Sunday 29 November 2015

Making void the Grace of God

"I don't make void the Grace of God.  For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing." (Gal 1:21)

Quite a scary thought that we can make the Grace of God void in our lives.  The only way we do this is by relying on our own works to keep and maintain our salvation.  The Law which came through Moses, showed that human endeavour was utterly useless to keep and maintain a standard of holiness. In fact, the Law produced more sin in us. (Rom 7:8)  Must be the rebellious heart in mankind.  We see a sign, "don't touch, wet paint" and the first thing we want to do is to touch and see if it is wet, or "don't walk on the grass" and it almost impels us to try.

The Law was similar in its way to draw us into doing what we shouldn't (Rom 7:23) as it made us focus on the don't and we became sin conscious.  The bible is clear that what we focus on, we become.

When Paul spoke to Peter, the opening verse of scripture for this blog, he brought correction as Peter was hypocritically social to the "uncircumcised" until some of the "circumcised" joined them.  The Law of Moses dictated that the Jews not eat with Gentiles so by moving back to Law, Peter was making the grace of God void in his life.

Christianity is to be lived out in faith by the grace of God, which is His empowering presence in our lives to help us to do what God requires us to do.  Christ dwells in us, and as Paul asserted, he was crucified with Christ, so that the life he lived, he lived purely by faith in Jesus who gave Himself up on that cross. (Gal 2:20).  "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." This is a life livedin complete dependence and faith on the empowering grace of Christ within us.

We have God's moral law which is the guideline for our faith and we know not to steal, kill or covert etc. Darkness cannot fellowship with light, so if we have a battle (i.e. with envy), we rely on the grace of God to help us overcome.  We repent of envy and hand it over to God and ask by His grace to replace it with thankfulness and a spirit of contentment.  If we rely on the grace of God in faith and listen to what He tells us to do, we will overcome temptation.

When Paul said it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, I believe he understood a principle of the Law of life and death.  His fleshly desires were to be crucified with Christ, so Christ's life could be lived out through him.  His main focus was on Christ, becoming like Him, which made him Christ-focused and not sin-focused.

Hebrews encourages us to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.  Keeping our eyes on Him, will change us to be more like Him and we will desire to follow Him and His ways.  Filling up on Christ will help us to follow the desires of the Spirit rather then the desires of our flesh.

Righteousness can never come through works.  We are right before God purely through the Cross.  He who knew no sin, became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor 5:21)
There is nothing we can do to earn our righteousness.  All we can do is gratefully and thankfully accept the grace of our Loving Father and rest in the atonement of the Cross of Christ, relying on its cleansing and empowering virtues to become more and more like our Lord and Saviour.








Friday 6 November 2015

Versing your Goliath

"So Saul clothed David with his armour, and to put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail." (1Sam 17:38)

We cannot fight battles with natural means for our fight is not against flesh and blood (as was David's), but scripture teaches us we fight a spiritual battle against, authorities, rulers and spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. (Eph 6:12). Saul tried to arm David with his own battle arrangement but it didn't fit.  We also cannot fight battles by using someone else's successful methods, as every "fight" has different circumstances and different levels of faith. Saul had won many battles using his armour, but it would have made David clumsy. David won this battle purely through his faith in God who had delivered him in various other situations.

Interestingly,  Goliath came out every morning and evening to taunt them for 40 days and nights. Mornings and evenings were times of worship for the Israelites and Goliath was distracting them from that worship.  This is exactly what the enemy wants, to detract us from looking and relying on God. God was the One, who clearly in their history, fought their battles successfully, but in this situation they were not drawing close to Him for their strength, comfort and faith.  They had moved from faith in the Deliverer to their own arm of flesh and it was inadequate against Goliath and his army.  We tend to do the same when trials come and we don't draw near to the Father in faith and trust that the battle belongs to Him and He will help us through to victory.

This whole 40 days of taunting, reminds me of Jesus temptation in the desert.  Jesus came against His "Goliath" with the Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit, yielding power against satan that was undefeatable. This too, is one of the Spiritual weapons that we must wield against tormenting
circumstances.  We see clearly that David had the last word with Goliath.

".....but I am coming against you in the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel's army, Whom you have defied !  This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand.."

