BAPTIZED INTO THE WORD

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Mike

BAPTIZED INTO THE WORD

I have been in a season of transition recently, having lost my full-time job and finding my days filled with plenty of time on my hands (of course looking for another job). I did not want to flounder around and simply enter into employment just because that was the right thing to do. So, I determined to seek the Lord for His direction — His perfect will for right now. Having walked with Him for awhile I know His leading comes — primarily — as revelation, or an illumination from the heart (spirit, inner man) to the head. The Bible says “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130), plus “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105), and “In Your light we see light” (Psalm 36:9b). In other words, when we look into the Word of God (His light) we can expect to see light (revelation/illumination of what we are in the dark about).

With these Scriptures in mind I started saturating myself in the Word of God. I’ve heard Brother Copeland speak of the benefits of becoming totally immersed in the Word of God.

  1. It is the most anointed Book that exists! The anointing is where the “light” comes from.
  2. The Source of anointing, the Holy Spirit, authored it, and He lives inside every believer — His indwelling will bear witness to the leading of God — “In Your light we see light” (Psalm 36:9b). [See also Romans 8:16 and 1John 5:10.]

So, I concluded that exposure to the Word of God would result in the revelations I need from the Lord to lead me into His will for my life.

LAST DAYS

Let me further explain this decision. Deep within my heart — and rising up daily — I have a sense of urgency that we are in the very last of the last days, and there is a dire need to be accurate in God; accurate in decisions we make that affect the directions of life we head in, like:

  • Marriage — who we join ourselves with in covenant.
  • Church we attend — it’s important to sit under an anointed ministry that preaches the uncompromised Word of God!
  • Associations — friends in our inner-circle, “Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals” (1Corinthians 15:33, ASV). Notice I said ‘inner-circle’. These are people we open our hearts to and receive from their hearts as well.
  • Job — this is the one that hits home for me right now. With the understanding (revelation) I have of God’s grace, I know I can only expect the fullness of His grace in my life as I’m positioned in His Will — doing what He wants (and needs) me to do.

Our precious Heavenly Father knows of everything we have need of and has promised in His Word that He would supply all of them, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). That is a promise of God that is yes and amen, in Him. “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2Corinthians 1:20). Furthermore, we become partakers of His divine nature through the promises He has made in His Word.

  • “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2Peter 1:2-4).

Did you catch that? Grace is multiplied and peace is multiplied through the knowledge of God and His Son Jesus (knowledge comes from His Word); His divine nature is available to partake of through the knowledge of His Word, which spells out the “exceedingly great and precious promises.” These promises become a ‘covering’ for us that shield us from the darkness around us.

SUPERNATURAL PROTECTION

Throughout the entire Bible we see accounts of God protecting His people from the surrounding dangers that threaten their existence. My favorite is the 91st Psalm. It begins with “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). Notice this person dwells in the secret place, it doesn’t say they visit occasionally. Going to church once, or twice a week won’t qualify anyone for the subsequent protection. Let’s continue (I’ll just point out a few things), “Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence” (Psalm 91:3). Pestilence can be termed plague, or sickness. This ‘dweller’ can expect deliverance (protection) from any plague or sickness that may be making its rounds in the neighborhood.

“You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day” (Psalm 91:5). We could say “You shall not be afraid of terrorism!” Another promise that spells this out is found in Isaiah 54, “In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you” (Isaiah 54:14, underline mine for emphasis). So the righteous one, who dwells in the Most High can expect to be protected from terror. But, remember, this provision is only available to the one who chooses to make the Most High their refuge and fortress!

This ‘dweller’ can expect angelic intervention, “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways” (v.11). Paul tells us in the book of Hebrews that angels are “all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). Yet, Psalm 103:20 reveals that angels are “mighty ones who carry out his orders and obey his word” (NIrV). Other versions of the Bible say it like this: “angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word” (NKJV), and “angels, that are mighty in strength, that fulfill his word, hearkening unto the voice of his word” (ASV). The point is the angelic hosts are activated (put into motion, or are motivated) by God’s Word. The conclusion would be if the Word of God is not spoken they have nothing to ‘hearken unto’ (obey its commands).

TO SUMMARIZE

We could conclude this supernatural protection belongs to, and is available for the one who dwells in the secret place of the Most High. Let’s say the same thing in a different way. Supernatural protection (any provision granted in the Word of God we call ‘promises’) is available to the one who dwells in the Word of God, since God and His Word are One! “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 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 1:1, 14). Who is this talking about? Jesus! Jesus took on flesh. To dwell in the Word is to dwell in Jesus! Now for the revelation that hit me this morning during the worship portion of our church service. When we are born-again we get baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free–and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1Corinthians 12:13); He is the Head, we are the Body.

The Holy Spirit, at the new birth, makes us new creatures (2Corinthians 5:17) and places us in the Body of Christ where the Father pleases. This ‘placement’ is the act of being ‘baptized’ into Christ’s Body. Well, if it’s Christ Jesus’ Body, and He’s the Word made flesh, then we could say that we have been baptized into the Word!! Everything God has promised is His Word, and we have been baptized into! Let that sink in! You and I have been baptized into:

  • “by whose stripes you were healed” (1Peter 2:24)!
  • “heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29)!
  • “more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37)!
  • “those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17)!

We could go on, but the point is we have become partakers of God Himself at the time we called on the name of the Lord to be saved (if you’ve not made that choice, all you have to do is invite Him in, and ask Him to be your Lord!).

Scripture says when we were made new creatures the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us, “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2Corinthians 1:21-22). We’ve been sealed by the Holy Spirit, Who is also our “guarantee”! Dictionary.com’s second definition of guarantee is, “an assurance that another’s obligation will be fulfilled.” The Weymouth New Testament renders this verse: (God) “has put His Spirit into our hearts as a pledge and foretaste of future blessing.” I like that, the Holy Spirit is our foretaste of future blessing — that’s the blessings that belong to us! “Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee” (2Corinthians 5:5). In the same letter Paul tells us a second time that the Spirit of God is our guarantee (foretaste of Heaven’s blessings). If these two references aren’t enough, Paul writes much the same thing to the Ephesian church:

  • “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

I hope you are hearing this with your heart! We who have been born into the Family of God have been baptized into His Word of promise — they all belong to us! We are united in the Word, and the Word in us!

If you’re not shouting yet, read on! Talking about the Priesthood of Jesus, Paul writes in Hebrews “by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant” (Hebrews 7:22). Did you see that word “surety”? That’s the same thing the Holy Spirit is–guarantee! Surety is a guarantor of a promise, or obligation. The NIV puts it that way, “Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.” In plain English, He’s going to see to it that we become partakers of everything He shed His blood for!! He watches over His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12, ASV); He’s not a man that He should lie! Has He not said, and shall He not make it good? [See Numbers 23:19.] “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips” (Psalm 89:34).

CONCLUSION

Someone reading this might ask, “Well, if we have been baptized into His Word, and He watches over His Word to perform it, then why…..” And a myriad of questions could fall into place here. Just like, “If God is so good, then why is there so much bad happening in the world?” I will have to answer, as I have in so many of my other writings with this one word: choices. In the beginning God gave dominion of the entire planet to His son, Adam. He and his wife Eve were the parent-set that would produce the entire human race. Their choice to give Satan entrance into this world, then relinquishing their ruler-ship to him made him the god of this world (2Corinthians 4:4)–that’s how evil and corruption took over.

