Let's Do it!

Let's Do It.

For the last two weeks, we looked at the life of Isaac and when unexpected things happen, and what to do. 

Isaac wanted to run back to Egypt as soon as the famine started. But, of course, we all do that when things get complicated. We love our comfort and places of little conflict. But unfortunately, life does not play favorites, and life is not predictable. We don't know what will happen to whom. We can be totally fine today; tomorrow, we are in a very different situation. 

God would not allow Issac to run away. So Isaac had to stay in the place of famine. 

Gen. 26:6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.

How do we feel when God does not want to permit us to run. What if things get really hard in America. The Church is not prepared to face hardship because the message has been that God will take us out before it gets too bad. Is that what scripture teaches? A pastor told me once that God did not appoint us unto wrath - 1 Thess 5:9. That is true when we talk about salvation, but this scripture does not refer to us having to face hard times.

In scripture, we see the opposite. Jesus said that we would be persecuted. James says:

James 1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

Paul writes to Timothy:

2 Tim. 3:10-12 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all, the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

And to the Church in Rome: (He wrote it because it happened to the Christians)

Rom. 8:35-37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

God says STAY!

What did Isaac do while the famine was going on?

Gen. 26:12-13 Then Isaac sowed in that land (Famine) and reaped in the same year a hundredfold, and the LORD blessed him. So the man began to prosper and continued prospering until he became very prosperous.

Isaac did not do "nothing." He did not stay home and waited for things to change in his favor. Instead, HE acted against the norm. Can you imagine what the other people were thinking? He must have looked like he was out of his mind. When you have a famine of friendships, start sowing friendships to others. When you have a famine of family, start sowing being family to those who are not a family. When you experience a famine in finances, start sowing finances to places of need. In the time of famine, you sow!

All Isaac had was God's Word and God's presence. You have that as well for your family or your business. God blessed Isaac despite the natural circumstances. The truth is that your natural circumstances do not determine your blessing. God determines that. 

What can you do when you are in a Famine?

1. Trust God - don't trust your resources. God will supply your need. He knows what we need even before we ask - Matt 6:23-33.

2. Talk with somebody - don't isolate yourself. The enemy loves people in isolation because he is an expert in getting you to doubt or get into unbelief.

3. Fight fear and anxiety - fear is not always bad. There are things we need to be afraid of, like things that can bite and kill you. Fear that makes you feel powerless and messes with your mind is unhealthy. The Spirit God gives us does not do that. His Spirit gives us hope and faith to face any situation.

4. Find things to be thankful for - there are so many ways that God blesses us, and when we realize that thankfulness is the antidote against narcissism and teaches us to be content, we will focus on a solution, not just our lack or the problem.

5. Don't give up - everything has a time and a season. Every problem has a solution and an end. Darkness carries an expiration date. Like the Psalmist said: 'There might be pain in the night, but joy comes in the morning."

I don't know your situation. But, I know God can and that famine is just a place where He shows up and shows off. So, how will you respond today?

Will you stay long enough to see how He will bless you despite everything against you right now?

Don't give up!

Don't Give up!

Last week we started talking about Isaac and how he wanted to leave the promised land when a famine came. We saw that God told him not to do what Abraham did and go down to Egypt. All Isaac had was a promise from God.

All we have is His Word and His presence. Is that enough? Hat have we built into our lives that will bring significant loss if it is taken away?

The things that I can trust God for if all else fails or is lost are what can sustain me. We should never place our trust in things that are only temporal. So I made a list of the God things that I can put all my trust in.

I trust God. 

Who else can we trust, and who else can be our rock and our fortress? Who knows the end from the beginning, and who has all understanding? Who has infinite wisdom, and who is all-powerful? Who has the only answer to all of man's struggles, and who has the power to redeem and restore us back to our original purpose? Who loves us with an everlasting love, and who will surely finish what He started? There is no one like God. No man can do what He did, and no man can provide what He provided for us in the death and resurrection of Christ His Son. Therefore, I can trust Him, and I do trust Him. Circumstances do not define Him. Sin does not change Him. Instead, it reveals Him and what we did not know about Him.

I trust His Word.

The Word of God is the most precious thing I have. I love reading it, meditating on it, and praying through the Word. His Word is eternal, and it brings life and light to my daily walk. Jesus said that the words He speaks are Spirit, and it is Life - John 6:63. It is more than just ink on paper. It is a spiritual encounter, and we have a guarantee that His Spirit will teach us, guide us, and lead us into all truth.

John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 

I trust Him for my Salvation.

No one can save us but God. Unfortunately, no religion has the answer to mans greatest need. No man can save you, and no job can save you, no investment can save you, only God can save you. He provided the only way for any man or woman to come to Him - John 14:6. Thank God that He told us so we don't waste time and effort trying the stuff that does not work.

Is. 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD, and besides Me, there is no savior.

I trust Him for my supply.

The most significant way to learn to trust God for our supply is to start by getting our priorities right, stop worrying, and seek Him. We know that He cares for all the birds of the air and everything else. He even knows what we need before we even ask. So what we must do is prioritize Him and the Kingdom before our own needs.

Matt. 6:25-33 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you, by worrying, can add one cubit to his stature? "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I say that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? "Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?' or "What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things, the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

I trust He will never leave me or forsake me.

On many occasions, I have left His side. Most of the time, it was unintentional, but there have been times when my own choice hardened my heart, and I went to do my own thing. In all these times, He never left me or forsook me. He has always been faithful, and that gives me great confidence. What He started in me, He will surely finish. You see, I am not a Christian or even a believer. I am a son. My identity is not defined by what I believe or how people might categorize me. My identity is "I am family." 

John 1:12-13 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  

HE gave birth to me into the Kingdom. Family is not a team sport where you get kicked off because you did not perform right. No, family is different. Family stick together. Family means you belong.

Eph. 2:19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

The prodigal left and wanted to return, not as a son but as a servant. However, the Father would not allow that. So you can go your way, but anytime you return, you are welcomed back - Luke 15.

There are many other things you can trust God for. Make your own list. 

Suppose I lose everything else in this life. His Word and His presence would be enough. 

Out of your control!

Out of your control!

Last week at a men's meeting, I talked with the men about what we cannot control. It is hard for us to admit we are not in control as men. I believe the enemy sold us lies that if we are in control, everything will be fine. It gives us a false sense of security that is quickly shattered when things go wrong. There are so many things that we cannot control, yet we are masters at trying to do it anyway.

Life happens to all of us. This weekend, our HVAC died on Friday night. Being Memorial weekend, everything was closed until Tuesday. I called a friend, and he could come on Saturday, but the news was terrible. 'You will need to replace the old unit." We were planning to leave this week on a short vacation, but now we had to cancel that so someone can be at home when they replace the unit. The whole weekend was hot and humid in the house. We could not control when the unit would literally breathe its last, no control over the weather or how hot it would be when they could fix it or what it would cost. Everything is out of our control.  

What we can control is our choice. How will we react when we face the things we are powerless to change. I see a story in the Bible that gives me some great insight. 

Gen. 26:1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in Gerar.

Issac is in Canaan, but a famine hits the place while he is there. Canaan was the promised land that God promised his father, Abraham. This is the place where the promises of God become a reality. It confirms that even if we walk into the very thing God promised, we can and will still encounter opposition. A famine is not something anybody wants. It speaks of destruction and even death, and it affects your resources. 

So Isaac wanted to do what we all would do. Find a place that has no famine. It sounds like a decent and logical solution. You will have to leave Canaan though.

Gen. 26:2  Then the LORD appeared to him and said: "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you.

Abraham experienced a similar famine in Canaan before Isaac did. In Gen 12, God calls Abram to go to Canaan and leave everything behind.

Gen. 12:1-5 Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed." So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Then Abram took Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.

