Archive for the ‘Power of God’ Category

God is in Trouble (Again)

Posted: December 3, 2008 in atheists, Deuteronomy 32, Homeland security, Power of God
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
2

God is in TroubleGod is in trouble again, at least in Kentucky. Read the story here.

Seems some atheists are afraid for their safety (at least in Kentucky). They are suing the State of Kentucky to overturn recent Kentucky legislation “stressing the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth.” In addition to seeking to have the legislation overturned, the plaintiffs are seeking financial damages, saying they “suffer anxiety from the belief that the existence of these unconstitutional laws suggest that their very safety as residents of Kentucky may be in the hands of fanatics, traitors, or fools.“

KentuckyhomelandsecuritybrandingAt issue are two clauses inserted in a floor amendment by state Rep. Tom Riner, D-Louisville, and approved by lawmakers. One clause says the “safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God” and cites statements to that effect by Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. A permanent plaque quoting that text is posted at the state’s Emergency Operations Center, as required by the clause. The other clause, listing the executive director’s duties, begins with a requirement to publicize “the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth.”

These atheists have suffered “somatic discomforts, and mental pain and anguish, from the knowledge that they are made to feel officially excluded from the ranks of citizens who share the belief in a god that is required by the challenged statutes.” Rabbi David Saperstein, national director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued a statement saying the law amounts to religious discrimination because the Homeland Security office’s director is required to credit “God’s power as protector of the state.”Security by God

Edwin Kagin, a Boone County lawyer and the national legal director of American Atheists, said he was appalled to read in the Herald-Leader last week that state law establishes praising God — and installing a plaque in God’s honor — as the first duty of the Homeland Security Office. “This is one of the most outrageous things I’ve seen in 35 years of practicing law. It’s breathtakingly unconstitutional,” Kagin said.

The requirement to credit God for Kentucky’s protection was tucked into 2006 homeland security legislation by state Rep. Tom Riner, D-Louisville, a Southern Baptist minister. “This is recognition that government alone cannot guarantee the perfect safety of the people of Kentucky,” Riner said last week. But state Sen. Kathy Stein, D-Lexington, said Homeland Security should worry about public safety threats instead of preaching religious homilies. “It’s very sad to me that we do this sort of thing,” said Stein, a frequent critic of efforts to mix religion and government. “It takes away from the seriousness of the public discussion over security, and it clearly hurts the credibility of this office if it’s supposed to be depending on God, first and foremost.“

Most everyone on the web is siding with the atheists. After all, it does seem stupid to depend upon “God’s power as the protector of the state”.  God doesn’t even have a gun. He didn’t do anything to stop the terrorists on 9/11, so why should we depend on Him now?

proclamationofgodsthroneI thought it was most interesting as well as a sign of the times that a Jewish rabbi (David Saperstein) would object to being required to credit God’s power as protector of the state. If anyone should know God’s ability to protect, it should be those familiar with the history of Israel.

In Deuteronomy 32 we find Moses singing his Song to Jehovah God who delivered the Jews from Pharaoh. He is on the verge of bringing them into the promised land and has set before them blessing and cursing. Whichever they receive depends upon the God they chose to obey. The Song of Moses has four distinct divisions: the character of God (Deut. 32:1-4); the kindness of God to His people (vv. 5-14); the faithfulness of God to chasten His people (vv. 15-25); and the vengeance of God against His adversaries (vv. 26-43). The song traces God’s dealings with Israel and is a concise review of the nation’s history, from their wilderness sojourn to the judgments in the end times. It has both historic and prophetic aspects.

I believe Deuteronomy 32 verses 34-43 speak directly to this issue of ultimate protection. When God chastens His people because of their infidelity to Him and His Law, He allows adversaries to come in and exact the judgment God has ordered. This happened many times in the course of Israel’s history. You can read about it in Judges, the Chronicles, the Kings. Much of the Prophets is devoted to warning Israel and Judah about their waywardness and the judgment to come.

However, God warns in 34-35 that even though He would let enemies execute judgment on Israel, He would still hold those enemies accountable for their wickedness and repay them for their evil. (cf 41, 43). Even these who would have conquered God’s people are not safe from the judgment of God. God’s power is absolute. He controls events upon His people, and he controls events upon those he uses for judgment.