Jesus became a Man to pay the penalty for that sin, and got it all back for us, but it only comes by the choice to make Him Lord of your life. That choice is only the beginning, however. Everything He paid for we have to take possession of by faith — just like the children of Israel had to take possession of the land of promise God had given them. But, hey, it’s His faith! He’s the author and finisher (perfecter) of it! In Mark 11:22 Jesus said to have the faith of God (margin rendering), then He gave it to them by speaking the Word! So, we have everything we need to be completely successful in life! We’ve been baptized into the Word; the Word (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit are our guarantee of the blessings of Heaven; the angels, who have been assigned to us heirs of salvation, listen for and act on the spoken Word — the Word we have been saturated in and with!! Hallelujah! The choice is ours! “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

READ IT — LOVE IT — LIVE IT!

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LIVE INSIDE OUT

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Mike

LIVE INSIDE OUT

The Gospel message is the most important message ever to grace this planet! It is the message of the true love Almighty God has for every man, woman, and child—regardless of race, or social status! It is by this one message that all of mankind can become children of God and share in His Kingdom. It is the only message of hope that can render an answer for any trouble anyone could ever encounter! The message that God was in Christ Jesus to reconcile the world to Himself; to completely reverse the treasonous act that took place in the beginning, resulting in mankind suffering the curse of death (separation from God), and poverty (spirit-soul-and body—every form of lack). This separation from God resulted in mankind becoming—in nature—just like the enemy of God: Satan—who is darkness personified. This gospel message is freely given to all who will hear and receive it.

UPSIDE DOWN

The Book of Acts records the first years the gospel message was preached (proclaimed) by those who had encountered its effects themselves. Originally the messengers were those who had been personally instructed by Jesus Himself (those who walked with Jesus; who heard His teaching, and experienced His healing power). After He rose from the dead He instructed them “that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47).[Click here to read the combined Commission He gave.]

He further said, “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). The empowerment that came from “on high” enabled the disciples to declare the gospel message with great boldness and demonstrations, so that it was said of them “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too” (Acts 17:6); upside down from the condition that tyrannical darkness had enslaved them to, that is! That’s what the gospel message will do – restore people to the condition of ‘life’ mankind was intended to live! This ‘life’ is what we will be looking into.

THE NEW BIRTH

Adam and Eve were the original parent-set of all mankind; “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26a). When they disobeyed God and ate the fruit He had told them not to eat, ‘dying, they had died’ (the original Hebrew of God’s warning “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” [Genesis 2:17])—man became ‘born again’. They were ‘alive’ once with the Life of God, but ‘death’ had taken over inside them, and they became ‘born again’ from life unto death. The state of spiritual death was then passed on to all mankind: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12, KJV, bold mine for emphasis).

The good news is Jesus paid the price for that treasonous act so we could be born again, from death to life! This is the gospel message we have been talking about. The life we now are to live is alive unto God—the choice is ours to make. And that decision is the purpose of this teaching, so we can live in the fullness of life God gave us when we made Jesus the Lord of our lives, and we became “new creatures” in Him. That’s what we’re talking about when we use the term ‘born again’, we’re talking about this ‘new creature’ we have become when the Holy Spirit regenerated us: “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

IT’S NOT AUTOMATIC

Someone might ask “If so-n-so is a ‘new creature’ then why do they still act like everyone else (those who are not)?” The new birth of the human spirit is instantaneous, but the life-style of godliness is a process. The reason for this is because mankind is a triune being: we are a spirit, we have a soul, and we live in a body. Let me break it down. Jesus said, talking to the Samaritan woman, that God is a Spirit: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24, KJV). We were created by God to be in His image and likeness: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26a, KJV). So, that means we are spirit beings as well. The Bible is progressive revelation; meaning, to understand some things we have to find out what is said about them in the Scriptures that were written later in time.

Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thessalonians 5:23); spirit, soul, and body—three parts, one person. The Book of Hebrews records that it’s only the Word of God that can separate (or, discern between) the soul from the spirit: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12, underline mine for emphasis). [As a side-note, have you noticed that God is a triune Being: Father – Son – and Holy Ghost?]

THE WORD MADE FLESH

Now we have come to the bulk of this teaching! The Word of God—the Standard of our progression; the means by which we become sanctified completely: act like, talk like, and walk like Jesus; from the inside out! Everything concerning the Kingdom of God revolves around the Word of God; is centered on the Word of God; is an extension of the Word of God—is an expression of the Word of God! The Word of God is powerful; He upholds all of creation BY it, “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3, underline mine for emphasis). Who is this talking about? Jesus, the Son of God!

  • “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3).

Did you catch that? God has spoken to us by His Son. What did He say? That He so loved us, He gave Jesus for us—that’s the gospel message!

  • “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” (John 3:16).

The Amplified Bible says it like this, “For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life” (John 3:16, AMP). You and I are “greatly loved, and dearly prized” by Almighty God, my beloved! The Holy Spirit is the “eternal life” we’ve been given. That’s how we were made ‘new creatures’, by that Life of God that recreated us.

This same Jesus IS the Word of God that became flesh: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14a). The Word became flesh—that’s Jesus. But, it doesn’t end there; the Word takes on flesh every time someone is born again—that’s you and me! That’s what being a Christian is – we are His Body: He’s the Head, we’re the Body. His Life and nature is inside us now. Our job is to give it expression—living from the inside out.

THE PUT ON

This is what Paul meant when he wrote to the church at Philippi, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). “Work out”—we could say it like this: ‘allow what God has done (and is doing) inside you to become apparent on the outside’ – His work of grace in evidence to others. Here’s another way he said much the same thing in other letters he wrote:

  • “that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).
  • “and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Colossians 3:10).
  • “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:14).
  • “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:12-14).

I listed this one last because it shows us the pattern by which we ‘put on’ Christ. Did you notice that it lists the “fruit of the Spirit” as the things of Christ we are to put on? “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23a). These are the attributes we are to ‘put on’ – or, as this teaching would say “live inside out”. Let that which is inside come out; or, be manifested on the outside – don’t let the “hidden man of the heart” remain hidden, put ‘em on! Paul wrote “Let your gentleness be known to all men” (Philippians 4:5a).

It has nothing to do with ‘feelings’ – “Well, I just don’t feel like being gentle to so-n-so.” Walking by the fruit of the Spirit has nothing to do with how someone makes us ‘feel’ about them. Feelings are of the emotions and can change moment by moment. We are told to ‘put on’ that which is on the inside of us. We can do it on purpose; it’s a choice we have to make. It’s in there (if you’ve been born again) and is available to be shown on the outside; love, joy, peace, and so on are spiritual forces that enable us to live this life inside out; this is how true Christianity is expressed.

SEEK FIRST

Alright; so, how do we do these things on purpose? In the sermon we call “The Beatitudes”, Jesus instructed us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). It should be obvious what He meant by “seek first the Kingdom of God” – before we seek anything else we should seek the Kingdom of God! Proverbs Three says “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (vv. 5-6). That sounds pretty plain; if we put God first by acknowledging Him in all our ways, we’ll be trusting Him; and He will direct our paths (daily lives—all manner of direction we need). Seeking first the Kingdom speaks of prioritizing – making His instructions (from His Word, and what He speaks to us in our quiet-time with Him—these are the assignments He has for us).

Now that we have sought Him and received our instructions for life, we have His righteousness to pursue. Righteousness is another way of saying ‘being right’, or doing right. God is right, you know – about everything! So, doing something His way is to do it the right way. I think you get the picture: to conduct our life the way God instructs, either in His Word, or by the conviction of our heart (that’s been saturated in His Word!) is to live life as a disciple of Christ – to put Him on, like a garment; only, it’s a spiritual thing. We live our lives from the inside out! All of these attributes are already in there, but we have to let them come out and dominate our lives.

