Romans 6:14
For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
When Jesus came down, from heaven to earth and died on that cross, he tore the veil and took humanity from a place where they had to earn God's forgiveness and mercy. Here's something for you to take away- you're not a sinner. Sure, we've sinner, but that doesn't make us a sinner. Yeah, I've cooked myself breakfast, does that make me a chef? We continue to live under a mentality of punishment- something in us is afraid of acceptance. When we sin and mess up, we cower back and wait for God to pull out a cane and smack us across the head- no, no no! Your sin does not define whose you are. Stop looking at who you are, and start looking at whose you are! Yes, we mess up, but that isn't who God see's us as. Every significant figure in the bible came from what some people would view as the kind of past that would merit anything but a biblical figure. David was adulterous, Lazarus was dead, John walked around wearing camel and eating locusts- Jesus himself lived in the company of sinful, broken people, not because he was like them, but because they were like him. Jesus was not sinful, but they were holy. Jesus doesn't see you for who you are now and what you've done now- he is above and beyond the restrictions of time- he see's us as the finished product. Sinner = Saved.
This doesn't mean we have permission to go around sinning and claiming grace for it all- whilst yes there is grace for it, in doing so you step out of relationship with God. When you live with and under the influence of God, you are defined by that. Matthew 7:16 says "By their fruit you will recognize them.."- Sin is not our master, for we do not live under the law. Not even God's law, because Christianity is not based off law, rules and regulations now that we're on this side of the cross- our whole faith is founded off the relationship we have with God and what that means to us- God works all things for the good of those who praise his name- Our fruit is good, because we praise him! We shall be knows not for our sinful nature, which we left behind when we died to ourselves and came alive unto Christ, but rather identified by the relationship we have with our Father. John 19:30- When he had received the drink, he said "It is finished". With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. - When Jesus took the sin into himself and buried it into the tomb, it was finished. We no longer have to live with sin. In fact, we're not even fighting against Satan any more. Jesus has won that battle- we're living in the victory. We're not fighting a war, we're restoring God's kingdom on earth. That's what it means to be a Christian- bringing God from heaven down to earth, through the work of restoring his kingdom through love- through our God-given identities, not our world-given definition as a sinful being. We are no longer ruled over by sin. In fact,we aren't even servants- John 15:15- I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know his masters business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my father I have made known to you. We are both friends and children of the most royal, holy loving God beyond what you could ever imagine. We live in a relationship with Christ- we are friends, we are children, and we are covered with his unfailing grace. Be blessed!
Friday, 16 March 2012
Monday, 6 February 2012
Fire Fall Down
Numbers 11:1,3- Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burnt among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died down. So that place was called Taberah, because fire from the Lord had burned among them.
What are hardships? I mean, when we consider the nature of a God who loves, cherishes and pours out blessings on us, having adopted us into son-ship, you can hardly attribute hardship to God. We bring our own hardship and troubles on ourselves. From the moment Eve took that first bite out of that apple, we have been bringing trouble onto ourselves, and we find ourselves constantly reliant on God to strengthen us and help us tear down the things we've caused. When Jesus prayed that God's kingdom would come "on earth, as it is in heaven", he opened an invitation to have encounters with God that went beyond our natural world- there's no sin in heaven, no pain, hardship or trials. Jesus was openly inviting us to step back into the place we came from- God's presence. Each day we struggle against ourselves as we keep pushing and pushing against Satan, when in fact, that draws us closer to him. Some people get so caught up in chasing Satan, they end up going his way. You notice Jesus never went after Satan. He never planned out a route that would take him through the darkest places of his time, or went out of his way to throw himself into trouble. He was aware that he was to be going about his fathers business. When you consider that God has already won the fight against Satan- when Jesus breathed his last and with a shout of triumph let loose the three most freeing words to be spoken in History- "It is finished", he ended the fight. Then and there, the fight against Satan was over. We don't need to chase after him, because every chance he gets he'll simply lead us off track and into some other trap. What we need to be doing is waiting on God, and moving when he moves. See God wasn't angry at the Israelites for complaining about their hardships- he was angry at them for even acknowledging them! By complaining, they acted as if the hardships actually had authority over their life.
