School of the Holy Spirit

In the days of my youth (in God) it was quite common for me to spread out all my Bibles and concordances on the kitchen table and spend hours doing word studies. I had an insatiable appetite for learning how to become the image of God on the outside. I knew what He had done on the inside but living it out is sometimes a whole other story. God ministered to me in such miraculous ways for many years while getting me grounded in foundational truths of the Bible.

Now I sit at my computer and use on-line references. Biblegateway even parallels any number of translations for me without my ever turning a page.

Word Studies
Word studies are a great way to get God’s thinking and heart on a given subject. I'll share one way this works for me.

If I am having a particularly difficult time grasping or (more likely) living out a Biblical truth that serves as a clue to me I need to spend more time in scriptures having to do with that truth or topic. For instance… there was a time I looked up every Greek word in I Cor. 13: 1-8. I wrote them all down (on paper at the time) and cross-referenced other scriptures having to do with God’s love. Then I looked up (and typed out) those verses in every translation of the Bible I had at the time. I ran across that typed out document yesterday and it brought back a lot of memories. I used that document for years to quote out loud to my own heart and head! It served as a tool for getting those truths deep in my heart where they became a part of me instead of words on the written page.

I can’t tell you how many relationships and situations that background has saved me. I was moved to go to all that extended study during a very difficult time in my marriage. At the time I knew I had to make some changes. One thing that has proven out over and over in my Christian life is when I wish someone else would change, it always comes back to me that needs to make some changes. Besides that, I've learned (sometimes better than others) that I AM THE ONLY ONE I CAN CHANGE. Spending my time mulling over God's words to me of His precious love FOR me is a doorway into the spirit realm. From there, you don't want to put any limits on God to lead you into worship and prayer that will miraculously change and adjust things on the inside. Things we don't even know need to be adjusted. That's just how He works when given the opening. That's why it's spiritual! Spiritual things are difficult to describe but they are the most real changes one can make. And when it is the Spirit of God doing the changing the results are always right and good and true and ... lasting.

Back to word study...

This method is so valuable and has taught me how to rely on God’s word and His Holy Spirit for the power to ‘be’ who/what God has given me the ability to be and called me to be. The Holy Spirit is our helper AND our teacher but we have to let Him be those things to us by using the tools God has given us.

We can't really expect that attending one or two church services a week is enough to go against the tide of carnality and worldliness we are faced with daily. We have to open our hearts to God every day and allow Him access to everything we are if we seriously want to make changes.

There certainly are many ways to learn God's word on our own. For me, I couldn't have made it through some of the circumstances life has thrown my way without roots firmly planted in God and revelation of His character. It has been my anchor in the midst of every trial.

What about you? Do you have ways you draw closer to God? What methods do you use to study God's word?

Is Prosperity Biblical?

I believe God wants us prosperous in everything we do and in every area of our lives. I believe there is a balance. We are warned against the love of money. This is a crucial piece of the puzzle. We must be cautious to guard our heart and our attitude. If we do though, and we obey God and walk in His commandments He promises us prosperity along with our healing, and victory. Does that mean we will never go through any trials or difficult times? No, but he is faithful to reward those who seek Him.

Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

The curse of the law includes poverty (Deut 28:15-45).

1 Corinthians 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

We also have to look at our responsibility in all this. We have to take some responsibility. If we are not faithful in little we can not be faithful in much. We also have to be diligent to work and be fruitful with what we have been provided. I do not believe that Biblical prosperity is about sitting at home claiming debt being paid off and money just raining down. We have to be diligent in our efforts.

Deut 8:18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

Got Questions

Recently I heard a minister speak some Truths that spoke to my soul AND it answered some questions I've had for a long time. You know the kinds of questions that we learn to place on a shelf somewhere in our brain until the answer comes. Not questions of doubting God or questions wondering if I can really believe God... just the kinds of questions only the spirit of God can clarify. I know God knows the questions I have on the shelf. So when the answer comes - it's almost as if I say, "oh, that's the answer to such and such and it almost takes me by surprise."

I have seen over the years that if I'll keep my heart pointed toward the goodness of God and just keep trusting Him, keep loving Him with all my heart, keep steadfast in whatever He's called me to do at the time ... the answers come... eventually. It's important that I do my part to stay in the Bible, stay in His presence, listen to good teachers and preachers.

I've learned not to let my faith in HIM waiver just because I DO have questions. And I NEVER, NEVER, NEVER get angry at God. He is NEVER my problem! HE IS ALWAYS MY ANSWER! I am convinced any questions I have or any confusion I have is more about ME getting in a position spiritually to understand the answers more than it is about HIM withholding any good thing from me. AND because I trust Him with my life... I am fully persuaded He gives me what I need when I need it. So I don't have to be nervous or anxious or fearful... I just rest in knowing I am on His mind and He is helping me get to a place where I can receive answers for every need.

Ahhh... now that's peace.

