Looking At the Pure of Heart and the Peacemakers

Once again, I must apologize for taking so long to transfer the lessons to the blog.  With Operation Christmas Child, Thanksgiving, and a few unexpected house repairs to do, I let myself get way behind.  I hope you’ll forgive me.  Our study into the beatitudes is an amazing journey into the hearts of our men, and the Kingdom of God.  I’ve learned so much the last few weeks, and am looking forward to more. 

Three Sunday’s ago our Bro. Dale taught on the Pure of Heart.  Here is his lesson sheet.

Blessed are the Pure of Heart, For they shall see God.

“Pure is defined as unadulterated, and “unadulterated is defined as pure, so the dictionary only helps a little bit. 

Is a “hardened heart” pure?  Why not?  

What is this whole heart thing about anyway? 

What is meant by the everyday phrase:  “a change of heart”? 

WHY HAVE A PURE HEART?   (Proverbs 22:11 and Psalm 73:1)

**The condition of our heart limits how we will act in the world.

**A pure heart frees us.  How much simpler is to do “What is right”, rather than to weigh out “what is owed”?

Timothy 1:5

** the condition of our heart limits how we see the world. 

3 John 1:11 (Amplified) 

How much joy, peace, excitement would there be inour everyday lives if we saw God every day?  How about every hour?

How do we get a Pure Heart?

Hebrews 10:22

2 Thessalonians 3:5

Some of the thoughts brought out in the lesson were:

A pure heart is a heart without ulterior motive.   It is a right heart toward all men, without regard for our own needs.  A humble person has a pure heart. 

A hardened heart doesn’t have compassion, and a judgmental heart  is critical, therefore it can’t be pure. 

A pure heart doesn’t pursue malice toward others, it is without offense, without pride, and is compassionate above all else.  A pure heart is a heart like God’s. 

A pure heart is able to accept change, and to live in an unlimited faith.

Love comes from a pure heart.  While an impure heart limits how we see the world.  A hard heart will not seek out pure motives or reasons for other people’s behaviors. 

A pure heart has been baptized in the love of God, dwelling in the presence of God. 

Two weeks ago our Bro. Tony taught on being a peacemaker.

 

HAPPY ARE THE MAKERS AND MAINTAINERS OF PEACE (THE PRESENCE OF GOD)

Matthew 5:9 (Amplified)   Blessed (enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous-with life- joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the peace makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the Sons of God. 

·         Peacemakers: those who are blessed (more than happy; experiencing hope and joy; the deepest form of happiness) by maintaining peace, and in doing so, become a living exhibit and ambassador of Christ’s love, and carry on the family traits as Sons of God.

·         It is under this distinction as Sons of God that we are granted access to our inheritance: Our Kingdom ranted rights as Sons and Daughters of God to be Peacemakers and usher in continued peace. 

o   Isaiah 9: 1-7 NIV 

§  Jesus is the Prince of Peace.  The word says there will be no end to His government and peace.  Our opportunity as peacemakers lines in this proclamation and promise.

§  Our older brother, the Prince of Peace, has distinguished us as other Son’s of God with the right, ability, and responsibility to make and maintain peace.

·         Jesus leaves us HIM.  He leaves us His Peace, His presence.  We must receive, make more, and maintain His presence, His peace, and His love. 

o   John 14:26-31 –(NLT, Message, and Amplified versions) 

A FEW THOUGHTS:

NLT- Holy Spirit = My representative; Gift-peace of mind and heart; So the world will know His love

Message: “That’s my parting gift to you, Peace.  I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left- feeling abandoned, bereft.”  Bereft means; (bereaved) as if a family member or friend has died.

My Parting gift to you?!! That sounds like someone who loves and is exhibiting love.  Someone who is making and maintaining peace, and that makes me really happy!

Amplified:  Holy Spirit=Comforter, counselor, helper, intercessor, advocate, strengthener, standby, in my place to represent me and act on my behalf.  WOW!!! My own peace I now give and bequeath to you. 

Bequeath-Handed down, entrusted, as in a will, transferred to.  Peace is handed down. His will, willed. 

·         With understanding of His peace and love and how it makes us happy, we have to seek it continually to experience greater happiness.  A conscious action and decision to love greater.  Active pursuit

o   Psalm 34:14 (NLT)

o   1 Peter 3:8-12 (NIV)

§  Once again exhibiting His love.  This will make us happier and turn the Lord’s eart to your prayers.  We then hunger for more peace and seek to make and maintain peace.

·         WE are to make and maintain peace:

o   Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)  He willed it to us, we must will to to others and hand it down

o   Colossians 3:12-17 (NLT)  Clothe yourself in love, it will make you happy.  Put on Peace. It will make peace.  Give when others take, love when others hate, help when others abuse, give up your own rights to serve others.  That’s what peace makers do.  Peacemaker out!

Some of the thoughts that were shared during this lesson were so profound, that I couldn’t write them down quick enough.  I was able to capture a few, but not enough to do it justice. 

The 1828 Webster’s Dictionary defines peace as: A state of quiet, freedom, heavenly rest with the happiness of heaven. 

We are ‘chips off the old block’ and we exhibit the same character as our Father. We are empowered to relieve pain, suffering, and strife.

We will usher in reconciliation. 

Christ has left us HIMSELF in the person of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit empowers us to live in peace. 

The ruler of this world had no power over Christ, because Christ was at peace with the Father, himself, and his purpose.  In order to be free of the power of the evil one, we must adopt the same attitude as Christ. 

MY OWN THOUGHTS: 

We are at a critical place in our study of the Sermon on the Mount.  We can choose to believe that we can fully live out the beatitudes or we can adopt the idea that we will never attain to them.  Walking in the Peace of God, allows us to move beyond the power of this present world and live in the spiritual realm.  We can be at peace with ourselves, the Father, and those around us, if we are assured that we are a citizen of a greater Kingdom.  We have two more beatitudes to study and then we’ll launch out into the meat of the sermon.  (As if the beatitudes weren’t meaty enough.)