In verses 36-38 God says he will have compassion on Israel in judging their enemies. The statement in verse 36 “The Lord will judge His people” means that He would judge for them (i.e., vindicate them). However, Israel would not experience His compassion till they relinquished all trust in their own efforts (when… their strength is gone) and in the false gods in whom they took refuge. Moses ironically called on Israel to turn for help to the false gods, knowing, of course, they would be unable to help Israel.

In verses 39-43, God says His goal in judging Israel was not to annihilate her. It was to bring her to the point where she understood that there is no god besides the Lord Jehovah and that He alone has the power over death and life (verse 39). When in verse 40 he refers  to raising His hand, He is taking an oath. He is saying in verse 41 that he will use the enemies sword to carry out His justice. God will then take revenge on his enemies and repay those who reject Him.

Dwell in SafetyLeviticus 25:18 says “So you shall observe My statutes and keep My judgments, and perform them; and you will dwell in the land in safety.” Safety is the Hebrew word ‏בֶּטַח‎, (beṭaḥ). It means ‘securely’. In its first occurrence beṭaḥ emphasizes the status of a city which was certain of not being attacked: ” … Two of the sons … took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males” (Gen. 34:25). Thus the city was unsuspecting regarding the impending attack. In passages such as Prov. 10:9 beṭaḥ emphasizes a confidence and the absence of impending doom: “He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known [faces certain judgment].” Israel dwells in security apart from any possible doom or danger because God keeps her completely safe (Deut. 33:12, 28). This condition is contingent on their faithfulness to God (Lev. 25:18-19). (Vine’s)

This hope in the safety provided by God is not naive wishing, but a confident expectation. Unlike the pagan religions where anxiety was the rule, the Hebrew religion knew a God whose chief characteristic was faithfulness and trustworthiness (Deut. 33:28; 1 Samuel 12:11; Psalm 27:3). This contrast between anxiety and confidence becomes all the more striking when one recalls that the pagan was never left without mechanisms whereby he felt he had some control over his destiny, while the devout Hebrew knew himself to be utterly without personal resources. In general, the Old Testament contrasts the validity of that sense of confidence which comes from reliance upon God with the folly of any other kind of security. It is made plain that all such trust will end in disgrace and shame, whereas those whose hope is in God alone will be delivered from their enemies (“In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.” Psalm 22:4 ) —(Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament)

‏So a rabbi that refuses to credit God’s power to protect is not a rabbi of Jehovah God. He must follow another god. He must teach another bible.

American’s who refuse to credit God’s power to protect are doomed to experience the judgment of God, who in His mercy works all things to bring His created beings into a loving relationship with Him.

Of course, we refuse to acknowledge God’s power and authority to judge, so we might as well refuse to acknowledge His power to protect. Only time will tell. However, I believe with all my heart that the words of Psalm 2 are being set in motion:

Psalms 2:10-12 (NLT) Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth! Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.  Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities— for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!

ps4_8blueAs for the mudpreacher and Tom Riner, we will sleep like babies, because Psalm 4:8 is our pillow: “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” Sleep Like a Baby

Even if they do away with this provision in Kentucky’s Homeland Security Act, I doubt that atheists will sleep any better. Only fools say “No” to God!

Organizing the Church against the Gates of Hell?

Posted: August 27, 2008 in Church Strategy, Power of God, Power of Holy Spirit
Tags: , , , , ,
0

I went to one of those Pastor’s training sessions on how to M.A.P. (Methods and Procedures) a more effective strategy for growing an effective and discipled church. The presenter’s strategy was based on ‘A Simple Church’ and the follow-up ‘The Essential Church’. What most of these sessions boiled down to is a more simplified strategy of accomplishing the Great Commission. Most begin with laying the proper foundation of an agreed mission statement and vision statement. Then you implement that vision throughout your church program. Most of these presentations feature neat charts and well-thought our acronyms and outlines for accomplishing these goals.

Just past the halfway mark of the two hour presentation, a young Hispanic man, not even a pastor, asked to say a few words. His speech was heavily accented, and at times he was difficult to understand, but my spirit leapt within me, for this man had a Spirit that was clearly impassioned for the Work of God. In his five minute halting speech, he said more to my spirit than the seasoned speaker said all night. He plainly stated what the church was to do here on earth.

