Category: Uncategorized

The Kingdom of God encompasses all that God is doing in the universe. In the Model Prayer we are told to pray, “Your Kingdom come, you will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” That His Kingdom come is the expressed will of the Father. By encouraging us to pray for it, Jesus invites our participation in His Work. It further reveals the forces who desire to hinder its’ manifestation. They are:

• Satan – 2 Cor.4:4 says, “Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”
• World system – 1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world of the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
• Un-renewed mind – Eph.4:23 “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”

God knows everything about us – He needs no additional information (John 2:24-25). Since Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden, mankind has been instructed to obey God. Joshua 1:7-8 says, “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make you way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Psalm 1:1-3 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.”

1. THE GREAT COMMISSION

Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and Make Disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

2. DAILY CHOICES

Mark 8:34-35 “Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

3. TWO THINGS

• WORD – Read, Study, Memorize, Meditate in it, & Obey it.
• Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to his world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
• Psalm 119:11 “Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
• Psalm 119: 34 “Give me understanding and I shall keep your law; indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.”
• Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
• Psalm 119:130 “The entrance of your words gives light, it gives understanding to the simple.”

• HOLY SPIRIT – power, specific guidance and revelation.

John 14:16-18  “And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him, but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you.”

Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

SO, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? LEARN to hear and recognize the voice of God and LEARN to obey Him.

Each of us were born in sin. We all had the capacity and will to be rebellious and do our own thing. This occurred because of the fall in the Garden of Eden (Rom.3:23, Rom.5:15-17). But God did not leave us this way, He provided a way for us to be changed from the inside out! Galatians 3:22 says, “But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”

JESUS TOOK OUR SIN

John 1:29 reveals that John saw Jesus and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Also Hebrews 9:26 says, “…now at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Verse 28  says, “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”

MADE FREE FROM SIN

Romans 5:19 says, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” Romans 6:18 “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” Romans 6:22 “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”

Colossians 1:14 says, “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Through the work of the Cross, “…by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of God…He has forgiven all trespasse, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the Cross.”(Col.2:11-14).

THE OLD LIFE CRUCIFIED

Romans 6:6-7 says, “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.” Romans 6:11 says, “Likewise you also, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

SET FREE FROM THE LAW (DOMINION) OF SIN

Romans 8:2 says, “For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”  But what about the sins that we may have committed since being born again? They were taken care of with the others of the past, as well as, all future sins that may occur. You see, Jesus has shed His blood once for all time and eternity and it is sufficient to forgive and take away our sins.

NO MORE SIN CONSCIOUSNESS

Hebrews 10:1-3 says, “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshippers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sin, but in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.”

HOW TO CONFESS OUR SINS

1 John 1:9 says,”If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The way most evangelicals have understood this verse is that I should name out my sins one at a time and tell the Lord I am sorry for them and ask Him to forgive me. However, I will suggest a better way to confess sin. I understand that God has already provided for the forgiveness of my sins once for all. When I recognize that I have sinned I declare in prayer that His blood through grace has forgiven me of my sin (s) and I thank Him for it. By praying this way I have acknowledged my sin and His forgiveness !

REAL SOUL MUSIC

There is a form of music known as “soul” music. It is sometimes said that a certain song has a “soulful sound.” The soul is involved in worship. While we acknowledge that the regenerated spirit is the origin of true worship, it is expressed through the soul, and sometimes flavored by it. For example, we might say that some praise choruses are very emotionally moving, which is why some people like praise more than deep worship. Some songs are conducive to praise and others are more conducive to worship. Yet both can come from the spirit and be expressed by the soul.

The Scriptures tell us to speak to one another (message song) in “psalm, hymns, and spiritual song.” It also says “singing to the Lord” (worship). Sometimes our preferences are because of our past experiences (perhaps the way we were raised) or our personality (a very calm or very emotional person) these will affect the type of music we prefer. And if we are a very aggressive person we tend to look for Scriptures or examples that support our position.

1. There is a time and place for hymns that are Biblical in content. They often strengthen one’s resolve and commitment of the will. They instruct the mind. They usually relate to something about redemption.
2. There is a place for praise choruses. They relate to and are expressed through emotional responses. They are good at expressing how deeply we feel about God.
3. There is a place for songs (choruses, hymns, or spiritual songs) that lead into worship. These stress who God is, and our awe of and worship to Him.

There is a place for each of these. None should be rejected nor neglected because of their soulish attachments or emotional responses or lack thereof.

Thanksgiving, praise, and worship are not only steps in approaching God, they are complete in themselves in their proper place. For example, the giving of thanks is not worship when done by itself, but is very useful in expressing our gratitude to God for what He has done.  This often leads to worship. Praise alone is not worship but an avenue to praise Him for what He has done. We praise Him because of what we know of His deeds and character.