Happy Are The Merciful

I wish more men could sit in on the lessons we’re having right now.  Actually, I wish our women could enjoy this time as well.  My heart has grown ten times too big during the last few weeks as I’ve listened to our men teaching the deeper truths of the Kingdom of Heaven.  We’ve been delving deeply into the beatitudes, and each of the men has taken us deeper by steps.  This morning, our Bro. Eric taught on the merciful.  Here is his lesson sheet.

THE MERCIFUL

Matthew 5:7 (NLT)  God blesses those who are merciful, for they shall be shown mercy

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Definition of Merciful:  Treating people with kindness, and forgiveness: not cruel or harsh: giving relief from suffering.

James 2:13 (NLT) There will be no  mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others.  But, if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when He judges you.

Micah 7: 18-19  (NLT)  Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of His special people?  You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. (19) Once again you will have compassion on us.  You will trample our sins under your feet, and throw them into the depths of the ocean!

We all want, and NEED His mercy!!! Show mercy on those around us that also NEED it, so we can live in the mercies of the Lord. 

SHOWING MERCY

Daniel 4:27 (NLT)  “’ King Nebucadnezzar, please accept my advice.  Stop sinning and do what is right.  Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor.  Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.  

                We cannot be prosperous without showing mercy

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Isaiah 58:6-9 (NLT)   ⁶No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you.  Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people.  ⁷ Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless.  Give clothes to those who need them and do not hide from relatives who need your help.  ⁸ “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal.  Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. ⁹ Then when you call, the Lord will answer.  ‘Yes, I am here, ‘ He will reply. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors.

                God has us on earth to spread His Kingdom by showing others what it is.

Deuteronomy 4:31  (NLT) For the Lord your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.

                Mercy saves us from destruction!

 BOOM!  A mercy bomb!

Hebrews 13:5  (NLT)  Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have for God has said, “I will never fail you.  I will never abandon you.”

Joshua 1:5  (NLT) No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live.  For, I will be with you  as I was with Moses, I will not fail you or abandon you.

                Relief from suffering seems to be a recurring theme in being merciful.  We need to be in the family business of showing mercy, because he surely will not abandon us!! We are His sons and daughters. 

Psalms 37:5-6  (NLT)“Commit everything you do to the Lord.  Trust Him and he will help you.  He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.” 

OTHER VERSES MENTIONED:  Malachi 3: 16-17, Romans 13:8-9, Psalms 33:18,  Ephesians 4:28

Our Brother Eric took this study into a different place than most people would go.  I know his heart, having known him since he was a teenager.  He latched on to the last part of the definition of being merciful, especially :  Giving relief from suffering.  Brother Eric is a merciful man.  He gives of his time, his money, his knowledge, and his skills.  He gives when he has nothing to give.  He gives things that can’t be measured by physical means.   I am so thankful that he went this direction, because in this day, and hour, we need to show mercy.  We need to show the kind, and tender mercies of the Lord.  This lesson was so much more poignant to me in the light of the devastation in the Philippines due to Typhoon Haiyan.  It is easy to look at ourselves and say ‘we’ll pray for you.’  What is demanded of us by the Lord?   What about here in our own backyard.  Can we ignore those who work with us, worship with us, and even live with us?  If we abandon those around us, what will the Lord do when we need him?  

Americans have always been quick to give to those in need.  It doesn’t matter whether it is an enemy we just fought with, or whether it is a people halfway around the world, Americans love to show mercy.  I believe it is why we continue to be blessed, despite our rejection of God as a nation.  God’s principals are never diminished, only our ability to see why they come in the first place.  Mercy is the only thing that keeps us from falling apart as a nation.

As a final note; I’d like to mention some of the off the cuff remarks during the lesson.  “Love isn’t always practical.”  “Giving mercy is a family thing, showing mercy can be especially difficult to family.”  “We prosper when we show mercy, because we are being obedient to the law of love.”  “Showing mercy looses the bonds, and chains of iniquity.”  “You can’t show mercy without love.” 

COMPLETE RELIANCE

Throughout my life, I've always been taught that you can be, or do anything you want if you put your mind to it. At the same time, as a Christian, I've always been taught that we are nothing without God. These two mindsets have warred within me as long as I can remember. The first mindset appeals to my human nature, my pride, and the innate desire within all mankind to succeed, or at best survive. To stand in the face of insurmountable odds, to strive to overcome against adversity, and to bring everything you are to bear against overwhelming fear, must come from somewhere deeper than our own nature. When we come to our own end, when we've used up everything we possess, there is a grace that comes from outside of us. That grace, that power of will, that desire to be like the one who created us, brings us to the one place where we stand tall. . . . our knees. It is there on our knees, we express our complete reliance upon the creator of the universe. Yes, I believe in the creator of the universe. I also believe in His belief in us. Our complete reliance upon Him is what makes Him stronger in our lives. At the same time, He enjoys us. He especially enjoys us when we exercise the gifts He gave us.

Last week in our Men's Group, Bro. Caleb taught on Meekness. Here is his lesson sheet:

Matthew 5:5 (NIV) Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Often the word “meek” is associate with the word weak, which I found to be a mistake. Meekness on the other hand is in many ways a sign of true strength. Knowing the power we have as a child of God allows us to operate in true meekness. Being meek allows us to have true happiness.

Example – Moses

Moses was the leader chosen by God to lead His people Israel out of Egypt. Although God had called him to be a mighty leader, he was still very meek.

When you are meek, God will stand up for you, even when others are speaking against you. This makes me very happy.

Numbers 12:1 – 13 NIV

God declared Moses as the meekest man on the face of the earth. God was very upset at them for Aaron and Miriam for speaking against His servant Moses.

After God cleanses the earth of all the people who do not revere and worship Him truthfully, there will be only the meek left. God will remove all who do not rely on Him.

Zephaniah 3:9 – 13 NIV

God says he will purify the lips of the peoples, so that all may call on His name. In verse 12, He says, “. . .I will leave within you the meek and the humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord.”