He first read from Matthew 16:

16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:16-19 (ESV)

The Gates of Hell

He said the purpose of the church is to go against the gates of hell in power. The church has a duty to rescue the perishing from hell. Then he read from Isaiah 42:

1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coast lands wait for his law. 5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: 6 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. Isaiah 42:1-7 (ESV)

The church is to preach the light of Jesus, to open the eyes of the blind, and to free the prisoners from the dungeon, bringing them the light of the gospel.

Finally he quoted Jesus’ own declaration as to why he came:

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:16-19 (ESV)

Once again he said the church is to preach the good news to the poor, to free the captives, give sight to the blind and set at liberty the oppressed. He brought home his point, pastors and preachers are not preaching the power of the Gospel to the churches. Our people are weak and ineffective because we don’t know first-hand the power of the gospel to transform our lives. He was politely interrupted by the presenter, who quickly brought us back to point of the session-how to have an effective strategy for church growth.

Transformation, not Organization

My heart burned within me from the young man’s words. If we want to see the explosive growth of Acts, we must know the transforming power of Jesus Christ. The church needs transformation, not organization. There is too much flesh in the church today. Pastors are walking in the flesh. They strategize and organize just like any fleshly business owner would. Believe me, I was a business owner. The apostles only developed strategies at the throne of God. When there was a complaint about something (care of widows, etc) they went to the Holy Spirit for His directives. The church should be about power, about the Holy Spirit, about shaking the gates of Hell! Instead we are worrying about declining Sunday School enrollment and baptisms.

Praying for the Power of the Holy Spirit

Praying for the Power of the Holy Spirit

If the church gets back to pleading for the filling of the Holy Spirit, and focusing on transforming lives in the Name of Christ, Christ will continue to build His church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. We must change our focus from strategies and organization to a true ministry of the Word, armed with the Power of the Holy Spirit. We must pray and fast and devote ourselves to the transforming power of Christ, just as the apostles did.

Strategy Replaces Power

Perhaps we are adopting all these strategies to make up for the loss of an intimate knowledge of the transforming power of Jesus. Perhaps we have grown too rich, too self-sufficient, too business-like.

Jesus Crying over the Powerless ChurchDoes Christ see us as lukewarm? Is he ready to spew us out?

Any Idiot can build a church

Any idiot with hard work and people skills can build a big church. Any idiot can do great things that appear to be for Jesus. If those churches, if those things are not done in the power of the Holy Spirit, they will be burnt up as works of the flesh. And in the day of judgment, Jesus will say “depart from me, I never knew you!”

I loved what this young man said to all us ‘seasoned’ pastors.

We need to let Jesus back into our churches

We need to let Jesus back into our churches

We need to preach with the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to see the Power of Christ in our churches, transforming lives, restoring marriages, releasing captives from the bondage of addictions and sin. Instead of more strategies and better organization, we need to let Jesus back into His church, and have faith in His power to go against the gates of Hell.

Do You have a God?

Posted: February 15, 2008 in Abraham, Daniel, god, Isaiah, Power of God, Prayer, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , ,
1

Isaiah asks the question: “How can we describe God? With what can we compare him?” (Isa 40:18 Living Bible). He of course, assumes that everyone knows Jehovah of the Scriptures. Today, most people don’t ask such a question, they just assume they know. After all, God is everywhere in the media. He is spoken of in television shows and movies. Politicians proclaim Him. God seems to be everywhere now. Still, the question that Isaiah asked centuries ago, must be answered. I paraphrase the original to this phrase: “How do you describe God?’

Most people let you know what they think of God when they are faced with some hardship, calamity, disease, or a sudden loss of a loved one. I have been with people in the past few weeks that have faced death, cancer, hardship, loss of loved ones-very difficult situations. I have heard questions ranging from “How could God do this?” to “God is sovereign over all”. Yet what puzzles me most is “how do they describe God in the normal humdrum of life?”

God?

The way we view God when life is boring and dull determines how we relate to God when life is tough.