Not long after Abram arrived in the promised land, he had to deal with famine. So Abram did what any reasonable man would do. He left for Egypt.

Gen. 12:10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.

If you think about it, he left when something happened that was out of his control. But unfortunately, so many men today leave when things get tough. We have a generation of young people that have not seen men stick it out and stay. Instead, they leave their wives, jobs, and family to find something more manageable. 

When things get complicated or uneasy, the enemy will always offer you something pleasurable to ease the pain. So, just like Abram, we run. That is why we have fatherless homes, mothers that have to do two jobs to survive and raise the kids. Men give up on relationships, give up on their dreams and give up on doing the hard thing that is necessary. 

God would not allow Isaac to do what his daddy did. 

Gen. 26:3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.

The only thing God says to Isaac is: "You will have my presence, and I will take care of you. Men, are we okay if all we have is His word and His presence. God did not promise Isaac He would give grass to the cattle and water for the camels. No - just I will be with you.

If we lose everything, what can we hold onto? What are the things that can sustain you when all else fails?

Next week we will look at the things I have come to know, things that are famine proof, things I trust God for above all else.

Values and Disciplines of the Kingdom - 10

Jesus had the disciplines of prayer, fasting, thankfulness, sacrifice, giving, submission, service, stewardship, perseverance, self-control, worship, and love.

We had so much fun looking at the disciplines that Jesus had in his life. This week we look at the discipline of love.

Before we talk about what we know about love, I would like to take a different approach this week. First, we know the scriptures that say: love each other, love your enemies, the greatest is love, and God loved the world. But what about the things that love does?

Today, we are faced with things we never dreamed we would be faced with. Young people struggle with their identity, and the woke culture is stripping our voices from us, and people are out of control. I was shocked when I saw some of the videos on how women acted about their abortion rights. It was shocking to see women demanding their right to kill innocent babies. Teachers demand the privilege of teaching young, innocent children about perverted sex practices. Sin is so open and in your face. You see the emptiness in the eyes of these individuals thinking that temporary pleasure will satisfy the eternal desire for peace that God has put in their hearts.

So how do we love these people? For years the Church shunned these people and stayed between the four walls of the building. Did we really think that they would come to us? Isn't there a reason Jesus told us to go?

Love does not ignore a need, and love certainly does not stay passive in the face of disaster. Love understands the destruction of sin. Love cares enough to take the chance of being rejected and misunderstood so that it can stop you from taking the path you are on. Love cares more about your freedom than it cares about the reputation of not exposing your sin to others. Love does not keep account of the times you rejected the call to change and keeps on hoping that you will turn and find freedom. Love always stays present and never gives up.

On the contrary, love is expressed, understood, and solidified in the very action it takes. This same action that love takes must also show that love is caring, redemptive, and has a better solution than what the individual currently seeks. For love to stay quiet would mean it compromised its own character. Love can never accept anything that is a compromise of the true sacrifice love has made.

How do we love the sinners? The same way Jesus did.

Studying scripture, I find Jesus out and about with the sinners. He loves on them, speaks truth to them, and challenges them to repent and receive the Kingdom of God. Love does not mean we compromise our message. Jesus never did. The very truth we have is what will set them free. That truth must be spoken from a place of no condemnation or judgment. When they brought the woman caught in adultery to Jesus, he told her: neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more. Can we do the same?

A friend in ministry wrote this, and it is worth reading because I believe it brings balance. Dr Don Lynch had a great way of speaking truth.

Beware the limited definition of redemption and Atonement that covers what should be cleansed, ignores what should be revealed, and excuses what should be removed. Atonement is reconciliation, but the basis of this reconciliation isn't Divine blindness but Redemptive light. If we walk in that noonday Sun of revealing, we have true koinonia with Father, and the Blood of His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Beware the idea that the sin remains fully functional, but Father is an Expert at ignoring what is destroying us and our destinies.

Jesus has no sympathy for anything that is standing between us and the fullness of our created destiny and fulfillment of our kingdom calling. He did what was necessary for Atonement so we could be everything we were created to be and do everything we are called to do.

Beware of the concept of redemption that carries the same limitations as the old covenant: Animal blood cannot cleanse, and continual applications are needed. Beware of the concept of "grace" that appears to say, "I'm a big mess, but God loves me anyway. He sees me with rose-colored glasses."

No. God sees who and what you are perfectly, and the passion He has for you is based upon who you were in His purpose before you were created. That passion is why He gave His Son, and the work of the Cross isn't about a bandaid or cover-up.

Love is about Redemption. Redemption is about transformation.

I have to close with the passage of scripture where Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind, and equal to this: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF - Matt 22:37-39.

Values and Disciplines of the Kingdom - 9

Jesus had the disciplines of prayer, fasting, thankfulness, sacrifice, giving, submission, service, stewardship, perseverance, self-control, worship, and love.

This final week we will look at the discipline of worship.

Remember that disciplines help us establish roots to keep us safe in hardship and trouble. 

These twelve disciplines that I see in the life of Jesus are what we need to be fruitful in our walk as Christians. The world is watching us and sees everything we do. While the Church is waiting for the return of Jesus, the world is waiting for the manifestations of the sons of God - Rom 8:19-21.

Worship:

We all worship something or someone. Worship comes on various levels, from mere infatuation to total devotion to a cause or god. 

It might be a crush on an idol or famous actor for some teenagers. For adults, it can be their job or their success in doing their job. Finally, it might be looking back and remembering things they achieved in life as older adults. 

Worship happens typically to or for the thing that you most value. Nobody is devoted to something or someone invaluable to them. All idols demand worship, but God deserves worship. Therefore, God commands Israel not to make any other gods, bow to them, or serve them. Worship is devoted service to God or an idol.

As Christians, worship should never be from a place of enforcement. Instead, it should be the first thing we all do when we wake up. Worship comes from a grateful heart, and circumstances do not sway that grateful heart. People of faith worship whether it is going well or whether it is going bad. Difficult circumstances reveal the true worshippers. 

When Paul and Silas were in jail, they worshipped - Acts 16:23-28.

And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately, all the doors were opened, and everyone's chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here."

I love this story. Everyone was listening to Paul and Silas and was touched by what they heard. They were all loosed from their chains when the earthquake happened, including the other prisoners. The story gets even better. Imagine the first thing prisoners would do after all their chains fall off, and all the prison doors are opened. Not this time. They all stayed despite the chance to escape. What kept them from escaping?

When was the last time our worshipped unchained someone? When was the last time our worshipped so captivated someone that they did not want to leave?

Worship is more than a song or a hymn. Worship is a lifestyle overflowing from a thankful heart. If you live a life void of the proof of your faith, your lifestyle is not a testimony of the One you worship.

John 4:23-24 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and Truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth."

How do we worship in Spirit and in Truth?

Twice Paul tells us how to do that!

Gal. 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

John defines the flesh as the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. This means: "I do what I want to do!"

Gal. 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Again we see our lifestyle is crucial. So before we even sing or lift our hands or even bow down in worship, let's start by getting our hearts surrendered to God first. 

The word for "worship" in Greek is the picture of a dog licking his master's hand. If you ever had a dog, you would understand. There is proof of submission, obedience, and servitude in that act of the dog. He gives you all his attention and stands ready to act on every command you give him. He is happy to see you and wants to be with you. THAT IS WHAT WORSHIP SHOULD LOOK LIKE!

My last point on worship is this. Can we please stop singing songs about ourselves and what we have experienced? Worship through the ages was used to teach people theology. But, more than that, worship focused on God and what He did for us. We learned about the blood of Jesus, His sacrifice, atonement, forgiveness, restoration, and the hope of his return through the songs we sang. We could hear each other sing and beautiful voices filled the air. The music was harmonious and thankful hearts shouted with joy. 

