Greetings everyone!
I just wanted to share this brief quote that I read during a recent study. I'm sure it will be a blessing to you as it was to me.
Lewis S. Chafer (1871-1952) - the renowned evangelist, bible teacher, and founder of the Dallas Theological Seminary (originally Evangelical Theological College) once wrote:
"When led of the Spirit, the child of God must be as ready to wait as to go, and as prepared to be silent as to speak."
Scripture ref. Romans 8:14
Be sure to post your comments!
DSW
December 23, 2009
August 12, 2009
His Blood Remains: Communion - Part I
In I John 1:9 the Word declares that, "If we confess our sins, he (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Here John is addressing the believers of his day- those who had already confessed Christ as their Lord and saviour. He is expressing to them that God earnestly desires to forgive and cleanse them from sins committed- even after salvation. God's love, faithfulness, and integrity is exemplified in his willingness to do such. But why? Why is forgiveness and cleansing still so important to God even after a person is saved?
The answer is simply this - communion (e.g. fellowship). God has always wanted to have perfect communion and fellowship with his crowning creation- MANKIND (Gen. 3:8).
However, for believers- sin interrupts this communion and breaks the fellowship. Of course for the non-believer- no relationship, communion, or fellowship even exists.
You see, God doesn't want anything to hinder or interrupt his communion with you. During intimate communion with you he can clearly speak His agenda, instruction, direction, wisdom, and prayer answers directly to your spirit.
"To him, prolonged hindered communion with you means a hindered agenda through you."
Therefore, sin- the cause of the interruption, must be addressed for full communion and fellowship to be restored. The believer's part is confession or the acknowledgment of the interruption. Note that the scripture says, "IF" we confess... It is our responsibility to get the ball rolling with our mouth. God will take it from there.
As mentioned earlier God responds to the acknowledged interruption as such: to forgive (send away) sin and cleanse (remove guilt and shame). God gladly does this because the blood of Christ remains on the mercy seat in heaven. If sin exists anywhere then blood must exists for its removal (Heb. 9:11-13, 22).
Fellowship, commune, and bask in God's presence today and everyday. Besides, this is suppose to be the norm for the believer. [I encourage everyone to check out Elton Taylor Jr's blog on "In GOD's Presence at http://fromtheheartofaworshipper.blogspot.com/."]
Finally, when we pray lets remember to acknowledge any known and unknown (unconscious) interruptions. (Ps. 19:12 AMP).
In His Service,
DsW
Here John is addressing the believers of his day- those who had already confessed Christ as their Lord and saviour. He is expressing to them that God earnestly desires to forgive and cleanse them from sins committed- even after salvation. God's love, faithfulness, and integrity is exemplified in his willingness to do such. But why? Why is forgiveness and cleansing still so important to God even after a person is saved?
The answer is simply this - communion (e.g. fellowship). God has always wanted to have perfect communion and fellowship with his crowning creation- MANKIND (Gen. 3:8).
However, for believers- sin interrupts this communion and breaks the fellowship. Of course for the non-believer- no relationship, communion, or fellowship even exists.
You see, God doesn't want anything to hinder or interrupt his communion with you. During intimate communion with you he can clearly speak His agenda, instruction, direction, wisdom, and prayer answers directly to your spirit.
"To him, prolonged hindered communion with you means a hindered agenda through you."
Therefore, sin- the cause of the interruption, must be addressed for full communion and fellowship to be restored. The believer's part is confession or the acknowledgment of the interruption. Note that the scripture says, "IF" we confess... It is our responsibility to get the ball rolling with our mouth. God will take it from there.
As mentioned earlier God responds to the acknowledged interruption as such: to forgive (send away) sin and cleanse (remove guilt and shame). God gladly does this because the blood of Christ remains on the mercy seat in heaven. If sin exists anywhere then blood must exists for its removal (Heb. 9:11-13, 22).
Fellowship, commune, and bask in God's presence today and everyday. Besides, this is suppose to be the norm for the believer. [I encourage everyone to check out Elton Taylor Jr's blog on "In GOD's Presence at http://fromtheheartofaworshipper.blogspot.com/."]
Finally, when we pray lets remember to acknowledge any known and unknown (unconscious) interruptions. (Ps. 19:12 AMP).