Abraham made a very interesting comment when speaking to the King of Sodom. Abraham and his band of men had just conjured five kings and their armies, rescued Lot and recovered all the goods complete with quite a spoil of riches. The King of Sodom was more interested in the people Abram had rescued (was he that perverse or that caring?), than the spoil. The account goes like this:

The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me–to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share.” Genesis 14:21-24 (NIV)

Abraham Views God

The way Abram responded was determined by a commitment Abram had made earlier, during the normal boredom of life. Abram saw God as “El Elyon”, God most High, creator and therefore Possessor of Heaven and Earth. His view of God determined his reaction to a test that would influence the rest of his life. Sure enough, if Abram was having any regrets about his decision, God assured him: ‘After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” Genesis 15:1 (NIV)”.

Whatever Abram had, he considered it owned by God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and Earth. That was why, when God said to sacrifice his son Isaac, Abraham didn’t flinch, he didn’t winch, he did it, because Isaac belonged to God Most High.

Daniel was another person who let the vision of God formed in the humdrum of life determine how he viewed Him in the pressures of life.

Daniel Views GodWhen Daniel was captured and taken to a strange land, he was a young man, probably in his teens. He was put into a special program and ordered to eat the Kings food and wine in preparation to being in the King’s court. However, Daniel had made a decision to view God a certain way earlier on. That view of God framed his reaction to this program:

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel 1:8 (KJV)

Daniel and his companions proposed a test, and they succeeded. Therefore they gained entrance into the King’s court, as an adviser. When another challenge faced them, one which would have meant their death, they turned once more to the God whom they had met in the boring humdrum of life.

Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.” Daniel 2:17-23 (ESV)

Daniel met this “God of the Heavens” as a young man. He had decided to follow Him as such in the normal “humdrum” of life, not in some foxhole of combat. This Vision of God that had become a possessor of his will and emotions now met him when the pressures of life overwhelmed him. His God had gone before him into the Lion’s den and shut their mouths, preserving Daniel’s life and causing the King to praise Daniel’s God.Daniel

Daniel continued to pray to the God he had met as a youth. He continued to honor Him through the reigns of three Kings. We see him lifting God up in the following prayer recorded in Daniel 9:

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. Daniel 9:3-10 (ESV)

Daniel set his heart to know this God of Heaven. He met this God in the normal course of growing up. He believed He had power over all things, even dreams. Once more, when faced with a dream that had frightened him, he called out to the God of his youth. God knew his heart. God knew of his decision. It is recorded in this verse:

Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. Daniel 10:12 (ESV)

Daniel serves as an example to all those who face pressures of life, the moments when we are faced with faith-challenging situations.

When we hear we are to die; or we look up and find ourselves in a horrible wreck, or worse yet we lose a beloved wife or young child. Perhaps we are losing our home, struggling with debt, have lost a job, a marriage, a treasured possession. Who will you see when you turn your eyes to heaven? Will you humble yourself before the God of Heaven, creator and possessor of everything on earth? Or will you shake your fist at God and curse His name?

Reactions to the pressures of Life result in four possible views of God:

  1. If there is a God, he is weak and passive, leaving everything to chance. Therefore it is up to me to make my way in life, to overcome or be overcome.
  2. The God of heaven is vengeful and hurls forth His judgments without purpose or love. The pressures of my life are happenstance and I have every right to shake my fist at God and say “What are You Doing?”
  3. The God of heaven is watching as events unfold, but is actually in a battle with Satan and has no power to control events. Therefore I need to view events from the basis of whether Satan is behind it or God. I walk on eggshells, never really knowing who is trying to get at me.
  4. The God of Heaven is “El Elyon”, God Most High, the one whom even Satan must get permission from to do anything to those whom He protects. (see Job 1). He is in control of my life and is actively at work to bring about His Will and Purpose in everything that happens in my life.