There are many forms of worship. Prayer can be used to worship. Thanksgiving and testimonies can be used to worship, and songs and dance can be used to worship. Solitude and meditation can be used to worship. Different people have different ways of expressing their worship. 

What does your worship look like? 

Values and Disciplines of the Kingdom - 8

Jesus had the disciplines of prayer, fasting, thankfulness, sacrifice, giving, submission, service, stewardship, perseverance, self-control, worship, and love. 

This week we look at perseverance and self-control. 

Perseverance:

A good definition would be the ability to keep doing something despite opposition or difficulty achieving your goal. 

Rom. 5:3-4 And not only that but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, character, and character, hope.

The word for perseverance means to stay cheerful or hopeful. So many times, I see young people and old sometimes just giving up. It is different for each person, and there might be a zillion reasons why they get to the point where enough is enough. But, we all have been there and might experience it again in the future. So what does it mean to persevere?

Tribulations produce perseverance. There is no other way to learn to push through the hard stuff. I believe your attitude has a lot to do with it. Can we stay sweet in the trail of bitterness?

There is a blessing at the end of each trail. If only to develop our character, it is still worth the effort. People tend to forgive you if you do something wrong, but when you have a character flaw, people tend to hold onto it. As a result, more people shipwreck their testimony with a bad character than anything else. 

God allows our trials and temptations so that we can learn to endure and build our character. Think about Job. Remember that God always has restoration in mind. James writes about him.

James 5:11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

Peter helps us to understand this point more clearly.

2Pet. 1:5-8 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Can you see the process? Perseverance is part of the steps that makes us fruitful in the knowledge of Christ. When the circumstances get tough, the tough get going. What does it take to get you to give up?

Self-control:

It is one of the fruits of the Spirit. But unfortunately, so many people have issues because their life is out of control. They do not exercise restraint regarding relationships, food, exercise, hobbies, work, and even ministry. 

Gal. 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law.

The last person I had the privilege to lead to Christ before we immigrated from South Africa, I used this verse to share with him. His life was a mess, and he had diabetes. So he would eat the food he knew was not helping him. Finally, he said he needed Jesus to help him. So I shared the Gospel with him because he understood that he needed salvation as much as he required self-control. 

One of the things Paul warns us about is what things would look like at the end of time. When I see how much the world is pushing their agenda to allow people to dishonor their bodies amongst each other in all kinds of vile sexual acts, I know a generation without self-control. Truth is opposed, shunned, and even vilified as hate speech because people feel the need to live without control. 

Living without self-control leads to a myriad of other problems. Throwing off restraints opens the door for the depravity of man to lead us on a downward spiral from where there is no coming back. 

2Tim. 3:1 But know this that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

As Christians, we have the fruit of the Spirit, but we also have the Spirit himself - Rom 8:9. As Paul says it, the Spirit leads us: decently and in order. There is order in God's Kingdom. There is order in the Church. There is order in families and order in ministry. We have no excuse for being out of order or out of control. Self-control is what sets us apart from the world. Self-control empowers us to control the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eye. 

Some of us need to control our temper. Some of us need to control our thoughts. Some of us need to hold our tongue. But, we could all do better with this discipline.

I pray that you heard my heart. No condemnation in this, just conviction. 

Values and Disciplines of the Kingdom - 7

Jesus had the disciplines of prayer, fasting, thankfulness, sacrifice, giving, submission, service, stewardship, perseverance, self-control, worship, and love. 

This week we will look at the discipline of stewardship. Life in the Kingdom is about giving, expressing the character of God.

I am going to give you ten principles of stewardship. This is one of the most important things that Jesus talked about. He rewards people for being faithful to what He gave them. The parable of the talents makes this very clear - Matt 25.

There is a difference between tithing and stewardship. Stewardship has to do with increasing what you have, while tithing has to do with being obedient.

Stewardship and tithing are not about raising money but about raising Christians. I have never seen a mature Christian struggle to give or give an account of how they handle finances.

God will offend your mind to reveal what is in your heart.

1. Who is in charge? (He owns everything)

Until God is in control, I am out of control! We own nothing. God entrusts us with what He gives us. Everything I have is a blessing from His hand.

Psa. 24:1 "A Psalm of David. The earth is Jehovah's, and the fullness of it; the world, and those who dwell in it."

Deut. 10:14 "Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens belong to Jehovah your God, the earth also, with all in it." 

Psa. 115:16 "The heavens, even the heavens, are Jehovah's; but the earth He has given to the sons of men."

2. Give and grow principle.

    Matt. 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. 

You cannot serve God and Mammon. As God is after our hearts, Mammon is the only spirit after your heart. Mammon does not care what stuff you have. The essence of Mammon is centered on selfishness, meaning that you have less if you give. It is a spirit that builds false hope and security in earthly things. People waste a lifetime and sacrifice family and friendship to pursue something that will never be sufficient. Because of Mammon, people become takers instead of givers. In Matt 19:16-22, a wealthy young ruler comes to Jesus. He asks Jesus what he must do to enter eternal life. Jesus responds by asking him to obey the commandments. He replies that he kept them from childhood and asks again: "What do I still lack?"

"Go and sell everything you have and come here and follow Me."

Look at what Jesus is asking. The potential of this statement is enormous. It is the same thing Jesus asked his disciples. He invites the young man to be a disciple like the other disciples - follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

The young man left sad. He thought that if he did that, he would have less. 

The Kingdom is not a savings account. It is an investment account. You tend to hold onto your savings. It pays minimal dividends. Your investment accounts are where you hope to make huge gains. 

3. Who is #1 (The thing with the highest priority will always have your attention.)

What you value, you will steward. What you steward will increase. What increases will influence you? What influences you will determine the decisions you make. The decisions you make will show others the values you have.

Pro. 3:9-10 "Honor Jehovah with your substance, and with the first fruits of all your increase, and your barns shall be filled with plenty, and your presses shall burst with new wine."

Luke 16:10-12 "He who is faithful in the least is also faithful in much. And he who is unjust in the least is also unjust in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who shall give you that which is your own?" 

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

4. Cheerful giver attitude!

You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.

For God so loved that He gave. When we give, we express the character of God!

2 Cor. 9:7-8 "Each one, as he purposes in his heart, let him give; not of grief, or necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that in everything, always having all self-sufficiency, you may abound to every good work." 

5. Big shovel principle! (The measure of your blessing is in your hands)

There was a man called mad; the more he gave, the more he had. We determine the size of our harvest by how we give. If a farmer sows five seeds on his ground, he will only receive what five seeds can produce. If he sows ten thousand seeds on his ground, he will receive what ten thousand seeds can produce.

2 Cor. 9:6 "But I say this, He who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully."

 Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

 Pro. 13:7 "There are those who act rich, yet have nothing, and those who act poor, yet have great riches."

6. Open hand principle. (Find the best place to sow your seed. Find the place of the greatest need)

Deut. 15:7-8 "If there is among you a poor man of one of your brothers inside any of your gates in your land which Jehovah your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother." But you shall open your hand wide to him, and shall surely lend him enough for his need, that which he lacks."

Acts 20:35 "I have shown you all things, that working in this way we ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." 

7. River principle (What flows to you must also flow through you)

God will give to us what He knows will flow through us! We are not a lake but a river. In the Kingdom, we are not containers but dispersers of His blessings. 

We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. A friend of mine says: Don't eat your seed. It produces when the seed falls into the ground, not while it stays in your pocket.

John 12:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

8. "I am in debt" principle.

There is much we can be thankful for. By the grace of God, we are here. He gives us the power and strength to work and be productive

We are in debt to the previous generation for what they contended for. Our parents and grandparents worked hard to give us what we have today. Without them, we would not have a head start in life. Our parents or grandparents immigrated and started with very little, but they left an inheritance for many of us through hard work. 

I am in debt to the next generation for what I can give them. What a blessing if they can do better than I did. 

