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The Measure of Faith
I believe there is coming a time, and it is rapidly approaching, when the faith of believers will be severely tested. This is certainly true for American Christians.
How prepared are you? There are steps one can take in the natural realm in an attempt to protect oneself and his or her family. Preparing physically is important, but preparing spiritually is even more vital. We should consider the following: How is my faith?
God has given each of us “a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3). This is a work of grace: a divine deposit made by God. It is a matter of personal responsibility to water, tend, and cultivate that seed. We must allow it to take firm root in our hearts and give it regular attention. Weeds will attempt to creep in and choke our faith by choking the Word. It can become unfruitful!
Just as the Word can become unfruitful in our hearts, so can faith. In Luke 17:5, the disciples came to Jesus and requested, “Increase our faith.” This can only happen as we spend time with Him and in His Word.
The Church has been given a very unique opportunity. Read these words from Ephesians 3:10: “…to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church…”
It is God’s intended purpose for the Body of Christ to be a manifestation of His many-faceted wisdom. This can only happen as we walk by faith, for it is by faith that we receive His wisdom (James 1:5-6).
There is coming a shaking as America continues to defy God; think it not strange. This is an exciting and challenging time, and it will soon become even more so. God has chosen you and I “for such a time.” As we demonstrate faith with works and manifest wisdom for skillful living, God will be glorified through His Church!
Grace & Peace,
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Cultivating A Biblical Worldview
Simply defined, “worldview” is the manner in which we view the world, or the way we see things. It is essential to consider our worldview because how we see things determines decisions, direction, and even discussions that occur in our lives. "How we see" often sets the course for our lives.
A child's view of the world is quite limited. As we mature in life, our views and opinions can change based upon education, environment, and experiences. Example: I was a teenager during one of the most tumultuous times in American history. The 1960's ushered in many changes into our society; the entire landscape was transformed!
I can remember my “hippie” years with remarkable clarity. I lived through the era of Vietnam, Civil Rights, free love, and all the rest. I can remember the first time I was allowed to vote in a presidential election, and I was anxious to cast my ballot for the person whom I believed would lead America into the future. To be sure, George McGovern was my choice. Of course, history records that my guy lost in one of the greatest landslides in modern times. By the time the 80’s rolled around, I was a staunch Ronald Reagan fan. What happened? My worldview was being radically transformed as I gained understanding.
I have been a follower of Christ for nearly 35 years. However, claiming Christ as Lord does not mean that one's worldview necessarily changes. Think about it . . . the vast majority of Americans still claim to be Christian, yet the Church in America continues to be deeply divided. Believers cannot even agree on issues that seem so clear from a biblical perspective (abortion, homosexuality, marriage, etc.).
Make no mistake, changing our worldview requires time and effort. Scripture clearly instructs us:
“Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, Amplified).
Many seem to think they have and demonstrate a biblical worldview simply because they are “saved.” Scripture states that we have “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16); however, that does not mean we always think like Jesus thinks. We must “gird up the loins” of our mind in order to think and make decisions that are in agreement with God’s Word.
Apostle Paul reminds us to study the Scriptures in order to gain understanding of God’s Kingdom principles for life. However, knowledge in itself will not cause us to think and live in right alignment with our Creator. We must also resign ourselves to His authority and yield to His Spirit. God’s Word must become the final authority in our lives. God’s Word is the final authority by which all things will be judged.
Allow me to share a simple equation:
Meditation = Clear Thinking = Good Decisions = Good Success
Success = Knowing and Doing the Will of God (nothing, more, nothing less, nothing else)
People of God, the world is in chaos and much confusion seems to have invaded the Church, yet we have what America and the world so desperately need.
May we take the time and make the effort to present our bodies to God, get our minds renewed, and be the powerful influence that we are called to be as we demonstrate the principles and priorities of God’s Kingdom on the earth!
Grace & Peace,
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Dear Friends,
Vickie and I pray that you have good health and continue to prosper as we enter this New Year and a new season.
Most of you are aware of the serious accident we were involved with on
November 5th, 2014. We are very grateful that things turned out as well
as they have, and we know that your prayers, love, and support have
played a large part in helping us to overcome!