Job viewed God as Number Four. That is why, when messenger after messenger delivered crushing news of one loss after another, Scripture records:

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. Job 1:20-22 (ESV)

job get the newsJob had met this God early on in his life, when there were no pressures, no problems. He made a commitment in the boredom of life to worship as God Most High. That is why, when life struck him down, he worshipped this God! God truly was in control. God is worthy of our worship, especially in the hard times of life! Isaiah records God’s Word:

To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:25-31 (ESV)

Have you determined that there is a God Most High? Do you see Him creating and possessing the entire creation? Do you know that not one star travels outside the path that He sets. He knows each and every star by name. He does not faint or grow weary. Jesus said that he knows when a sparrow falls to the ground. He knows how many hairs are on your head. Don’t wait to meet God in the horrors of life. Meet Him now, when life is routine, even boring. For the God you worship in the humdrum, will be the God you raise your fist to when life gets tough. Or He will be the God you bow down to and worship. Who is God to you?

Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? 15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? Isaiah 40:10-18 (ESV)

…The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. Daniel 11:32 (ESV)

Discover the Presencing of God!

Posted: February 4, 2008 in 2 John, Power of God, Presencing, transfiguration
Tags: , , , , ,
0

About Second John

FIRST, John was concerned for Cyria, that her hospitality was in danger of becoming the unwitting cause of blessing and endorsement for the message of these pretenders.

SECOND, He was concerned that she would lose all that she had accomplished for the Lord, and her reward would be diminished.

I ask the question: How do we learn to walk in the truth. How do we learn to follow God’s prescriptions for our life? How do we keep our reward from being diminished?

1. The easy answer is through prayer and reading God’s word.

2. But the key is seen in Hebrews 4:12

Hebrews 4:12 (12) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

We will not learn to walk in the truth, to follow God’s Prescriptives for Living;

We will continue to walk a course of compromise; we will continue to be swayed by false teachers, unless we learn to become mighty in Spirit! God’s impact upon our lives is Spiritually discerned. God is Spirit and they that worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth. We must learn to be impacted by the Spirit of God!

First, We need to let God’s word divide our soul from our spirit.

What does that mean. It means that we read the Bible not with our mind, but with our spirit. The Word of God will reveal to our spirit what He wants, without the influences of our corrupted soul. The soul is where the influence of the pride of life, lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes have their influence. The soul is the seat of our mind, our will and our emotions. God desires that these be under the influence of His Holy Spirit.

But too often our spirit is on a starvation diet from God’s Word, and there is nothing to influence our soul. We let the world have full sway over our thoughts, will and emotions. God’s Word is quick and powerful, and can divide the soul from our spirit, that we might become mighty in Spirit.

But there is a secret to doing so. There is a secret revealed by Peter that reveals the way we can abide in the truth and become mighty in Spirit.

We must allow God’ Power and Presence to IMPACT our lives.

2 Peter 1:12-19 KJV (12) Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. (13) Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; (14) Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. (15) Moreover I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. (16) For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming (presence) of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (17) For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (18) And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. (19) We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

Peter indicates in verse 14 that it is almost time for him to die. But before he goes, he wants his readers to always remember something. Verse 16 Peter reminds them that they do not follow cunningly devised stories, but the truth as witnessed by Peter himself. He wants them to learn of the power and the coming of Jesus Christ. The coming could be better translated presencing, because it refers to physical presence.

We must learn the POWER and the PRESENCING of the Lord, both of which Peter learned when he became an eyewitness of the majesty of Jesus Christ.

We must learn to be impacted with the Power of Christ which is above all, and to be impacted by the presence of Christ, which is in the life of every believer.

Now I wish we could each have been with Peter and James and John and seen Christ transfigured into his Heavenly Glory and Majesty, but we are 2000 years too late. But there is a way you can see His power and David shows us how.

To Learn the Power of God, of our Lord Jesus Christ, we must learn to do something that David learned.

PS 57 (1) <To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.> Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.(2) I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.(3) He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.(4) My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. (5) Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth. (6) They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.(7) My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.(8) Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.(9) I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.(10) For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.(11) Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.

1. David found himself in the darkest of moments, the lowest of low, when he had to flee from the wrath of King Saul. As he hid in a cold dank dark cave, with his back to the wall and no way out, with all of Saul’s troops outside sworn to kill him on sight, with all the authority of King Saul, David did something that you or I would have never thought to do.