My Heart is Steadfast, O God

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!

Psalm 57:7 (NAS)

Steadfast. I like words like steadfast. It could be an intimidating word for some folks. But I like to think of it as an encouraging word. Some more words that are synonymous with steadfast: unwavering, resolute, persistent, dedicated, unswerving, unfaltering. All really good words. Now if we reserve these traits only for our spouse/employer/friends/political views (you get the idea) in a time of conflict then steadfast might not serve us so well.

BUT if this is the dedication in our hearts and our commitment when trusting God and walking out this Christian life then “steadfast” becomes a GREAT attribute. One of the definitions of steadfast is firmly fixed in place or position. In this day and time when even the church has itching ears wanting to hear what pleases and gratifies our flesh the word steadfast has a calming affect in my soul.

What about when you believe something from God’s word and it doesn’t look like the promise is coming to pass? Or what about when you put your deepest desires in God’s hands and in your way of seeing things, it didn’t work out that way at all? Or what about just plain ole’ everyday life and the discouragements that we allow to set in while feeling like we are doing our best?

Does the fact that a thing doesn’t work out like I desire change the absolute Truth of the Word of God? I say a resounding NO. No matter what goes wrong in my life I must determine to go to God’s Word for the Truth and His light in every circumstance. I keep my relationship with Him based on that Truth- not my own life. I don’t rearrange what I believe or how I view God based on what happens in my life.

Back to why I like this word “steadfast” so much! It reminds to continue doing what I know is right to do in the face of every situation- good ones AND adverse ones. The very meaning of the word rings a bell/strikes a chord, if you will, prompting me not to give up. Most importantly it ignites my spirit to abandon my heart to my covenant-keeping God and to keep believing with faith and patience what the Truth of God's Word says about each situation until the promises show up in my life!

I leave you with this encouraging Truth from God’s Word.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile[it is never wasted or to no purpose]. I Cor. 15:58 Amp.

We Start by Grace and We Walk by Grace Part II

Continuing today from my last post of November 2…
…We didn't earn our entrance in the kingdom of God and we can't earn the blessings once we are in.

The Bible tells us that Jesus made us righteous by taking our sin on Himself. If I was made righteous then I am just as righteous as I am saved. Why is it so much easier for us to declare we are saved than to declare we are righteous? If we have right standing with God why do we try to work for His blessings? I submit to you that what God would rather us do is open our hearts wide to Him ---allow Him to love us completely, and as we renew our minds to His truths simply believe what He declares has already been provided for us. It is the very same process we followed to be born again. We heard the gospel which changed our thinking; we believed it and we opened our heart to His grace and mercy. This same course now will give us the desire to imitate Jesus in our walk and will bring the blessings in our lives.

Rom 3:24 tells us “[All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus.”

So again, in light of these scriptures, what is it we are trying to prove to God by all our doing? He isn’t impressed by our performance. He has already made us acceptable to Him. And why is it we berate and beat ourselves up every time we falter in sin or make a mistake? It is a waste of precious time when we could be moving forward in Him. God much more delights when we come running to Him in our weakness.

Much like the story of the Prodigal son... “And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” The father in this story didn’t ask any questions, he didn’t make the son grovel around because of his bad choices & behavior, he didn’t make him wait a while before he showed him he was in good standing… no, with love, compassion and kisses he started the celebration immediately just because the son came back to him!

If you are a Christian today struggling with sin/condemnation in your life---run to your Father God. Accept His grace and mercy just as you once did – in the beginning. Allow Him to love you lavishly as He celebrates with you. All your right doing will follow… effortless change will come from the inside out as you respond to His love and goodness and as you believe you are righteous because of His sacrifice—not your own.

We Start by Grace and We Walk by Grace

It is interesting how we start out a whole new life being a follower or disciple of Christ by grace. It's a free gift. FREE. The FREE gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

It is by grace we are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through believing and not because of works or fulfilling any law. If it was by fulfilling any law then we could brag about what we had done to deserve it and subsequently take pride in ourselves.

No, our salvation or entrance into the Kingdom of God isn’t the result of anything we could possibly DO. I’ve never run across anyone who has experienced salvation who minds quoting that scripture and proudly declaring – it is by grace through faith we are saved.

I wonder then why so many Christians quickly feel like they have to DO all the right things in order to receive blessings from God. So much of the church-world goes right from receiving grace for salvation to behavior modification. We try to get ourselves all cleaned up and fix all our bad habits and behavior. We become very conscious of sin and spend a lot of our time before God reminding Him of how bad we are and what we have done wrong and then we wonder ...where did the joy go?

All the while God has said (Col:2:6), as you have received (by grace) me, walk in me (by grace). We start out by grace through faith and we continue our walk by grace through faith. God is more interested in transforming us from the inside out by our continual experience of His love and goodness than He is in our desperately trying to modify our behavior and struggling constantly with sin.