Prov. 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children....

Prov. 19:14 Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers,

But a prudent wife is from the LORD.

9. Fountain of youth principle. (Does my giving matter?)

We exist temporarily by what we earn. We all know that we will only live seventy or eighty years. That is our temporary existence for which God promised that He would supply our needs - Matt 6:25-34. We live by what we give. When we bless others, it brings purpose to our lives. It is more blessed to give than to receive - Acts 20:35. We live on in those we invested in. Here is the key! We can provide an inheritance, but our legacy is how people remember us. How will people remember you? 

10. Do it now, principle. (It is never too late to start)

The key to tomorrow is in what you do today. If you want a harvest, you better start planting. No farmer sits on his front porch enjoying the view of the farm. No, he is working the ground, toiling, and sweating. Yet, he does all the hard work with hope in his heart. He knows that the seed has potential. If he does what he needs to do, the kernel will produce.

Pro. 6:6-8 "Go to the ant, sluggard; consider her ways and be wise; who, having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provides her food in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest." 

Values and Disciplines of the Kingdom - 6

Jesus had the disciplines of prayer, fasting, thankfulness, sacrifice, giving, submission, service, stewardship, perseverance, self-control, worship, and love. 

This week we will look at the disciplines of submission and service.

Submission:

In the Kingdom of God, submission is a choice. Without the option to submit, you have to force people into submission. The freedom of choice also allows the ability to rebel. The fact that we chose to submit is even more powerful in showing our love for God and His Word.

Israel struggled to submit to God. Anytime we seek our own righteousness, we refuse to submit to what God provides.

Rom 10:3 For being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 

What would make them so stubborn and rebellious?

Would you believe me if I told you it was how they were thinking? We are not different from them. Our biggest enemy is not the devil but our stinking thinking.

Rom 8:7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's Law.

God will never force us to submit to Him. Forced submission is slavery. 

Paul clarifies that we were slaves to the world and our flesh when we served the world. Sin is a slavemaster. All it wants you to say is "yes." It does not ask all from you but entices you little by little until you realize it is your master. 

Gal 5:1 For freedom, Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

We are to submit one to another. Submission is the tool that keeps us humble and accountable. But, unfortunately, too many people are an island unto themselves, doing their own thing. Too prideful to admit they struggle, they continue on the road to self-destruction. 

Wives submit to your husbands - Eph 5:21. Married couples submitting to one another is beautiful. When Rynette wants to go to the mall, I have no problem going with her. It is a way of honoring her feelings and needs. It is my way of planting a seed in her that will bring me a harvest. Many couples struggle with this.

Remember that submission also offers me the opportunity to rebel. 

Submission is also the result of the curse. Before the fall of man, God gave man and women the same authority to rule and reign - Gen 1:26-28. After the fall, God tells Eve that her husband will rule over her. Please remember that God did not curse Adam and Eve. Instead, he cursed the Earth and satan. He told Adam and Eve what the consequences were because they sinned. 

In Christ, we are set free because He became the curse for us. His death and atonement redeemed us from sin and the consequences of sin. In Christ, we are no longer male and female but fully restored with the same authority in Christ. Therefore, males and females can stand in the authority of Christ. So why then have we to submit?

It is the opportunity to kill the rebellion in our hearts and love each other unconditionally. The best way to deal with rebellion in any relationship is to do what Jesus did. He submitted to the Father, but He was also entirely in agreement with the Father. So when Rynette and myself agree about something, no one has to submit to the other one. We do it together. If we disagree, then we get to submit to each other.

We must submit to our leaders - Heb 13:17.

We submit to God and resist the devil - James 4:7.

Submission - what a great exercise in being in the Kingdom.

Service:

Jesus' life was serving. He came to serve us who deserved it the least. In John chapter 13, we see Him serving the disciples by washing their feet. This task was usually reserved for the servant in the house. Jesus had no problem demonstrating to the disciples what this life in the Kingdom is about. 

John 13:12-17 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

If you want to be great in the Kingdom, learn to serve each other. My friend Dr. Vorster says: "Serve your way up into the anointing." 

Someone with a servant's heart will never do it for fame or ulterior motives. The disciples argued about who is the greatest in the Kingdom. Jesus took some children and said: "Unless you become like one of them." 

Moses served his father-in-law before God gave him his own sheep to Shephard. So likewise, David served his father before God gave him the Kingdom of Israel. Joshua served Moses before he became the new leader of Israel. Daniel served the king in Babylon. Elishah served Elijah before he became the next prophet. 

The Bible is full of people that served first, and then God raised them up in their own right. 

No one can serve two masters - Matt6:24.

Jesus came to serve, not to be served - Matt 20:28.

Leaders should serve their people - Luke 22:26.

God honors us when we serve Jesus - John 12:26.

Serving is a spiritual gift - Rom 12:7.

Serve through love - Gal 5:13.

Get in agreement with God for your life. Submit to Him and serve Him and serve his people. Do we serve everyone?

Everyone Jesus died for, qualified to be loved and served.

Values and Disciplines of the Kingdom - 5

Values and Disciplines of the Kingdom - 5

Jesus had the disciplines of prayer, fasting, thankfulness, sacrifice, giving, submission, service, stewardship, perseverance, self-control, worship, and love. 

This week we look at the discipline of sacrifice and giving.

Sacrifice is alien to most people because we no longer sacrifice animals as they did in Biblical times. I believe it is difficult even to grasp the concept of what it requires from us. We are raised in a culture where we always want to end up on top of the leader board, but we determine what price we pay. So the sacrifice Jesus asks from us seems like a distant reality or no reality at all.

Let's be honest: it is hard to die to self. Taking up your cross is never easy if you actually do it and stop talking about it. You choose to walk away with all your flesh screaming for vengeance because you want your way. 

Sacrifice is a lifestyle that says, "I have surrendered it all." This statement does not mean we are a pushover, merely that we prioritize God's plan for our life. So do I still get to do my way sometimes?

Sacrifice knows He always has His way. That is a non-negotiable. The story of Jonah is powerful. Jonah, you are going to Nineveh. Either you pay for it, or God pays for it, but you are going.

Sacrifices come in little opportunities. First, we all must start with the baby stuff. Crawl before you can walk stuff.

Turn the other cheek. Walking the second mile is entry-level kingdom stuff. The writer of Hebrews admonishes us with this scripture. 

Heb. 12:3-4 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

Jesus warned us.  

John 15:20 Remember the word that I said to you, "A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they would also persecute you. If they kept My word, they would keep yours also.

You know that this will cost you something. If you joined the Kingdom without knowing that, you started wrong. Before we get to lay down our lives for him, we will have the opportunity to die a thousand times, living a life that pleases Him.

May my life be a sweet-smelling sacrifice to Him.

Giving.

God is the first giver we read about in scripture. It is His character, and He can't help it. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son - John 3:17.

1 Corinthians 2:12  We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

1. His mercies are new every morning - Lam 3:22-23.

2. He freely loved us when we did not deserve it - Rom 5:6-8.

3. We are justified by His blood - Rom 5:9.

4. He gives us eternal life - 1 John 5:10-13.

5. He gives us His righteousness - 2 Cor 5:21.

6. He blesses us with all spiritual blessings - Ep1:3

7. He gives us His Holy Spirit - Luke 11:13.

8. He gives us authority over the enemy - Luke 4:19.

9. He gives us the ministry of reconciliation - 2 Cor 5:18

10. He gives us citizenship in heaven - Phil 3:20.

Jesus admonishes us to be givers as well. We received forgiveness, and God expects us to give that to others as well. As a matter of fact, Jesus teaches that if we don't forgive others, he won't forgive us. So why would God give you something and you not do the same for others?