This makes me happy because when you are meek, God says that you will be in His remnant of people. In verse 13, it continues to say, “They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. . . . .They will eat and lie down, and no one will make them afraid.”

Being Meek allows you to be part of the remnant. As part of God's remnant, there is nothing to fear, and that brings happiness.

Psalms 37: 11 NIV

“But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.”

The meek are happy because they know their inheritance is the Lord.

Meekness is controlling the desire to rebel, fight, and to try to stand on our own desires. Submitting ourselves to the Lord, and yielding to His control brings His peace, which leads to happiness.

Also being meek makes it easier to love, because you do not think of yourself as higher than another.

Dave's comments: Here is a recurring theme that has arisen in the last three lessons. Reliance upon God. Complete reliance doesn't erase our personality, our abilities, or our desires. Actually, complete reliance upon God enhances who we are. Our personality becomes genuine, our abilities are amplified, and our desires become pure. Christ honors our individuality, while at the same time melding us with the purposes of God. Meekness in a Christian is to know that within us is the phenomenal power of God, channeled to greater expressions of love. With the power of our tongue we have the ability to call down heaven's hosts against those who would hurt us, but meekness allows us to love them instead.

Okay, you'll have to put up with me, now. One of the men who was supposed to teach today's lesson was unable to, so I stepped in. I've been enjoying the lessons from the other men, so you can imagine my disappointment. Maybe sometime in the future, Brother.

HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO SEEK AFTER JUSTICE (RIGHTEOUSNESS)

Matthew 5:6  (Amplified) Blessed, and fortunate, and happy, and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born again child of God enjoys HIS favor, and salvation) are those who hunger, and thirst for righteousness (uprightness, and right standing with God) for they shall be completely satisfied.

Ø  Justice (righteousness- Right acts- fairness- the right thing,) is not a set of commands, but an attitude of love.  Love is expressed in justice, (right acts.) 

o   1 Kings 10:9 

§  God’s desire to bless is bound up in the act of justice. His first expression of love is His desire to bless us with righteousness through Jesus His son.

§  Psalms 82

Ø  Our continual, overwhelming desire, {hunger (body), and thirst(soul)} should be to seek after justice (righteousness) 

o   Proverbs 21:3

§  While God’s desire is to bless us, our own hunger and thirst determine our satisfaction.

o   Isaiah 56:1- 7

§  When we are seeking to do justice, we are happy to be doing the work of the Lord.  It becomes meat and drink to us.  While we may become sated for an instant, we desire to do more. 

Ø  The expression of Justice is both in what we do and in our attitude. 

o   Isaiah 61:1-3

o   I am happy when I seek to do justice, because God is within those things, and He becomes my satisfaction. 

o   When the disciples thought Jesus was hungry, He told them that He had food that they didn’t know about.  Bringing the woman at the well to salvation was food to Him.

Ø  The Kingdom of God is; Righteousness (justice) Peace (the presence of God), and JOY in the Holy Ghost.  Our satisfaction is in doing the will of the Father.   Justice is the feast that the Father say’s “come and dine”    “Come taste of me, see that I am good.”  Justice is the sweet manna of heaven.  If we say we love God, we will seek to do His heart. 

Ø  The promise of this verse is that the righteous person will be satisfied NOW!  It isn’t pie in the sky reward later.  Acts of righteousness are instant gratification.  We have to train our souls to taste it just as well as our natural sense of taste.     

An AFTER word; this is a pivotal verse for us. So often we mess up the word 'Justice,' confusing it with being fair. Justice is the 'act' of restoring a person to equity, placing them on equal footing with others. God is all about Justice. HE IS JUST! The problem arises when we use the laws He created to enslave others. When we don't exercise the mercy, compassion, and tenderness he expresses toward us, we become unrighteous. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is desiring above all else to see equity restored. That is why Christ left us His Spirit. His Spirit empowers us to heal, deliver, and restore. His Spirit fulfills our greatest desires. We can stand in the place of judgment, and give it completely to the only one who is able to judge. More than that, he left us with the ability to make things right. WOW! Can you lay hold of that? He uses us to restore equity. We become the $50 that someone needs to make it through the week. We become the car mechanic that knows exactly what's wrong. These are things we can do in our physical man, led by the Spirit of God, but there is more! We become the finger of God, reaching out to touch the infirm, the afflicted, and the brokenhearted. We become doers of the Word, not just hearers. It works on two levels, He uses what we have to offer, and we use what he has to offer. He makes our best efforts rise above our greatest weaknesses. We become the righteousness of Christ.

Oh well, some of you will agree with me.  

Looking at Matthew 5:3 From Two Different Perspectives

 About six weeks ago, I asked some of our men to teach on the beatitudes.  You might be wondering what the beatitudes have to do with the Kingdom of God, but it only takes the first passage of scripture to reassure yourself that they have everything to do with it.  The beatitudes define what the Kingdom of Heaven is all about.   The first beatitude can be found in Matthew 5:3, and because there are two schools of thought concerning this scripture verse, I assigned the passage to two different people.  There is one school of thought that says the passage should read: “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”   Then we have another school of thought that says it should read “Blessed are the poor in spirit (the humble); for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”  

When I assigned the lessons, I didn’t tell either of the men that they were teaching the same verse.  I didn’t want either one defending, or comparing their interpretation of the verse.  I also asked them to produce a lesson sheet, and answer two questions; the first being:  1. How does practicing the particular beatitude make you happy?  2.  What does the particular beatitude have to do with the Kingdom? 

The first lesson was on Humility, and was taught by Curtis, a man in his late forties. 

THE HUMBLE:

v  The spiritual principal of humbleness produces freedom, peace, and an abundant happier life

Ø  Humility makes you happier because, having humility means you are teachable.  Being teachable brings hope, and where there is hope, there is happiness (Proverbs 29:18)

Ø  Honesty, Open mindedness, and Willingness accompany humility (Romans 12:3)

Ø  Pride is the opposite of Humble: (Proverbs 29:23, Matthew 23:12)

Ø  New Ideas CAN NOT be grafted onto a closed mind, pride closes our minds to new ideas.

