At church yesterday the message God placed upon my heart emphasized the necessity of Christians to be baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. It should be no surprise that the devil has sought any possible means to dissuade people from seeking the fullness of the Spirit. Some have been deluded to think the gifts of the Spirit are no longer necessary today. 1 Corinthians 14:37-40 says, "If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. 38 But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant. 39 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. 40 Let all things be done decently and in order." No longer need we be ignorant, nor must we remain without power. A pastor recently told me most churches are so concerned about "decently and in order" that "all things" are not encouraged. I believe all things should be done decently and in order for our God is not a God of confusion: we are the one who become confused!
Consider Saul who was later called Paul, an apostle and servant of the Most High God. After Christ appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, Ananias was commanded by God to seek Saul out and pray for him. This is Luke's account written in Acts 9:17-18: "And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized." Jesus is the One who baptizes His followers with the Holy Spirit and fire.
I find Paul's public recounting of this event in Jerusalem to a crowd most interesting. He supplies additional information Luke did not record at first. Paul's testimony from Acts 22:12-16 reads: "Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, 13 came to me; and he stood and said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that same hour I looked up at him. 14 Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. 15 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'" I am drawn to think over the question Ananias poses in verse 16: "Now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Paul had been filled with the Spirit: what was he waiting for? After praying with Paul, Ananias exhorted Paul to action. "Why are you waiting?" I hearken to the question the Ethiopian eunuch asked Phillip: "Here is water: what hinders me from being baptized?"
Why indeed are we often sluggish to obey God in both water baptism and the baptism with the Holy Spirit? We need not wait any more! Acts 1:4-5 records the words of Christ to the disciples after His resurrection before the day of Pentecost: "And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." The Spirit was poured out upon the believers as they prayed in one accord in the upper room. Does that mean we must wait to receive this as well? Some mistake Christ's words as applying to us today, that "wait" means "quit serving." Not at all! The wait is over because Christ has ascended and God's Spirit has been sent! Today is the day of salvation and the day of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. It is only through the Spirit that we can serve God effectively, exercise spiritual gifts, resist the devil and all temptation, have understanding of God's Word, and victoriously engage in the spiritual battles we face daily.
Born-again Christians affirm that if a person will confess their sins, repent, and trust in Jesus Christ, they have assurance of salvation through the Word of God. Yet some of these same believers (and I was once one of them!) stop short of believing if a person will confess their sin, repent, and ask in faith for Christ to be baptized with the Holy Spirit it may or may not happen. How can this be? Speaking for myself, I used to be the aforementioned person. To put it bluntly, I for a while desired the baptism with the Spirit yet was unwilling to lay down my own will at the cross and humble myself. I actually used scripture to fortify my position and hid behind a facade of spirituality. In doing so to my shame I robbed God of glory and sacrificed my usefulness for His kingdom in exchange for pride. But glory to God, He changed my heart and opened my eyes. He showed me my great need for the fullness of the Holy Spirit, enabled me to believe the promises of His Word, and gave me faith to pray to receive. Like John the Baptist I personally affirm that Jesus IS the One who baptizes His followers with the Holy Spirit and fire. We have God's assurance in His Word in the matter and the testimony of the Holy Spirit to confirm the truth in our hearts.
Do you possess, by God's grace, the fullness of the Spirit? Know that you can and that is His will for you. Jesus says in Luke 11:13: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" 1 John 5:14-15 affirms: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." Now why are you waiting? Jesus says to you in Luke 11:9: "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."
27 March 2011
Are You Dedicated?
"So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the LORD was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and the furnishings. He put them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD."
1 Kings 7:51
Isn't it wonderful when God weaves a thread through your day? Before going to church this morning, I read this passage during my devotional time. There was a wonderful connection between this scripture and the message I later preached, not only confirming God's Word but the powerful operation of the Holy Spirit.
As I read this passage, I considered the word "dedication." When I thought of dedication, I though of Hannah dedicating her pre-conceived son Samuel for the LORD's use. Though she delivered Samuel as a child for service in the tabernacle, Samuel had a choice to either serve God or rebel. He chose to honor God with his life and became a prophet mighty in word and deed, and in honoring God honored the choice his mom made to dedicate him unto God. I see a similarity in how King David dedicated the silver, gold, and furnishings for use in the temple Solomon would later build as king. Though David dedicated valuable goods for the building of the temple, King Solomon had command of the gold and silver. He chose to use them for the use designated by his father.
The definition of the Hebrew word translated "dedicated" is: "to sanctify, consecrated, dedicated, hallowed." This led me to consider that all children of God have been dedicated for God's use in this sense, for God has sanctified us for His use. Hebrews 13:12 reads, "Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate." Jesus has sanctified us by His own blood, as Jude affirms through his address of all believers in Jude 1:1: "Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ..." As Hannah dedicated Samuel, as David sanctified the gold and silver for use in the temple, so we too have been dedicated unto the Father through the blood of Christ.
