclaimed under the unction, an anointing, of the Holy Spirit.  To make it as simple as I can, when the Word that goes forth is activated by the work of the Holy Spirit it is literally an expression of the heart of the Father that is planted in our hearts and becomes an alive and vital revelation.  This revelation changes us.  The reality of the truth proclaimed is so real to us that it supersedes the things we see, hear, feel or have learned.  We begin to operate on a supernatural basis and alter our belief system, values, and priorities accordingly.  This is the kind of faith God approves of, the kind of faith God honors, the kind of faith God can bless.

Why is this faith so important?  Real faith is something that cannot be compromised, will not be forsaken, and is so tangible that it gives God a bridge from the supernatural to the natural.  It becomes the legal authority for the Kingdom to operate in the lives of men.  It sets the course for our journey toward our destiny.  In faith is the answer to every question, the key to opening every door, and the provision to see every dream fulfilled.  Faith puts us on track to see God's will manifest in our lives.