1/21/2017    Walking with God

                                      

                     

          Climbing the ladder         Power of God

I can never say too much about our walk with God.  Ezekiel chapter 37 not only talks about the dry bones (dead church) but gives insight as to what Father is planning on and is already (to some degree) doing.

After showing Ezekiel the valley of dry bones, God goes on to tell Ezekiel 37:12-14:

Therefore prophesy and tell them ‘Thus says the Lord, behold, My people I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the land of Israel.

And you know that I AM the Lord when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up out of your graves.

And (I) shall put My Spirit in you and you shall live and I shall place you in your own land, then you shall now that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it.  Thus says the Lord.”

Even though God is speaking to Ezekiel about Israel, this passage also applies to today’s church.  In the passage, God is promising Israel that it shall be free of bondage and shall return home (Israel, the country).  Today, He is promising today’s church, not  a land which it was once promised but to a realm the church once knew and that it shall (will) free from the bondage of doubt and denial and return to that which the early apostles and disciples experienced in the church, the power of Almighty God being expressed to and through His people.

To understand, a little better, what Peter, John, Paul and the rest of the early disciples experienced we have to let the Holy Ghost lead us through the book of Acts, and all the letters, epistles that Paul and other apostles wrote. 

Of course, Acts relates how those men established the early church, over 2000 years ago by being obedient to the Holy Ghost and allowing God to demonstrate His power through them. They were not only obedient to His word but to His will.  Also as they established leadership in those churches, the apostles confirmed those leaders in God’s doctrine of love. 

The letters deal with the problems the early church struggled with in trying to adhere to God’s doctrine of love and how the apostles dealt with those issues reaffirming how we (today) should also 

be.

For over a millennia (1000 years) the church continued to struggle with those issues. However, as the teaching and influence of the apostles faded into history, the church eventually started to drift away from those original doctrines.  As time passed and after the persecution was basically over, the church started becoming comfortable with ‘just’ assembling (Heb. 10:25) and living by what the scriptures said and soon forgetting what they meant, the heart of God’s Word.  Today’s church is dangerously stepping around and in what God told Jeremiah about Israel: 

The enemy is at your gates and will surround you and my judgement will come touching against all their (Israelites) wickedness, those who have forsaken Me, burned incense to other gods and worshipped the works of their own hands (Jeremiah 1:15-16). 

In another scripture we see where Father gives people over to their own devices (Romans 1:28). 

As I said, the church has drifted away from God, doing its own thing and interpreting scripture as ‘man’ sees fit and not necessarily as directed by the Holy Ghost.  The more it Leaned on man’s understanding (not God’s), Father has let the church go its own way.  Now, understand, where Jesus is lifted up as the Son of God, that God come into this world in the flesh (in the person of Jesus) (John 1:1-14), through Jesus ministered to us (Matt. 4:23), died on the cross for our sins (1 Peter 2:24), rose from the dead (1 Corinth. 15:3-8) and is seated at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:55-56) as He waits to come back for us (1 Thess. 4:13-18), the churches which believe these things are in God’s hands (Romans 8:38-39).  But, as a whole, it (the church) has still drifted.

That is until God started to reawaken His children in the 1300 & 1400’s.  God’s servants were creating a bible to give the common man so he wouldn’t have to rely just on what clergy said, but actually could read it for himself (Acts 17:10-11). 

For six centuries God has carried us through a growing process from those first common language bibles through the Protestant Reformation, the Holiness Movement, the Pentecostal Movement, leading us up to today where He is now again speaking to His church, His children.  If one counts centuries, we are in the seventh century since those early bibles were presented, or if you will, the seventh ‘season’ from that time.

If you look at Christianity’s meaning of numbers (I use Biblenumbersforlife.com), seven is the Father’s perfection, resurrection or spiritual completeness.  Think about it.  We are in the seventh season since Father started rousing His church out of its slumber.  We are in a season of many things starting to happen.  Father is bringing His church to spiritual completeness (maturity) because He has resurrected us.  As in Ezekiel, He is bringing us up out of our graves, resurrecting us, so we can accomplish His will in this world.  Again, if you will, He is re-awakening an apostolic age, not to the establish the church all over again (it already has been established), but to work as in the epistles and bring it back to the power He shared with the early church. – and not just in concept but in fact and reality.