RENEWING THE MIND

Renewing our mind is the number one way we are enabled to choose to live like Jesus. Paul wrote “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). Who is to present their bodies? The real person (spirit man, hidden man of the heart); the one who is to be in control! Paul said in another place “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection” (1Corinthians 9:27a). Did you notice that? He talked about his body like it was a possession of his; “I bring it into subjection.” He called his body an ‘it’.

In his second letter to the Corinthian church, Paul gives us another clue on how to do these things:

  • “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2Corinthians 3:18).

Notice he used the word ‘mirror’. James says something similar in the first chapter of his epistle:

  • “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:23-25).

Here the Word of God is called a ‘mirror’. This is the same mirror Paul was talking about—the Word of God! So we can paraphrase the combined message of these two portions of Scripture like this: the Word of God is the mirror we look into for transformation. It will reflect the man we have become by God’s grace, and enable us to express him, by putting him on – living inside out – as long as we don’t forget the image we saw when we looked. It takes practice; it takes choosing to live this way; it takes putting our bodies under submission to the new man who is on the inside. That’s living the life of Christ – from the inside out!

If we miss it – and we will! – run to the Father (not from Him!) and confess it. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1John 1:9-10). Don’t worry, we’ll make mistakes; but, He’ll be right there to pick us up, brush us off, and set us back on course with our walk. “If God is for us, who can be against us” (Romans 8:31b)? Don’t allow condemnation to weigh you down! That’s from the devil, and he’s not your Lord! So, tell him to shut up! It’s a daily thing we all have to practice! So, keep working on living inside out!

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WHERE’RE YOU ROOTED?

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Mike

WHERE’RE YOU ROOTED?

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1:1-3).

I believe every person on planet earth, saved and unsaved alike, has a desire to succeed in their lives. Nobody purposely sets out to fail in anything they put their hands to. But, multitudes have no clue how to truly succeed in life. They flounder around accepting whatever comes their way as their ‘lot in life’, or their ‘karma’, or whatever term they use—it’s all the same; they deal with life as it comes, instead of living purposely. We’ve all heard it said “I believe things happen for a reason.” – Which implies things just come around for some mystical reason that we have no control over. Yet the same folk will go into their backyard with a tomato seed, plant it in the ground, and expect a tomato plant to grow. Why should we expect the law of sowing and reaping to work in one area, but not in any other?

THE WORLD AROUND US–OUR MISSION FIELD

So, what does this have to do with ‘where we are rooted’? I’m glad you asked! Jesus said He was the vine and we are the branches (John 15:5). Let’s say it like this: Jesus is the ‘plant’, He’s the ‘tree’ (or, as He said ‘vine’); those of us who are born-again are in Him, that makes us the branches—the extension of Him to the world around us. Our lives are to be bearing fruit for them (the world) to partake of; like we do when we eat the grapes that are produced from the grapevine. The difference is our ‘fruit’ is spiritual – “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Yet, I have to say that, beyond the character of God these fruit exhibit, additional ‘fruit’ we should be displaying are the manifestations of the Spirit as well:

  • “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1Corinthians 12:7-13, underline mine for emphasis).

The point I’m making here is we are the Body of Christ (the anointed One, and His anointing); Jesus “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38); and He’s “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). So, since He hasn’t changed – at all – we should be daily doing His same works, for “as He is, so are we in this world” (1John 4:17). Since He cast out devils, we should be casting out devils; since He healed the sick, we should present His healing power to those who are sick around us, and so on. The Power of God is a sign to the world that we serve the One true God Who truly loves them! This is our Great Commission.

ROOTS CONNECT US

Psalm One depicts an individual who does not conduct their lives by ungodly counsel; they do not hang out with sinful people (“Bad companions make a good person bad”—1Corinthians 15:33, NIrV); “nor sits in the seat of the scornful” – synonyms for ‘scornful’ are: disrespectful, mocking, contemptuous, disdainful, and sneering. A Mike Leach rendering would be this person does not sit in a seat of judging others with disrespect, or sneering (since love believes the best of every person—1Corinthians 13:7, AMP).

Now, let’s get to the good stuff; the things that make this person a success in life: “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.” The law of the Lord is the Word of God. So, we could say it like this—this individual meditates (thinks about, ponders by talking to themselves) God’s Word every day – all day! That’s what Jehovah told Joshua to do when he was about to take over for Moses, who had just passed the baton to him and departed this planet to be with God:

  • “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:8-9).

Jeremiah says much the same thing as Psalm One:

  • “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

I like that! This trusting individual will not be anxious about anything! They will be productive (another way of saying successful) their entire life! Did you notice the term ‘roots’? This is the same as saying ‘planted’. There is a lot that can be said about this ‘planting’ (or, the ‘root-system’ of an individual); because, where someone is planted, or rooted, determines the quality of life they have, or the type of fruit they bear. The roots are the avenue that nourishment comes into an individual – and that ‘nourishment’ determines what ‘fruit’ they will bear. There is a saying “garbage in – garbage out”. The cool thing is we can determine the fruit in our lives – we can be the masters of the quality of life we are living!

THE GOSPEL

This is the good news (gospel) we have been entrusted to proclaim to “all nations” – everybody we come in contact with! Man messed-up and fell away from God; God (Jesus) became a man to pay the penalty for that sin; now reconciliation is available for everybody (“whosoever will”), and we’ve become ambassadors of God to proclaim (tell) this great truth!

  • “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12, KJV, underline mine for emphasis).
  • “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).
  • “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2Corinthians 5:18-20, underline mine for emphasis).
  • “And He Himself (Jesus) is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1John 2:2, parenthesis mine, underline mine for emphasis).

These Scriptures spell-out the Gospel progression. Meditating on these things will produce the productive life we’ve been talking about. Let’s not be over-zealous, though, and turn people off! This is where sensitivity to our Lord comes in. This sensitivity comes through prayer – fellowship with Jesus and the Father, through communion with the Holy Spirit.

LIFE AND DEATH

I mentioned earlier the saying “garbage in – garbage out”; this speaks of what we ‘feed on’, or give our attention to. What we ‘feed on’ will establish our ‘fruit’. That’s right, just because we have called on the Name of the Lord to be saved, and now we are born-again doesn’t mean we will automatically live the successful—supernatural—life Jesus purchased for us to live. I’ll go a step further: just because we have been baptized in the Holy Spirit and have experienced speaking in other tongues, doesn’t mean we automatically flow in the gifts of the Spirit. We all have choices to make every day to operate in these things.

  • “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Life and death; blessing and cursing, these are choices we all have to make – every day. Let’s say it like this: success or failure is ours to choose every day. The ‘fruit’ we enjoy will be determined by where our roots lie, and the nourishment we receive through them. If we sit in front of the television and feed on soap-operas, then the ‘life-portrayal’ on and in them will become the lives we live (experience). The same goes with social media – if we get on the Internet and feed on junk being ‘preached’ through these avenues, then their junk will be our life-style. Oh yea, what one sees gets down in their heart, and out of the abundance of the heart one brings forth their life. That’s why Proverbs says to guard our heart with all diligence, “for out of it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23, AMP); other versions say “issues of life”. In other words, the very life we live comes from what’s inside us. This is why it’s so important to be rooted in the Word of God; and to be careful of our close associations, because we’ll imitate each other.

Good roots will be found in 1) the church one goes to (that’s extremely important!); 2) the people we hang-out with; and 3) the things we ‘feed on’ – television/movies we watch, Internet sites we frequently visit [I hope you all come here often! – that’s why I write and publish these things!], books we read – the Bible should be number one! We could go on, but I think you get the picture.

Here’s a prayer, recorded in Ephesians (I’ve also included in the “Praying Scripture” section), that was written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

  • “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant me, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith; that I, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that I may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I ask or think, according to the power that works in me, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph 3:14-21, personalized).