Matt. 6:12  And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Matt. 6:14-15 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

So what kind of a giver should I be. How big of a blessing do you want back? We give to receive. I don't know any farmer who plants without the hope of a harvest. What do you hope for? Jesus did tell us to give in a certain way. This giving has to do with stewardship!

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

What can the world look like if we become givers like God? 

The Bible also teaches us to give and not expect anything back. Is this a contradiction?

No, it is not!

Luke 6:34-35 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

This giving is to keep your heart in check. You give because you love like God. This giving has to do with sacrifice!

Are you a giver? Do you live a life of sacrifice?

Let's lay our lives down for the world so that they can see who Jesus really is!

Values and Disciplines of the Kingdom - 4

Values and Disciplines - 4.

Last week we looked at prayer as a discipline of the Kingdom.

This week we will look at fasting and thankfulness. 

Matt. 6:16-18 "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Jesus does the same thing he did with prayer. He assumes that we will fast. Jesus fasted while he was here.

The Bible describes three kinds of fasts.

Normal fast.

Doing a regular fast is when you refrain from eating any food while only drinking water. How long you fast can be anything from one day to forty days at a time. 

David fasted. Daniel Fasted. Israel as a nation fasted in times of trouble. Esther fasted with the whole nation. Samuel led Israel on a day of fasting and repentance.

Moses fasted twice for forty days while on the mountain with God - Duet 9:9-10. So, likewise, Jesus fasted forty days before He started his ministry.

Matt. 4:2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

Full fast.

This fast happens when you refrain from food and drink altogether. This is normal for up to three days and not any longer.

Paul fasted like this after his encounter on the way to Damascus.

Acts 9:8-9 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Partial or Daniel fast.

You can refrain from particular food and drinks during a partial or Daniel fast. For example, Daniel refrained from eating meat and drinking wine while fasting. 

Dan. 10:2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.

Dan. 10:3 I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

Likewise, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to eat certain foods for ten days when they were tested.

Dan. 1:12 "Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.

Fasting is a discipline that deals with our flesh. Paul said that he disciplines his body into submission. We all know our struggles with our fleshly desires. Fasting is a way to deal with our carnal desires and submit them to God.

1Cor. 9:27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Thankfulness.

Growing up, we sang a song in Church. Count your blessings one by one. We were reminded to be thankful for even the little things in life through the song.

As a nation, we are so entitled. We live like the world owes us something. We came into this world with nothing, and we will leave this world with nothing. 

Thankfulness is the antidote to entitlement. When we celebrate the little things, it is hard to be entitled. Thankfulness is how we approach God in worship.

Psa. 100:4-5 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

The blessing of the Lord is what makes us rich. Nothing we have is because of us. Hard work can earn you stuff, but God gives us the strength to work and earn.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you the power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

What are you thankful for today? Are you healthy - thank Him. Are you satisfied and not going hungry - thank Him. Do you have all you need - Thank Him. 

God promises to take care of all our needs, not our wants. 

Matt. 6:31-34 “Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?’ or “What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Fasting and praying are great disciplines. I challenge you to fast one day a week. Use that time to make a list of things that you are thankful for. 

Values and Disciplines of the Kingdom - 3.

This week we continue looking at the disciplines of the Kingdom. 

Matt. 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

When we read Matthew 5-7, we see that Jesus taught on the Kingdom of God. More specifically, He spoke about the values and the disciplines of the Kingdom of God. Most of Chapter five is about the values of the Kingdom. Then, in chapter six of Matthew, He starts giving us some of the disciplines of the Kingdom. 

We will start with the disciplines of the Kingdom. 

1. Prayer.

Matt. 6:6-7 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think they will be heard for their many words.

I love the fact that Jesus says: "When we pray." It is not "if" we pray. He assumes that as His children, prayer would be our lifestyle. 

The disciples understood the importance of prayer because they asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Have anybody taught you how to pray? Think about it for a minute? Is that why so many people don't pray or struggle to pray?

Not only did Jesus teach us how to pray, but He also made a way for us to approach God freely through our prayers.

Heb. 10:19-22 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Scripture is full of examples of people that prayed. Think about David, Solomon, Daniel, Paul, and Jesus.

Prayer is not just what we say, but when we have those times when we don't know how or what to pray, God made a way through the Holy Spirit.

Rom. 8:26-27 Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

We have no excuse not to pray. 

1Thess 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

Paul asks us to pray without ceasing. What a beautiful discipline prayer is for us. 

I found some quotes from well-known men and women who knew prayer's power.

● "I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach."  

- Charles Spurgeon.

● "The man who mobilizes the Christian church to pray will make the greatest contribution to world evangelization in history."  

- Andrew Murray.

 ● "We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties."  

- Oswald Chambers.

● "There is no other activity in life so important as that of prayer. Every other activity depends upon prayer for its best efficiency."  

- M.E. Andross.

● "He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day." - John Bunyan.

● "Prayer is not learned in a classroom but in the closet." - E. M. Bounds.

● "We must begin to believe that God, in the mystery of prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the Heavenly world, and can bring it's power down to earth."

 - Andrew Murray.

● "Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His' voice in the depth of our hearts."  

- Mother Teresa.

● "Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done." 

- C.S. Lewis.

● "The more you pray, the less you'll panic. The more you worship, the less you worry. You'll feel more patient and less pressured." 

- Rick Warren.

 ● "I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer." 

- Martin Luther

 ● "Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work."  

- *Oswald Chambers.

● "He who kneels the most stands the best."  

- D.L. Moody.

I hope this will help you see that prayer bears much fruit in your life as a discipline. From this prayer life, God can use you. 

Next week we will look at the discipline of Fasting.

Values and Disciplines of the Kingdom

Values and Disciplines - 2.

Last week we started looking at the values and disciplines of the Kingdom. 

Disciplines are like roots we put down. These roots we grow will sustain us when we need them most. 

The righteous are portrayed as trees often in the Bible. Trees have roots that go down deep into the soil. 

Psa. 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.

Jesus emphasizes the importance of putting down roots when he tells the parable of the sower in Matt 13. 

Matt. 13:5-6 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away.

Jesus explains the result of not having roots in the Kingdom. 

Matt. 13:20-21 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

We can see that putting down roots - developing the disciplines and habits essential in the Kingdom - will sustain us in times of difficulty. I love what Jeremiah says about a man who trusts in the Lord.

Jer. 17:7-8  "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes;

But its leaf will be green and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.

How do we put down these roots in our life?

Developing these disciplines takes time. Habits take time to form.

The most important habit we can develop is staying connected and staying in Him - John 15:4. We must abide in Him.

If you spend time doing wrong things, don't be surprised when your life turns out to be a mess. But, equally, don't underestimate what fruit you can bear when you do what is right and righteous.

Jesus said that you would know a tree by the fruit it bears - Matt 7:17-18. 

Bearing fruit is our responsibility. He is the vine - tree - and we are the branches - John 15:1.

When we understand that we develop the roots or disciplines Jesus had, we will bear much fruit. 

Paul tells us the truth about this:

Col. 2:6-7 As you, therefore, have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

What disciplines did Jesus have?

Jesus had the disciplines of prayer, fasting, thankfulness, sacrifice, giving, submission, service, stewardship, perseverance, self-control, worship, and love. 

When we are grounded in Him, these disciplines or roots should be evident in our lives too. The struggle should never be how I am trying to do it. Instead, we must learn to remain and abide in Him.

John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

Values and Disciplines of the Kingdom

Values and Disciplines.

Jesus taught his disciples both the values and the disciplines of the kingdom. Reading the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5-7, it becomes clear that Jesus used the values and the disciplines of the kingdom to disciple his followers.

Everything that will make your walk as a Christian more successful is encapsulated within these two concepts. 

People everywhere struggle to live the overcoming life - John 10:10 - that Jesus promised because they have not developed the ability to install these values and disciplines into their daily lives.