In judging the quality of a song and where it should be used, we need to consider the following:

1. Is it Biblical in content?
2. Does it lead us into worship?
3. To whom is it directed?
4. What is the focus of the song, God or man?
5. What is its’ message?
6. Can people praise and worship with it?
7. What emotional/soulish response comes from it?
8. Does it leave us wanting to draw close to God?
9. Is it just entertainment for one to show off their musical talents and abilities?
10. Is there an anointing of the Holy Spirit on it?

Human beings are born with an innate desire for singing and worship. How we release it or get it fulfilled is very important. Let’s get the most from our souls by expressing praise and worship that is “in Spirit and truth.”

The Heart of a Worshipper- John 4:24 says that those who worship God must “worship Him in Spirit and truth.” We must be worshippers of God. To do so requires that we worship Him in spirit and truth. Too often, worship experiences are not worshipful at all but exercise in futility because the ‘worshipper’ does not have a heart to worship. He is doing little more than religious calisthenics. His mind may be on something other than the Lord, he ‘mouths’ the words without any identification with what is being sung, and his attitude is ‘let’s do this and get it over with’ and feels that he has done God and the church a service by being there. This is not worship.

True worship begins in the spirit of the individual. It is his recognition of who the Lord is and that He is worthy of our adoration. It is his desire to give thanksgiving, praise, and adoration to the Lord because of who the Lord is and what He has done. He is intense about worship.  He is committed to worship. He feels short-changed if he hasn’t had the opportunity to worship during a church service. All human beings worship something because we all have that innate desire to worship. A worshipper of God finds worship is his ‘second nature.’ Really, it is a product of his recreated spirit, which is his new nature. Worship to a worshipper is like a breath of fresh air. It is something he looks forward to. He usually doesn’t have to be prodded to worship, but be given an opportunity to do so.

Worship strengthens the lines of communication and fellowship with God. We often allow things into our lives that dull the spiritual senses. Worship is an aid that removes such distractions and helps us hear God more clearly.

Worship sets the stage for hearing the Word of God in church service and private devotions. One who spends some time in worship will discover that he recognizes the presence of God quicker and hears Him speak clearly. While it is a stage setter; there are times when worship should be an end in itself. We should come to the Lord, at times, not to ask for anything but just to worship Him.

Let’s learn to be a worshipper! Yes, it can be learned. Study the Scriptures on worship. Look at people in the Bible who were great worshippers- such as King David- and learn from their example.

ALL HEALING IS TEMPORARY
One of the complaints from cessationists is that physical healing doesn’t last, and they are correct on this point. Why? Because we still have a mortal body that is subject to death and disease. At the resurrection, we will have a glorified body that will be immortal, no longer subject to sickness, disease, or death (1 Cor.15:42-54). Jesus restored Lazarus to life after being dead for four days (John 11:1-26) but later he died. Why? He still had a mortal body, and like the rest of us, he would get an immortal body at the resurrection.
In the first century, during the ministry of Jesus, He healed lots of people. But none of them were given immortal bodies. They all died and awaited the resurrection to get a glorified body. This is true of all those who have been restored to life or healed since the first century and will continue to be true until the resurrection.
When Jesus was resurrected, many saints who had died were restored to life (Matt.27:52-53) and later died again. According to 1 Corinthians 15:26, the last enemy to be destroyed is death.
In the New Heavens and new earth, there will be no more sickness or death (Rev.21:4, Rev.22:2). Hallelujah!

The Three Earths

What are they? The original earth (Gen.1:1) which was destroyed in the flood of Noah’s time (2 Pet.3:5-6), the earth which is now which will be renovated by fire (2 Pet.3:7-10-13), and the new earth (Rev. 21-22).

The Three Heavens

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” Notice the word ‘heaven’ is plural. The Apostle Paul said he knew someone who was caught up to the third heaven (2 Cor.12:2). If there are three heavens, what are they? Generally, they are thought of as the first heaven being what we see from horizon to horizon, then outer space, and finally the dwelling place of God (Ps, 48:1-3). Could it be the person Paul was speaking about actually saw the New Heaven?

Which Heaven Are We Going to When We Die?

This is a valid question, which I believe, is answered by the following passage.

 2 Corinthians 5:1-8 “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

Notice some key points –

Earthly house (mortal body)

We have a house (body) that is eternal

We desire to have that immortal body

God knows that and has prepared one for us there

We desire to be in His presence

New Heaven

After the earth was renovated by fire, John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven onto the new earth. God comes to dwell among His people forever

Notice some key points

.God will wipe away all tears

No more death, nor sorrow, nor crying

No more pain

Enjoy the fountain of the water of life 

There will be no need for the sun or moon to give light, the Lamb is the light

Access to the tree of life

No more curse

We will see His face

No night

Nations on the earth shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

Reign forever with Him

THOSE WHOSE NAMES ARE IN THE BOOK OF LIFE WILL BE THERE AND ENJOY THESE THINGS AS THEY SERVE, WORSHIP, AND FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM FOR ETERNITY.