In His Service,
DsW
July 30, 2009
Elevate the Reliability of Your Words
Greetings everyone,
Some time after prayer and Word study this morning I began to meditate on God's faithfulness to his Word. God's flawless integrity is unmistakeably clear in that he will always be found following through on what he said. Look at what the estranged prophet Balaam had to say about this:
Numbers 23:19 - God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Of course Balaam had originally been invited by Balak, king of the Moabites, to curse the Israelites in chapter 22. However, as we discover in chapter 23 and onward, Balaam could not curse- but only bless them as the Lord commanded. The Lord had already declared his people blessed (22:12) and he would permit no reversal of that declaration.
Now, at one time or another, we have all heard the saying: "If God said it, He will do it and if He spoke it, He will bring it to pass." This is true and God is certainly to be magnified for such great commitment to his Word. But what about us as believers?
Can people rely on us to follow through on our words? Do we personally honor the words we speak? Of course no one is perfect, and it's obvious that we all forget things spoken at one time or another. However, can we honestly say that more often than not our words are reliable?
As believers, integrated into our calling is the purpose to demonstrate God on the earth. Since God is faithful to His Word, we should be faithful to our words. We are indeed the light of the world and we represent him. God wants people on earth to have 'Heaven-like experiences' by our hands. This is what God intended for us in the beginning. Adam was on the earth what God is in Heaven. It is into this vacuum that I write. We must ensure that the integrity of our words remain intact as God's Word does.
Of course we should be discretionary about what we say as to not create avoidable circumstances. We certainly don't want to put ourselves in any sort of bondage. Moreover, there are times when things we've spoken must be changed or revised to accomodate a changing circumstance or new information. In these circumstances the Holy Spirit will be our guide if sought.
So let today be the day that you make (or renew) the decision to "elevate the reliability of your words."
In His Service,
DsW
Some time after prayer and Word study this morning I began to meditate on God's faithfulness to his Word. God's flawless integrity is unmistakeably clear in that he will always be found following through on what he said. Look at what the estranged prophet Balaam had to say about this:
Numbers 23:19 - God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Of course Balaam had originally been invited by Balak, king of the Moabites, to curse the Israelites in chapter 22. However, as we discover in chapter 23 and onward, Balaam could not curse- but only bless them as the Lord commanded. The Lord had already declared his people blessed (22:12) and he would permit no reversal of that declaration.
Now, at one time or another, we have all heard the saying: "If God said it, He will do it and if He spoke it, He will bring it to pass." This is true and God is certainly to be magnified for such great commitment to his Word. But what about us as believers?
Can people rely on us to follow through on our words? Do we personally honor the words we speak? Of course no one is perfect, and it's obvious that we all forget things spoken at one time or another. However, can we honestly say that more often than not our words are reliable?
As believers, integrated into our calling is the purpose to demonstrate God on the earth. Since God is faithful to His Word, we should be faithful to our words. We are indeed the light of the world and we represent him. God wants people on earth to have 'Heaven-like experiences' by our hands. This is what God intended for us in the beginning. Adam was on the earth what God is in Heaven. It is into this vacuum that I write. We must ensure that the integrity of our words remain intact as God's Word does.
Of course we should be discretionary about what we say as to not create avoidable circumstances. We certainly don't want to put ourselves in any sort of bondage. Moreover, there are times when things we've spoken must be changed or revised to accomodate a changing circumstance or new information. In these circumstances the Holy Spirit will be our guide if sought.
So let today be the day that you make (or renew) the decision to "elevate the reliability of your words."
In His Service,
DsW
July 25, 2009
A Sacrifice Born Out of Gratitude
Greetings everyone,
Consider with me the following scripture: Leviticus 22:29 - And when ye offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will. How about that? In Old Testament times a sacrifice could be offered up to God by an Israelite as an act of sheer gratitude. Note that this was not necessarily a corporate sacrificial offering, but that it could be offered individually. Just out of pure recognition of God, clothed with sincere gratefulness- this sacrifice was offered. In modern day church colloquialism we'd call it a type of 'free will' offering.
When you get a moment, take a look at the thanksgiving offering in the book of Leviticus. It is discussed primarily in chapters 3, 7, and 22. For in-depth study purposes, note that it falls under the category of a type 'peace offering'.
In His Service,
DsW
Consider with me the following scripture: Leviticus 22:29 - And when ye offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will. How about that? In Old Testament times a sacrifice could be offered up to God by an Israelite as an act of sheer gratitude. Note that this was not necessarily a corporate sacrificial offering, but that it could be offered individually. Just out of pure recognition of God, clothed with sincere gratefulness- this sacrifice was offered. In modern day church colloquialism we'd call it a type of 'free will' offering.