There is still a very real need that we have that I’d like to share with
you. It appears that matters are handled somewhat differently here in
the Dominican Republic concerning auto accidents. We have been informed
that it could take up to two years for insurance and legal matters to be
resolved. Of course, and as you can probably tell from the pictures,
our vehicle was a total loss. At this time, it is very unclear what the
final outcome will be. Even though it is clear that the other vehicle
crossed into our lane and caused the head-on collision, there is no
indication they will be found guilty. It is doubtful that we will
receive any compensation.
With all of this being stated, I am asking you to please consider
helping us. We are never comfortable sharing personal needs. However, we
really need to purchase a replacement vehicle as soon as possible so we
can continue serving effectively.
A decent used vehicle will cost the equivalent of approximately $10,000.
In light of how much we have already shelled out to the hospital and
doctors in addition to the extreme need for such a high-ticket item, we
are sincerely asking for your financial help and partnership.
As a side note, many have given for various projects such as getting
children back in school. Vickie and I want you to know that any
designated funds will not be used to meet our personal needs.
Whatever you are able to send will help greatly. Some may send $20 and
some might be able to send $2000. Funds can be given through our Gospel Team Outreach website,
or checks can be mailed to our Fayetteville address listed below. All
donations are tax-deductible and very much appreciated. Please take a
moment, pray, and do what you believe God wants you to do.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support! God is moving on the
North Coast of the Dominican Republic, and we are grateful for the
opportunity to serve Him here (even with the crazy drivers). :)
Grace & Peace,
PG
USA Address:
Gospel Team Outreach, P.O.Box 25355, Fayetteville, NC 28314
Website:
http://gospelteamoutreach.com
A couple of days ago I shared with my wife
how I felt a shifting taking place in the unseen realm. The Lord will do
extraordinary things during the upcoming season. You are chosen to
partner with Him in these things. However, for many, a new view or
perspective is required. You must change the way you think in order to
see things differently.
God's people, having the mind of Christ, have the ability to think and
achieve unusual things. Consider that word: unusual. This refers to
things that are different from the "usual" or what others may consider
"normal" or "average." The reason many accomplish average results is
because they think like the average person thinks. If we think like
everybody else, we will do what everybody else does. This is not
extraordinary; it is normal or average. We are not to think, act, or
become what the average person thinks, does, or becomes. We are a
peculiar people called to accomplish extraordinary results.
When Jesus walked on the earth, He did extraordinary things. In fact,
some of His earthly accomplishments were so remarkable that people were
routinely astonished. We know from Scripture that Jesus thought His
Father’s thoughts, spoke His Father’s words, and did His Father’s works.
So, whose thoughts are we thinking? Whose words do we speak? What kind
of works do our lives produce?
These are all reasons for us to have our minds renewed. If we do not
have renewed minds, we will continue to think like the world. We will
talk like the world and also pretty much look the same. However, as our
minds are renewed, we will no longer be in conformity with what is
average or normal. We will be transformed into that unique, unusual,
extraordinary individual that God has called us to be.
I challenge everyone reading this to step forward into a new season. As
God is bringing a shift in the unseen realm, it is our privilege to
manifest some very extraordinary results. Let’s take our eyes and hearts
off the things of this world and focus on His Kingdom. As we commit to
doing some things differently in the days ahead, we can expect to
produce some unique, other than average results.
Grace & Peace,
PG
Greetings from the Dominican Republic! Vickie and I trust that you are
blessed and walking in the Lord’s favor and provision. We have attached a
very important video link with this blog and ask you to take just a few minutes to view it.
What you will see is how God often brings us to a place of opportunity
when we are not really looking for it. This little project is simply the
result of a morning encounter with a young street vendor who was out
selling fruit. My heart was instantly touched as I inquired as to why
this child was on the street and not in school.
Well . . . one thing often leads to another, and as a result, we were
able to get several of these street kids into the classroom. Of course,
this was the result of the generosity demonstrated by many of you. It
truly has been a blessing for us to witness what God can do when His
people work together and give according to their ability. The lives of
these children and parents (mostly single mothers) have been touched in a
powerful and significant way.
By the way, the blessing can continue. There are still many kids that
need assistance in order to purchase required supplies to attend school.
Please consider joining this partnership of love and compassion. For approximately $50, we can purchase the uniform, shoes, book bag, and other necessities for an entire school year.
This is NOT a monthly sponsorship program. Your one-time gift will pay
for the school year! Also, if you cannot give the entire amount per
child, we certainly understand. Some folks may give $20 while others may
feel as though they should give $200. If each one does something, many
lives will be blessed!