Ø  Pride keeps us locked in bondage , and limited to what we know, and that produces the pressure and stress of having to know all the answers, and making those answers work.(Romans 12:16)

Ø  Living a humble life invites God into our lives, by letting him know we need Him. (Proverbs 3:5-7)

Ø  When we are humble (practicing humility,) we can look past our defects, or our powerlessness over a situation, to seek a solution from God.  This will give us the power (grace) to overcome. “overcoming makes us happy)  (James 4:6-11)

Ø  When we humble ourselves, and place ourselves in a lower position to be of service to someone, it removes us from the picture, gets our minds off of the problems, and sometimes that is what is needed to change our attitude!

Ø  MISERY IS OPTIONAL – PRIDE EQUALS MISERY – HUMBLE EQUALS HAPPINESS !

This last weekend, 14 year old Stone taught on the same verse, but from the position of being poor.  (If you want to be amazed, just keep in mind that this is a 14 yr-old.

THE POOR IN SPIRIT:

v  Matthew 5:3 (NLT) God blesses them who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs

Ø  The poor have nothing that is an illusion of security to them.  They only have God to protect them.

Ø  “The Lord wants to cause even the rich and middle class to become poor in spirit and know their total need for Him.”  (Compelled by Love: by Heidi Baker)

§  The Poor in Spirit have eliminated every option except for Jesus.  There is no plan B for the poor in spirit.  God blesses them because they realize their need for Him.  WE are happier when we are poor in spirit, because we do not rely on our own strength to overcome. (Note similar thought to Curtis’ thought)

Ø  Psalms 91:2 – This I declare of the Lord: He ALONE is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God and I trust in Him.

§  The poor in spirit don’t run to anything but God: only He can offer true, and unwavering protection.  Only HE is always, and completely faithful

Ø  Psalms 20:7 – Some nations boast of their armies and weapons, but we boast in the Lord our God.

§  The poor in spirit value nothing of themselves, but always feel that God is the most important in their lives, and that he alone deserves our devotion.

v  The poor in spirit are happy because they do not rely on their own strength, or other flimsy ideas but fully rely on God.  Therefore they have no anxiety because they are not the ones in control.

  There you have it, two people at opposite ends of the age spectrum, bringing life to the issue of the Poor in Spirit.  I know how people can tend to be when they are arguing for, or against a point, so I think it was fun to see this verse taught from such a pure point of view.  No matter which interpretation you embrace, the simple truth of the matter is that our happiness comes from a position of believing God is our source.  Whether it is humility or being poor, our lives are happier when we rely on God. 

I kind of like the purest sense of the “poor” being the people Christ was referring to in His sermon. I don’t believe we have to live in poverty, nor do we have to subject ourselves to poverty to have the Kingdom.  At the same time I believe that those who rely completely on God for their needs are happier than those who trust in themselves, their money, or their position.  It isn’t the ‘having’ or ‘not-having’ that matters, it’s the heart condition in the middle of it.  I’ve know plenty of poor people who are what I call ‘dirt proud,’ and I’ve known plenty of people with money who’re as humble as they come.  Whatever interpretation you believe, be happy.   

INNER TRANSFORMATION: Living by Faith, Living to Love

We've moved past the 'controversial' stuff, into more accepted theology, and I feel comfortable releasing our lessons now.  I just want to make sure that everyone understands I'm not ashamed, or even uneasy about what we believe, but some things within the Christian faith can become battlegrounds simply because 'someone' has to defend their theology.  'Sword Fights' don't bring glory to anyone, especially Christ.  

Our reason for being filled with the Holy Spirit is so that we can be like our Father.  When Christians say this, it always rankles someone's hide, because it sounds like we're saying we can be God.  NOOOOOOOO!  We can be like our God.  The reason this bothers people is because we have a world view of ourselves.  We haven't been transformed by the renewing of our minds.  We look around us and see people who are in various stages of transformation and wonder how they can call themselves Christians.  This didn't bother the Lord as much as it does us.  Christ walked, and lived with twelve 'men' for three years, enduring their petty fights, glory hogging, and typical need to exert their way on one another.  He didn't cut them off, nor did He give up on them.  He knew the Holy Spirit would complete what He'd begun in them. That is why we must never give up on one another. The Holy Spirit is doing a work in all of us. NOW, to the lesson.

We are finally back on the subject of the Kingdom of God after a brief foray into the Apostolic. As we’ve already determined, the Kingdom of God is a spiritual Kingdom which envelopes, permeates, and affects everything in the physical Universe.  When God created the universe, HE spoke it into existence.  The spiritual Kingdom already existed, making us a physical expression of the spiritual.  While this may wrack the nerves of the scientific minded, everything we see, touch, feel, taste, and hear, exists within the Spiritual. Our very existence is because we bring the Creator pleasure.  It is ironic that as we become more ‘scientific,’ physicists must confront the knowledge that our physical universe is not as easily explained as we’d imagined.  Science is discovering infinite dimensional possibilities which confront long held ideas of time, and space.  Suddenly, the idea of a universe within a universe doesn’t seem the stuff of science fiction any more.  We ‘humans’ while flawed, and infinitely young in a spiritual sense, are chosen to be a physical expression of an infinite and flawless God. 

I like to imagine this physical universe as being like a plastic bag suspended within the spiritual universe.  As Christians move through this physical vale, we expose the physical (this world) to the Spiritual Kingdom outside of it. I envision it as something akin to letting air into a vacuum.  When Spiritual truth touches physical reality, the physical will respond to the Kingdom as either an attraction or repulsion.  The revelation of Spiritual truth is seen as miracles, healing, deliverance, and rebirth in the physical, while in the Spiritual it is simply the physical aligning to the truth. The Spiritual Kingdom will always transform the physical universe. Your growth, and ability to affect the physical universe around you, is directly proportionate to the degree to which you seek the Kingdom of God. It is important to note that I’m not talking about ‘bending spoons,’ or other cheap parlor tricks. These are cheap imitations of the limitless power of God to affect something deeper than this physical world. Jesus decried these kinds of ‘signs’ as the desires of a perverse people.  When prodded for proof of His spirituality, He gave it by offering himself as the propitiation for everyone’s sins. Then He returned to the Spiritual state He’d vacated to accomplish His task.