When you get a moment, take a look at the thanksgiving offering in the book of Leviticus. It is discussed primarily in chapters 3, 7, and 22. For in-depth study purposes, note that it falls under the category of a type 'peace offering'.
In His Service,
DsW
July 20, 2009
WT Email Archives: Thought Management - Part One
Greetings everyone! The doors of the former WordTime email archives have just swung open. In the coming days and weeks I will be uploading some of my WT email series' such as 'Thought Management', 'Thanksgiving', and others to this new blog site. Those of you that read them back then can now easily share your comments in this new format. As for those of you that didn't get a chance to read - you're invited to join in on this fresh discussion!
Tell a friend and let's dive right in to Part One of the 'Thought Management' series already in session (see below).
When things happen to us- we think about it. When things are said to us- we think about it. When we say things to others- we think about it. When we do things to others - we think about it. Whether the things said or done were good or bad- we're always thinking about something, but how are we managing what we think about?
'Thought Management' as I like to call it, should be a common practice for every believer (or anyone breathing for that matter). A thought is like a mental seed, which when it is planted in the soil of a mind it has the potential to grow into a future action. Well, how would it grow you say? By meditation. {We'll look at another view on this later.} The point is that- sooner or later an individual will act upon or respond to their 'sustained' thoughts. This notion gives credence to the fact that a large part of spiritual warfare takes place in our minds.
Therefore, acknowledging that it is within this 'mental battle field' where we either secure liberties or shelter 'bondages' is paramount. As many of us have experienced in our own lives, the bondages of our mind have a way of leaking out into our disposition and behavior progressively.
Remember, Satan will often try to harm you with your help. He'll also try to use people against you, but it's not until he has influenced you personally in some way that he's satisfied for the moment. If he can get in your head then he can get ahead of you, at least mometarily. OF COURSE HE IS A DEFEATED FOE AND HE MUST BE REMINDED OF THAT. However, we are personally responsible for keeping a handle on our own mental stuff.
Moreover, because countless things - good and bad - can occur over the course of a day, week, or month we may inadvertently pile up thoughts (memories) like large heaps of straw. While some of these memories may be good and cherish worthy, others may not be productive at all. In a short letter to the Philippian church Paul highlights a few things about thoughts. Let's listen in on the conversation:
(Philippians 4:7-9) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
As another illustration: Many years ago my pastor said, "Our mind is like an interstate; many thoughts will travel across it during a lifetime." Nonetheless, as police officers over our own minds we must determine which thoughts we'll 'pull over and arrest' (i.e., meditate on). Choose ye this day to pull over and arrest thoughts that are a blessed benefit to you and others. As for negative and destructive thoughts, cast them down immediately and forcibly- disallowing them passage. In other words, practice casting and forgetting! Destructive thoughts are extremely poisonous to your present and deadly to your future! You must use your faith to forget what's unnecessary! Let's listen to Paul's commendation to the Corinthian church:
(2 Corinthians 10:3-6) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
So then, thoughts and memories that are in opposition to the knowledge of God are only fit for one thing- "a cast down". Go ahead, increase your knowledge of God through Word study, church attendance, etc. and discover what your mind was really made for.
Begin casting down thoughts today. You'll be glad that you did. Stay tuned for Part Two of this discussion.
In His Service,
DsW
Tell a friend and let's dive right in to Part One of the 'Thought Management' series already in session (see below).
When things happen to us- we think about it. When things are said to us- we think about it. When we say things to others- we think about it. When we do things to others - we think about it. Whether the things said or done were good or bad- we're always thinking about something, but how are we managing what we think about?
'Thought Management' as I like to call it, should be a common practice for every believer (or anyone breathing for that matter). A thought is like a mental seed, which when it is planted in the soil of a mind it has the potential to grow into a future action. Well, how would it grow you say? By meditation. {We'll look at another view on this later.} The point is that- sooner or later an individual will act upon or respond to their 'sustained' thoughts. This notion gives credence to the fact that a large part of spiritual warfare takes place in our minds.
Therefore, acknowledging that it is within this 'mental battle field' where we either secure liberties or shelter 'bondages' is paramount. As many of us have experienced in our own lives, the bondages of our mind have a way of leaking out into our disposition and behavior progressively.
Remember, Satan will often try to harm you with your help. He'll also try to use people against you, but it's not until he has influenced you personally in some way that he's satisfied for the moment. If he can get in your head then he can get ahead of you, at least mometarily. OF COURSE HE IS A DEFEATED FOE AND HE MUST BE REMINDED OF THAT. However, we are personally responsible for keeping a handle on our own mental stuff.