2. David, trained by the Holy Spirit, put God between him and the soldiers.

3. David looked up out of the darkness of his life, his situation, and saw God exalted, and glorified.

4. David did not cry out to God to honor his promise to make him King, to vanquish these soldiers under his feet, to make him the King. God could have done that, but O what a price it would have cost David. All those lessons that God wanted David to go through, all the character that God wanted to build in David, would have been lost.

5. David was fixed on God’s Glory, God’s Majesty. He was saying, O God, do unto me as you please, but whatever you do, May it be for your glory. David had been trained by the Spirit f God. David had learned to divide his soul and what his mind will and emotions wanted, and to see with His spirit what God wanted.

Whenever we have a severe overwhelming problem, a financial pressure, a sickness, a mechanical problem, a problem with work, (if we don’t try to do it our self) we run to God and say God please, please, please help me. But are we willing to lay aside what we want, what we think we need and say O God, you be exalted in this!

6. David placed God between himself and his circumstances. David was touched by and beheld the glory of God. His Heart was fixed on the glory of God.

a. Was it up to David to exalt God? Was it David who gave glory to God? No! No! No!

b. God is already exalted. God is already in Glory!

Isaiah 40:25-28 NASB “To whom then will you liken Me That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One. (26) Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing. (27) Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”? (28) Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.

The problem with Christians in John’s day and in our day as well, is that when it comes to making a choice, we don’t put God’s glory first and above all.

The ones who were a danger to Cyria (I John 2) and her household had come out of the church. They may have been friends. But somehow, some way, the message of Christ had become corrupted in their thinking and in their lives.

The truth is, we all walk a treacherous road, we all face temptations, troubling circumstances, that can affect the way we view things. A young person may start out as a believer, believing in the word of God, in the reality of Jeus Christ. However, that person is confronted with choices as they grow older.

Choices as to Money, Ambition, Career, Pleasures, Certain Behaviors, Dating, Physical Activities, Music, Marriage are made. When we make those choices with no vision of God’s glory in mind, our behavior is impacted. And when our behavior changes, our Morality changes and we have to re-think our theology.

To justify our choice, our behavior, our view of God, God’s word, Jesus Christ is impacted, weakened, watered down and changed.

Who do you think wins when we choose between God and Money? God and Ambition? God and Comfort? God and Career? God and Dating? God and Marriage?

The people John is warning Cyria (In 2 John) about have made their choice, and it was not with God in view. They chose comfort, pleasure, fame, standing and now are out to gather believers to their cause.

Wrong choices are never isolated. They always affect others.

· A choice to light a simple firecracker or pyrotechnic display can result in the injury or even death to others.

· The choice to pursue a career to the neglect of your children effects your heritage.

· The choice to seek personal pleasure will affect your marriage and your love for God as well as your service.

· The choice to love and seek after money will be seen by your loved ones.

· Your choice to put business before faithfulness to God’s church God’s word will result in your children and even neighbors excusing the same attitude in themselves.

After such a change in your thinking, after the continual neglect of God, is it any wonder when a Earth-shattering crisis comes into your life, you look up hoping to find God and you wonder why He doesn’t seem to care.

You never wanted to see His glory in any other circumstance, why should he think you want to see it now? He is not your little lucky charm that you can wave whenever you need it. He is not a genie in a bible sitting on your cofe table that you rub whenever things get really hard.

God wants you to see Him exalted, glorified over every aspect of your life. God is God over all or he is God of Nothing at ALL. God declares that He is a Jealous God, and if we make friends with the world, we will become his enemy.

That is why John warned Cyria not to lose that which she had worked so hard for. When we lose sight of God’s majesty over our daily life, we have lost God’s prescence within us.

But more than seeing God exalted in Power, we need to be impacted by His Presence.

The Transfiguration was not only something BEFORE THE EYES of Peter, it was something that happened TO him, and afterward came INTO him. True, there was the event, the happening, in time, at a certain place.

But that Vision of the Lord’s Power and Majesty was not enough to keep Peter from denying Jesus and running away from the cross. Just as the Hebrews in the wilderness a mere three days after seeing the mightiest working of God returned to their complaining and ungrateful ways.

But, to bring that vision home, something happened IN Peter.

It took the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to make Christ live within him to transform him into the Priest of the new church.