The kingdom's values determine the standard of living in the kingdom, while the disciplines will keep you grounded in a walk that will cause you to be more than an overcomer - Rom 8:37.

Discipleship is about teaching someone the values and disciplines Jesus taught them. 

The kingdom of God has its own culture, just like we have an American culture or an African culture. The citizens of that culture display or make the values visible as they uphold them. As citizens of heaven, the kingdom's values should be visible by how we live - Phil 3:20.

Jesus made this clear when He said that a good tree could not bear bad fruit, neither can a bad tree bear good fruit - Matt 7:17-18.

It is impossible to have the wrong values and demonstrate the right ones. The fruit you bear reveals the values you uphold. Your lifestyle will tell what you value as important or what standard you maintain. 

Where values will reveal the fruit of your life, disciplines are those things or times where we get intentional about change. Disciplines are the roots we develop to produce different fruits. Spiritual disciplines are the actions we take to bring a difference in our way of thinking. 

If you have a tree that bears bad fruit, you must cut the tree's roots. However, removing the fruit will not stop the tree from producing bad fruit. If you want to see a change in your life, you must cut the wrong disciplines and develop new disciplines to see a change in your life. 

Proverbs says: As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. To change your actions, you must change your thinking. Look at what Paul says:

Phil. 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Paul asks them to look at his life. Whatever they observed him doing or saying, copy that because he imitates Christ.

1Cor. 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

It all starts when we get born again. We no longer value what the world offers. The world's standard is not our measurement anymore. We are now part of a different kingdom with different values and disciplines. 

John the Baptist challenged his audience by stating that repentance means doing things differently. 

Matt. 3:8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance.

Paul testifies of his work amongst the gentiles and reiterates the same thing. Therefore, do the work or produce the fruit that fits your repentance.

Acts 26:20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

Repentance is more than just admitting you were wrong. The fruit of repentance is a changed lifestyle. So how would we live differently?

Jesus came to give us the values and the disciplines of the kingdom to make it possible.

Spiritual disciplines help us instill Godly values - Dr. Henrik Vorster.

The Father heart of God - 6

God is a God of Salvation. I want to spend another week meditating on this.

Salvation is the very essence of God's character. Therefore, he judges us to save us, not to condemn us - John 16:8, 2 Pet 3:8-10.

Unfortunately, we all have fallen short and need salvation Rom 3:23. 

Last week we saw that the word for salvation in the Hebrew language is: יְשׁוּעָה yshuwah. This word appears 78 times as salvation(Yeshua) in the Old Testament and is translated and equivalent to the name of Jesus in the New Testament. 

Jesus' Hebrew name is Jeshua and means salvation. It derives from the same Hebrew word as salvation. When the Angel spoke to Joseph and told him to name him Jesus, he confirmed that God provided salvation for the whole world's sins through his son.

It is hard to comprehend how they could have missed it when the Angel announced God's salvation in the flesh. I am sure the Angel spoke Hebrew to Joseph.

Matt. 1:21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS(Iesous in Greek but Yeshuah in Hebrew), for He will save His people from their sins." 

If we read Hebrew 1, we see that Jesus was the exact expression of God's character.

Hebrew 1:1-3 Heb. 1:1  God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

If you saw Jesus in action, you saw God's heart for salvation and restoration. Jesus is what redemption looks like. So let's read some verses and see what God promised.

When God delivered them out of Egypt and came to the Red Sea, God commanded them to stand still and see how he would save them. Egypt was following them with their army. They needed someone to save them. How would God do this? 

Salvation(Yeshuah) will be made visible.

Ex. 14:13 And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation(Yeshuah) of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.

After they came through the Red Sea, they sang this song!

Ex. 15:2 The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation(Yeshuah); He is my God, and I will praise Him; My Father's God, and I will exalt Him.

Do you see how God revealed Jesus to Israel in the Old Covenant?

Is it possible that Jesus was involved with their exodus out of slavery? I know that Jesus brought us out of spiritual slavery into our promised land of eternal life. He brought us out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Psa. 107:14 He brought them(Israel) out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces.

1 Pet. 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

The prophets spoke of the salvation(Jesus) that was to come. See what Isaiah says:

Is. 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation(Yeshuah), Who says to Zion,

"Your God reigns!"

Is. 52:10 The LORD has made bare His holy arm. In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation(Yeshuah) of our God.

Jesus commands us to take the good news of the Gospel to all the world - Matt 28:18-20.

Isaiah reminds us in another prophecy about how Israel failed, but God intervenes on their behalf with salvation.

Is. 59:17 For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation(Yeshuah) on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak.

In the New Covenant, we are commanded to put on the helmet of salvation(Yeshuah) - Eph 6:7. 

We also have the mind of Christ - 1 Cor 2:16.

Throughout scripture, God makes known his plan for salvation. Jesus is God's plan of salvation. No wonder Jesus boldly claims that He is the only way and no one can come to the Father but by Him - John 14:6.

Peter boldly proclaims that there is no salvation in any other name but the name of Jesus(Yeshuah/salvation).

Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation(Yeshuah) in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

God's heart is for us to be saved, restored fully in body, soul, and spirit. He wants us to be blameless at His coming. God knows how to save us. He provided everything that can lead us to godliness.

2Pet. 1:3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

The Fater heart of God - 5

The Father heart of God - 5

This week we look at the heart of God that is for salvation. 

Unfortunately, the very Word has lost its meaning for most Christians today. It is a word thrown out and used in very general terms. What does salvation even mean?

Salvation simply means to be restored. It is everything Jesus is. In Hebrew, the Word for salvation is "Yeshuah," or as we know it, the name of Jesus. The prophets predicted it to Israel.

Is. 9:6  For unto us a Child is born, Unto us, a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The Angel confirmed it to Mary!

Matt. 1:21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."

The question we must ask is this: Why does he save us? 

Most believers will not get this question. Their response will be:

1. To go to heaven.

2. To have eternal life.

3. To be forgiven.

4. To spend eternity with God.

The Gospel is not for us to just go to heaven. You will still go, so don't crucify me before you hear me out. Salvation does not include only my interest. The salvation that Jesus offers us to not a destination but a journey. You are saved to realize the original intent and purpose God had planned for you. A purpose you start to live now, not one day when you get to heaven.

All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God - Rom 3:23.

Salvation restores us back to God's intention. So what does salvation include?

In Greek, the Word for salvation is "Soteria" and comes from the root word "Sozo." This Word means saving, safe, restored, protected, healed, and made whole and delivered. This includes your spirit, soul, and body. Your spirit is saved, your soul is in the process of being saved, and one day your body will be saved or renewed.

The eternal life we get when we are born again - 1 John 5:12 - includes all of the above and more. 

Jesus said:

The thief(devil) comes to steal and kill, but I(Jesus) have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly(superabundant in quantity, superior in quality, excessive in measure) - John 10:10.

What else does salvation include for us?

Jesus defines eternal life as the following. 

John 17:3 This is eternal life that they might know the You(Father) the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Read that again. Eternal life or salvation includes the possibility, no, the right to know God, who He is, and understand who Jesus is. God is not a belief. He is not a theology, nor is he a religion. He is personal and wants a relationship with you. 

Any father longs to know his children and is known by them. God is no different. 

At the very end of his ministry, Paul wants one thing more than anything else. He counts everything he achieved in life as dung, useless, and ready to give up for one thing he still wants. So, Paul, what do you desire so much?

Phil. 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.

John, the beloved disciple, reiterates what Paul is saying. 

1John 5:20 ¶ And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

God saved us so we can know Him. 

The prophet Jeremiah tells Israel the same thing. It doesn't matter what we have or what we have achieved. God wants us to be able to say we know Him.

Jer 9:23-24 Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these, I delight," says the LORD.

Do you know Him?