Moreover, because countless things - good and bad - can occur over the course of a day, week, or month we may inadvertently pile up thoughts (memories) like large heaps of straw. While some of these memories may be good and cherish worthy, others may not be productive at all. In a short letter to the Philippian church Paul highlights a few things about thoughts. Let's listen in on the conversation:
(Philippians 4:7-9) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
As another illustration: Many years ago my pastor said, "Our mind is like an interstate; many thoughts will travel across it during a lifetime." Nonetheless, as police officers over our own minds we must determine which thoughts we'll 'pull over and arrest' (i.e., meditate on). Choose ye this day to pull over and arrest thoughts that are a blessed benefit to you and others. As for negative and destructive thoughts, cast them down immediately and forcibly- disallowing them passage. In other words, practice casting and forgetting! Destructive thoughts are extremely poisonous to your present and deadly to your future! You must use your faith to forget what's unnecessary! Let's listen to Paul's commendation to the Corinthian church:
(2 Corinthians 10:3-6) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
So then, thoughts and memories that are in opposition to the knowledge of God are only fit for one thing- "a cast down". Go ahead, increase your knowledge of God through Word study, church attendance, etc. and discover what your mind was really made for.
Begin casting down thoughts today. You'll be glad that you did. Stay tuned for Part Two of this discussion.
In His Service,
DsW
July 19, 2009
Lord, I Humbly Submit - Part One
"Lord, to you I humbly submit. In this season, I again identify and remove all hindrances of selfishness which have limited you from interacting with the world through me to the extent that you desire. With a sense of freshness, I renew my response to your propitious and continuous grace by yielding (offering) my 'total self' back to you. Lord, my acknowledgment is this: It was you, who before the foundation of the world, endowed me with everything favorable. For that, I thank you sir and I humbly submit."
Greetings to All,
As I sit down to write a few words about this very essential element of the Kingdom citizen's experience, I am humbled all the more. In part, to have meditated and received such illumination from God and in part to have you as readers. My efforts to fully capture and present God's wisdom on this subject are undoubtedly insufficient; nonetheless allow these written words to find a secure lodging place in your heart. It is my belief that by taking this brief journey regarding humility from a biblical perspective with me, your life will become richer.
Biblical humility is a freedom! That's right, a freedom from the 'flesh-born' disease of egotism and pride, which grows out of the recognition that all we have and are comes from God. The apostle Paul penned it like this in I Corinthians 15:10a - It is but by the grace of God (that) I am what I am... Furthermore, biblical humility acknowledges that anything and everything that is praiseworthy about us is not only God-originated, but God-sustained. Therefore, all credit, glory, and honour must be deferred to Him as both the originator and the sustainer. So then, at the base level, humility acknowledges that we have absolutely 'no-thing' to glory in. All that we possess, tangible or intangible, is a gift from Him. Note the words of our Lord's half-brother James:
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." - James 1:17
So with this understanding should come a deep and profound sense of gratitude which should prompt willing submission to God. As we'll see later, humility carries with it a decision to act.
Now most of us have heard of the notion that pride serves as humility's greatest rival. This is certainly a true saying. All self-boastings, over-confidences, and self-reliances are unprofitable exercises in pride (Rom. 12:3). Pride is rooted in selfishness. Selfishness is too much attention on and recognition of - 'self'. Whereas, humility rests in the recognition and praise of another (Rom. 12:10; Phil. 2:3-4). You see, self-boasting or self-reliance of any sort is a privilege exclusive to God alone. Read the following scriptures as the Lord talks about Himself:
"I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour." - Isaiah 43:11
"Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." - Isaiah 44:6
In the New Testament, even Jesus, being God in the flesh and naturally deserving of all praise and adoration humbled himself and became obedient to the Father unto death (Phil 2:8). With Jesus being our greatest human example, we see that obedience and humility are linked. In essence, our willingness to obey God reveals our humility stance. Therefore, with humility is the decision to act obediently. This is also true within certain of our human relationships. In light of this discussion, take a second and briefly consider the relationships between (1) parents and children, (2) supervisors and employees, (3) pastors and members, etc. We'll discuss more on humility within these relationships at a later time.
