I am extremely grateful and thankful to the LORD for how HE is sovereignly moving in my life, during this critical hour. I read things that are being written about Him, and listen to statements being made about Him by many who profess to know Him, and come away scratching my head in disbelief. In this age of unprecedented amounts of information, there is an increase in ignorance of who God is, his movements, and how he deals with mankind. Please don’t misunderstand; I fully realize that some of what we are facing as believers is simply symptoms, “signs of the times”.
But, I digress, back to the subject at hand. With all the scholarship, debate, etc., going on in the name of the Lord, why is there so much misinformation about Him, not to mention a lack of visible Christian fruit on display? While the word of God has spoken how we should be able to recognize the times and the seasons in which we live; I see an important issue that goes largely unmentioned in our discussions. While our GOD is one, He can only be accurately seen in the light of Him being Father, Son, & Spirit. Now some will begin to scream because they will say, “Trinity is not a word found in scripture”; for me that is not even the issue anymore.
Now, in this hour, the issue is one of fruitfulness, not superior debating skills. God has a people to be reached, saved, transformed, and matured to His glory. His church (especially here in post-modern America) no longer has the luxury of wasting time, for His return is more imminent than ever. The Spirit has proceeded forth from the Father and the Son, and He is the one with whom man (lost or saved) must deal with in order to access God. Not in the terms of the wild excesses of neo-Pentecostalism/Charismatic-mania/Word of Faith, but with balanced, biblical Spirit-led, Spirit-taught, Spirit-empowered preaching, teaching, and writing.
The excesses are not just confined to one side of the “fence”, in the Church, however. In a great deal of Evangelical and ‘seeker-sensitive’ circles, the excess is of dead (or nearly dead) academia, joke-telling, social structures, or ‘feel good’ messages. We are sometimes so caught up in maintaining a certain “way” of doing things, that there is no room for a reproof, rebuke, or correction from the Spirit. We are so unfamiliar with a real genuine move of His Spirit, that if it were to come, we might even see it as a work of the flesh, or even of satanic origin. My prayer is that those of us who profess to be born-again disciples of the Lord would honestly begin to seek His face with fasting, prayer, study, worship, and praise.
We need to repent of our idols (both secular and religious), and ask for him to revive us again, and show us the course He has for us as churches, families, and individuals. The intent of this writing was not to be critical or harsh, I’m just a little weary of different ‘camps’ throwing stones at each other, instead of dealing with things biblically. We must always remember that our Lord is manifested ‘full of grace and truth’ equally. Without the truth balancing grace we slip into looseness, lack of accountability, and rampant sin. Without grace balancing truth we become harsh, judgmental, and legalistic. Neither one of these is acceptable to our Lord, nor brings Him glory or pleasure. The forgotten, missing element is His Spirit. He is the only who can teach us and lead us into balance.
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Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Fragrance of Eternal Life
In the economy of God’s Kingdom, he has ordained that HIS people would reflect the glory of HIS SON, in this present world, at this time. There is much debate among believers and non-believers about just what this means. One of the problems is that Christians have become extremists in our beliefs, practices, and thoughts. We can be legalistic, cold, and cruel, or we may be loose, with no sense of boundaries, responsibility, or accountability. Neither of these reflect the Father, the Son, or the Spirit’s person or nature.
We tend to paint a portrait of God that is either overly simplistic, or overly complex. Doctrine, Theology, Church history, and command of Biblical language is needful, however, all these are a means to an end and not the goal itself. The purpose of the Lord is that we individually and collectively should be His literal representation in the Earth, especially to those who do not know Him. We can only do this by knowing the one true God, and Jesus Christ that He has sent. (See John 17:3) He desires that we live fruitful lives that display his invisible attributes: love, joy, peace, patience (long-suffering), kindness, goodness, faithfulness (faith), gentleness (meekness), and self-control (temperance).
Please read: Exodus 30:34-37; 2 Corinthians 2:14-17; 4:7-12; Ephesians 5:2
The victory that Christ has won one is two-fold: He is victorious over Satan and all that has opposed His Father, and as a result has purchased a victory for believing mankind that enables us to overcome all sin, fear, and human weakness, in this life. It is an insult to God that we have not allowed His victory to become evident to those who don’t Him (and those incorrect or weak in their knowledge) by the lives we live.
Its self-examination time once again. The question is: what aroma do I carry?
Father, in the name of Jesus, we acknowledge Your holiness, love, power, patience, glory, and beauty. We repent and ask you to forgive, cleanse, and remove all our sin, iniquity, and unrighteousness. Lord, we desire to be just who and what you have ordained us to be. Let your life be lived out in us and through us from this moment forward. Allow us, O, God to spread the fragrance of the life of your Son, in whatever we do, say, or think. Let your fruit be evident in us, that your invisible attributes may be displayed to all men and know that you are God, and there is none to be compared to you. Be glorified in us, your people, Father, Amen.