Those who choose to seek the Kingdom of God are really accepting their spiritual heritage. Once we begin down this path, we soon realize that our understanding of the Spiritual, is in direct proportion to the amount of time we spend in the Presence of God. The more time we give to abiding in the Presence of God, the greater our growth will be. This growth is a transformation of the way you see, hear, and understand things. (1^st  Peter 2:2) In Jesus' terms, this is the command to seek first the Kingdom, which in turn will allow everything else to follow. Seeking, and living in the Presence of God is what brings about the inner transformation of limitless love, and abounding faith. However, inner transformation isn't an intellectual process, it is an act of pure faith.  One of my favorite axioms is; Knowing something doesn’t always result in action, understanding something demands action. Understanding the Kingdom of God is an act of faith.  The Kingdom is never expressed in cheap meaningless parlor tricks, but in love blasting holes into the darkness of this physical vale.  Now, let’s get back on track by revisiting some old territory.

• To even see the Kingdom of God, you must be born again
• Spiritual rebirth opens your eyes to the Kingdom of God
• The unregenerated body and mind can't see the Spirit of God, it can only feel it’s affects.  (Blessings, healing, and miracles can come to the lost)
• Rebirth allows you to see the Holy Spirit's leading (Romans 8:14)
• Being born again is the result of pure faith in action
• Spiritual rebirth moves you into a position to be transformed
• The spiritual exerts control over the physical
• Your physical world will bend to whatever faith you are trusting in
• if your faith is in God, you will reveal love
• if you faith is in anything else, it will be seen as fear
• Inner Transformation begins with submission (Romans 12:1-2)NLT
• GIVE your bodies to God through giving time, possessions, and effort
• To give yourself to someone is to submit (Ephesians 5:17-21)
• Submission places the needs of others over your own needs
• Submission means making yourself available to another
• The body is the vessel or container for your mind
• The mind controls the body (Ephesians 4:20-25)
• It is the mind that needs to be renewed
• so the body can be transformed
• so we can be a new person
• The renewed mind knows God's will (Ephesians 5:15-17)
• Devotion and Consecration are revealed as service and worship
• Service is submission to the body of Christ
• Spiritual Worship is submission to the Spirit of Christ.

The act of presenting yourself as a consecrated (holy) vessel for the Lord is a continuing sacrifice (gift.) Our scriptural example is the Old Testament tabernacle, our living example is Jesus Christ. Both examples make it clear that the consecration of our lives is a living act of faith that is more than bowing once before the Lord and declaring him as your savior. Once an article, person, or people have been consecrated to the Lord, they become Holy, and any other use is unfruitful because they are given to, and for the Lord.

• Transformation begins in the Spirit
• Be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18)
• Be led by the Spirit (Gal 5:18)
• HEAR what is being said
• The Holy Spirit does have a voice
• Our flesh can work against our desire to hear the voice of the Spirit
• Entertainment (excessive)
• Fear  (unreasonable)        
• Pride (independence and denial of Spiritual truth)
• We can discern the voice of the Holy Spirit by knowing His character
• Love  (the ultimate expression of spirituality)
• Peace (quiet acceptance of the Lord’s will)
• Joy     (inner assurance of the Lord’s presence)
• Faith   (greater intrusion of the Spiritual into the physical)
• Hope  (greater desire for the Spiritual revelation to come)
• The renewing of our minds will always result in doing the will of the Father
• Renewal is not avoidance of sin, but the embracing of the Spiritual
• The renewed mind wants to do all the Father reveals, no matter the cost
• Doing requires faith
• Faith inspires Doing
• The cycle repeats itself to infinity (Which we are experiencing NOW!)

The life of faith, the Christian walk, The Way, the Path, and every other definition of being a Christian, is simply a process of shedding the rags of our past, and embracing the glorious that exists in this moment. The inner transformation will make THE PRESENT MOMENT more real than the past, and more exhilarating than the future. HIS presence will cause life and love to abound without fear for the past, and without regard for the future.  Anything beyond this moment not revealed to you by the presence of the Holy Spirit, is your own hopes, schemes, and desires. Let me state clearly, that there is nothing wrong with your own desires, except for the fact they are finite, and limited. I’ve wished and prayed for things in my life that were good, but they weren’t as good as what God had for me. Living in the moment is crucial to abandoning our limited view of the Kingdom of God. The renewed (transformed) mind wants only what the Father wants. We can even know a dire future (as shown by Paul,) and move toward it without fear when we know that the Kingdom is being advanced.  Living a life free of the fear of the future is proof that the renewal is happening within you.

Christ Our Apostle

In building the Church, Christ is described as the first Apostle.  Did that mean He was the only Apostle?  No, he even named the twelve as Apostles.  Does that mean the Twelve disciples were the only Apostles?  No, because the Lord called, and sent another, named Paul.  When Paul was describing the GIFTS Christ gave to the church, he listed five ministries, of which we are somehow eager to throw away one, possibly two, but we’re willing to keep the three that we can fulfill in our own strength.  So, here we are in this modern church age, dealing with the issue of whether the Apostolic is needed today.  So, to keep this blog safe for children, we’ll talk about Jesus being our Apostle.  At least, that’s what we talked about this morning. 

Let’s begin with how Jesus is the first Apostle.  In Hebrews 3:1, the author asks us to consider the Apostle, and High Priest of our faith. (Dave’s paraphrase)  We look at him for a reason; to discover the power of being a faithful servant.