For now, as a final thought, humility must be evidenced in our behaviors and dispositions understanding that God is the only one who cannot become any better. Even on our "good days", if we justly measure ourselves against Christ we'll discover that there is still plenty room for improvement. Moreover, as we see ourselves clearer through humility, declarations such as, "Lord, I humbly submit," will echo from our hearts the balance of our days.
In The Service of The King,
DSW
P.S. - For all the scriptures referenced above, I have provided a bible search box to the right of this blog screen for your convenience. You can view these scriptures in different bible versions. I look forward to hearing from you and reading your comments.
Greetings to All,
As I sit down to write a few words about this very essential element of the Kingdom citizen's experience, I am humbled all the more. In part, to have meditated and received such illumination from God and in part to have you as readers. My efforts to fully capture and present God's wisdom on this subject are undoubtedly insufficient; nonetheless allow these written words to find a secure lodging place in your heart. It is my belief that by taking this brief journey regarding humility from a biblical perspective with me, your life will become richer.
Biblical humility is a freedom! That's right, a freedom from the 'flesh-born' disease of egotism and pride, which grows out of the recognition that all we have and are comes from God. The apostle Paul penned it like this in I Corinthians 15:10a - It is but by the grace of God (that) I am what I am... Furthermore, biblical humility acknowledges that anything and everything that is praiseworthy about us is not only God-originated, but God-sustained. Therefore, all credit, glory, and honour must be deferred to Him as both the originator and the sustainer. So then, at the base level, humility acknowledges that we have absolutely 'no-thing' to glory in. All that we possess, tangible or intangible, is a gift from Him. Note the words of our Lord's half-brother James:
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." - James 1:17
So with this understanding should come a deep and profound sense of gratitude which should prompt willing submission to God. As we'll see later, humility carries with it a decision to act.
Now most of us have heard of the notion that pride serves as humility's greatest rival. This is certainly a true saying. All self-boastings, over-confidences, and self-reliances are unprofitable exercises in pride (Rom. 12:3). Pride is rooted in selfishness. Selfishness is too much attention on and recognition of - 'self'. Whereas, humility rests in the recognition and praise of another (Rom. 12:10; Phil. 2:3-4). You see, self-boasting or self-reliance of any sort is a privilege exclusive to God alone. Read the following scriptures as the Lord talks about Himself:
"I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour." - Isaiah 43:11
"Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." - Isaiah 44:6
In the New Testament, even Jesus, being God in the flesh and naturally deserving of all praise and adoration humbled himself and became obedient to the Father unto death (Phil 2:8). With Jesus being our greatest human example, we see that obedience and humility are linked. In essence, our willingness to obey God reveals our humility stance. Therefore, with humility is the decision to act obediently. This is also true within certain of our human relationships. In light of this discussion, take a second and briefly consider the relationships between (1) parents and children, (2) supervisors and employees, (3) pastors and members, etc. We'll discuss more on humility within these relationships at a later time.
For now, as a final thought, humility must be evidenced in our behaviors and dispositions understanding that God is the only one who cannot become any better. Even on our "good days", if we justly measure ourselves against Christ we'll discover that there is still plenty room for improvement. Moreover, as we see ourselves clearer through humility, declarations such as, "Lord, I humbly submit," will echo from our hearts the balance of our days.
In The Service of The King,
DSW
P.S. - For all the scriptures referenced above, I have provided a bible search box to the right of this blog screen for your convenience. You can view these scriptures in different bible versions. I look forward to hearing from you and reading your comments.
July 11, 2009
June 18, 2009
Kingdom Gym: "Proper Exercise"
Are you getting enough proper exercise?
The apostle Paul said:
Acts 24:16 - And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
I Timothy 4:7-8 - But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
To exercise means to practice or perform a similar action repetitiously for the purpose of training and discipline. Some of the basic objectives for exercising include: the development of a habit, a strength, a skill, or adjustment of body mass. Scripturally speaking- exercise in the Greek is the word 'gymnasia', which is where we get our English words gym and gymnastics from. The central idea of the word is to exert one's energy in a certain direction.
As citizens of the Kingdom of God we’ve all been called into the gym of life so to speak. We’ve been commissioned by God to literally ‘work out’/exercise/bring out/express - what He has 'worked' (deposited) and is working in us. Notice Paul’s commendation to the Philippian church:
"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12-13).
Well, when we were born-again we received again God's nature. So His express nature resides in each of us, specifically inside our re-created spirits (spirit man). Praise God- we possess all that He is! Therefore what comes forth out of us should resemble His nature, right? Yes! But wait, with the fall of man (I Cor. 15:22) and the conception of the sin-nature/flesh/old man (which is 100% counter-God) we have some opposition to contend with (Gal 5:16-17).