When we complain about our hardships, we take our eyes off God and start looking at our problems. Now, god answered their prayer. He came down in fire and burnt all the outer camps, removing all the excess baggage they had going on. You see, the heart of their camp, he left alone, but all the outer camps, the ones on the outskirts, the ones that didn't really belong there but had managed to grab a seat anyway, were burnt up. Why? Because that's exactly where our hardships are. God has given us all we need, but somehow, all around us, the enemy starts pitching tents, setting up camp, and hardships start coming against us, and we get so caught up looking at where God isn't, we start to forget where he is- In the heart of the camp. In the center of our lives. We need to learn to telling God how big our problems are, and start telling our problems how big God is. After God had come down and consumed the outer tents, the fire subsided, and the place he had burnt was named "Taberah". Taberah, in Hebrew, means "Burning". But hadn't the fire subsided? Wasn't it all over? Wouldn't you name it "burnt" because God had burnt it, not was burning it? You see, when God comes down and releases us from that excess baggage, he stays there. that spot keeps burning. You never have to deal with that problem again, because God is burning, not burnt. He is now, not then. He has won, not is winning. We gotta get our eyes off what God has done, and start looking at what he is doing!
If you find yourself dealing with the same old problem, stop, and ask yourself, haven't I gone through this? Truth is, God's burning. He's bigger than that problem, and he's already won that battle for you. So stop acting like there's a fight to be won, and start celebrating the victory! Stop trying to deal with problems he's already solved, and start living in the freedom he has prepared for you. Keep your eyes on God, not your problems. For "I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future!" and all we need to do, is "Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass"- Psalm 37:5.
Be Blessed.
What are hardships? I mean, when we consider the nature of a God who loves, cherishes and pours out blessings on us, having adopted us into son-ship, you can hardly attribute hardship to God. We bring our own hardship and troubles on ourselves. From the moment Eve took that first bite out of that apple, we have been bringing trouble onto ourselves, and we find ourselves constantly reliant on God to strengthen us and help us tear down the things we've caused. When Jesus prayed that God's kingdom would come "on earth, as it is in heaven", he opened an invitation to have encounters with God that went beyond our natural world- there's no sin in heaven, no pain, hardship or trials. Jesus was openly inviting us to step back into the place we came from- God's presence. Each day we struggle against ourselves as we keep pushing and pushing against Satan, when in fact, that draws us closer to him. Some people get so caught up in chasing Satan, they end up going his way. You notice Jesus never went after Satan. He never planned out a route that would take him through the darkest places of his time, or went out of his way to throw himself into trouble. He was aware that he was to be going about his fathers business. When you consider that God has already won the fight against Satan- when Jesus breathed his last and with a shout of triumph let loose the three most freeing words to be spoken in History- "It is finished", he ended the fight. Then and there, the fight against Satan was over. We don't need to chase after him, because every chance he gets he'll simply lead us off track and into some other trap. What we need to be doing is waiting on God, and moving when he moves. See God wasn't angry at the Israelites for complaining about their hardships- he was angry at them for even acknowledging them! By complaining, they acted as if the hardships actually had authority over their life.