Did you catch that: “rooted and grounded in love” – “filled with all the fullness of God”? That’s the greatest ‘root-system’ any of us can have! Talk about successful! – Love never fails!!

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AN EXPOSÉ ON LOVE

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Mike

The following are Scriptures, directly from the Bible (mostly the Amplified Version), that can be personalized like the others in “Praying Scriptures“. They do not exhaust the subject-matter of the Love of God, but they’re a good start. It is also a good practice to simply read them over and meditate on them — particularly to visualize yourself living like they portray!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, that you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! (Eph 3:16-19, AMP)

Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. (1Cor. 13:4-8a, AMP)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him]. He who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. (1John 4:7-8, AMP)

I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. (John 13:34)

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LIVE ON PURPOSE!

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Mike

LIVE ON PURPOSE!

I want to talk about the humanity or the humanness of Paul the apostle. Somehow we other humans seem to get the idea that because someone is greatly used of God to do a work that they are some sort of super-human; like a comic book super-hero. After all don’t the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2Chronicles 16:9a)? Yes, they do; but, that verse of scripture isn’t talking about God looking for the super-saints dotted throughout the planet. It’s indicating God is looking around for the ones whose hearts are loyal to Him. This puts the ball in our court, we’re the ones who choose to be loyal to the Lord, or not.

ELIJAH’S NATURE

The Book of James tells us, regarding Elijah, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (James 5:17-18). Did you catch that first part? “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours” this indicates he was a man just like you and I (man being the species, not the sex like male or female: mankind). “But, didn’t he do great, supernatural things?” you might ask. Yes, he did. Let me refer you to the law of doctrine (the rules by which one discerns and judges interpretation of Scripture): we must interpret Scripture by Scripture; in other words, find out what God says about something elsewhere in Scripture, His commentary.

JESUS’ WILDERNESS TEMPTATION

That’s what Jesus did in His wilderness temptation. The devil saw that Jesus was overcoming him by speaking Scripture, so he thought he’d use the same tactic and throw Psalm 91 at Him: “‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘“He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”’ Jesus replied, ‘It is said: ‘“Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ (Luke 4:9-12, NIV). The devil knows Scripture. That’s why it’s so important for us to have an intimate understanding and knowledge of Scripture. Jesus gave us the pattern: He interpreted Scripture (the passage the devil used from Psalm 91) by other Scripture (specifically Deuteronomy 6:16 in this case). [On a side note: did you notice I said Jesus overcame the temptations of the devil by speaking Scripture? – Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death” (parenthesis mine).]

Let’s look at another example of the Holy Spirits’ commentary of Scripture (what He says is the interpretation of an Old Testament Scripture): “And thus He fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, ‘He Himself took [in order to carry away] our weaknesses and infirmities and bore away our diseases’” (Matthew 8:17, AMP). As Matthew was relating his Gospel account of Jesus’ ministry, he wrote “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled…” (Matthew 8:16-17a). I said this was a Holy Spirit commentary, because He was the One Who inspired Matthew to write it; “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2Timothy 3:16-17). Peter calls it “prophecy of Scripture”: “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2Peter 1:20-21).

We have established that Scripture was written at the Holy Spirits’ inspiration, and that His referencing prior writings are, in fact, His interpretation of those writings. Paul, earlier in his second letter to Timothy, said “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2Timothy 2:15). If the “word of truth” (the Word of God) needs to be “rightly divided” (correctly interpreted), then it can be wrongly interpreted – that’s where all sorts of trouble come in! Notice, it takes diligence; it takes an intimacy of fellowship with the Holy Spirit to correctly interpret (understand) His precious Word to us! Paul’s last words written the the Corinthian church are “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen” (2Corinthians 13:14). The word “communion” here is from the Greek word koinonia, which means “partnership, participation, (social) intercourse, benefaction, and fellowship” (Strong’s, G2842). Paul experienced this Holy Spirit intimacy, and wrote his letters from it!

BACK TO ELIJAH

Now, let’s go back to Elijah (you thought I’d forgotten about him, didn’t you?). James (or, the Holy Ghost through James) said that “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours” (James 5:17a). He prayed and got results—supernatural results! But, what does the Scripture say further about that? Well, to find out we have to go back to the reference: 1Kings 17—18; one has to be diligent to even catch it! Here’s the scene, Elijah is having a showdown with all of Jezebel’s prophets (we would call them counselors today, those who give their counsel to government officials…Selah!). The challenge: “If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” (1Kings 18:21). You know the story; God consumed the offering with fire from Heaven. But, notice, prior to the fire falling what Elijah prayed “‘LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word’” (1Kings 18:36). Did you catch that? “I have done all these things at Your word”; or, ‘at Your instruction’. In other words, Elijah was co-operating with God. He was obeying what God had told him to do!

This ‘co-operation’ comes through doing what God has instructed—the results will be supernatural, of course. Jehovah (God) ‘watches over His Word to perform it’ (Jeremiah 1:12, ASV); and, He ‘stands by the terms of His covenant’ (Deuteronomy 8:18, NIrV). One of the very first prophetic ‘words’ the Lord gave me came years ago while at a prayer-meeting. He said “The reason my children aren’t experiencing my Word in their lives is because they aren’t returning it to Me. I said My Word would not return to me void, but that it would accomplish the thing I sent it to do.” [This wonderful promise can be found in Isaiah 55:11.] So, to enjoy the blessings of God, one has to find out what He has said concerning something, and ‘return’ it to Him in prayer. This is our ‘co-operation’ with God (not to mention, if God has spoken to our heart, then we must do what He says—James calls that being a doer of the Word [James 1:22], he then says, this ‘doer’ will be blessed in what he does’ [v. 25])!

BACK TO PAUL

There’s so much to say about Paul and his supernatural-ministry with God that I simply have to relate only some highlights, and leave the awesome study of it to the reader. I must emphasize, however, that, like Elijah, and you and I, he was just a man (human) walking with God, and obeying what he was called to do! Let’s look at his revealing of just how human he was. Paul spoke of a war that went on within his ‘members’ (his body and inner-man), and the frustration he had to control it:

  • “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do” (Romans 7:15).

Paul contrasted two opposing ‘wills’ (desires) here, the flesh and the inner-man. We have the benefit of the entire New Testament and can flip back and forth through each book to compare these things, Paul did not. It was out of living through these trials that Paul was able to instruct us. On a side-note, I believe some of these revelations came to Paul as he was writing. I’ve done that myself—I’ll be writing along and get something to type that I hadn’t thought of. So, I get blessed too reading these writings (as I hope you do!).

What were these two desires? The flesh (which is nothing more than a hunk of meat that is trained in a certain way over time) and the inner-man (Peter calls it the hidden man of the heart [1Peter 3:4]). Where did I get the commentary about the flesh? Hebrews 5:14: “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” The ‘food’ spoken of here is spiritual food (the instruction of Scripture Paul wrote of in Second Timothy). The ‘exercised senses’ would be the flesh (senses are of the flesh). [Notice that spiritual-maturity isn’t measured by how old someone is in the Lord, but by those who have trained their flesh?] The inner-man, then, is the spirit-of-man, the one who became a “new-creature” in Christ:

  • “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2Corinthians 5:17).
  • “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5, underline mine to emphasize how the new-birth took place—how we became a “new-creature” in Christ).

This “inner-man” (new-creature) has the nature of God in him—that’s what happened when the Holy Spirit ‘regenerated and renewed’ him! Paul said it like this in Romans Five: “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost” (v. 5). First John tells us that “God is Love” (1John 4:8 & 16). Coupling these together we can conclude that at the new-birth (when we were born-again) we became ‘love-creatures’ because we were created in His image—His very likeness, not just what He looks like, but His very NATURE!