Romans 8:18-23 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope: because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the child of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of Spirit, even we groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”

The Groaning of Creation (8:19–22) Interestingly, Paul decides to demonstrate his thesis of verse 18 by addressing the issue of creation first, probably to show that the future glory was far more comprehensive than just applying to believers. All of God’s creation will be transformed, beginning with this world and then encompassing especially God’s own people. The eager expectation with which creation longs for our revealed glory means literally “stretching the head” or “straining the neck” to see what is coming. While there may be no sense of anxiety here (so Schreiner 1998; Cranfield 1975 calls it “confident expectation”), there is a longing to see the final transformation come to pass. It is interesting that creation longs for the revelation of the sons of God here rather than its own, recognizing that the primary thrust is on the future glory of God’s people. Creation will participate in those results in verse 21. This is truly an apocalyptic event (apokalypsis, revelation), the final unveiling of our status as royalty (the children of the King of kings) at the eschaton. We are already “sons of God” (vv. 14–16), but the final manifestation of that glorious reality is in the future. It is a spiritual reality now, but then it will be a visible event.

That is a question that the disciples of Jesus have tried to find a sufficient answer for centuries. In the Gospel of John chapter seventeen, Jesus says that we are not OF the world even as He was not OF it (John 17:11,14,16). He did not pray that we be taken OUT of the world but protected while within it (John 17:15). He has purposefully sent us INTO the world (John 17:18) to be His representatives and ambassadors to it (2 Cor.5:20).

What We Have that Enables Us To Minister To The World

Each of us has been born with a tendency to sin and be rebellious against God. But when we were born again we received a new nature, the old nature has gone and the new nature has come (2 Cor.5:17-18, 2 Peter 1:3,4). We have His Spirit within us (Rom.8:9, 1 John 4:4, Col.1:27). We have His Word (the Bible) with instructions about how we relate to the world while living by Kingdom principles. We must renew our minds according to the promises of God (Rom.12:1-2).

When we are told in the Bible that we should not love the world or be a friend to it (1 John 2:15-17, James 4:4) it refers to beliefs, values, attitudes, and actions. We live among people who have different beliefs than those of us who belong to Jesus. They have values in agreement with the kingdom they are living in. Disciples of Jesus are to live counter-culturally to the world. We are in but not of the world, and it is a constant battle against spiritual forces (2 Cor.10:3-5, Eph.6:12) of evil to live according to the Word of God.

Other Things We Can Do

• Regular worship with a local congregation.
• Consistent study of Scripture.
• Consistent prayer life.
• Become more outward-focused.
• Be filled with the Spirit of God.
• Exercise what motivational or spiritual gifts you may have.
• Meditate on the promises of God that assure us that He has given us everything needed for life and Godliness.

We are told in Scripture that children must be taught to obey their parents (Eph.6:1). We are told to submit to civil authorities (Romans 13:1). Yet, Peter and the other apostles said “We ought to obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29).

Is there a difference between obedience and submission? I think there is. Obedience means to do what you are told to do by someone in authority, while submission indicates the proper attitude toward the person in authority even if, for conscience’s sake, one cannot do what they are told to do. A good illustration of this is a story I once heard: a little boy was standing up on the pew in church and his father told him to sit down and he wouldn’t do it, so the father put his hands on the boy’s shoulders and made him sit down. The boy said to his father, ‘I am sitting down on the outside, but I am standing up on the inside!’ The father made the boy obey but did not make him submissive.

How Does This Relate To Daily Life

One of the most important things one can learn is how to recognize authority and how to relate to it. Authorities exist in all realms of life. Your employer, police officers, government officials, leaders in church, etc. Authorities exist for the sake of order in our society. We need these different manifestations of authority. But, sometimes human authority becomes abusive, unbiblical, or acts as a dictatorship. What are we to do in such situations?

Pray for those in authority (1 Tim.2:1-2).

Obey as much as you possibly can without disobeying the Word of God or your conscience.

If the authority requires something contrary to the Word of God, disobey it and obey God’s Word, while attempting to keep a right attitude toward the authority.

One can always be submissive even in times when one cannot obey. The ability to do so shows the work of the Spirit within us – self-control (Gal.5:22-24).

This is often seen in government leaders who, by fiat or legitimately pass laws that require citizens to do unbiblical things. There are numerous examples of that in both Old Testament and New Testament passages.