His Word reveals Jesus, who reveals the Father. Spend time with Him. He wants you to know Him.

The fater heart of God - 4

The Father heart of God - 4

God is a giver. For God so loved the world that He gave us his only son - John 3:16. 

This week we want to look at this from a different angle. Anytime you talk about giving, people get upset, at least the ones not giving. 

Jesus helps us to see something that I believe we have missed. He commands us to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons. We have the authority to come against any attack from the enemy when it comes to our bodies. Does Jesus say anything about our finances?

Matt. 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Matt. 6:25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Matt. 6:26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Matt. 6:27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

Matt. 6:28 "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;

Matt. 6:29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Matt. 6:30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Matt. 6:31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?' or "What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

Matt. 6:32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Matt. 6:33 But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Matt. 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

A few things stand out that Jesus says.

1. You cannot serve God and mammon. Mammon is the only spirit after your heart, as God is after our hearts. Mammon does not care what stuff you have. The essence of mammon is centered on selfishness, meaning that you have less if you give. It is a spirit that builds false hope and security in earthly things. People waste a lifetime and sacrifice family and friendship to pursue something that will never be sufficient. Because of mammon, people become takers instead of givers.

2. Do not worry. Worry is the devil's babysitter free of charge - Kelly Varner. Worry steals your time and your focus. No amount of worry can add anything to you. Worry is a futile exercise.

3. Your Father knows what you need. The promise is that we will have the basics. If you trust God for that, He can trust you with more than that. It boils down to trust. Do we trust God?

4. Seek first the Kingdom of God. Here is the key to our abundance. If we prioritize the Kingdom, God prioritizes our needs. Does it mean God is waiting for us? No, the point is that you have more than you need when you give in the Kingdom. To give is to increase, never to have less. We must understand what Jesus is saying!

God never commands us to rebuke the enemy when it comes to our finances. We have the authority to do a lot of things in the Name of Jesus, but when it comes to our finances, God says that He will rebuke the devourer for our sake - Mal 3:11.

"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," says the LORD of hosts.

God is a giver. He wants us to have the same heart as He has. 

In Matt 19, a wealthy young ruler comes to Jesus. He asks Jesus what he must do to enter eternal life. Jesus responds by asking him to obey the commandments. He replies that he kept them from childhood and asks again: "What do I still lack?"

'Go and sell everything that you have and come here and follow Me."

Look at what Jesus is asking. The potential of this statement is enormous. It is the same thing Jesus asked his disciples. In essence, he invites the young man to be a disciple like the other disciples - follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

The young man left sad. He thought that if he did that, he would have less. 

The Kingdom is not a savings account. It is an investment account. You tend to hold onto your savings. It pays minimal dividends. Your investment accounts are where you hope to make huge gains. 

God is a giver. He does abundantly above anything we ask or pray - Eph 3:20.

The Father heart of God - 3

This week I want to look at: God is a healer.

I am fully convinced by scripture that God has included healing our bodies in the atonement that He purchased for us on the cross. If you need to read the scriptures, then read:

1. Psalm 103:1-3

2. Isaiah 53:4-5

3. Matt 9:1-7

4. James 5:14-15

5. 1 Pet 2:24

I want to touch on another kind of healing. What about emotional healing?

In Isaiah 61, the Prophet predicts that the Messiah will heal the brokenhearted. Jesus confirms this in Luke 4:18 when He reads that scripture and confirms that it was part of His purpose.

There are so many people that are emotionally broken. Life happens to all of us. We all have been hurt or have hurt someone else. If we know what to look for, we can find it everywhere. Men are particularly struggling because we keep it to ourselves. Jesus came to heal us from the brokenness we all carry. 

Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power and He went about healing all who were oppressed of the devil. 

Oppression is different than physical healing. Physical sickness can affect you but the symptoms of our time are a generation that is stressed out, anxious and depressed. Emotionally people are wrecks.

In our men's meeting this week, we came clean about some of our issues. How do we recognize emotional sickness?

1. Anger - People are mad. It takes nothing to trigger a reaction or have people lose it and get violent with each other. Men walk around angry for not getting their way, and their families suffer greatly. Dad's are home but still absent. People plot behind the scenes to get even with someone who hurt or disappointed them. You don't have to go far. People are angry at their Pastors, bosses, and co-workers. Paul tells us that it is okay to be angry - Eph 426 - but we must use our anger righteously, responding in love and not reacting out of our old self. Anger is a sign of brokenness.

2. Distrust - Who do you trust? Our natural tendency is not to trust anyone. Growing up, you could close a deal with a handshake. Today, if you want to buy something, first you sign your life away, then you get what you want. Part of the reason we distrust is that we all still have some hidden agenda. Let's be honest. Our motives are not always pure. So the question is: how do we learn to trust people. No one trusts without getting vulnerable. Vulnerability necessitates that we are in a relationship with other people and community with other people to get vulnerable and learn to trust again. Distrust is an emotional wound that will isolate you from the help you need.

3. Isolation - This is a tough one. Isolation is what the enemy wants. Many men live in isolation and struggle with a lot of issues. All the men I have worked with in the past who struggled with pornography engaged in it while they were isolated from other people. Isolation is the place of secret sin. Families live together, but they are separated individually because they are all on their phones. No more time for family time. We all grab a plate of food and eat in front of the TV. We are the most connected generation, yet we live the most isolated lives. Isolation is the spiritual brokenness Jesus wants to heal.

4. Fear - People are afraid of the future. Covid did not help. Everywhere I go, I hear the uncertainty people have, and they entertain fear to dictate their lives. They vilify you as a super spreader if you dare to travel during the pandemic. It is not just their fear, but they want you to feel the same way. Fear is a tool the enemy uses to oppress people. Fear is the first sign that the enemy succeeded in manipulating your thoughts away from the Word of God. He has not given us the spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind.

5. Being Stuck - I see this so often. People are stuck in a relationship. Marriages stuck in a place of the silent treatment. Men are stuck because they feel they failed in raising their children. Women stuck in an abusive relationship hoping things will change sometime soon. Churches are stuck in the ritual while God longs for fellowship and relationship. People are stuck in passivity. Any challenge seems too big or too hard because they have agreed and settled to be mediocre. People are too scared to express their emotions because they only get a judgment in return. Being stuck is an emotional wound Jesus wants to heal for you. Faith is the answer. Take the challenge and get unstuck from being mediocre.

6. Denial - From Adam, until kingdom comes, we all struggle with this. It is like our default setting. "It is not me, God. It is this woman you gave me." Denial is the false power the enemy offers us to confirm the lie he wants us to live. Denial is also rooted in fear. What will happen if I come clean? Men and women live in denial. Men are scared to say what they struggle with in life. It leads them back to isolation again. Women are afraid to stand up against abuse because they fear retaliation, and in the process, they deny themselves the fulness of being free the way God intended it to be. Denial can be an emotional wound that will rob you of your potential.

7. Addiction - People are more addicted today than at any time in the history of the world. Addiction is not just drugs and such, but people are addicted to pleasure, comfort, and self-gratification. How do I know or identify if I am addicted to something? How much time do you spend on something in a week? My phone sends me an update each week. It tells me what was my screentime this week. You spend 6 hours and 58 minutes on your phone this week." I know it was not all from calls. How much time did I spend in prayer or worship or studying the Word? Addiction is the anesthetic that numbs the pain of our reality. Addiction always compounds the problem, never fixes it. Addiction is an emotional wound Jesus wants to heal.

8. Loss of Passion - people have lost their passion for life. The mundane repetition of trying to make a living has stripped people of joy and enjoying life. They end up going through the motions. Married couples have lost their passion for each other and are just waiting for the kids to be out of the house, then we can separate. You don't have to look too far. Church on Sunday is just an exercise of conscience so that I don't have to deal with guilt. Evangelism is the last thing we do because we have lost our passion for the very ones Jesus died for.