When we complain about our hardships, we take our eyes off God and start looking at our problems. Now, god answered their prayer. He came down in fire and burnt all the outer camps, removing all the excess baggage they had going on. You see, the heart of their camp, he left alone, but all the outer camps, the ones on the outskirts, the ones that didn't really belong there but had managed to grab a seat anyway, were burnt up. Why? Because that's exactly where our hardships are. God has given us all we need, but somehow, all around us, the enemy starts pitching tents, setting up camp, and hardships start coming against us, and we get so caught up looking at where God isn't, we start to forget where he is- In the heart of the camp. In the center of our lives. We need to learn to telling God how big our problems are, and start telling our problems how big God is. After God had come down and consumed the outer tents, the fire subsided, and the place he had burnt was named "Taberah". Taberah, in Hebrew, means "Burning". But hadn't the fire subsided? Wasn't it all over? Wouldn't you name it "burnt" because God had burnt it, not was burning it? You see, when God comes down and releases us from that excess baggage, he stays there. that spot keeps burning. You never have to deal with that problem again, because God is burning, not burnt. He is now, not then. He has won, not is winning. We gotta get our eyes off what God has done, and start looking at what he is doing!
If you find yourself dealing with the same old problem, stop, and ask yourself, haven't I gone through this? Truth is, God's burning. He's bigger than that problem, and he's already won that battle for you. So stop acting like there's a fight to be won, and start celebrating the victory! Stop trying to deal with problems he's already solved, and start living in the freedom he has prepared for you. Keep your eyes on God, not your problems. For "I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future!" and all we need to do, is "Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass"- Psalm 37:5.
Be Blessed.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Dream Big
I have not blogged in SO long now. In the midst of exams, Christmas, new years and all that's in between, I haven't had an hour or so to sit down and just write! So, I'm picking it back up again. I won't be regular, and I won't make a deal of it, I'll post when I can, and won't when I can't, and we'll see where it goes from there!
Matthew 7:7-9- "Ask and it will be given to you." He said, "Seek and you will find.; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."
How big do you dream? What plans have you made for your life? Where are you heading with God this year, as we step into 2012? One of the biggest problems Christians face, is we belittle ourselves, tear ourselves down and treat ourselves like crap because we're convinced we're "humbling" ourselves. People get caught in this mindset that says the worse off I make myself, the more God exalts me. We couldn't be further from the truth! We're made in God's image. Ephesians 1:3-10 - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.- When we become Christians, we're adopted into Sonship. God's our dad. Dad loves us, he is capable of anything, and he loves blessing us with "Every spiritual blessing in Christ". We are made holy and blameless in his sight. He has covered us in his grace, and made known to us his will. His heart. When we become Christian's, we receive God's heart. When we seriously receive God and begin to move with him, trusting him and loving him with all our hearts, we begin to take on the nature of Christ. Unfortunately, most people stop reading here, fail to grasp what's being said, and go on with their lives. When we receive God's heart, when we have his will revealed to us and we partner with Christ, accepting his Holy Spirit to come dwell within us, the desires we have in our heart, aren't out desires! They're God's! Dream big! If you dream to become a world famous singer, for example. You want to spend your life travelling the world, singing in front of thousands, you can do that! People get caught up in this idea that whatever we want is a "desire of the flesh" and we just can't do it. Or, we have a desire, and we ignore it because "that's never going to happen". Obviously you need to rethink your image of our dad! We've entered the family business. Dad's got plans in store for our lives. And guess what!? He LOVES us. He won't plan a life for you that you go through wishing you weren't having to live. If you have a passion for singing, god's not going to put you in a position where you can't sing. That doesn't mean your going to be singing in front of thousands the very next day, but when you work with and grow with God, he will, no matter how strange his plan seems, get you there. Our holy desires, are God's. Not out earthy desires for sin, sadness and sorrow- but our dreams, our ambitions, when we take on Christ's nature, become our own. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, made known his plans to is- plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future (Jer 29:11)- we've been adopted into his family, we have redemption, forgiveness of sins according to his grace, all wisdom and all understanding! He has opened up the heavens for us, and yet somehow, we get caught belittling ourselves and making ourselves sound like crap because we're caught in a mindset that says God sits on his throne and judges every move we make. We miss the fact that God actually loves us, loves spending time with us and LOVES seeing us happy! We need to start living, aware of the plans God has for us.