Now for those of you that exercise (or used to) - you know that exercising is not always easy. It is sometimes called resistance training when weights are involved. Well, both our flesh and spirit man desire exercise (to be used). So which should get the work out? Now remember, as mentioned earlier - exercising a thing will cause it to develop and grow stronger. So if we exercise our flesh it will grow stronger and if we exercise our spirit man it will grow stronger.
Note Hebrews 5:14:
"But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age (mature), even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." For maturity sake our spirit man needs exercise. Self-examination will reveal to us where we need the most spiritual exercise.
Even God exercises. Take a look:
"But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment (justice), and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD" (Jer. 9:24).
Blessed regards,
DraperW
P.S. Everyone, check out Min. Josh Harvey's blog "Kill That Old Man" at revelatoryword.blogspot.com (The Sword of The Spirit) as a companion blog to this one.
The apostle Paul said:
Acts 24:16 - And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
I Timothy 4:7-8 - But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
To exercise means to practice or perform a similar action repetitiously for the purpose of training and discipline. Some of the basic objectives for exercising include: the development of a habit, a strength, a skill, or adjustment of body mass. Scripturally speaking- exercise in the Greek is the word 'gymnasia', which is where we get our English words gym and gymnastics from. The central idea of the word is to exert one's energy in a certain direction.
As citizens of the Kingdom of God we’ve all been called into the gym of life so to speak. We’ve been commissioned by God to literally ‘work out’/exercise/bring out/express - what He has 'worked' (deposited) and is working in us. Notice Paul’s commendation to the Philippian church:
"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12-13).
Well, when we were born-again we received again God's nature. So His express nature resides in each of us, specifically inside our re-created spirits (spirit man). Praise God- we possess all that He is! Therefore what comes forth out of us should resemble His nature, right? Yes! But wait, with the fall of man (I Cor. 15:22) and the conception of the sin-nature/flesh/old man (which is 100% counter-God) we have some opposition to contend with (Gal 5:16-17).
Now for those of you that exercise (or used to) - you know that exercising is not always easy. It is sometimes called resistance training when weights are involved. Well, both our flesh and spirit man desire exercise (to be used). So which should get the work out? Now remember, as mentioned earlier - exercising a thing will cause it to develop and grow stronger. So if we exercise our flesh it will grow stronger and if we exercise our spirit man it will grow stronger.
Simply put - the one that gets the most exercise becomes the strongest!How do we exercise our spirit man then? Well, exercise involves repetitive actions so lets see what James (the 1/2 brother of Jesus) can tell us. James 1:22 says "Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only... So hearing the Word, then doing the Word is exercise for our spirit man. Now we see that in order for our spiritual exercise to be labeled as 'proper exercise' it must be our spirit man that gets the work out. When our flesh gets the work out - it is 'improper exercise'. Either flesh or spirit- we're always exercising something, but those that exercise know that improper exercise can be more harmful than no exercise. Folks, it is safe to say that our flesh deserves death- not exercise!
Note Hebrews 5:14:
"But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age (mature), even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." For maturity sake our spirit man needs exercise. Self-examination will reveal to us where we need the most spiritual exercise.
Even God exercises. Take a look:
"But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment (justice), and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD" (Jer. 9:24).
Blessed regards,
DraperW
P.S. Everyone, check out Min. Josh Harvey's blog "Kill That Old Man" at revelatoryword.blogspot.com (The Sword of The Spirit) as a companion blog to this one.
June 13, 2009
"Kingdom Entrance: Grace Let Us In" - Part One
GRACE — favor or kindness extended without regard to the worth or merit of the one who receives it and in spite of what that person deserves. Grace is one of the key attributes of God. "The Lord God is "merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth" (Ex. 34:6). Grace is always associated with love, mercy, compassion, and patience.
"It is because of God's love that grace was (and is) extended toward us."
In the Old Testament, a supreme example of the grace of God was the redemption of the Hebrew people (Israel) from Egypt and their establishment in the Promised Land (Canaan). This did not happen because of any merit or righteousness on Israel’s part, but in spite of their unrighteousness.
(Deut. 7:7-8) - The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
(Deut. 9:5–6) - Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.