Again, you may contribute to this very worthy endeavor at: Help Get Kids Off The Street & Into School!
So PLEASE take a few moments, click on the video, and share in the blessing!
Grace & Peace,
Emory and Vickie
We have been looking at Ezekiel, and
in the last blog regarding this subject, we began to explore the
significance of the four faces of the living creatures. Today I’d like
to delve into this topic even further.
We observe characteristics in the four faces that we should see exemplified in our own lives.
The first one we’ll look at is the ox. The ox
is a hard-working animal and never complains! Oxen do not run free and
go wherever they want to go. They always are seen with a yoke around
their neck. Now, most folks don’t like the yoke! And, if that’s you,
well, then you’re not going to like serving Jesus! He said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
A yoke is worn around the neck, and it keeps you walking in unison with the one beside you and
in a straight direction. We need the yoke! Oftentimes we rebel against
it, and we act like a bunch of wild stallions that still need to be
broken.
Jesus told us that His yoke is easy and the load is light, but we don’t
believe Him; therefore, we don’t want the yoke placed upon us. True to
the nature of an ox, we, too, need to have a yoke.
The symbolism of an ox also signifies that there is a time for plowing
and a time for planting. Additionally, whatever it is that we are called
to do, we should do it cheerfully as unto the Lord without complaining
because the ox never complains as he seems to enjoy hard work!
Something else about oxen is that they were routinely used as a
sacrifice. They were laid on the altar and burned as a pleasing offering
to God.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which
is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).
Okay, now we’ll look at the face of the lion.
When you consider the lion, what do you think about? If you’re like most
people, “king of the jungle” probably comes to mind. He’s the most
feared and revered in the animal kingdom! Lions are bold and courageous;
they don’t back down! God says that the unrighteous run when no one is
pursuing, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. To “be bold," means
to be courageous. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the ability
to overcome your fear. Don’t ever let the enemy see you sweat!
Throughout the Epistles, we read the prayer requests of Paul, and I
think he prayed for boldness more than anything else. “Pray for us that
we might be bold. Pray for us that we might have boldness of speech.
Pray for us that when we’re facing death we’ll be bold.” The Church has
been neutered in many respects!
It’s time for us to be bold once again: to rise up, not in arrogance,
but in confidence. Not in ourselves, but in the greater One who is in
us. God has called us to be like the lion.
Then we see the eagle. Psalm 103 speaks of
being renewed in strength like that of the eagle. I’ve preached many
sermons on eagles; they fly higher than any other bird. They are the
most honored and respected of all flying animals. They’ve been spotted
over 10,000 feet in the air, and they can spy a field mouse over a mile
away! They descend from the sky to the earth upwards of a hundred miles
an hour. Eagles are our national symbol!
“But those who wait on 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 40:31).
God says that we are to soar higher. He’s calling us to go higher than
we’ve ever soared before! Yes, even to “boldly go where no man has gone
before.” I love that! Come on, you are not too old to do something new,
so stop it!!! If you don’t do it now, when are you going to do it?
You’d better do it while you can, because perhaps the day will come when
you can’t, and then you will have wished that you had!
Do it! Just do it! Take a bold step of faith! Dare to fly high! What are
you afraid of? One thing about eagles, they don’t flap their wings. The
little tweety birds, that’s what they do, but not the eagle. Eagles
soar. They get up there where those thermal currents are, and they just
ride the wind.
Eagles, they are such graceful, powerful, and magnificent birds! They’re
so awesome to watch as they soar. They don’t stress nor strain, and
when the storm blows, they just lift up their heads and say, “Come on
wind, come on rain, I’m the mighty eagle, and I’ll just fly high above
it, straight through it, or right around it. I was born to fly!”
You were born to fly! You were born to be bold like the lion. You were born to work like the ox.
Finally, there’s the man. We must never forget
that we are men (when I state “men” in this context, I’m referring to
mankind which includes women). Man is the highest of all of God’s
creation. Only man was created in His image and likeness.
You were created to fly higher than the eagle, have the courage of the
lion, and the strength of an ox! Lest we forget, we are the crown of
creation! When God created man, He said, “It is finished; that’s it!” We
are God’s masterpiece . . . the cherry on the sundae! Do you understand
that?
At the same time, we are men and have limitations. We are not God; we are simply:
* Made in His image and His likeness
* Filled with His glory
* Carriers of His power
* Walk in His authority and power
* Represent Him as stewards over the earth
Let me close with one final Scripture, Psalm 8. This is a very familiar
Psalm; however, people only read half of it and stop there. So take a
moment and read the whole thing.