  • “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image (nature) of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29, parenthesis mine).

So, Paul expressed his dilemma, the battle that he experienced—the same one we all experience on a daily basis—the flesh warring against the spirit-man. He didn’t leave us without the answer to this problem, though; he went on to spell-out how to walk in the victory.

  • “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 7:24-8:1, underline mine for emphasis).

SET YOUR MIND

Remember I said these truths came to Paul in a progression—meaning as he walked with the Lord and grew (and even as he was writing, possibly). He wrote to the church at Colosse “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). Paul continued in his Roman letter “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:5-6, underline mine for emphasis).

Allow me to do a Mike Leach paraphrase: ‘The carnally minded person has their mind set on things of the flesh (they are always mentally-concerned about taking care of fleshly things—this is carnality).’ Paul stated that to be carnally-minded is to be tied into the realm of death, but to be spiritually-minded “is life and peace.” Paul wrote to the Galatian church “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8). This is saying much the same thing as what he wrote in Romans—if one sows to their flesh (gives the bulk of their efforts in life to please their flesh), they will of the flesh reap corruption (death); the one who sows to their spirit-man (feeds on the Word of God, and practices what they have read/heard in anointed preaching/teaching) will of that spiritual-nature (remember, that’s God’s nature!) reap everlasting life!! That’s the very Life of Almighty God!! He’s inside every believer, and His Word will nourish that inner-man to grow in His image!! Another way to put it is ‘feeding on God’s Word causes the Christian to grow-up in Him to become just like Jesus!!’

Let me ask you this: do you think Jesus lived a very supernatural life?? Do you think He was ever in want?? Did He have ‘Blue-Mondays’?? Did He go hungry?? Did He lack?? OF COURSE NOT!! Tax-time came around—He told Peter to go fishing!; “Take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you” (Matthew 17:27). He paid His tax and Peter’s! If you’ve been born-again my brother or sister you have that same Jesus living on the inside of you!! [If you’re not shouting yet, you will be!] Paul went on in Romans Eight:

  • “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:10-11, underline mine for emphasis).

Did you get that? If the Holy Spirit dwells (that’s another way to say lives) in you, He will give life to your mortal flesh; that body you live in – yeah, the one that’s giving you so much trouble! The one that thinks it wants to hurt, or get sick. Yes, that one! The Holy Ghost lives in there and He will transmit His Life to your mortal body!! He’ll not only give Life to our mortal bodies, He will transmit the Mind of God to us for direction in life: “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” (John 16:13, underline mine for emphasis).

LET’S SHOUT A LITTLE

Paul concludes his narrative of his fleshly war by saying: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,

  • “whom He predestined, these He also called;
  • “whom He called, these He also justified;
  • “and whom He justified, these He also glorified
  • “If God is for us, who can be against us?
  • “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
  • “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?
  • “It is God who justifies
  • “Who is he who condemns?
  • “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
  • “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
  • “Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:28-35).

Then he finishes with “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37, underline mine for emphasis). Hallelujah! “But, Brother Mike, I don’t feel much like a conqueror” you might say. I’m glad you said that! I purposely left out verses twenty-six and twenty-seven: “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27).

You see, this brings us back to our part—the co-operation with God part. We have something to do. Brother Hagin used to say that the things of God ‘don’t fall on us like ripe cherries falling off a tree.’ In other words, we have our part. Paul said it like this, writing to the Colossians:

  • “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all” (Colossians 3:9-11, underline mine for emphasis).

He said much the same thing in his letter to the Ephesians:

  • “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:20-24).

Did you catch that? Put off and put on. The “old man” and “former conduct” speak of the flesh—you know, the ‘war-maker’ against your inner-man. These are instructions to the Body-of-Christ, not just those individual churches of that day. I know this doesn’t seem like much to “shout” about. But, if we’ll realize that the ‘supernatural-life’ we’re talking about is available to each and every one of us; and that it simply lies on the other side of our obedience to the Scriptures (the things the Holy Spirit speaks to us as we read and fellowship with Him)! Then we’ll understand that the ‘ball is in our court’ and we all can become a partaker of His divine-nature through the “exceeding great and precious promises” (2Peter 1:4)! That’s right, my friend, it all boils down to our every-day choices—‘to flesh, or not to flesh’ or, walk after the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh!

That’s right! You and I can LIVE (the life of God within us)—ON PURPOSE!!

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THE SOWER PARABLE COMBINED

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Mike

THE SOWER PARABLE COMBINED

[Matthew 13:3-23; Mark 4:3-25; Luke 8:5-18]

A sower went out to sow his seed. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air came and devoured it.

Some fell on rock (stony ground, where it did not have much earth); but when the sun was up they were scorched [and] withered away because [they] lacked moisture, and because they had no root.

And some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it, and it yielded no crop.

But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty and some a hundred.

When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable, saying, “What does this parable mean?” and “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (God), but to them it has not been given; [for] to those who are outside, all things come in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.'”

“But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.“

And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? Therefore hear the parable of the sower: The seed is the word of God. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the wicked one (the devil–Satan) comes immediately and snatches away what was sown in his heart, lest they should believe and be saved. This is he who received seed by the wayside.”

“These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground (rock) who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness (joy); and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time (believe for a while). Afterward, in time of temptation, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble, and fall away.”

“Now he who received seed among the thorns are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things (pleasures of life) entering in, choke the word, and bring no fruit to maturity.”

“But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word with a noble and good heart and understands it, keeps (accepts) it, and bears fruit with patience: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lamp stand, that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is secret (hidden) that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden (kept secret) that will not be known and come to light.”

“Therefore take heed how you hear; for whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.” [He also said,] “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

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CHRIST: OUR SUBSTANCE

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Mike

INTRODUCTION

I grew up in the 1960’s. A time when family values prevailed through almost every home and merchandise sold in stores lasted a long time because they were made of rock-solid materials. Like cars, for instance: almost every part was some sort of metal—including the dashboard. I remember our washer machine was a tank. It lasted all of my childhood, and into my mid-teens. I think my mom simply wanted the ‘new-and-improved’ version, so we got rid of the old one (it might still work to this day if we had kept it).

Then somewhere along the line somebody got the bright idea that their business might close up if the stuff they made lasted too long, so things started being manufactured without so much quality. After all, if the time came when everybody owned one, they wouldn’t have to make any more – right? So, metal got replaced with plastic, and white-collared management spent meeting-times figuring out where they could cut corners, and so forth. What had changed? What made the products being produced cheaper? Their substance; what they were made of, the actual materials that were put together to manufacture the products being sold. One can see examples of this practice in every area of modern existence.

Why do I bring this up? Because I wanted to get our thinking heading in a particular direction; the direction of substance examination – the materials used to manufacture a thing, or in our case, the true basis (or foundation) of our belief-system. To bring it down – what exactly do we believe about God, and why? What is the foundation, or origin, of what we believe? There are so many voices in the world speaking their renditions of what we should believe about God (some of which are saying there is no God); leaving the decision in our laps – whether we want it, or not. The thing is there is no neutral-ground. We all are faced with the choice of what it is we believe about God. No matter how many layers of other choices we make in life, there is the undeniable one about God somewhere under it all. And the pressures of life are making a demand for the decision to be finalized about Him – where He stands in our lives and our relationship with Him.