 The early church believed, with all their heart, they were living in the last days as they awaited Jesus’ return.  And so they were.  But, so are we, but many more things are true, events taking place and all the things happening today that weren’t all true then, nor been true through the ages.

The earth, all creation, is travailing (Romans 8:19-23) awaiting Jesus’ return.  In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus gives us a glimpse of what to expect before He comes back for His bride:

false claims to Messiahship, wars, rumors of wars, nation fighting against nation, famines, plagues and earthquakes (in weird places).  There will again be persecution and there will be betrayal, hatred and false prophets and the love of many shall turn cold (Matt. 24:3-13).   

Paul writes to the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 1:3,

“I beg you brothers, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto Him,

Don’t be soon shaken in mind or troubled neither by spirit, nor word nor letter as (which seems to come) from us as that day of Christ is at hand (approaching). 

Don’t let any man deceive you by any means (pertaining to this), because (this won’t happen) until there is first a falling away (the church) and the man of sin be revealed, (that is) the son of perdition.

We’ve had the falling away, from shortly after the early church until something over six  hundred years ago.

 In January 2015 Doug Addison (a prophet of God in California) prophesied God was bringing seven years of blessings and restitution for God’s people which began at that time. 

During these seven years, Father is bringing His children up out of their graves and we will (and are even now) coming to know that He is Lord.  And, as we realize and acknowledge that He is working a work in our hearts, we will come to truly glorify Him (1 Corinth. 10:31) as the only true and living God who has created the heavens and the earth and all that is therein (Psalms 146:5-6).  We will not only come to understand His love but we shall walk in His love (John 15:10).  We will come to realize that we can do nothing without Him (Jesus) (John 15:5) but we can do all things in (through) Him (Phil. 4:13).  The church shall revive and we shall see functions and operations just as the apostles did in the early church.  Not because a handful of disciples are doing them, but because a massive army of Christians is trusting Father and allowing the Holy Ghost to not only work ’in’ us, but ‘through’ us as well.  Don’t quench the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19) but rather yield to Him (Gal. 5:25) so we can lead full, productive lives in serving Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Make no mistake, as I share these things, don’t assume that I have attained the pinnacle of which we are speaking (far from it).  But, Father is showing me these things to encourage me on and so I pass it on to you.  Our walk with God is a continually growing experience as we yield different parts of our lives over to Him.  It is a lifelong growth process.

There is a ladder with a hundred rungs.  When we first give our hearts to Jesus we are stepping onto the first rung (obviously).  The pinnacle is when we have our back foot on rung 100 getting ready to push off of it and what will be into eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, living in the literal presence of God, our Father.  The 98 rungs in between are our growth, yielding to Him, learning to live in his love, maturing in His Holy Spirit.  We can climb that ladder as quickly as we dare or take as long as we need (God knows).  We can be stuck on the lower rungs of the ladder or anxiously anticipating and reach for to that final step from the higher rungs.  We should run the race as if we expect to win (1 Corinth. 9:24).  Winning is knowing that Father would that we all would be at the top rungs awaiting His call so we can be with Him in the clouds, meeting Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), expecting to enter eternity with Him. 

But understand, God can use us at any level.  He knows our hearts, He knows what we are capable of and He will use us to accomplish His will when He deems us ready (Jeremiah 17:10). 

All we have to do is be available, like Simon the Cyrenian (Luke 23:26), be willing like Samuel (1 Sam. 3:10) and to be obedient (Jeremiah 7:23).

Of course, Simon carried Jesus’ cross to Calvary (Golgotha).

Samuel learned to hear God’s voice, then offer himself into service.

Jeremiah encourages us to be obedient to God’s word.

Question is “Are we willing to walk with God?”

  

1-712017  The Prodigal Son

                 

Luke 15:11-24 (a paraphrase)

The younger of two sons asked his father for his inheritance so his father divided his goods and gave his son his due.  Shortly after that, the young son gathered all his possessions and traveled to a far country and while there lived a free and wild lifestyle spending all his money.  After a while, a famine came upon that country and the young man couldn’t afford what he needed so he hired himself out to a citizen of that country who set him to work in the fields and the pig sties.  To keep from starving, all he had to eat were the same husks the pigs ate for no one shared with him, all his friends were gone.