Now in the New Testament, the grace of God was fully revealed and given in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus was the very embodiment of God's grace (John 1:14), bringing it to mankind for salvation (Titus 2:11). By His death and resurrection, Jesus made possible the restoration of the broken relationship (sonship) between God and His offspring (mankind). This is salvation. So the only way for any person to have a 'restored relationship' with God is "through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 15:11). It was therefore Jesus which brought the "gospel of grace" fully into the world (John 1:17). Thank you Jesus!
"God is love, and in this dispensation He has extended His grace to all mankind in the person of Jesus Christ."
The theme of grace is especially prominent in the letters of the apostle Paul. He sets grace radically over against the law and the works of the law (Rom. 3:24, 28). Paul makes it abundantly clear that salvation is not something that can be earned; it can only be received by grace (Rom. 4:4, Eph 2:8-9).
{Reference: Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary}
To be continued.....in the meantime, if you haven't already - check out the scriptures mentioned above and take a look at the story of Nicodemus in John 3:1-8.
DSW
"It is because of God's love that grace was (and is) extended toward us."
In the Old Testament, a supreme example of the grace of God was the redemption of the Hebrew people (Israel) from Egypt and their establishment in the Promised Land (Canaan). This did not happen because of any merit or righteousness on Israel’s part, but in spite of their unrighteousness.
(Deut. 7:7-8) - The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
(Deut. 9:5–6) - Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.
Now in the New Testament, the grace of God was fully revealed and given in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus was the very embodiment of God's grace (John 1:14), bringing it to mankind for salvation (Titus 2:11). By His death and resurrection, Jesus made possible the restoration of the broken relationship (sonship) between God and His offspring (mankind). This is salvation. So the only way for any person to have a 'restored relationship' with God is "through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 15:11). It was therefore Jesus which brought the "gospel of grace" fully into the world (John 1:17). Thank you Jesus!
"God is love, and in this dispensation He has extended His grace to all mankind in the person of Jesus Christ."
The theme of grace is especially prominent in the letters of the apostle Paul. He sets grace radically over against the law and the works of the law (Rom. 3:24, 28). Paul makes it abundantly clear that salvation is not something that can be earned; it can only be received by grace (Rom. 4:4, Eph 2:8-9).
{Reference: Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary}
To be continued.....in the meantime, if you haven't already - check out the scriptures mentioned above and take a look at the story of Nicodemus in John 3:1-8.
DSW
June 10, 2009
"Love Never Fails" (I Corinthians 13:8)
Kingdom of God Citizens,
I was recently meditating on the following three scriptures. Take a look.
"MATTHEW 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. MATTHEW 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
"HEBREWS 13:1 Let brotherly love continue."
By leaving a comment - please share your thoughts, insight/revelation, experiences, ideas, etc. relative to these scriptures?
I was recently meditating on the following three scriptures. Take a look.
"MATTHEW 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. MATTHEW 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
"HEBREWS 13:1 Let brotherly love continue."
By leaving a comment - please share your thoughts, insight/revelation, experiences, ideas, etc. relative to these scriptures?
"Your words (inspired by the Holy Spirit) have
the power to heal and build someone up!"
As Bishop always says it: "Love is an action, born out of a sense of responsibility - toward God and your fellow man."
In His Service,
Min. Draper S. Wright
P.S. - After leaving comments on this blog, take a look at Min. Joshua Harvey's comments regarding love on my blog entitled: "Doeth It Not"
June 4, 2009
"GAFGBC Vacation Bible School 2009"
Greetings folks,
I thought this was interesting and worth sharing.
Mrs. Larry and I are teaching six, seven, and eight year old kids in Vacation Bible School (Wilkinson Terrace location). As some of you all know, yesterday's lesson title was "Go Tell" - coming from Matthew 27:26-54, 28:1-10. Of course, that passage deals with Jesus' death and some of the events surrounding it.
Well, there was this six (I repeat six) year old boy in our class that asked the following question about mid-way through the lesson:
Of course Mrs. Larry and I answered the question and continued the lesson, but he wasn't done. He made two other comments during the lesson.
Check it out:
I thought this was interesting and worth sharing.
Mrs. Larry and I are teaching six, seven, and eight year old kids in Vacation Bible School (Wilkinson Terrace location). As some of you all know, yesterday's lesson title was "Go Tell" - coming from Matthew 27:26-54, 28:1-10. Of course, that passage deals with Jesus' death and some of the events surrounding it.
Well, there was this six (I repeat six) year old boy in our class that asked the following question about mid-way through the lesson:
"Mr. Wright, I know that blood and water came out of Jesus' body, so did blood come out of one side and water out of the other?"