It is in the position of Apostle, that our Lord is able to bless us.  He brings the Kingdom to us. It is in His authority as a messenger from the heavenly Kingdom that we are able to lay hold of the promises of the sovereign God.  It is because of His faithfulness, that we are able to lay hold of faithfulness.  It is because of His victory over sin, that we have victory over sin.  It is because he is the author of life, and light, that we are given the same to shed abroad.  Because He is righteous, we are righteous.  Because He is alive, we are alive.  Our Apostle, the one who appointed Apostles, has, and still is giving Apostles to the Church today so that we can be faithful servants (mature.) 

“So what?” you might ask. 

HERE’S WHAT!  We live in the favor of God.  In submission to Christ, our greatest strength is in what we gain from Him.  I can go to the finest Christian University, take all the theological courses, and graduate with highest honors, but it is all useless if I rely on what is in me.  John chapter 15 makes that abundantly clear.  Christ chose the most uneducated, most cantankerous, ornery, and stubborn men he could find, infused them with the power of the Holy Spirit, and set them as examples for us to emulate.  Even as he spoke to them that night before his death, they were still arguing over who would be the greatest.  Yet, in the midst of their ‘human’ nature, He revealed to them their need for what he could give them.  He pointed them to another source of strength that would empower them to be LIKE Him.  You see, this ‘vine’ of John 15, is the source of the branches, but the branches give life to the vine.  The fruit of the vine, is what nourishes others.  The vine doesn’t eat it’s own fruit.  The fruit is for others.  The Apostolic anointing will always be about others.  What was God’s business for Christ, is our business today. Healing, deliverance, compassion, love, justice, hope, life, truth, goodness, patience, words of life, words of joy, words of peace, these are all fruit that we should be producing.  These things haven’t changed from the beginning. So, what is the big deal about the Apostolic?  Why do those who claim to live within its anointing make an issue of it?   Aren’t we simply talking about living as Christ lived?   What is so important about the Apostolic?  This are questions we are going to answer, but for right now, I don’t want to limit ANY expression of the divine nature that is at work in me.  The infilling, or baptism in the Holy Spirit doesn’t make us perfect.  If it did, the Apostle Paul wouldn’t have had run ins with James, and Peter.  If the Apostolic anointing meant that the Apostle was perfect, then Paul wouldn’t have had a set to with John Mark.  To bring this into our present day, the Apostolic doesn’t guarantee the Apostle will behave any better or worse. 

The other day, I stumbled upon a website that was trying to use moral failures as proof that the modern apostles were fakes.  As I read through their laundry list, I wondered where the list of fallen preachers from old world denominations was.  Then I was slapped by the Holy Spirit and brought back to reality.  It is ‘MEN’ who lift men up, and make them into something they are not.  While I am no longer a sinner, I am saved by grace.  My eyes are ever fixed on the Christ of my salvation, and while “I” may stumble and fall, He who lives within me, the Apostle of my faith, the messenger of my salvation, the one who said I would do greater things than He, the one who left me with HIS Spirit to live inside me, the one who calls me to live for Him, has assured me that he will keep me to the day when I would be given a room in His house. 

Till then, LOVE rules in every expression of the divine nature, even the Apostolic.    

Things That Pass, and Things That Endure

As I stated in my last blog, there a lot of people who like to post blogs to get other people fired up, and begin 'sword' fights.  There was a day when I enjoyed a fierce debate over the Word of God.  I don't enjoy it any more.  The purpose of a debate is to convince the other party that you are 'right.'  It requires intractability, as well as a stance that deserves defending.  In my younger days almost anything was worth defending.  That is no longer true.  I have purposely stopped posting what we've been studying because I know it raises the hackles on certain people's backs. Our men's study group is studying the Kingdom of God, and there are many things that we've been saying that we know are fiercely contended within the body of Christ, but none more so, than the 'Baptism in the Holy Spirit."  I don't want God's children posting hurtful comments over issues that have no bearing on eternity.  

At Real Ministries, we believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking in tongues. This already places us at odds (although it shouldn't) with a large group of evangelical Christians. So, I'm going to sum up very quickly what we've come to agree upon.

• the anointing of the Holy Spirit is always for a purpose that benefits men
• God doesn't need to prove himself to men
• our relationship to HIM is based upon faith that he provides
• demonstrations of power don't prove He exists, they force us to make a decision what we believe.
• God's ultimate purpose is to save
• God's anointing of the Holy Spirit is found throughout the Old and New Testaments
• All revelation of God's power is a revelation of His LOVE!
• God's purpose for the manifestation of the Holy Spirit is not for proof that He exists, it is because He exists. 
• Because HE hasn't stopped existing, His spirit continues to manifest Himself to all mankind in the same way Christ did while on earth, and before Christ was on earth.  
• God's anointing is to demonstrate His nature, not His power.  
• Old Testament demonstrations of His 'power' were demonstrations of His love.
• New Testament demonstrations of His 'power' were demonstrations of His love.
• Love is the greatest commandment, therefore, demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit is actually revealing God's love.  

While we're at it, lets just finish it up with some sweet icing.  

GRACE: The ability to LOVE, and be loved by God.  

Why would God stop healing when in the Old Testament, He gives his name as 'the one who heals?'  

Why would God stop delivering, when in the Old Testament, He made deliverance his major purpose?

Why would God stop talking to us in the 'moment', when he provided a 'tent of meeting' to the children of Israel.  

God did not stop manifesting HIS love, we stopped showing it.  We hid in catacombs, briar woods, forests, and ultimately cathedrals, and churches to escape persecution.  That is why the manifestations of the Holy Spirit ceased.  Then, we had to make up excuses for God, to make ourselves feel better.  

THE LOVE OF GOD IS REAL.  

The problem with saying all of this is, there will always be those who have to prove some theological viewpoint that only serves to deny God's love.  I wish we were more concerned with loving one another than 'being' right.  

Many things will pass, but the one thing that will endure is love.   We're hoping to endure.

Things Best Left Unsaid

"Where have you been?" 