One day, he began thinking about how well off his father’s servants were, especially compared to his current situation and decided to return home apologizing for being so head strong and going out on his own.  Perhaps his father would bring him on as a hired servant, which was certainly better than what he was experiencing.  So he repented in his heart and returned to his father’s house.

His father saw him coming at a distance and had compassion for his son and ran down to greet him 

and hugged him and kissed him. 

The son said “Father, I’ve sinned against heaven and in your sight and am not worthy to be called your son.”

But his father commanded his servants to bring the best robe for his body, a ring for his finger and shoes for his feet and that they should kill the fatted calf and have a party because his son who was once dead, is alive, who was lost but is now found.  And they all rejoiced at the son’s return.

This story is considered to represent a sinner who has come into the kingdom of God, but how many of us have really thought about what this parable really?   It truly represents the story of a Christian who has strayed from God, repented and come back into the kingdom, he was in his father’s house, left, then came back.

We can draw five realities from this story: 

1                     A Christian, someone who has expressed belief in Jesus Christ and who is awaiting reuniting with Christ in eternity as he abides in God’s kingdom in this world.

2                     We see a person who becomes head strong, self-sufficient, deciding he really doesn’t need God so he sets out to do his own thing, in his own strength.

3                     We see one who suffers the consequences of his decision.

4                     But (by the grace of God), he realizes the error of his decision, again repents his sins and comes back into the kingdom of God.

5                     Upon ‘true’ repentance, how was he received back into the kingdom of God?  With open arms and rejoicing.

Let’s briefly, but hopefully thoroughly, examine each point of these five points.

1                     We’re talking about a ‘Born’ again believer, one who has confessed his sins, repented, received Jesus by speaking the words (Romans 10:9) and been baptized in water for repentance (Matt. 4:11).  And maybe this person has also been baptized in the power of the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:5-8). 

This is a soul who prayed the ‘sinner’s prayer’ and believed. Perhaps he lives, somewhat, for Jesus, doing the right things, honoring God, ministering to those in need and in general, not sinning (not lying stealing killing, etc.), attends church regularly, and, my goodness, maybe he even tithes ( a true ten percent!)   Maybe this soul was doing all the right things, but he wasn’t truly walking with God.  He does right but has no real relationship with our Creator. At best he has a surface relationship, serving God from a distance but not one with any depth, closeness or real meaning.  Whether he realizes it or not.

2                     Without a close walk with the Lord, we (Christians) may become self-confident, maybe even thinking that’s “It’ all me, “I” can do it all – by myself” because we have become ‘comfortable’ with where God has us.  God starts to become a lesser part of our lives and we begin wandering out there in our own strength.  How far do we wander?  That varies from person to person.  Nonetheless, we find ourselves relying on God less and less, maybe even stop attending church.  Perhaps our prayer life dwindles - to nothing.  God becomes an afterthought because we believe “I can do it all!”  So we set out on our own, doing our own thing irrespective of God’s will for us.  And we eventually find ourselves in trouble (Hosea 13:6-9, Psalms 81:11-13).

3                     Apart from God, doing as WE wish, we will reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7), bad decisions bring bad results as we find ourselves totally out of God’s will.  Once we’ve walked away from God, the enemy may back off from us, letting us wallow in our own muck (Gen. 3:1-6, Gen. 3:16-24), as our decisions gradually start bringing us down.  Like the prodigal son, maybe we lose all our money and our friends becoming destitute and lonely.  Maybe not, but our life is clearly not what it used to be, or should be and times are definitely not the greatest. 

4                     When we are truly broken and can take no more we may come to true repentance.  Maybe we get so low all things seem hopeless, but God will not leave us out there (2 Peter 3:9, Romans 8:34) unless our minds become reprobate (Romans 1:28) and absolutely refuse God’s attempts to bring us back into His kingdom.  Our redemption comes when we realize that if we repent, maybe we can come back into the grace of God (Luke 15:17-19) and be received, even as the lowest of servants.  We become humble (Micah 6:8) in our spirits and our actions, true repentance.  As used here, ‘humbly’ is the Hebrew word tsuna (Strong’s 6800), to humiliate, humble, be lowly.  We have to become broken.  We come to actually realize who God is, who we are and swallow our pride and realize that we are truly nothing in the sight and presence of God, our Savior.  Then we come with true repentance before God, expressing our heartfelt sorrow (for our ways) determining to turn from our ways and come back to God (2 Chron. 7:14, change ‘land’ to ‘life’).  We also have King David’s relationship with Bathsheba is an example to encourage us (2 Sam. 11:1-17, 2 Sam. 11:27-2:1-23) where David committed adultery with his general’s (Uriah) wife (Bathsheba) who from the union bore a son to David.  The child became sick so David repented and prayed God may have mercy on the child.  God didn’t.  Upon realizing this, David cleaned himself up and went back about his business.  Even so, God called David a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22) because even though he (David) erred, he would come back, seeking God’s heart (will).  If you remember what happened, after all the repentance, God blessed David and Bathsheba, later, with another son – Solomon (2 Sam. 12:24)