So, what are your dreams for 2012? Are they coming along? Or are they being crushed? If they're coming along, awesome. If you're finding your dreams being crushed as you take each step, upgrade your dream! If you plan to simply worship lead your local church, and Satan get's in the way, totally shuts you down and crushes your dream, make it bigger! Ask and it WILL be given! Seek and you WILL find! God's plans aren't if's, but's and maybe's. They WILL happen when we partner with him and trust in him! "Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass" (Psalm 37:5). We have access to EVERY spiritual blessing! God has plan for you! Don't downgrade it cause Satan doesn't like it. Bigger and Better. Plan big for 2012, cause God's already got big plans for you!
Be blessed!
Proverbs 23:18 "There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off."
Matthew 7:7-9- "Ask and it will be given to you." He said, "Seek and you will find.; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."
How big do you dream? What plans have you made for your life? Where are you heading with God this year, as we step into 2012? One of the biggest problems Christians face, is we belittle ourselves, tear ourselves down and treat ourselves like crap because we're convinced we're "humbling" ourselves. People get caught in this mindset that says the worse off I make myself, the more God exalts me. We couldn't be further from the truth! We're made in God's image. Ephesians 1:3-10 - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.- When we become Christians, we're adopted into Sonship. God's our dad. Dad loves us, he is capable of anything, and he loves blessing us with "Every spiritual blessing in Christ". We are made holy and blameless in his sight. He has covered us in his grace, and made known to us his will. His heart. When we become Christian's, we receive God's heart. When we seriously receive God and begin to move with him, trusting him and loving him with all our hearts, we begin to take on the nature of Christ. Unfortunately, most people stop reading here, fail to grasp what's being said, and go on with their lives. When we receive God's heart, when we have his will revealed to us and we partner with Christ, accepting his Holy Spirit to come dwell within us, the desires we have in our heart, aren't out desires! They're God's! Dream big! If you dream to become a world famous singer, for example. You want to spend your life travelling the world, singing in front of thousands, you can do that! People get caught up in this idea that whatever we want is a "desire of the flesh" and we just can't do it. Or, we have a desire, and we ignore it because "that's never going to happen". Obviously you need to rethink your image of our dad! We've entered the family business. Dad's got plans in store for our lives. And guess what!? He LOVES us. He won't plan a life for you that you go through wishing you weren't having to live. If you have a passion for singing, god's not going to put you in a position where you can't sing. That doesn't mean your going to be singing in front of thousands the very next day, but when you work with and grow with God, he will, no matter how strange his plan seems, get you there. Our holy desires, are God's. Not out earthy desires for sin, sadness and sorrow- but our dreams, our ambitions, when we take on Christ's nature, become our own. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, made known his plans to is- plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future (Jer 29:11)- we've been adopted into his family, we have redemption, forgiveness of sins according to his grace, all wisdom and all understanding! He has opened up the heavens for us, and yet somehow, we get caught belittling ourselves and making ourselves sound like crap because we're caught in a mindset that says God sits on his throne and judges every move we make. We miss the fact that God actually loves us, loves spending time with us and LOVES seeing us happy! We need to start living, aware of the plans God has for us.
So, what are your dreams for 2012? Are they coming along? Or are they being crushed? If they're coming along, awesome. If you're finding your dreams being crushed as you take each step, upgrade your dream! If you plan to simply worship lead your local church, and Satan get's in the way, totally shuts you down and crushes your dream, make it bigger! Ask and it WILL be given! Seek and you WILL find! God's plans aren't if's, but's and maybe's. They WILL happen when we partner with him and trust in him! "Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass" (Psalm 37:5). We have access to EVERY spiritual blessing! God has plan for you! Don't downgrade it cause Satan doesn't like it. Bigger and Better. Plan big for 2012, cause God's already got big plans for you!
Be blessed!
Proverbs 23:18 "There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off."
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