“O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who
have set Your glory above the heavens! 2 Out of the mouth of babes and
nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies,
that You may silence the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I consider Your
heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You
have ordained, 4 what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of
man that You visit him?”
Now, that’s a question, right? Is it? Is that followed by a question
mark in your Bible? The Psalmist David is asking, “What is man that you
are mindful of him and the son of man that you visit him?” Then it goes
on to say, “You’ve made him a little lower than the angels,” which really should be translated as “Elohim,” “and you have crowned him (man) with glory and honor!”
You, my friend, have been crowned with glory and honor! I know you don’t
always feel like it. I know you don’t always think like it. I know you
don’t always act like it or even talk like it! But the Word of God says
that you have been crowned with glory and honor. The Scripture states,
“You have made him,” ‘him’ who? Is that you and me? “You have made him (you and me) to have dominion over the works of Your hands. You have put all things (is that past tense? Yes!) “all
sheep and oxen—even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and
the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the sea. Oh Lord, our
Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth.”
You have been made to exercise dominion. Another way to phrase that
would be, “You have been placed here to manage God’s affairs on earth.”
He doesn’t place you here empty-handed. He gives you what you need in
order to fulfill the calling. He crowns you with glory and honor; He
fills you with His power and Spirit and says, “Go in My authority.” Even
the wind and the sea will obey you if you will speak to them and act
with faith!
Jesus is in the boat! Wake Him up! After He has calmed the storm, don’t
think it strange if He turns to you and says, “Where is your faith? Oh
ye of little faith, how long do I have to be with you? Do you really
think My heavenly Father is going to let this boat go down with Me in
it?” Come on, somebody! What were they thinking? Did they really believe
that they were all going to die?
I have a lesson for you. Keep Jesus in the boat, and then you don’t have
to worry about the boat sinking! Keep Him in the boat! You don’t want
to go fishing without Jesus. I’ve been out there and believe me . . .
you want Him with you!
God has called you and I to represent Him on the earth. We are to work
like the ox, to be bold and courageous like the lion, and to soar as the
eagle soars. We need to understand that we are men. We are not God, but
He has crowned us with glory and honor, and it is time to walk in it.
Grace and peace,
PG
This little blog is not being written in typical fashion. Many of you
are aware that I took up running some time back and have been staying
the course quite faithfully. I truly enjoy making my way through the
quaint town of Sosua during the morning hours as it offers many
wonderful experiences.
One day a few months ago, I was going past a young Haitian girl who
sells bananas as a street vendor. As we looked at each other, I asked
her for a banana and told her that I had no money with me. She gave me
the fruit as I continued on my way. Later, I went to look for her with
cash in hand.
We have had several similar encounters since that day. The little girl
is thirteen-years-old and has a beautiful and captivating smile every
time I see her. Her name is Aline, and she sells fruit with her mother
so they can make a couple of dollars per day in order to eat.
Recently, I found out that Aline had not started school because she did
not have money for clothes and supplies. I have since met her mother,
and Vickie and I were able to provide funds to get this child back into
school before she became too accustomed to street life in Sosua. The
truth is, Vickie and I have begun watching to see how many children are
running the streets or trying to make a buck while others are in school.
The number is quite astonishing, particularly among the Haitian
population.
As a result, we have begun a limited campaign to help these vulnerable
kids get off the streets and receive some level of education. If we do
nothing, it is very likely many of them will turn to prostitution,
drugs, and a very degraded sort of lifestyle.
Now . . . this is where you can get involved. We were able to purchase a
uniform, shoes, backpack, and supplies for about $50.00. This is NOT a
monthly commitment, nor is it a monthly sponsorship program. This is a
one-time donation to help kids learn to read, write, and learn for the
current school year.
For only $50.00, you can fund a child for an entire academic year! We
will make sure that materials are purchased and that the kids get
enrolled. By the way, not one penny will be used for any other purpose.
We are not asking you to support us or Gospel Team Outreach with this
opportunity. This is all about helping the kids get into school and off
the streets of Sosua.
If you cannot afford $50.00 all at one time, please send what you can.