I know this is a bold venture, one that many would rather leave for the privacy of their own homes, or the deep recesses of their own hearts. After all, the prevailing attitude is ‘I’ll believe what I want to and leave you to believe what you want to.’ Nobody wants to ruffle anybody else’s feathers and contend (or, account) for what is being believed. Jesus said “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 3:19-21, underline and italics mine for emphasis). The result of this attitude has allowed for those who are passionate about what they believe (or, their agenda) to have affected the law books and for immoral practices to become common-place in our society (God’s Word being the Standard for morality). This spiritual and social blight is what I would like to talk about. The position of a ‘personal-belief-system’ leaves no room for a rock-solid foundation; and that is the perfect set-up for societal and spiritual obliteration, leaving chaos to fill the void.

[This writing was originally to be another ‘Word of Encouragement’ – brief, pamphlet-style teaching, but it grew into the following booklet.]

THE BLOOD COVENANT

Now that we’ve traveled down this path a bit, let’s cast believing aside for a moment and use a little common-sense logic. Let’s assume there is a God behind all of existence (which there is); and put ourselves in His shoes (or, in His place). If we—any one of us—had created all of these things wouldn’t we be entitled to expressing our intention for their purpose? Wouldn’t we want to be involved in their existence? Or, would we just walk away and have the attitude ‘Let whatever happens, happen. Let each one do and believe whatever they want’ and turn a blind-eye to their activity—including the denial that the creator (we) even exists? I can almost hear your thinking right now.

The truth of it all is that type of attitude is absurd. So, why is God allowing such controversy? The answer is so simple it’s easily ignored—He created everything and placed the stewardship of it all in the hands of mankind (Adam and Eve – the parent-set of mankind), who sold-out the human race to the enemy of us all: Satan. The Good news is God had a plan to overturn that act of treason so that ‘whosoever will’ can live their lives ‘as the days of heaven on earth’ (Deut. 11:21).

What is that plan? The blood-covenant! Jesus, the Lamb of God! The Book we call the Holy Bible is the record of our blood-covenant with God through the Lord Jesus. [There’s far too much to say about blood-covenants to include it here—but study them out, and approach the Bible with that mind-set. You’ll never be the same! I will say this: the blood covenant is the absolute strongest commitment between two parties or individuals in existence!]

OUR ENEMY: SATAN

You might ask “If God reversed the treason Adam committed through Jesus shedding His blood, why aren’t we experiencing the ‘days of heaven’ here on the earth?” – I’m glad you asked that! The original stewardship God gave to man is still in effect, and Satan is still roaming around “as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1Peter 5:8b).  Since he cannot create anything, he comes behind God and gets man to corrupt what God does. We’ll call that religion. What I mean is God gave us His Word—the record of the blood-covenant we have through Jesus—and Satan came along and got men to interpret it with natural-human reasoning (their minds). “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” (1Co 2:14).

Jesus said it like this: “God is a Spirit” and “the words I speak to you are spirit” (see John 4:24 and 6:63). So, God’s Words cannot be reasoned using the minds of men, they can only be discerned by the “hidden man of the heart” (1Peter 3:4), the spirit man. And, since all Scripture is recorded at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2Tim. 3:16), Who better to interpret them than the Spirit of God Himself? “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God” (1Co 2:12, underline mine for emphasis).

Jesus, speaking of the Holy Spirit, said He would guide us into all truth (John 16:13), and while praying to the Father He called God’s Word truth (John 17:17) [see also 1John 4:6 & 5:6 – these call the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of truth”]. So, a vital—working relationship with the Spirit of God is a great necessity to “rightly divide the Word of truth” (2Timothy 2:15), or accurately discern (understand) God’s message to His beloved—mankind.

Side note: Mankind (male and female) is a triune being–spirit, soul, and body. The ‘spirit’ part is the real you; the ‘soul’ part is the mind (the reasoning, will, and emotional part of man); and the ‘body’ part is the physical house you live in while on this earth (it’s what gives you the right to function here).

THE PURPOSE OF THIS WRITING

I’m writing all of this because I truly believe the time has come for the show-down of the ages between God and Satan! What do I mean? I wrote earlier that there were many voices in the world claiming to represent the true God (or, that there is no God at all). I submit to you that there is ONE God over all, and He is NOT schizophrenic! Meaning, He’s not one way to this group, and another way to someone else. No! He’s the same to all, and over all His works! He has given us ONE Standard by which we can know His purpose and will for mankind—the Holy Bible. [It’s not my intention to name names, but to present the already established Standard for finding, understanding, and knowing Him—the true and living God!]

PRIOR SHOWDOWNS

The challenge of His existence, and/or His will has occurred many times throughout history. The one in particular I’d like to reference here is the time Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal in 1Kings 18. Israel’s leadership had established advisors that corrupted God’s Laws, which resulted in judgment and brought about the show-down recorded in 1Kings 18: “And Elijah came to all the people, and said, ‘How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.’ But the people answered him not a word” (1Kings 18:21). Sound familiar? Let me inject here: if your religious convictions won’t stand up against the onslaught that’s going on against the people of God these days, then they need a Holy Ghost adjustment!

God is ready and willing to show that “He stands by the terms of His covenant” (Deut. 8:18b, NIrV). How will He do that? First, He looks for a person of faith who will work together with Him; “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2Chron. 16:9a). In other words, He’s looking for anyone who will stand on His Word and proclaim it to others. He then will watch over His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12, ASV); “the Lord working with and confirming the word through the accompanying signs” (Mark 16:20 – italics removed for better clarity [in King James Versions of the Bible words in italics were not in the original text, but added at the discretion of the translators; so their removal is permissible]).

OUR STANDARD

I like using the word standard when referring to the Bible. I looked the word ‘standard’ up using Dictionary.com. I particularly like the third meaning given: “a rule or principle that is used as a basis for judgment.” Our unseen God gave us His Word as the Standard by which we judge His involvement in, or approval of something. He has given us example after example. Paul even said “whatever things were written before were written for our learning” (Romans 15:4) and “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1Co 10:11). In other words, Scripture both records historical accounts of God’s involvement and interactions with mankind, and provides His will and purpose for man—the instructions and expectations He has for us: the terms of our Covenant with Him.

I’ve heard the saying “Preach the Gospel everywhere you go, and if you have to use words.” I even quoted it in a prior book I wrote. But, the Lord has been stirring me up to re-examine that statement. You see, we have grown cold and calloused to the supernatural-divine intervention of God. We’ve gotten so used to powerlessness that we have settled for the Fruit of the Spirit—which enables us to suffer long at the hands of persecution with kindness (right?)—as the only involvement God offers to His people. Yet, that’s not what I see in the Bible. Paul said “my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1Cor 2:4, underline mine for emphasis). In other words, Paul preached Christ and Him crucified everywhere he went, but that’s not all—he demonstrated that Jesus was alive, working together with the Holy Spirit, as proof of His resurrection! [Put down your stones. I did not say that the Fruit of the Spirit wasn’t important! It truly is. Study church history and see the tragedy that comes when there is no character found in a ministry of power.]

THE TRUE GOSPEL

I submit to you, through the following handful of Scriptures, that the proclamation of the true gospel will have accompanying signs: God validating the message preached. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Rom 1:16, underline mine for emphasis).

  1. When John the Baptist sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask if He were the One to come (the One John was sent to precede), Jesus’ response was “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Luke 7:22).
  2. The Gospel writer John records Jesus saying “I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me” (John 5:36). Jesus testified the works He did bore witness that the Father had sent Him, which brings us to Acts 10:38:
  3. “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Act 10:38). This corresponds with the words Jesus spoke in His first sermon “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me…” (read Luke 4:18-19).
  4. On the Day of Pentecost—in the first Gospel sermon preached after Jesus arose from the dead—Peter said “Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know” (Acts 2:22). The point I wanted to make here was that God attested to Jesus by the miracles—signs—and wonders He did! This is the pattern of the true gospel message!
  5. The writer of the book of Hebrews states that the gospel message, “which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will” (Hebrews 2:3b-4).
  6. Paul and Barnabas preached Christ in Iconium (Acts 14) who “stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands” (v.3). When Christ was boldly preached God validated the message with signs and wonders! [I submit: He’s the same God today, and will show Himself strong on behalf of those who will boldly proclaim His message!]
  7. Then, Paul, writing to the Romans, testified: “For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” (Rom 15:18-19). [Notice the purpose of preaching the gospel and the demonstrations of the power of the Spirit of God were to solicit actions from the Gentiles – that they may believe in Him Whom God had sent (see John 11:45 and 12:11)!]