After declaring God to Goliath, David's slingshot released the stone with such power it buried right into Goliath's forehead and silenced forever, the taunts that filled the air for 40 days and nights and held captive, with fear, the whole Israelite army. We too, can come with the Word of God and with the Name of Jesus against "Goliaths" in our situations that taunt us day and night; all the "what ifs" can be silenced by our faith and trust in Him.  David spoke with boldness and strength, full of faith in God's delivering power.

It took a worshipper to slay Goliath.  David worshipped God even in the wilderness while tending to the sheep, and in his worship he saw God deliver him from the lion and the bear.  If the armies of Israel, or even Saul, had been worshipping God instead of listening to the taunts of the enemy, perhaps the outcome would have been totally different, and the voice of Goliath silenced long before forty days.

Saul was a man, whom we know from scripture stood head and shoulders above everyone else, yet here he was, paralysed by Goliath's taunts, even though God had delivered him and his army in many past battles.  However, his focus was on Goliath and the fear rendered him powerless and his leadership with no authority to lead as King.  David, a young "whippersnip" of a lad had his focus on God and His faithfulness.

What we focus on becomes our reality, the paralysing fear and defeat of the problem, or the strength
and delivering power of the Word of God.  Speaking out God's promises  concerning any trial will release God's delivering power to change any situation.






Thursday 5 November 2015

The Fullness of the Godhead

"And of His fullness have we all received, and grace for grace." Jn 1:16

I believe that the Holy Spirit arrested my attention on "fullness" as I read this scripture.  "Of His fullness" - the fullness of Jesus Christ (peroma in the Greek and explained in the Strong's Dictionary as that which has been filled:-

1. As a ship (manned) with sailors, rowers, soldiers
2. In the New Testament, the body of believers, as that which is filled with the presence, power, agency, riches of God and of Christ.

Wow!  Did you get that.  We are filled with the presence of Christ, His Power, agency and riches!

Scripture confirms this thought:-

Now the church is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (Eph 1:23)

Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things? (Rom 8:32)

The Strong's also explains this as " completeness", "fullness" and "abundance".  I think that they are pretty cool words but not just words, God is conveying the awesome truth that Christ dwells in us, in all His fullness.

Jesus went about doing good and destroying all the works of the enemy, healing all who were oppressed because He was empowered by the Holy Spirit and God was with Him.  (Acts 10:38) That same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us (Rom 8:11) which is why Jesus said that the works He did we would do, and even greater works (Jn14:12) as He was going to the Father.  Maybe we don't quite get this.  That same creative power that brought life back to Jesus, that resurrection power is in us, and available for us, to bring healing into other people's lives and situations. We have the answer to their illnesses and woes, but we don't utilise the power that is available in us.  Jesus, seated in Heaven, still wants to touch people today as the scriptures tell us, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Heb 13:8)  Did you catch that, Jesus NEVER changes.  His mercy, grace and truth are still integral to His nature and character.

Now we know that Jesus is at the right hand of God but we are His agents on earth to bring His Kingdom goodwill and favour to a broken world. (Luke 2:14)  Just mediate on this.

Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:18-20)

This mandate was not just for the disciples of yesteryear but for every disciple (follower) of Jesus Christ today, and history, as well as this present day, can confirm many who have taken this mandate personally and moved in the supernatural miraculous power and authority of heaven.  They have indeed believed in the authority of Christ, His all encompassing authority over everything. Not just some authority!  ALL THINGS, whether in heaven, on, or under the earth must bow to the authority
and power in the name of Jesus. (Phil 2:10)  Every knee will bow, every sickness, every lie, every
demon will submit to the authority that great and powerful name.  And HIS name is the badge of authority He has given us TODAY to bring about Kingdom purposes, to save, heal and deliver.

If we believe, we have heavenly gifts that we can pull down from heaven, to give to others; a gift of a healing, a gift of salvation, a gift of a new organ, a gift of sight, of hearing, of mercy, of comfort and whatever Father God has available to give.  This is because we have at our disposal, the riches of Christ and God. We just need to proclaim in faith and boldness as an ambassador of Heaven, speaking those things that are not as though they are, (Rom 4:17), even as children of God.

while we don't look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Cor 4:18)

Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our
 confession, Jesus;  who was faithful to him who appointed him (Heb 1:2-3)

I love the way scripture exhorts us to consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus.  You see we often look at the container instead of the contents.  Jesus Christ dwells in these jars of clays , so that no flesh will glory because the power in us, is of Him.  (1 Cor 1:24-30)

For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, (Cor 2:9)

Jesus our Apostle has gone before us and shown us the "how to..!"  As we worship Him and consider His life and His compassion which moved Him to touch, even the untouchable, how He carried our sins and infirmities, we will have the courage to step out in His Name, knowing without a doubt, that He wants to connect with those He loves in the world.  After all, He freely gave His life on that cross
to bring many, healed and whole into a relationship with the Holy Trinity.