If you can give more, of course, that would be wonderful as well. Please
make checks payable to GTO and mail to "Gospel Team Outreach, PO Box
25355, Fayetteville, NC 28314" and indicate “KIDS” on the memo line. You
may also donate online at:
http://gospelteamoutreach.com/secure-donations/.
Thank you so much for your kind act of love and compassion!
Grace and peace,
PG
In the last blog, I mentioned the following five relevant points drawn from Ezekiel 1.
- Get a vision of God.
- Receive the Word of the Lord.
- Have the hand of the Lord upon oneself.
- Move straight forward (which would indicate moving with purpose).
- Go where the Spirit goes.
We need to have fresh vision and fresh
Word (revelation/rhema) from God. The Word of the Lord will always line
up with the Word of God. The Word of the Lord and the Word of God are
going to be synonymous, in agreement. God is never going to speak
contrary to His Word. If He did, He would be psychotic or possess a dual
personality, and He absolutely doesn’t! We see that Ezekiel receives
the Word of the Lord and that the hand of God is upon him.
In regard to point #4, the creatures
are moving in a straight line. They’re not even looking to the left or
right. What causes us to get off track is the fact is that we’re looking
around, and our feet tend to follow where our eyes linger.
Think of a waitress. Some of you all
may have worked in that profession. If they’re carrying a hot cup of
coffee on a saucer, he or she is not looking all around. What is the key
to not spilling? I was taught a long time ago that you keep your eyes
forward and keep moving towards the goal in order to carry the food or
drinks without spilling.
We are prone to move in the direction
that we’re looking; we tend to do it instinctively . . . it’s automatic!
If we look left, we usually move left. So those creatures moved in a
straight line because their focus was straight ahead! Keep your focus
straight ahead!
It’s good to learn from the past, but
don’t constantly be looking back there, or you’ll regress to what you
used to be. You’ll start thinking what you used to think! Don’t get
caught up “window-shopping” in life. This is not about window-shopping
and “which door is the blessing behind.” “Is it Door #3? Oh my, Monty,
Monty!!!” It’s not like that; don’t make it so confusing! Keep your eyes
fixed straight ahead and move in a forward direction! There is a goal.
Even if you don’t see the goal, it’s good to know what it is and stay
fixed on it. If it will help you, the ultimate goal is a crown of
righteousness that is laid up for all of those who love His appearing.
Okay? So keep your eye on that if nothing else!
Vickie and I knew sometime in advance
that we would be heading to the mission field, yet we did not know how
long we would be there. People would ask, “Well, you’re coming back,
aren’t ya?” Well, yeah! Here we are . . . going back and forth on
occasion. We didn’t know everything, but we knew we were going on the
mission field. We honestly weren’t sure for how long, in fact, we’re
still not sure of the length of time!
When I was young I usually set
three-month goals, now I measure in years. We’ve already been there two
years and probably will be there at least another two. Besides that, I
just signed a one-year contract on a House of Prayer. It’s good to bind
yourself to the vision.
Now let’s look at the four faces. The
most predominant is the face of the man; we’ll get back to discussing
that a bit later. First of all, I’d like us to talk about the face of
the ox. What does that remind you of? An ox is a worker. In fact, in
most areas of the world, an ox is the most honored of that particular
class.
It’s much the same in Thailand; they
pay great honor to the elephant. Not in a religious way, but in a very
esteeming manner. They will tell you that the reason is because they
know that the elephant has helped to build their country. The elephant
was moving logs and taking men places that they couldn’t go on their
own.
The ox is honored in many areas of the
world because of its usefulness and productiveness. Three things I can
tell you about an ox is that they work hard, they demand little, and
they never whine or complain.
We’ll pick up talking about the other
faces and how their representations may correlate to us as believers. I
believe we’ll identify some characteristics that ought to be present in
our own lives.
Grace and peace,
PG
I’ve been enthralled with the first
three chapters of Ezekiel for some weeks now; it’s like I can’t get away
from them. Every time I read and reread them, it’s as if another little
nugget pops off the page. It’s been an amazing experience for me, and I
wanted to share some of what the Lord has been showing me.
Ezekiel 1
1 Now it came to pass in the
thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I
was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were
opened and I saw visions of God.
“Visions of God” is what I want us to note in the passage above.
There’s one other time when you read of someone having a similar
experience and the heavens were opened up. As you recall, that would be
Saint John in the Book of Revelation on the Island of Patmos. It’s a
very, very similar experience.
2 On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity,
By the way, Ezekiel is in captivity when this is taking place.