Do you recognize any of these symptoms? There is good news. Jesus came to heal our broken hearts. 

Psa. 147:3  He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

The Father's Heart of God - 2

Last week we established that when we talk about the Father's heart of God that we will focus on the character of God's heart. I had several people ask me about the feminine side of God after reading the blog. 

The name father is a metaphor we use to describe God. It helps us to understand what character He has. Father is not what God is; He is Spirit. God is Spirit, and we must worship him in Spirit and in Truth - John 4:24. There are a few places Jesus uses a feminine metaphor to describe God's heart to us.

Jesus compared himself to a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings (Luke 13:34, Matthew 23:37). 

In the Parable of the Lost Coin, Jesus compared the searching God to a woman who swept her house looking for a lost coin (Luke 15:8-10). 

God is compared to a woman giving birth (Deuteronomy 32:18; Isaiah 42:14), a mother quieting her child on her lap (Psalm 131:2), a woman who can't forget her baby (Isaiah 49:15), and a mother comforting her Son (Isaiah 66:13). 

Clearly, part of the image of God is the mothering role. 

God as Father:

God is only mentioned as "Father" in the Old Testament about ten times. However, in the New Testament, Jesus refers to God as Father many more times.

The Prophets refer to God as Father: "Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." - Isaiah 64:8

"But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; you, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name." - Isaiah 63:16

God refers to Himself as their Father: "They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble because I am Israel's Father, and Ephraim is my firstborn Son." - Jeremiah 31:9

a. Jesus introduces us to the Father:

"... That you may be sons of your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:45

Teaches us to pray to the Father:

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name...." - Matthew 6:9

b. Reveals the Father's character to us:

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" - Matt 7:8-10.

c. Introduces us to intimacy with the Father:

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him, we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" - Romans 8:15

"Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.'" - Galatians 4:6

d. Teaches us to pray to the Father:

"When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." - Matthew 6:6

Often the New Testament focuses on God as the Father of Jesus Christ, his Son. But in several places, we see God as the Universal Father in the context of a parent and his children:

"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." - 2 Corinthians 6:18

"For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name." -Ephesians 3:14

"We have all had human fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!" - Hebrews 12:9

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." - 1 John 3:1

The New Testament is rich in explaining how we can become children of God, "begotten by God" - John 1:10-13, "born again" - John 3:1-8 through believing in Jesus Christ. 

Through Jesus, we are birthed into God's family as sons and daughters - John 1:12-13, James 1:18.

Next week we will look at the fathers' character in more detail.

The Father's Heart of God - 1

Two weeks ago, while in Ashville, the Spirit laid it on my heart to speak to the young people about the Father's heart of God. It was confirmed twice before I had to talk about it that night. 

There was a clear shift in the room when people started responding and asking for prayer from the older men and women in the room. 

I want to spend a few weeks and bring some fresh perspective to this reality. So the discussion is going to be more like a road map than a formula. We have a start and an end in mind, but we might take different roads to get there. So it will be a road to discovery. 

In general, we all heard it and know about the Father's heart of God. But, unfortunately, the hindrance to apprehending this truth for many people is their past experiences. 

We have taken our experiences with our earthly fathers, transposed that onto God, and made up our minds of who He is to us as a father. That is the worst thing we can do. 

We must understand that our earthly fathers are not a perfect example of what God is as a heavenly father. On the contrary, we only give people an example of what fatherhood can be at our best. Add to the mix that many people have no good example of a father. Thanks to our culture, you can understand why people struggle with the concept of God as a Father.

If you tie your shirt and the top button on the shirt and the whole is off, the rest of the shirt is buttoned wrong. So we must get the first button and the first whole to align up correctly to look appropriately dressed. 

So, where do we start?

1. God is not presented as a Father in only one gender-specific way.

We miss the power of God's character as a Father if we limit it to an innate understanding of gender. 

We see that God created man in His image from the very beginning - Gen 1:26-28. If you read the text, you will see this statement:

"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them." From this verse, I see that both males and females are an expression of His image. 

The essence is that it takes both a male and a female to express God's Father's heart. Therefore, we have to see and think past gender. Each gender is a different expression of His being. Women represent the tenderness and grace of God, while male represents the protection and ability to provide for the family of God.

I must stress the fact that God is not gender-confused. Genders were assigned to men and women with a specific purpose and expression in mind. Therefore, any gender confusion man has is self-manufactured and a perversion of God's original intent.

So how then shall we think about the Father's heart of God? Think character. God created a man because there are certain things only a man can model as part of the Father's heart of God. So, likewise, God made a woman because only a female can model stuff about the Father's heart of God; no man can model. 

One of the names of GOD, EL SHADDAI, means the many-breasted one - Gen 17:1. It speaks of God's nurturing ability, something only mothers were created to do. Although that does not mean men can not be nurturing, they do it differently than a mother.

Over the next few weeks, I would like to look at the Fatherheart of God that expresses His character. I will share a few each week and would love it if you could take the time to meditate on it and allow Holy Spirit to speak to you through it. 

What is His heart for you?

He wants what is good and perfect for you. 

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Matt. 7:9-11 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Selah!

Discernment

Discernment!

This week I want to share about this Word. When I look at everything that is going on, I sometimes wonder what happened with discernment?

We all know about the young people eating Tide pods. Where is the discernment that it might cause you harm? Sometimes just plain logic is so far removed from people that I wish stupid was painful.

That is not nice!

I know that one of the gifts of the Spirit is the Gift of Discerning of spirits. But, do we ever need that gift in our days? Absolutely!!!! Suspicion is not this gift.

Why do we need discernment?

Discernment is that gift that keeps you from being deceived. The more discerning you are, the less chance the enemy has to catch you in sin. It also can keep you from making a quick judgment that you regret later. Unfortunately, we all made that mistake. I love what scripture teaches us on discernment.

Phil. 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment.

Paul is trying to make us understand that we need discernment in more than one area. So, for example, you might be an expert on finances; you know how to invest well and discern where to invest for the best financial gain, but how are you doing when it comes to listening to what your wife is saying? Are you determining what her need is?

We need to be able to discern in both the natural and the spiritual realm. But, naturally, we already know how to discern. A tomato is a fruit, but nobody wants it in a fruit salad. Staying away from a poisonous snake is not hard to do. Your discernment kicks in, and you run away from it. But what about spiritual discernment?

1Cor. 2:12-16 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

To discern by the Spirit, we must understand that it does not mean understanding with your mind but your heart. This is hard for most people because we have not trained our senses to be activated in the Spirit. We must also understand the mind of Christ. How does God see things?

The best way to learn how to discern in the Spirit is to know His Word. If you know His Word, you will know His will. But, more than that, God chose His Word to help us discern between the soul and the spirit. If we know His Word, we will know His voice. 

Heb. 4:12 For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Every time we face a crisis, we have the opportunity to discern what would be the best thing to do. Every problem comes with two things: a chance to interrupt or a chance to advance and learn. 

I love what Jesus modeled.

Lazarus is dead. He was a friend of Jesus. What a crisis to experience the loss of someone dear to you. What does Jesus do?

At his grave, Jesus looked up into heaven and thanked God that He always hears him when he prays - John 11:41. Jesus is not looking at the interruption. He is looking at the solution to the crisis. 

In Matt 14, they bring five loaves of bread and two fish to Jesus to feed five thousand people. What does Jesus do?

Again he looked up into heaven and blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples to feed the people. So again, we see Jesus not looking at the problem but discerning that there is an answer if you look for it in the right place. 

We need discernment more than ever. In this day, we will need it to stay focused and not be distracted from our call and our purpose. Allow God to bring some crisis your way so that you can learn to discern

In closing, I see what the Word says:

Heb. 5:14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.