Now, some adults don't even know about the blood and water which came from Jesus' body when he was pierced in the side. Mrs. Larry and I were pretty amazed by the question. Why would a six year old boy randomly ask such a question? Neither Mrs. Larry or I had mentioned anything about Jesus being pierced in the side. He seemed to already know some of the crucifixion events - even very specific details about it. It showed that he'd had some level of Word exposure. The clincher is that he retained it- again at the age of six. We just had to give him a VBS buck ($5) for such a great question.
Of course Mrs. Larry and I answered the question and continued the lesson, but he wasn't done. He made two other comments during the lesson.
Check it out:
Later, he just volunteered to mention that the captors put a crown of thorns on Jesus' head and pressed it in through his skin to his skull.
Later he volunteered to mention that the captors put a sign on the cross that said "King of the Jews."
And today, another little boy in the class (age 7) said this:
Praise God - as we've seen in our own children's ministry these kids can be exposed to the Word and retain it. Now, who does this little boy remind you of? Sounds like Jesus, at the age of twelve when we was in the temple asking and answering law related questions (Luke 2:46-47)."Mr. Wright, after Jesus was raised from the dead he went back to the cross, gathered up His blood, took it to Heaven and put it on the mercy seat."
In the service of the King,
DSW
June 1, 2009
"Doeth It Not"
James 4:17 says, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."
In this verse James is speaking briefly about the sin of "OMISSION". James is calling the believer's attention to the fact that when doing right is omitted, it is sin - especially when the right thing to do is known. Doing 'no thing' in a situation where 'some thing' ought to be done is sin. Of course we should remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit for guidance because it is possible to know what to do but not know exactly how to do it in a given situation. That's where the leading of the Holy Spirit comes in.
Now from another angle, isn't it interesting how easy it is to judge our actions (or non-actions) against the actions or non-actions of others. Consider statements like: "I don't do this", "I don't do that", "I wouldn't do that if", or "I've never done." If we be honest, if faced with the right amount of pressure and/or circumstance we really don't know what we would or wouldn't do. Quickly look at what James says in verse 12: "There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?"
Sure, it's great when we omit to do wrong, but what about when we omit to do right? Especially when we've been made aware of the right thing to be done.
Moreover, we all have much Kingdom related work to do. Undoubtedly, if we are spending priceless time judging others and/or ourselves against others we surely can't be getting a whole lot accomplished on our end. Judging and comparing is a big distraction!
No one has received the anointed appointment by God to be the judge in His stead, therefore all judges robes should be put away. This has to be a personal periodic examination activity because that judges robe can find its way back into your wardrobe easily. We know that within our flesh dwells nothing good (Romans 7:18). Therefore, with our sword in hand (the Word of God), we must wound the flesh wherever we find it alive. Thus, we'll be dying to self, so Christ can be freely expressed.
In this verse James is speaking briefly about the sin of "OMISSION". James is calling the believer's attention to the fact that when doing right is omitted, it is sin - especially when the right thing to do is known. Doing 'no thing' in a situation where 'some thing' ought to be done is sin. Of course we should remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit for guidance because it is possible to know what to do but not know exactly how to do it in a given situation. That's where the leading of the Holy Spirit comes in.
Now from another angle, isn't it interesting how easy it is to judge our actions (or non-actions) against the actions or non-actions of others. Consider statements like: "I don't do this", "I don't do that", "I wouldn't do that if", or "I've never done." If we be honest, if faced with the right amount of pressure and/or circumstance we really don't know what we would or wouldn't do. Quickly look at what James says in verse 12: "There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?"
Sure, it's great when we omit to do wrong, but what about when we omit to do right? Especially when we've been made aware of the right thing to be done.
Moreover, we all have much Kingdom related work to do. Undoubtedly, if we are spending priceless time judging others and/or ourselves against others we surely can't be getting a whole lot accomplished on our end. Judging and comparing is a big distraction!
"When we keep a 'sin-flashlight' shined on someone else we cease to perform our own God-assigned tasks."
No one has received the anointed appointment by God to be the judge in His stead, therefore all judges robes should be put away. This has to be a personal periodic examination activity because that judges robe can find its way back into your wardrobe easily. We know that within our flesh dwells nothing good (Romans 7:18). Therefore, with our sword in hand (the Word of God), we must wound the flesh wherever we find it alive. Thus, we'll be dying to self, so Christ can be freely expressed.
In the Service of the King,
DSW
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