We didn't earn our entrance in the kingdom of God and we can't earn the blessings once we are in.

Stay tuned for more on this next post…

What's Keeping You From Jesus?

We all have things we don't like about ourselves.

We're too fat or too skinny. Too short. Too tall. Too hairy, too bald. Too young, too old. Too light, too dark. And that's just what we see when we look in the mirror.

Then there's all the internal things we don't like about ourselves. Too shy. Too critical. Too rash. Too dull. Too emotional. Too scared. Too hyper. Too slow. Too worried.

We can even take issue with status issues: too uneducated, too poor, too inexperienced, too busy, too jaded...

We all have things we don't like about ourselves--certain "liabilities" if you will. Things that hold us back in life, and hold us back from being who we were created to be. In fact, these things hold us back from Jesus, which is the one destiny we desperately need to reach.

What "too" is keeping YOU from Jesus?

Zaccheus was too short. He was rich, very rich, but not rich enough to ensure front-row seats the day Jesus came to town. Zaccheus' immense wealth couldn't get him through the crowd that stood between him and Jesus.

Many times, we try to use our "wealth" as a means to get where we need to be. In other words, we try to maximize whatever we're good at, thinking that our talents and strengths will be enough to make us successful in life. Yet there's only one thing that will make us successful in life and only one place we need to be. Meeting and Knowing Jesus. And all too often, regardless of the wealth we depend on, it's our poverty that prevents us from reaching Jesus.

We look at all our deficiencies and weaknesses--the areas where we're either "too much" or "not enough"--and we allow our lack to stop us from seeking the Lord.

Don't let what's "not right" about you keep you from seeing the One who makes all things right. Today is your day of salvation. Jesus wants to visit with you and to restore all that has been lost. So don't worry about how you look as you make your way to Jesus. Would that we were all silly and brave and desperate enough to climb a tree.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. (1 Chronicles 29:17)

I don’t know who to believe anymore. People in the media are always swearing up one side and down the other only to later admit they weren’t exactly telling the truth. They’re not apologizing. They’re not sorry they lied. In some cases, they don’t even think of what they did as lying.

You remember then-President Clinton swearing (literally under oath) to a grand jury that he “did not have sexual relations with that woman.” We all found out later that he was lying and, well, in fact did have sexual relations with that woman. He just called it something else.

It seems society allows us to create our own personal dictionary in order to redefine words to suit our situation. Words like sexual relations, cheating, and lying. Pete “I never bet on baseball” Rose has his own definition for cheating, as does Raphael “I have never used steroids. Period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never.” Palmeiro.

Not ones to be left out, Michael Vick and Jerome Bettis have added their names to the list. Of course, the public has eagerly pounced on Michael Vick—but more for his cruel and inhumane treatment of dogs than for his lying about it. Yet no one seems to mind The Bus’ admission of guilt. No one thinks of him as having lied. It’s called “strategy” or “smarts” or “how to play the game.” But I disagree. To paraphrase Shakespeare: “A lie by any other name would smell as stinky.”

In his upcoming book, Bettis relates the story of his going into training camp one year with a knee that had been surgically repaired the previous summer. Since he was afraid he’d be cut if the team knew how much the knee was injured, Bettis didn’t say anything. Early into camp practices, Bettis fell down during a drill, grabbed his knee, and yelled in pain.

Explaining his actions, Bettis writes, “Man, did I do a nice job of acting. The thing is, I wasn’t faking that I had an injury. I was just faking that the injury happened on that short-yardage play. I had to fool the coaches and the team’s medical department into thinking the injury had occurred on that play. Otherwise, the Steelers would have had their reason to cut me and my salary.”

According to the rules of the league, because Bettis was hurt in training camp, the Steelers weren’t allowed to release him. Bettis goes on to say, “In my mind, what I did was justifiable because the original injury occurred while I was playing for the Steelers.”

Maybe because no one got hurt from Bettis’ actions (not that we know of) or because he eventually won a Superbowl ring, people think Bettis did the right thing.

What does God think?

In Proverbs 6, a lying tongue is listed as one of the six things the Lord hates. Revelation 22 tells us that everyone who loves and practices lying is kept outside the gates of the holy city (along with sorcerers, immoral persons, murderers, and idolaters—ouch!). Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.”

For those who insist that what these people did was not in fact lying, let’s define the word lie according to an objective dictionary and not one that we’ve created. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word lie means “to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive; to create a false or misleading impression.”

In the case of Jerome Bettis, uh…check and check. Let’s not deceive ourselves and play games with the truth. If we want to be like Jesus, we must tell the truth--at all times and at all costs.

What makes us want to tell a lie? According to Romans 2, selfish ambition leads us to disobey the truth. Words for the wise: If we start a sentence with the phrase, “In my mind, what I did was justifiable…” we probably did something wrong. Instead of going by our own thoughts and justifications, we need to do things God’s way. God’s way guarantees rewards far greater than ten Superbowl rings.