Paul was stricken on the Damascus road by a heavenly vision of the risen and exalted all powerful Jesus Christ. While we cannot deny the impact of that vision upon the Apostle Paul, that is not what kept him preaching and serving after shipwrecks, stonings, imprisonments.

Paul’s life and living was impacted by the Presencing of Christ within him. “IT pleased God… to reveal His Son IN me” (Galatians 1:15-16). Christ was not only a vision TO him; He was IN him.

The Apostle Paul’s whole life and ministry was based upon and sprang out of that double event, TO and IN.

As the Majesty of the Lord Jesus became an INWARD thing with him, It became a mighty IMPACT upon his life.

Paul declared in Galatians 2:20 KJV “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

It is one thing to be impacted with the Power of God.

David was impacted with the Power of God, but just a vision of Him lifted up could not sustain his faith for the 17 year he was on the run.

When David was forced out of the Philistine army, he and his men returned to Ziklag, only to see all their homes burning and the wives and children taken away. His men cried out in anguish, then took up rocks to throw at David, to kill him.

The Bible doesn’t say that David looked up to see the power of God. NO, that is not what took David through the lowest point in his life. Yes this was lower than when he hid in the cave from Saul.

1Sa 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

David did not look outside of himself to see a powerful God. David looked within himself because he knew the reality of God’s Presence. He immediately encourage himself with this truth and then inquired of God!

How is your life impacted by God?

WE NEED TO SEE the King in His glory; WE NEED TO catch a fresh glimpse of the glorified Lord. There will never be an impact until we have seen Him as the glorified Lord. He is the answer to every need, and a vision of Him as exalted and attested by Heaven will bring new impact into our lives, into our ministries, into our churches, upon situations. Does not your heart cry, as mine does, “Oh for a recovery of the Church’s impact upon this world!”

We NEED THE IMPACT OF the majesty of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Will you desire to abide in the truth, Will you desire a reward of the Lord, Will you desire your children to walk in the truth? We must continually be on guard to bring the majesty of the Lord into every situation of our lives; We must allow Him to put His power upon it. Do you not agree with me that that secret is what we need? And for that, I repeat, we need a new, mighty mastery, in our inner being, of the greatness of the Lord Jesus. We all agree that He is great; we sing ‘How great Thou art!’; we will not reserve or trim our words about the Lord Jesus in glory: but there is a gap between his Glory and our situations. That is the tragedy and that is the problem and the perplexity of it. HE is like THAT, and yet THIS is like THIS, and the two things are not brought together.

Now, we need more than words, to get us through. Our Christian lives ought to be based upon something like this: ‘I have seen the Lord’. By the operation and activity of the Holy Spirit sent down from Heaven we must have an inward vision of the Exalted Lord. Life that has to go on without that is just a drag; it is an existence. Work or service without that INWARD VISION has nothing in it to lift us, to carry us on.

The choice is yours: As 2 John verse 2 says, You can abide in the truth, you can exalt God over your life and over every situation you encounter, you can focus on Christ within you, allowing Him to abide in you,

Or you can do like verse 7… And go your own way, and make choices that lead you away from the vision of God, cloaking the inner Christ within you.

Then one day you will look for the presence of God in your life, and you will find yourself alone. You will look for the presence of God in the life of your children, and you will find they have become just like you, living their own way, in the absence of God.

We need a fresh, living vision of Power of Christ, Him who is exalted, at the right hand of God, ever living to make intercession for us, ever waiting to come and judge the world.

We need to learn the secret of placing Jesus between us and our problems, to learn that He is alive and living within us, abiding in us, desiring to live through us. He has not left us alone, but has applied all power to every need of our life.

Do you desire to know the Power and Presencing of Jesus? It is your decision. How has He IMPACTED your life?

Becoming a Seeker Church (First Church of Simon?)

Posted: January 14, 2008 in First Simon Church, Gospel of Christ, Power of God, Power of the Holy Spirit, Preaching, Seeker Church
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
1

I am on vacation in Kissimmee Florida. I went to a Baptist Church yesterday. They have a beautiful facility and have been without a Senior Pastor for a few months. They are an Elder run church. The Sanctuary (Auditorium in today’s language) seated 500 or so, but the attendance looked about 150-165. This did not include the children who worship in two separate services. There was a good blend of people, but I did notice the “more mature” crowd seemed to be about 25%. They were pretty friendly during Sunday School (Adult Bible Fellowship), but during the transition and the worship I felt very much an outsider. I would give it a 6 on the 10 point “Guest Comfort” scale.