3 The word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest,”
The “Word of the Lord” is the next important point. Why is that important?
- We need a vision of God.
- We need the Word of the Lord.
When we’re talking about the Word of the Lord, we’re not simply referencing reading the Bible. We’re talking about the rhema word, something that is being revealed to us, by God, through the Spirit.
“ . . . the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.”
Point three is that the “hand of the Lord” was upon Ezekiel. We need to
be living, moving, and operating in such a way as having the hand of the
Lord upon our lives. We need the vision of God, we need a Word from
God, and we need the hand of God upon our lives.
4 “Then I looked, and behold,
a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire
engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of
its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.”
We could get so much out of that verse as well, but we’re not going to rest there.
5 “Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.”
“The likeness of a man” is worth noting, in fact, it’s the most
predominant of the four living creatures that are mentioned. He’s seeing
a four-headed, or four-faced creature. We know from the Word that this
being evidently had four distinct faces. Each face pointed a different
direction (North, South, East, West). Other commentators say that it
could have been a four-headed creature.
6 “Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. 7 Their
legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of
calves’ feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze. 8 The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. 9 Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward.”
The creatures did not turn when they went. That is point number four.
They did not go left nor right; they went where the Spirit directed.
I’ll show you that in just a moment.
10 “As for the likeness of
their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face
of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on
the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies. 12 And each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went.”
They went where the Spirit wanted to go; that is point number five. Let’s review those five points.
- They have a vision of God.
- They have the Word of the Lord.
- The hand of the Lord was upon them.
- They’re moving straight forward (which would indicate moving with purpose).
- They’re going where the Spirit goes.
17 “When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went.”
20 “Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because
there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them,
for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.”
These are all important, relevant points for us as believers today as
well. I invite you to meditate and mull over these Scriptures with me,
and we’ll discuss them even further in next week’s blog.
Grace and peace,
PG
Revelation 2:4 “Nevertheless I have this against you,
that you have left your first love.”
The Lord spoke to my heart saying: We
must return to our first love. It’s so easy to be pulled in too many
directions, and it’s so easy to be distracted.
The passage above follows a pretty
impressive list of good works for which the Church was complimented.
However, it appears that even in the midst of doing good, it is possible
to become distracted and wander off course. Every time we sin or fall
short, it is the result of one thing above any other . . . it is because
we have left our “first love” and have gone our own way.
We must routinely return to Christ,
experience His love, and be filled with it in order to express that same
great love to others.
I believe we should take this
opportunity to beseech the Lord and turn towards Him in a fresh way.
Would you join with me as we ask the Lord to baptize us anew with His
love? I have no hope of being a demonstration of the love of God to a
sin-sick world if I have wandered from my first love, Jesus Christ.
Come back to your first love and love
the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your mind, all of your
strength, and all of your soul, for therein lies the issue. When we love
the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, we
find it’s an easy thing to love our neighbors.
I’m going to assume that we are all
Christians. Jesus said that they will know that we are His disciples by
the love that we have for one another. That’s the sure sign. They’ll
know us by our fruit and that fruit is love, and then comes the peace,
joy, and the other fruit as well. It’s all the product of God’s love in
our hearts.
If you’ll take a moment, pray the following with me: Father,
we come to You today, and we find ourselves in need of grace and
forgiveness. At times we have fallen from our first love, and we have
turned our own direction, followed our own choices, and have done what
we thought was important.
We ask you in the name of Jesus to
forgive us, cleanse us, and remove all of our unrighteousness . . . to
just blot it out. May we experience a fresh baptism of divine love.
Cause us to be plunged under the flood of Your love. May we be held
under that water long enough for our hearts to grow soft as a sponge so
that we may absorb the very love that You have for us. May we love
others with that same love.
Fill our hearts anew, God, with Your
divine love, and let our lives be a demonstration of it. It’s all for
Your kingdom and Your glory, in Jesus’ name.
Grace & Peace,
PG
Colossians 3:12 says that, “Therefore as
the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness,
humility, meekness, longsuffering . . .” The author of Colossians is
saying that we have to put these things on; they may not always be part of our personal wardrobe.
Before we open our mouths, it would be
great if we’d think quickly and “change our clothes,” in a figurative
sense. We should put on tender mercies instead of judgment or criticism.
Put on kindness instead of anger and wrath. Put on humility! Meekness
is not weakness, but strength under restraint.