5                      Rewards of returning into God’s grace, fellowship with Father.  This is what humbling ourselves in true repentance before God is all about because then all heaven rejoices (Luke 15:7 & 10) and not only sinners, but Christians who repent and come back into proper alignment with Jesus (Romans 12:1-2).  AS in our passage here, the reward of coming back into God’s will is a feast, a celebration, a party like none before because we are back in God’s will.  Father WILL lift us up (1 Peter 5:6) as we humble ourselves before Him.

Even though we may be ‘born again’ believers, we can stray from God.  We can take our inheritance and run, avoid God’s will for us like Jonah (Jonah 1:1-3).  Paul tells us we wrestle daily with our flesh as our spirit tries to do the right thing (Romans 7:14-25).  We wrestle constantly but unless we become truly reprobate we can always repent our sins and come back into the kingdom of God (1 John 1:9, John speaks to Christians, not the world).  A true reprobate is one who is totally and completely morally corrupt.  His heart will never turn back to God.  When does one reach this point?  I can’t say.  Only god knows for He alone knows our heart (Luke 16:15) for one may seem to be reprobate but not be.  Whom do we listen to?  God or mammon?  Father or the world?  We can’t serve both (Matt. 6:24). 

But when we acknowledge that we have been out of God’s will and determine to come back to our Father’s house (His will), He will receive us with open arms.  And as brothers and sisters, we should do the same.  If god forgives a child, the church should also receive that soul back into the fellowship – no strings attached.

We come back into God’s fellowship, into “New Beginnings”.

January is the first month of the new year. 

On the first day of creation, God began creating all that is and each successive day He added new details. 

One is ‘new beginnings’.  Expect something new, new blessings, new situations, new tasks, new start in life, old things carried to a new level.  This is a time to rise to fulfill the expectations we have and/or to rise the new levels as God reveals His expectations for us. 

That covers the month of January but let’s expand this and cover the year.  This is 2017, Father says take this in two steps: ‘20’ and ’17. 

Twenty is redemption, the perfect waiting period

Seventeen is ‘victory’.

The waiting period is over and God is bringing redemption throughout the year 2017 – to His church! 

We are entering into a new beginning of our lives, our relationship with God, Almighty.  The things we can expect is our complete redemption into God’s presence.  How can I be ‘redeemed’ into God’s presence?  As we yield our lives over to Him, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, we are redeemed from those ‘old’ things still in our lives and brought closer into the presence of our Lord and Savior.  As we draw closer to Jesus/Father, God’s victory (for us) will be manifested into our lives, in this world and with the anticipation of being with the Father, through Jesus, in His kingdom.  In this world AND the next.  Father wants His kingdom manifested here and now, in this world AND He wants it to be a reflection of His kingdom to come.  New blessings, new situations, new tasks are on their way as we yield ourselves to Father, through Jesus, by the power of the Holy Ghost, Who lives within us and 

Father WILL show us His victory. 

This applies to us as individuals but as we (individually) grow, what else will happen?  Each fellowship that we are a part of will also grow, because we grow.  As each fellowship grows the church, the body of Christ, grows - in relationship and strength we grow closer go Father through Jesus Christ our Lord because the Holy Ghost is alive and well in our hearts.

The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb. 4:12).  Father knows our hearts.

He clearly sees who we are and knows where He wants to take us (Heb. 4:13)

So let us hold fast to our faith knowing that Jesus has walked a mile (or two) in our shoes staying true to Father (Heb. 4:14-15).

So we can come boldly before the throne to obtain mercy and grace (Heb. 4:16)

Whether we are a prodigal son or not, these are times of new beginnings.  Let’s pursue the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and spirit  (Matt. 6:33, Luke 10:27).

Amen!