Seeker ChurchLike so many “Traditional” churches, they are trying to find themselves in this hip-hop media run world. An elder announced that they were beginning a three month trial toward what seemed to me a “Seeker” style worship experience. They had a young preacher who had come to Orlando to start a church and it seems that now they are folding his church plant into their traditional church. He is very talented (leading the praise-style songs) and then going right into the sermon. Almost a one man show. He is young and energetic and exactly the kind of person who would appeal to a younger audience. I pray the transition will work well, but there are a lot of Baptist Churches near there. Sometimes older folk like the way they used to worship. They don’t want the music very loud. They don’t want to hear a watered down, practical, relevant discourse on time management or some other ‘seeker’ topic.

My problem is that I still believe in the Power of God’s Word. I believe in the Power of the Gospel. I believe in the Power of the Cross. I hate to think that God’s Word as it is written is irrelevant to this generation. I believe that in trying to appeal to the masses we are in danger of building the “First Church of Simon”.

 

In Acts 8:9-12 we find a man named Simon who had built quite a following. He presented himself as someone great, doing amazing things that got people’s attention. People declared that ‘This man is the power of God that is called Great”. In reality he was a sham, a flim-flam man, having the appearance of godliness but not knowing the power thereof. Along comes a man named Philip preaching the good news about the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ. People believed and were baptized. Even Simon played along to get in on the action. He saw the power of the Gospel, the works of the Real Holy Spirit, and he said in Acts 8:19-20 “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!”

First Church of Simon

I fear that many preachers are spending a great deal of money on fancy multi-media stages and sound systems and extravagant Worship Centers and all they are really trying to do is buy the power of the Holy Spirit. They are building the “First Church of Simon”.

I know most of the arguments. People have to be entertained. People today reject the old-fashioned church. There is so much competition for People’s time. We have to offer a competitive product presented in a way that gets people attention in the media savvy world. I look for people in the year 2021 to not even go to church but have the service streaming over their phones. Offerings are taken by tapping in the amount on your phone and pushing ‘send’. If the church has a physical building, the offering amount is displayed instantaneously on an electronic tote board. Pastors won’t count bodies but will count downloads and RSS feeds.

Does God’s Holy Spirit still have Power to convict men today? Does the Holy Spirit still have the Power to Draw men to Jesus Christ. Is the Gospel still the Power of God for salvation? I know we need to communicate effectively, but isn’t that what the whole issue of Pentecost was about. The Holy Spirit took the message of ignorant fishermen and convicted the hard hearts of stubborn people! The Holy Spirit provided the communication. Peter spoke in the Power of the Holy Spirit! As Bill Gothard said, communication is getting your ideas past the roadblocks of another’s mind. We must be aware of the roadblocks, but we must rely on the Power and Wisdom of God! Paul realized that we don’t rely on the wisdom of men: “that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. “ I Cor 2:5. Preachers need to return to the Power of God in our proclaiming. We dare not go into the pulpit without it. We don’t rely on slick PowerPoint’s, we don’t rely on cute skits and object lessons. We don’t rely on others sermon outlines.

We have hearts that have wrestled with God, and now have power with God and man. Our hearts are on fire with the power of God’s Word, the Power of the Holy Spirit. We are only lumps of mud. We are mudpreachers. The Power Must be of God. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. (2 Cor 4:7)

Paul preached in truthfulness and by the Power of God. “by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; “ (2 Cor 6:7) “For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.” (I Cor 4:20) For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (I Cor 1:18)

Is it any wonder that these verses on the Power of God were written to a young church that was having a problem with the flesh. Their worship, their communion feasts were going the wrong direction, the way of the flesh and what man thought was right. Paul had to set them straight with the Power of the Word of God.

It is time that Preachers get back to what Paul was willing to die for-the Power of God in the Cross of Christ. It’s time we cry out for the Power of the Holy Spirit in our pulpits.

Newer Entries