You might say, “Well, I won’t be
anybody’s doormat.” Tell that to Jesus! “I get tired of doing that
stuff; we’re not supposed to let people walk on us.” Noooo, we’re
supposed to turn the other cheek!
I’m going to challenge you to do
something that I personally began doing. I’ve begun to go through my
Bible and write the red print (in longhand, not typing it on my
computer). I’m writing out every word that Jesus spoke. It’s not that
big of a task; He really didn’t say all that much, even in the four
Gospel accounts.
They say that if you hear something that
your retention is about 20%. If you write something though, it
increases significantly. As I’m writing Christ’s words, it really brings
the message home. I challenge you! I’ve been a Christian for well over
thirty years; I’m not boasting in that fact, but what I am saying is that I’m still learning from the red print.
Everything I need to know can be found
in Jesus’ words! If I could just do what the red print tells me to do,
then I wouldn’t have to worry about anything else! It’s amazing. I was
writing the Beatitudes the other day, and I came under conviction. “Oh
Lord, help me to be a peacemaker.” He says, “Come and follow Me, and
I’ll teach you how to be a peacemaker.” It’s so simple; we try to
complicate it. Jesus made it so easy that even a caveman could
understand.
Look at verse 13: “Bearing with one
another.” Now what does that mean? It means putting up with one another.
“Forgiving one another,” means to forgive people, to let it go! “Yeah,
but . . .” LET IT GO! “But you don’t know . . .” LET IT GO! That’s what
forgiveness is.
God knows everything about us, yet He
lets it go. When we confess our sins and repent, He forgives us. So if
you want to be more like Jesus, then just let it go! It’s not helping
you a bit to keep it. In fact, it’s hurting you! It will make you
downright sick if you hang onto it long enough.
“If anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Let me tell you that if you don’t walk
in the bond of love, you will not experience peace. When you walk in
love, you let the transgression go; you don’t hold it against anyone.
I believe that these verses show a progression.
- Put on love.
- Let the peace of God rule your heart.
- Be thankful.
It’s hard to be thankful when you don’t have peace in your heart.
It’s hard to have peace in your heart when you’re not walking in love.
It’s hard to walk in love when you’ve fallen away from your first love.
So what is the solution? The solution is found in returning to your first love!
Grace & peace,
PG
Trickery .
. . “That we should no longer be children tossed to and fro, carried
about by every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men” (Ephesians
4:14). You mean there’s trickery??? Oh yes, there is! There’s also
cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. In Ephesians 4:15-16 the Word
says, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into
Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit
together by which every joint supplies . . .”
All of us
have something to offer, and the sooner we develop a partnering-type of
mentality, the sooner the work will be brought to completion. But we
cannot partner together the way the Scriptures describe as long as we’re
trying to control, manipulate, and simply use one another for our own
benefit. Many times Christians come together, and this is the script
going on in their heads: “How can this benefit me,” when the thought
ought to be: “How can I serve you? How can I help you?” Every joint has
something to supply that will edify the entire body.
Therefore,
my mentality ought to be: How can I help you grow and progress? If I
help you prosper, I’m going to be blessed. It’s a given! It’ll happen
when your motivation is right and when you’re connected to your first
love! You don’t have to chase the blessing; the Bible says that the
blessings of God will come upon you and overtake you. I like those kinds
of blessings! We don’t have to pursue them; we simply have to pursue
the Blesser!
The key
is staying connected to our first love, Jesus, and understanding that we
are the body of Christ and that we have been fitly joined together as
it pleases Him! You might say, “Well, my opinion is important!” Do you
know to whom your opinion is most important? YOU! If you think that
you’re the one who’s right all the time . . . then even if you’re right,
you’re wrong. How does that work? Well, that type of attitude simply
signifies that you’re prideful, unteachable, and do not listen to what
other people have to say. You may think that you’re the only one who’s
right, and in the end, hallelujah . . . I’ll just leave that one alone.
Verse 16:
“And in Him whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every
joint supplies.” There are no insignificant joints in the body, and the
older you get, the more you realize that! I mean right down to your
toes! Every joint needs oiling, eh? When I get up in the morning, I
thank God for His anointing on every joint in my body. “Joined and knit
together by which every joint supplies.”
Now, this
is what is going to cause the kingdom to grow. The kingdom grows when
the saints are equipped and released to do the work of the ministry,
find their place in the body of Christ, and then become a demonstration
of the love of God.