Actually, it was a fair question.  Since just before going on our ministry trip to Nicaragua, our men's study began to step into a topic that is extremely sensitive.  We've begun to delve into our spiritual heritage, and explore our roots.  While some people may enjoy pointing out their differences, and airing out their laundry for everyone to see, we don't, or at least in a public forum like this blog.  I believe it is important to know why you believe what you believe, and the history of the people who shaped your belief system. Our fellowship came from strong Pentecostal roots, yet it doesn't define us. A matter of fact, I am weary of the label of Pentecostal.  I believe it maligns the Jewish feast upon which the experience occurred, and it buries the importance of what was poured out upon that day.  The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the bone of contention that the rabid dogs of dogma, and doctrinal correctness on both sides of the bone, love to get in fights about.  This forum is not the place for me to present intimate details of how I feel, or what I believe.  I don't want to give those bitter souls who long for argument an opportunity to do so.  I also don't want to malign those men, and women of God who've slipped, or fallen along the way during the formation of the current outpouring. This is family talk, about family, with family, and it is a sin when we launch our scripture bombs, dogma grenades, and holy howitzers at one another in public.  In-house debate, spiritual clarification, and doctrinal foundation are crucial for a fellowship to mature, we just don't need to put it out for everyone to see.  My sincere desire is for myself, as well as the men who trust me to bring them solid teaching, is for the Holy Spirit to teach. I can't do that in a public environment. 

Why?

Because there is always going to be someone who is as I once was, full of pride, and the need to be right. We have only one constraint place upon us by scripture, to teach Jesus, and Him crucified.  Everything else is 'family.'  The problem is; when we air our disagreements out in the public, we destroy the unity we should be building.  The cause of Christ is lost upon disappointed ears.

In our men's group, we're going to be in 'comparison' mode for a few more lessons. Some things are best left unsaid in public. Once we are finished talking among ourselves, I'll start posting our lessons once more.  I apologize for not saying something sooner.  

May the grace and peace of God be with you.

THE TRANSPARENT KINGDOM

I’d like to say we’re moving on from our study in ‘grace’ as it pertains to the Kingdom of God, but the truth of the matter is; as Christians we are never too far away from the topic of grace.  In yesterday’s lesson, we began looking at the kingdoms of this world in comparison to the Kingdom of God. Actually we looked at the different societies mankind creates to bring order, and stability to our daily lives.  I would usually transfer our study sheet, and embellish it for this blog, but I wrote this lesson more than a year and a half ago.  It is written in bullet statement style, and wouldn’t make for an interesting blog. 

The gist of the lesson is how we form governments and kingdoms.  We began by looking at families, tribes (extended families), nations, cultural alliances, and the modern concept of globalism.  Of all the kingdoms that men have created through the years, none of them could bridge the language gap.  Without a common language, there can be no true understanding.  In the past, attempts at global kingdoms failed for lack of understanding.  Actually, it is more complicated than that, but the smallest societal groups split up over minor differences.  Understanding, which requires good communication, is the cornerstone of all successful societies.  Believing in the goodness, purpose, and intentions of the leaders of the society, allows the society to grow.  Sadly, somewhere along the line, a leader will make a decision they ‘believe’ can’t be understood by the people, or may even be a stretching of the society’s moral code. It is at this point, a critical decision to be either transparent or secretive is made.  Transparency will further the society’s growth, or cause it to begin the slow decline toward self-destruction.

All the kingdoms of this world are empowered by knowledge.  Knowledge is power. The kingdoms of this world fail because they seek to control knowledge. The control of knowledge is an illusion, just as control is an illusion.  The problem, is man’s fear of losing control. 

The Kingdom of God, on the other hand, isn’t plagued by this failure.  It is the Father’s GOOD pleasure to give us the keys to the Kingdom.  He isn’t threatened by what we know.  A matter of fact, he wants us to know all about Him.  His Kingdom is built upon us being intimate with Him to the point of his telling us everything.  It gives Him great pleasure to share what He knows.  The problem arises when Christian men, and women give in to their carnal nature.  When we attempt to build physical kingdoms out of Spiritual building material, God will only let it go so far.  Because he is ever merciful, tender, and kind, He is always warning those who try to create their own kingdom.  There are always ever increasing warnings to stop doing what they are doing.  The Kingdom of God will never be enclosed in secret levels, hidden rooms, buried documents, or as secret orders.  Those religions, denominations, and fellowships that do things in secret, will eventually be destroyed by the very secret they tried to hide. This was never Christ’s plan for us. 

Praise God, the Kingdom of God is once more advancing, due in large part to the power of the internet, television, and social media.  As men and women learn more by the Holy Spirit, the light of knowledge is spreading to the ends of the earth. The greatest threat to the Church will always be when Christians become fearful, and attempt to control the knowledge of the Kingdom.     

WHY GRACE MATTERS

Our indepth study into grace was necessary for us to understand the battle between the two extremes of  Christian thought. While there are varying shades of thought between the two extremes, they usually fall into one of two categories. The Kingdom of God suffers because the message we want to present is muddled by human interpretation. Once we accept one view or another, we can rarely tolerate people who embrace the other view.  Literalism, Calvinism, Armenianism, fundamentalists, protestants, and Catholics have all broke upon ONE word, GRACE.  As I told you when we began this study, I am not a theologian, nor do I consider myself studied enough to teach this beyond what I read in the Word.  I always pray that when I read the Word, I will be given insight by the power of the Holy Spirit to teach you true and right.  It isn’t important for me to be a scriptural bulldog, unwilling to let go of whatever spiritual bone I might dig up.  It is important for me to present the Kingdom correctly. 

Next week, we are going to rejoin the original study about the Kingdom of God. We’ll spend some time looking at human kingdoms, human societies, and the carnal view of things first.  WHY?  Because we live in this earthly vale.  The problem as Christians, is that our perspective, and therefore, our way of life within that perspective is skewed to our world view.  The AWAKENING, is happening now, and if we are trapped within a rigid perspective, we’ll be worse off than the spiritual leaders of Christ’s day.  When the Grace Awakening occurs, we don’t want to be looking for the old things, while the new things pass us by.  Grace was, is, and will ever be the founding principal of the Kingdom of God. 