Whose miracle are you today, whose comfort, whose wisdom, whose healing, whose encouragement, whose revelation, whose touch of a Loving Father to a person's heart today?

I believe that the Holy Spirit arrested my attention on "fullness" as I read this scripture.  "Of His fullness" - the fullness of Jesus Christ (peroma in the Greek and explained in the Strong's Dictionary as that which has been filled:-

1. As a ship (manned) with sailors, rowers, soldiers
2. In the New Testament, the body of believers, as that which is filled with the presence, power, agency, riches of God and of Christ

Wow!  Did you get that.  We are filled with the presence of Christ, His Power, agency and riches!

Scripture confirms this thought:-

Now the church is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (Eph 1:23)

Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things? (Rom 8:32)

The Strong's also explains this as " completeness", "fullness" and "abundance".  I think that they are pretty cool words but not just words, God is conveying the awesome truth that Christ dwells in us, in all His fullness.


Jesus went about doing good and destroying all the works of the enemy, healing all who were oppressed because He was empowered by the Holy Spirit and God was with Him.  (Acts 10:38) That same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us (Rom 8:11) which is why Jesus said that the works He did we would do, and even greater works (Jn14:12) as He was going to the Father.  Maybe we don't quite get this.  That same creative power that brought life back to Jesus, that resurrection power is in us, and available for us, to bring healing into other people's lives and situations. We have the answer to their illnesses and woes, but we don't utilise the power that is available in us.  Jesus, seated in Heaven, still wants to touch people today as the scriptures tell us, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Heb 13:8)  Did you catch that, Jesus NEVER changes.  His mercy, grace and truth are still integral to His nature and character.




Now we know that Jesus is at the right hand of God but we are His agents on earth to bring His Kingdom goodwill and favour to a broken world. (Luke 2:14)  Just mediate on this.

Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:18-20)

This mandate was not just for the disciples of yesteryear but for every disciple (follower) of Jesus Christ today, and history, as well as this present day, can confirm many who have taken this mandate personally and moved in the supernatural miraculous power and authority of heaven.  They have
indeed believed in the authority of Christ, His all encompassing authority over everything. Not just some authority!  ALL THINGS, whether in heaven, on, or under the earth must bow to the authority and power in the name of Jesus. (Phil 2:10)  Every knee will bow, every sickness, every lie, every demon will submit to the authority that great and powerful name.  And HIS name is the badge of authority He has given us TODAY to bring about Kingdom purposes, to save, heal and deliver.

If we believe, we have heavenly gifts that we can pull down from heaven, to give to others; a gift of a healing, a gift of salvation, a gift of a new organ, a gift of sight, of hearing, of mercy, of comfort and whatever Father God has available to give.  This is because we have at our disposal, the riches of Christ and God. We just need to proclaim in faith and boldness as an ambassador of Heaven, speaking those things that are not as though they are, (Rom 4:17), even as children of God.

while we don't look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things
which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Cor 4:18)

Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus;  who was faithful to him who appointed him (Heb 1:2-3)

I love the way scripture exhorts us to consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus.  You see we often look at the container instead of the contents.  Jesus Christ dwells in these cl of jar, so that no flesh will glory because the power in us, is of Him.  (1 Cor 1:24-30)

For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, (Cor 2:9)

Jesus our Apostle has gone before us and shown us the "how to..!"  As we worship Him and consider His life and His compassion which moved Him to touch, even the untouchable, how He carried our sins and infirmities, we will have the courage to step out in His Name, knowing without a doubt, that He wants to connect with those He loves in the world.  After all, He freely gave His life on that cross to bring many, healed and whole into a relationship with the Holy Trinity.

Whose miracle are you today, whose comfort, whose wisdom, whose healing, whose encouragement, whose revelation, whose touch of a Loving Father to a person's heart today?