I believe this becomes even more important to know and do the closer we get to the return of the Lord.

It has been referred to as the ‘still small voice” that Elijah heard (1 Kings 19:12). It has been mentioned in secular society as one’s moral compass telling them when something is right or wrong. It has been equated with the Holy Spirit speaking to us from within. It has also been referred to as the voice of the human spirit. From the Scriptures listed below, it seems that at various times and circumstances, it could be referred to as all of these things.

The word “conscience” is not mentioned in the Old Testament. The NT Greek word is suneidesis.

HERE IS A LISTING OF ALL 32 TIMES IT IS MENTIONED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 

John 8:9  (when Jesus dealt with the woman caught in adultery) “being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one.”
Acts 23:1 (Paul speaking to the council) I have lived in all good conscience before God unto this day.”
Acts 24:16 (Paul speaking before Felix) “ I do exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God,”
Romans 2:15 (Paul writing to the Roman church)  “their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or excusing them.”
Romans 9:1  “I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 13:5 “not only because of wrath, but also for conscience sake.”
1 Corinthians 8:7 (Paul writing to the church in Corinth) “that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour”
1 Corinthians 8:8  ” And their conscience being weak is defiled.”
1 Corinthians 8:10 “The idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened.”
1 Corinthians 8:12  “But when you sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.”
1 Corinthians 10:25 “Eat whatever is sold in the meat market,  asking no question for conscience sake:”
1 Corinthians 10:27  “Eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience sake.”
1 Corinthians 10:28 “But if someone says to you, this was offered to idols, do not eat it for the sake of him who told you, and for conscience’s sake, for the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”
1 Corinthians 10:29  “Conscience, I say, not your own, but of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience?’
2 Corinthians 1:12 “For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that we conduct ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity..”
2 Corinthians 4:2 “but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God”
2 Corinthians 5:11″ But we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.”
1 Timothy 1:5  “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from a sincere faith.”
1 Timothy 1:19  “having faith, and a good conscience; which some having rejected”
1 Timothy 3:9 “holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.”
1 Timothy 4:2  ” speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;”
2 Timothy 1:3 “I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did,”
Titus 1:15 “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but their mind and conscience are defiled.”
Hebrews 9:9  “Which cannot make him who performed  the service perfect, regarding the conscience;”
Hebrews 9:14  “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot, to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works, to serve the living God!”
Hebrews 10:2 “For the worshipers, once purified, would have no more consciousness of sins.”
Hebrews 10:22: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Hebrews 13:18 “Pray for us, for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.”
1 Peter 2:19 “For this is commendable if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.”
1 Peter 3:16 “having a good conscience; that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”
1 Peter 3:21  ” (..baptism…but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HAVE A GOOD CONSCIENCE?

-Be born again through trusting Jesus’ work on the Cross and Resurrection.

-Realize that Jesus has forgiven us of all sin, and we stand justified clothed in His righteousness.

-Fill our mind and spirit with the Word of God.

-Make every effort to obey the Word of God.

—–AI produced these statements about conscience that I thought were interesting—-

What is Conscience?

Conscience is a cognitive process that involves both emotion and rational associations. It is shaped by an individual’s moral philosophy or value system. Here are some key points about conscience:

1. Definition: Conscience elicits feelings and thoughts related to morality. It stands in contrast to immediate sensory perceptions and reflexive responses. When a person commits an act that conflicts with their moral values, conscience often leads to feelings of remorse.
2. Religious Views: Many religious traditions view conscience as linked to inherent human morality, a beneficent universe, or divinity.
3. Secular Views: Common secular perspectives suggest that the capacity for conscience is genetically determined, while its content is learned or imprinted through culture.
4. Metaphors: Metaphors used for conscience include the “voice within” or the “inner light.” Socrates relied on his “daimōnic sign,” an inner voice that guided him away from mistakes.

How Does Conscience Work?

1. Evaluation: Conscience arises when we evaluate our actions as “correct” or “wrong.” It serves as our moral compass, informing us of our values and principles.
2. Individual Development: Conscience develops at a personal level. It helps us understand moral principles and motivates us to act accordingly. Through conscience, we assess our character and behavior.
3. Ethical Judgment: Conscience becomes the standard by which we judge whether our actions are ethical. It guides us toward right conduct and encourages empathy and compassion.

In summary, conscience is more than mere “gut instinct.” It reflects our inner moral compass, shaping our choices and influencing our interactions with the world. Whether informed by religion, culture, or personal reflection, conscience plays a crucial role in ethical decision-making.

Remember, it’s the quiet voice within us that nudges us toward goodness and compassion. 🌟