Look at the recurring language: “God bearing witness”, “attested by God”, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.” Let me put it in plain English: when the true gospel is being preached; if Jesus is proclaimed truthfully, then there should (will – must) be accompanying signs!!

Just like the time when God [oh, I feel the ‘preach’ coming on!] not only silenced the mouths of Baal’s prophets, but He consumed the sacrifice and the altar it was on (not to mention licking up the water that filled the trench Elijah dug—at the command of God! [1Kings 18:38]). He also judged all of Egypt’s ‘gods’ by His mighty signs (see Exodus 5—12). I submit to you, by prophetic-conviction, that the ‘gods’ of today: the idols being worshiped—from the 9-5 slave market many trust in (called ‘careers’) to the works of men’s hands (called ‘accomplishments’)—Almighty God will show forth that everything which has not come about by His direction, and by His great grace will be shaken and come to nothing (see Hebrews 12:27)! We are the generation ordained to close-out the age of man’s ‘lease’ (the time-frame allotted by the counsel of God for this stewardship we’ve been talking about). And we will go out with a bang (to use a human colloquialism), working together with our Triune God, pointing to the Lordship of Jesus and bowing our knees to Him, confessing such to the glory of God the Father!

I’ve alluded somewhat to the message of the true gospel, but I feel the need to inject it’s ‘spelled-out’ – ‘Scriptural’ details before going on:

  • Anyone speaking (or writing) by the Spirit of God (anointed preaching/teaching) will clearly identify Jesus as Lord and the work He accomplished for us on the Cross (see 1Corinthians 12:3).
  • “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world” (1Jn 4:2-3). – In other words, if the message you’re hearing does not have anything to do with Jesus coming in the flesh to accomplish our total redemption from the effects of sin, it’s not the true gospel, and God has nothing to work with!

SUBSTANCE

Now, let’s come full circle and talk more about ‘substance.’ Going back to Dictionary.com I found definitions 4 and 5 to fit properly in the thought I want to convey: “the subject matter of thought, discourse, and study; the actual matter of a thing, as opposed to the appearance or shadow; reality.” I like that! The actual matter of a thing, or we could say the true material or contents of something—reality. Investigators gather evidence and study it to either support the truthfulness or expose the lies of witnesses in a criminal case. If what they are saying is true it will bear out, but if they are lying, then their testimony will be full of holes and not stand in any court room. I submit that our minds are the court room, and the ‘voices of this day and hour’ are to be scrutinized for their substance (their outcome and purpose – the direction their message leads to). The Word of God (which is the true gospel—our Standard) will stand the test against all others, and lead us to His attestation, and approval!

Paul was entrusted with the job of preaching the gospel and instituting churches throughout most of the world of his day. Sometimes he spent a great amount of time in an area to firmly establish these churches and then moved on to another city. The devil opposed this work by sending in his ‘preachers’ to try and confuse these new Christians with a bunch of ‘works-mentality’ messages. Things like: ‘you have to be circumcised to be fully (or, truly) saved’ and observe religious festivals, and things like that were the ‘substance’ of their messages. These ‘preachers’ were motivated by the spirit of Antichrist and Paul called them a thorn in his flesh (2Corinthians 12:7). The letters (epistles) Paul wrote addressed these erroneous messages and contained instructions for the Body of Christ (initially, the churches he founded by the Spirit of God). The following portion is part of those instructions, and is the spring-board this teaching came from:

“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Col 2:16-17, underline mine for emphasis). In other words, Paul had just finished addressing certain religious practices and thoughts, talking about circumcision, festivals, and Sabbath-activities, calling them a “shadow of things to come” stating that what they were pointing to was found (fulfilled) in Christ (what He accomplished on the cross). The former were announcements, but the fulfillment of them was (is) Christ! The book of Galatians calls those former practices ‘tutors’ that were to bring us to faith in Christ (3:24-25). Jesus said He did not come to destroy the Law and the Prophets (the writings of the Old Testament), but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). In other words, He was (is) the substance of them. He completely satisfied all their requirements, both physical (outward) and spiritual (inward).

WORKS MENTALITY

One of the first fruits (manifestations) of the sin-nature, which became man’s new nature after the Fall in the Garden, was to satisfy the wrong they committed by covering it up in their own way. Man was initially clothed in the same fiery-glory substance that God is clothed with. When they sinned that covering went away and they discovered their nakedness. To ‘cover-up’ what they had done, they “sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings” (Genesis 3:7b); works. They thought they could take care of the sin they committed on their own by putting together some fig leaves and cover up their nakedness. – Wrong! Anything we attempt to accomplish, apart from the direction of God, will fail and come to naught – “fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)!

Over and over, throughout the entire Bible, God has said the things Man does on their own—without His direction and intervention—will fail and come to nothing. He spelled it out like this in Jeremiah 17: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD” (v. 5b, underline mine for emphasis). Did you catch that? “Whose heart departs from the LORD.” The point is the heart has departed from trusting in the Lord. So, the attitude of ‘I can do this myself’ falls under the category of ‘trusting in man’ – which ultimately fails! Mankind was, is, and will always be an outward expression of the unseen spirit world in this natural (seen) world [let’s say it like this: Mankind is created to express the unseen spirit-realm]. The Father God was originally to be the sole substance of this expression; He being the image of physical expression in this natural world through Man. But, Satan nudged his way in (uninvited, I might add) and got Man to sin – Fall away from God, and expressing Him. So, Man began giving expression to the evil one (their nature had changed) – the Light had gone out, and Man found themselves naked of the fiery-glory of God (their original covering).

That’s why we have Scriptures that say things like: “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2b, underline and italics mine for emphasis), and “We know that the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1Jn 5:19b, NIV). The New King James Version of the Bible says it like this: “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” The point I’m making is people are created to give expression to the spiritual kingdom they are being influenced by (or, are members of). Christians are to express Almighty God through the indwelling Holy Spirit, because of Jesus. The rest of the world (mankind) receives their influence by wicked spirits, headed up by Satan (the devil) because of the sin-nature which was passed on to them through the treasonous act committed in the Garden. This is why we “must be born-again” (John 3:3). The Law of Genesis says all things produce after their own kind – Man is not excluded from that Law. Having become sinners, their nature passed on to the entire human race. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom 5:12, KJV). In case the revelation of this verse didn’t hit you like it did me when I read this from the Authorized King James version of the Bible, I’ll connect the dots; “by one man sin entered: for that, all have sinned.” Do you see it? By this one act of treason against God, Adam’s decision (choice) passed on to the entire human race, and we became sinners.

Let this thought forever be etched in your thinking: people are sinners because of the sin-nature they have inherited from Adam, not because of their deeds. This is why doing good-deeds can never make anyone righteous. Deeds (lifestyle, actions towards others and the like) are outward fruit of one’s inward nature; which is why we must be born-again — our nature has to be changed, to be like God’s.