People
don’t get saved just because we preach to them. Yes, we need to preach,
or how will they hear unless someone tells them? Yet faith comes by
hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. What is the motivation behind
this? We can preach and preach and preach, but if people don’t sense the
love of God, they’ll tell you where to go and to take Jesus with you.
It comes down to the love of God.
This
divine, supernatural love is so powerful that it has the ability to wipe
out every one of my sins. Don’t tell me you’re not capable of that type
of love; that’s a lie! “I can’t love the way that God loves,” that’s a
LIE, too! Stop it! The love of God has been shed abroad by the Holy
Spirit (Romans 5:5). The very purpose for which the love of God has been
spread abroad is so that it will be poured out and impact the lives of
other people. God wants us to touch others with His love, and it is made
possible when He is our first love. It’s easy to love.
Think of
the most despicable person you know (no, it’s not the one you’re married
to). You can love the most unlovable person. Why? Because God does, and
if God does, you can, because He puts His love in you to enable you to
be a demonstration of His love. You just have to get over yourself! How
are you supposed to pray for someone who has leprosy, covered in sores,
or has the stench of death on them? “I don’t see how you can stand to
even touch them.” You have to get beyond yourself! You touch them with
the love of God. No cancer or leprosy is going to invade the love of
God! It prevails over all sin, sickness, and darkness this world might
have to offer.
Grace and peace,
PG
When I leave my first love, it means
that I have gone somewhere else. If you leave one place, it signifies
that you’ve entered another. From a spiritual standpoint, any time I
leave my first love to go somewhere else, I should have just stayed
home.
When I have left my first love, it
means that I have chosen, willfully, to go in another direction. I am
now going my way and am doing what I want to do. I’m going to do as I
choose; I’m going to do what I think is best. I weigh my options and do
what’s best for me instead of first consulting the Highest Authority,
the Lord Jesus Christ. “What would You have me to do”? Oftentimes, what
He would want me to do does not look exactly like what I wanted to do.
In fact, it can be in direct opposition. What Jesus wants me to do can
sometimes seem to make no sense at all.
In that moment of decision, what will I
choose to do? Will I choose what looks best, most expedient, or most
profitable . . . or will I choose to follow the lead of my first love? I
always come out on top when I have followed God! It may take a little
longer to get there by persevering, but it isn’t about “getting rich
quick.” This is about obeying the Lord, following my first love, staying
connected to Him, and doing what He wills and not what I want to do.
Let me make this very clear. He’ll let
you do what you want to do. Just because you did it, don’t think you
did the will of God. In making that judgment, the first principle to be
applied is, “How does it line up with the Word?” If it is clearly NOT in
alignment, then it is NOT the will of God. Let’s get that principle
firmly established. The writer of Hebrews said that we ought to have our
senses exercised in order to be able to discern what is good and what
is evil.
We know that when we go our own way
and make our own decisions without consulting the Lord that it comes
back to bite us, and then we can’t figure out why things aren’t going
well. Maybe it’s because we’ve wandered from our first love and have
gone some other way.
Let’s look at Ephesians 4:11-15. “And He Himself gave some to be
apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and
teachers.” What is the purpose of that five-fold ministry gift mix? It’s
for, “the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ.” That is definitely another topic that I
could delve into, but won’t at this time.
The whole purpose of the five-fold
ministry is for equipping the saints for doing the work. In other words,
the saints are supposed to be doing the work of the ministry, right?
The apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers have been
given to the church to equip believers to do the work of the ministry,
not to simply make churches bigger and collect more money! No, the
purpose is to equip, train, teach, and give individuals the equipment
they need to serve. As I’ve said, that’s a whole other message, but
listen: if I don’t help you succeed in being what God has called you to
be, then I have not done what I’m supposed to be doing! The point is
that we have a place wherein we can become equipped, then WE (meaning
you and I), are able to do the work of the ministry.
“For the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till
we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son
of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness
of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children,
tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the
trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ.”
We are continually being brought to
completion/maturity. We are ALL involved in this process, and God is
bringing us to this point through the knowledge of His Son and in the
unity of faith until we are all being perfected in Christ-likeness.
Let us make a personal goal of
examining our hearts and giving careful thought as to how much
attention, deference, and obedience we give to our first love, and this
will be very telling as to what place we give Him in our lives.
Grace and peace,
PG
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