We tend to paint a portrait of God that is either overly simplistic, or overly complex. Doctrine, Theology, Church history, and command of Biblical language is needful, however, all these are a means to an end and not the goal itself. The purpose of the Lord is that we individually and collectively should be His literal representation in the Earth, especially to those who do not know Him. We can only do this by knowing the one true God, and Jesus Christ that He has sent. (See John 17:3) He desires that we live fruitful lives that display his invisible attributes: love, joy, peace, patience (long-suffering), kindness, goodness, faithfulness (faith), gentleness (meekness), and self-control (temperance).
Please read: Exodus 30:34-37; 2 Corinthians 2:14-17; 4:7-12; Ephesians 5:2
The victory that Christ has won one is two-fold: He is victorious over Satan and all that has opposed His Father, and as a result has purchased a victory for believing mankind that enables us to overcome all sin, fear, and human weakness, in this life. It is an insult to God that we have not allowed His victory to become evident to those who don’t Him (and those incorrect or weak in their knowledge) by the lives we live.
Its self-examination time once again. The question is: what aroma do I carry?
Father, in the name of Jesus, we acknowledge Your holiness, love, power, patience, glory, and beauty. We repent and ask you to forgive, cleanse, and remove all our sin, iniquity, and unrighteousness. Lord, we desire to be just who and what you have ordained us to be. Let your life be lived out in us and through us from this moment forward. Allow us, O, God to spread the fragrance of the life of your Son, in whatever we do, say, or think. Let your fruit be evident in us, that your invisible attributes may be displayed to all men and know that you are God, and there is none to be compared to you. Be glorified in us, your people, Father, Amen.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Table of The LORD...
Recently, I was asked by my Pastor to share on Communion.
The who, what, when, where, and how of it. Is it just something we
do out of religious tradition, or does it have a deep rich meaning that
makes a necessity in the life of a believer? After some study, prayer, and
meditation, the LORD really met me and impressed one thought that
will change how I view it forever: "Harold, it's all about fellowship."
Fellowship. This has to be one of the most important, and yet misunderstood
terms (and concepts) of our faith. By the grace of GOD through faith Christ,
we have union with HIM. The fruit of this union is communion which=fellowship.
In the most comprehensive passage on the table of the LORD (I Corin. 11:17-34),
the Teacher (Holy Spirit) through Paul shows us that when we have the wrong
heart and a lack of understanding, that what should produce
union/communion/fellowship, will produce division instead!
Just look at what was going on in Corinth: the communion meal was being
used as a time for people to get drunk, people were eating when they felt like it
with no sense of order, the poor among them who were short of food were neglected
by those who had an abundance, etc. The final result was both dangerous for all, and
had already produced tragic fruit for some, all as a result of receiving the cup in an
unworthy manner and not rightly recognizing the LORD's body. If I am not able to
understand my connection with my brothers & sisters in the Church, how will I be able
to grasp the deeper truths regarding my spritual position with regard to Jesus' blood and
body?
The who, what, when, where, and how of it. Is it just something we
do out of religious tradition, or does it have a deep rich meaning that
makes a necessity in the life of a believer? After some study, prayer, and
meditation, the LORD really met me and impressed one thought that
will change how I view it forever: "Harold, it's all about fellowship."
Fellowship. This has to be one of the most important, and yet misunderstood
terms (and concepts) of our faith. By the grace of GOD through faith Christ,
we have union with HIM. The fruit of this union is communion which=fellowship.
In the most comprehensive passage on the table of the LORD (I Corin. 11:17-34),
the Teacher (Holy Spirit) through Paul shows us that when we have the wrong
heart and a lack of understanding, that what should produce
union/communion/fellowship, will produce division instead!
Just look at what was going on in Corinth: the communion meal was being
used as a time for people to get drunk, people were eating when they felt like it
with no sense of order, the poor among them who were short of food were neglected
by those who had an abundance, etc. The final result was both dangerous for all, and
had already produced tragic fruit for some, all as a result of receiving the cup in an
unworthy manner and not rightly recognizing the LORD's body. If I am not able to
understand my connection with my brothers & sisters in the Church, how will I be able
to grasp the deeper truths regarding my spritual position with regard to Jesus' blood and
body?
The lessons to be learned here are many, I pray that we will begin to realize that the LORD is watching our motives and conduct with one another in HIS body. It is impossible to enjoy true communion with him, while neglecting proper fellowship with each other.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
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