I’m not pointing fingers (or, judging), but giving explanation to why people act-think-and say the things they do. This is why Paul wrote to the Ephesians “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood (the people [themselves] around you), but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12, parenthesis mine). The NIrV puts it this way: “Our fight is not against human beings. It is against the rulers, the authorities and the powers of this dark world. It is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly world” (Eph 6:12, NIrV). Keeping this in mind will help us maintain in our love-walk toward others, for “Love…believes the best of every person” (1Cor. 13:7, AMP).

EXAMPLES OF SUBSTANCE

To further drive home the point of this teaching let’s look at examples of substance(s) we all can relate to and put into practice in our daily lives.

  1. Medicine can come in two forms: original manufacturer (brand-name) or generic (store-brand). They both have most of the same ingredients (their base medication), but the filler-ingredients may differ a bit. This makes the generic cheaper to produce. The difference? — Their overall substance (what they’re made of).
  2. Another could be a food-dish. For instance lasagna. I make mine with two meats and four cheeses. Mine is robust, full of substance! When you take a bite, mine is full of stuff — not fluff (like store-bought).
  3. Political speeches: either filled with promise for a bright future, or hot-air that truly leads nowhere!
  4. Sound (this one’s big with me!). Quality sound will be rich with a full range of frequencies and no distortion in its reproduction. The bass will vibrate your body, while the trebles will tingle in your ears. Substance!
  5. Comparing conversations between good friends, and just acquaintances. The one will come from the heart; the other may just be superficial. The substance of it will show what sort it is (from the heart will include thought, feelings and emotions, which connects the two conversing together; the superficial will soon be forgotten, and be meaningless).

IN CONCLUSION

I think we’ve adequately spelled-out some examples of substance to solidify the purpose of this teaching. Christ is the Substance for our beliefs, actions, points-of-view, and destiny! He is the One we live for! The Substance for our religion is Christ Jesus (I hate using the word religion because what I’m talking about is actually a life-style, not a formality toward some deity)! We are in Him, and He is in us! The world (without Him) lies in a state of hopelessness – He is our hope (see Colo. 1:27 and 1Tim. 1:1). When we preach the Gospel, He is the Substance behind it – He will heal the sick, cast out devils, raise the dead, and every other good thing God has promised! When Jesus sent out His disciples to preach the gospel He said “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).

It’s ShowTime! Every believer; every Christian; everyone who has called on the Name of the Lord to be saved needs to ‘put their hands to the plow’ (be about our Father’s business [Luke 2:49]) and show this lost and dying world that there is a Savior Who loves them so much He gave Himself so they could live in hope [He died for us all so we could live for Him; what an awesome, loving God we have!!]. Every one of us can (and should) cast out devils (that’s not just from someone, but every area that influences our lives: work, school, neighborhood, etc.), lay hands on the sick that they may recover – freely give of what has been given to us! This is not simply a hyped-up exhortation to get believers excited about God, so they run-the-aisles of church. I believe it’s a mandate from Heaven to awaken our priorities, for the Day will come and the Books will be opened, and we all will be Judged for what we have done while in the body (2Cor. 5:10). “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1Co 3:11-15).

It’s time for the fear-of-God to return the Church (Body of Christ)—the soberness (reality—truth) we all will face when we stand before Him and give account for our lives. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb 10:31).

*** Selah ***

A sloppy rendering of God’s grace has entered the Body of Christ, allowing for sin to come in and weaken our authority against Satan and his demons (hence, powerlessness). This blindness has caused us to skip over Scriptures like Hebrews 10:31, Acts 20:31, 1Cor. 4:14, and 1Thessalonians 5:14 – which all speak of warnings God gave Paul to write.

I’ll finish this work with a concise definition of grace (which is intended to cause a chain-reaction and resurrection of the power of God in our generation!) that God has given me to portray. Grace is God’s strength – power – ability given to/for man to stand against (resist) sin and live as an exact representative of Jesus. It is the power of God that recreated our human spirit, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph 2:8-9, underline mine for emphasis). Mike Leach rendering: the faith that came by hearing the Word of God connected us to His power and saved us (made us New Creatures [2Cor. 5:17 and Titus 3:5]). God’s grace is what we need to bring about change in our lives, and the lives of those around us! Be BLESSED and influence the world around you! ML

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Just a Whisper Away

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Mike

Much of the time when a poem is given to me I’ll start to get the first line. Then I’ll turn on my computer and begin typing. The rest will just flow out as I type. The following is an example of this, written Sept. 6th. 1994.

I’ve gone through many friends in my life.

Lord knows, I’ve seen a lot of strife.

Sometimes I’m not sure what it takes to please us.

But then there came a day,

when salvation came my way

and I found a forever Friend in Jesus.

You see, I knew all along

He was the music to my song,

yet I refused to sing His chorus.

He so patiently endured

the rejections He incurred.

How can one wonder if He’s really for us?

Even now I sing off key,

while He teaches patiently

that we don’t have to be perfect to serve Him.

So I let His comfort in

and let the healing process begin.

Then together we get back on track to win.

Please meet this Man from Galilee.

You know, He died for you and me.

He’s not an ogre as some would have you think.

He gave His life so we could come

to the Father Who gave His only Son.

Now the wells of salvation are open for all to freely drink.

There’s so much more I could tell

about the One Who saved my life from hell,

volumes couldn’t hold all I would have to say.

One thing I know for sure.

When it comes time to endure,

my Friend is just a whisper away!

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The One Who Lives Inside

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Mike

This is the first lengthy poem given to me. It came during a time of depression. I personally think the devil knows when there’s a call on your life and he try’s very hard to keep you from walking out the plan of God for your life. After all he cannot steal the anointing from you (he’s not the one who gave it) but if he can keep you from walking in the fullness of what God has provided then he has nothing to worry about. Depression is one of his favorite tools to use on us, but thanks be to God who ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus! He has provided weapons that are not carnal to cast down reasoning’s that are contrary to His plan and purpose. One of these weapons is the gift of prophecy to speak encouragement to yourself. This one came October 27, 1989 at 12:30 – 1:00 a.m.

When it seems so dark and lonely inside — vacant and hollow, empty and blind. There’s no one that’s near you, they’ve all gone to hide.

Yet that soft gentle prompting from the Greater One within, the nudging that tells you to draw closer to Him.

“It’s in the word, you know, the grace that’ll set you free. That flow of eternal life that only comes from knowing Me.”

So I turn to the Holy Scripture to get my fix from God above.

And what happens?

My God, He fills me to overflowing with His love!

It’s not fun getting bitten, mauled and scratched at by the snake. At the time your life feels like it’s going through a major earth-quake.

You don’t want to reach out to others telling them what you’re going through. Somehow you convince yourself there’s nothing they can do.

I thank my God for the Friend who sticks closer than a brother.

For like Him — there is none else — that’s it, there is no other!

So learn a lesson from times of heartache my friend. Jesus is the only One who truly loves you to the end. When you feel bad because you finally broke down and cried. All you have to do is look to the One who lives inside.

Thank you, Jesus!

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A Word Before RHEMA

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Mike

This Word of the Lord came to me one night in my apartment after I had just registered to attend RHEMA Bible Training Center. Specifically it was 12:19 a.m. on September 12th. 1986 (I knew you’d want to know). I’ve heard Bro. Kenneth E. Hagin say many times that the Lord will give you these things to help you through the tough times…he was right!

Oh in the midst of adversity

when things seemingly aren’t going my way.

I can look unto Jesus,

my love,

with His arms open wide

and hearing Him say:

“Michael, My son,

be of good cheer,

you would not have made it this far

had I not brought you here.

When trials and tests

come up against your faith,

take your rest in My arms of love,

I’ll always give you what it takes.

So look up,

press forward

and fight the good fight,

despite what the enemy has cried,

for when you look back

to these days in remembrance

you’ll know

I was right by your side!”

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