EXAMPLE TIME: As an American citizen, I am guaranteed freedom.  Liberty was the founding principal of our nation. We established liberty as the bedrock of all our laws, and privileges. Our laws established the limits of our liberty, while at the same time we trust in those laws to ensure the expression of our liberties. Our laws are a double-edged sword that protects us, and limits us at the same time. The only way we can lose our freedom, is to either commit crimes against society, or to surrender them to others.  As we’ve become a global society, American’s have surrendered many of their ‘rights’ in exchange for safety, and security.  What we hold dear to ourselves is the last thing we will relinquish as the ‘socialization’ of our government continues.  It is my personal belief that as the march of years continue, freedom will be exchanged for safety.  It is inevitable. Where once we were born to enjoy liberty, we will one day be satisfied with just being ‘safe.’  Eventually, liberty, and freedom will become distant concepts.

In the same way our nation was founded upon the principal of liberty, the Kingdom of God was, and still is established upon the principal of Grace. The laws of the Old Covenant, as well as the Spirit of the New Covenant have Grace as the guiding principal of the Kingdom.  AS I said earlier, Grace is more powerful than liberty.  It is God’s grace that gives us liberty.  Where once we were slaves to our sinful nature, we are now at liberty to live the divine nature.  Only grace gives us the power to do that.  When we exchange the power of grace for the false security of the law, we become worse than the Pharisees.  If we go to the other extreme of denying the power of grace to change our natures, we risk becoming as carnal as the Sadducees.  Trying to appease the carnal kingdoms of this world is exactly what the scribes and teachers were doing when they handed Christ over to Pilate. It didn’t work. Trust me, the kingdoms of this world will only grant you liberty in as long as it doesn’t rob others of what they seek to possess.  This concept is easily seen in totalitarian forms of government, but is just as active within ‘democratic’ forms of government.  We’ve seen plenty of examples within the Middle-East of what happens to people who are in disagreement with the majority, or even the leader of a nation.  The dissenter’s liberties are taken from them without a moment’s notice. There is no true liberty outside of God’s grace.  We are seeing that in our own nation, today.  The very government that is supposed to protect our rights is challenging every right given to us in our Constitution.  This is all being done in the name of peace, and safety.  Sound familiar? 

Grace, on the other hand, is something that gives us liberty even when we are bound, or imprisoned by the kingdoms of this world.  The power of grace transcends this physical world, and moves things in the Kingdom of God.  Grace’s expression, is liberty, true liberty of spirit. Spiritual liberty is what Christ came to bring to us. When you read the passage from Luke 4:17-21 it becomes clear that liberty is the heart of grace.  What does grace do?  It brings hope to the poor, it releases the captive, it gives sight to the blind, and releases the oppressed.  LOOK specifically at verse 19.  “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  God’s blessing, and favor have come, and his favor is more than the salvation of our soul.  This promise was made to Isaiah in chapter 61.  God’s promise of grace has always existed.  God’s favor, His good will toward men has always existed, and will never end.  His Kingdom, is given by birthright, not by naturalization. Grace then becomes the expression of those who choose to live out their true citizenship.  This is why these last few weeks matter.  This is why we’ve spent so much time studying grace.  Grace is the underpinning of the Kingdom, just as liberty is the underpinning of our nation.  Anything that robs another believer of his or her liberty in Christ, is not grace. That is why we have to be so careful in our walk with Christ. Grace is the divine nature expressed through the Godhead, as well as those who are born again.  Sadly, the church has lost its way on the issue of grace, because we’ve exchanged our grace for the safety, and security of laws, by-laws, constitutions, declarations of faith, and governments.  Pastors became possessors,  Apostles became appointers, Prophets became profiteers, teachers became taunters, and Evangelists became legalists.  We enshrined our thinking above God’s grace.  It has taken thousands of years to do it, but the path to safety has returned us to the same spot Adam found himself in. We’re afraid to be clothed with God’s righteousness, so we use the fig leaf of human doctrine to cancel the power of God’s grace.  Instead of being without shame as Christ intends us to be, we are continually checking to make sure our nakedness isn’t showing. It is high time for the Church to wake up, and make herself ready for the groom. 

You can be sure, the awakening is going to happen, the Church must wake up!   How can we convince a world to embrace the grace, when we ourselves aren’t convinced of the liberty wherein we now live.  How can we convince people of the divine goodness of God, if the divine nature isn’t found in us.  The divine nature lifts us beyond our human desires, and enables us to live a life of faith, moral excellence, divine knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, and a love for EVERYONE.  We could never do this through the carnal nature.  Don’t get me wrong, the carnal nature is capable of doing ‘good’ things, even following the law, until it becomes puffed up.  The default attitude of the carnal nature is pride.  So, what looks good on the outside is actually filthy on the inside.  The problem with pride, is that it is the beginning of all sin.  It denies everyone of their liberty, even the one who is bound up in it.  Grace immediately challenges the carnal nature.  You see, when Christ spoke in Luke 4 about HIS anointing, He made a list of the things that the carnal nature does.  The carnal nature clothes itself in bad news, it enslaves, it blinds, and it oppresses.  As you will see in the next few weeks, this is the power of the kingdoms of this world.  When we advance the Kingdom of God, we are bringing liberty to those who don’t even know they are wretched, poor, blind, captive, and oppressed.  We must be busy like Christ, destroying the strongholds of darkness, and tearing them down.  We are leading people into the Kingdom of light, through the leading of the Holy Spirit. That is why we are ambassadors for Christ, we are representing a better Kingdom. Even if the evil one should try to jail us, persecute us, beat us, and shut our mouths, he will fail because his kingdoms are already defeated.  As we saw in Russia, and we are seeing in China, it is impossible to destroy God’s grace. Leaders will fail, oppressors will fail, and false teachers will fail.  The governments of this world will eventually bow before the true creator of all things, and they will acknowledge the grace of God. The power of God’s grace will ensure His Word goes out into all the world to save, heal, and deliver.  We only have to be willing to be the agents of His grace.