The question remains: will we use our freedom from sin and death to dedicate ourselves unto God, or misdirect the gifts and talents He has granted us for any other purpose? Am I resolved to lay down my will so my life will be dedicated for God's will and glory? Both Samuel and Solomon honored God by honoring their parents through obedience, and we honor the Father through the leading of the Holy Spirit in obedience to Christ. God did not grant us silver or gold for a temple made with hands, but the glorious presence of the Holy Spirit's presence to fill the temple of our bodies! Praise God that He has granted the Holy Spirit in His fullness to followers of Jesus Christ! As Paul exhorts in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
24 March 2011
The Giver is Greater
As I watched television last night, a man climbed a platform to be recognized with an award of excellence in Australian Rules Football. The round medal was connected to a ribbon to be worn around the neck similar to medals awarded during the Olympic games. The recipient bowed his head as a smiling presenter carefully placed the medal. The man slowly stood up, and raised a fist in triumph as he acknowledged the cheering crowd. It struck me that while the athletes generally receive the glory or recognition, the game of Australian Rules Football is bigger than each individual player. Awards given for excellence are even greater than the star players. The man literally had to bow to receive the award from the presenter who represented the league which gives the player any credibility at all!
The Olympic games are greater than any single athlete. That spectacle of sport is a bigger stage than any personality. The greater the stage and the higher the stakes only magnify the glory of the participants. In the United States at the moment the National Football League and the players are in the middle of a labour dispute. The owners of each franchise own the rights to the NFL, but the players claim the NFL wouldn't be what it is without their talent. Though it is a mutually beneficial relationship, I side with the owners. Without the National Football League those players would be virtually unknowns: no advertising campaigns, no video games, no television coverage, no multi-million dollar contracts. The NFL is bigger than any player. Players are drafted and retire, traded, succumb to injury or rise to stardom, but the league keeps churning on. Every year 32 teams battle for the coveted Vince Lambardi trophy. The game is bigger than them all. The game honors the greatest NFL players in a Hall of Fame: the players do not honor the game by playing, though many play honorably.
This line of thinking led me to consider of the relationship between Jesus and His followers. Jesus has died on the cross, risen from the dead, and ascended to heaven. Because He physically has left the earth, Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within and come upon every believer. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God has given spiritual gifts (not awards or rewards!) so we might honor Jesus Christ and edify the church. To receive these gifts we must not only bow our heads but lay down our will to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire. In some circles today, the gifts of the Spirit almost eclipse the view of Jesus. He is seen as our means to obtain power and this is sin. Jesus is not a means but our ultimate all: as Christ lay down His will before the Father, we ought to lay down our will completely before Him.
No matter how decorated a general might be, the country who granted him a career and recognition remains greater than he. How true it is that a man of authority must be a man under authority! While athletes are governed by rules of conduct and sportsmanship, Christians are under the authority of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit who make up the triune God as revealed in the Bible. No man can cast a shadow upon Christ no matter how gifted or skilled he might be. While men are recognized for their talents on gridiron or their volunteer work off of it, every gift given by God to man is received only by grace. Is any person worthy to receive even a scrap from their Creator's table, much less to be counted fellow-heirs with Jesus Christ? Romans 8:14-17 reads, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."
While professional football players receive glory on the field, there is also a measure of suffering they endure for their effort: knee replacements, chronic arthritis and pain, early onset of dementia from head injuries, even paralysis or death. Christians are called to give all glory to God despite certain suffering as we serve Him faithfully. Consider the next verse: Romans 8:18 says, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." For children of God it is not the promise of rewards, gifts, awards, or compensation which moves us to serve God: it is love! God has revealed such gracious love to us in sending His Son Jesus to die for us! What a privilege to be permitted to serve and even suffer for His name's sake. Every gift we receive from God's hand gives us greater appreciation and love for Him! His gifts are greater than us, and God is greater than His gifts. Let us bow our heads and thank Him for such indescribable gifts of salvation, forgiveness, peace, joy, grace, mercy, and love - all with infinite quantity and divine quality!
The Olympic games are greater than any single athlete. That spectacle of sport is a bigger stage than any personality. The greater the stage and the higher the stakes only magnify the glory of the participants. In the United States at the moment the National Football League and the players are in the middle of a labour dispute. The owners of each franchise own the rights to the NFL, but the players claim the NFL wouldn't be what it is without their talent. Though it is a mutually beneficial relationship, I side with the owners. Without the National Football League those players would be virtually unknowns: no advertising campaigns, no video games, no television coverage, no multi-million dollar contracts. The NFL is bigger than any player. Players are drafted and retire, traded, succumb to injury or rise to stardom, but the league keeps churning on. Every year 32 teams battle for the coveted Vince Lambardi trophy. The game is bigger than them all. The game honors the greatest NFL players in a Hall of Fame: the players do not honor the game by playing, though many play honorably.
This line of thinking led me to consider of the relationship between Jesus and His followers. Jesus has died on the cross, risen from the dead, and ascended to heaven. Because He physically has left the earth, Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within and come upon every believer. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God has given spiritual gifts (not awards or rewards!) so we might honor Jesus Christ and edify the church. To receive these gifts we must not only bow our heads but lay down our will to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire. In some circles today, the gifts of the Spirit almost eclipse the view of Jesus. He is seen as our means to obtain power and this is sin. Jesus is not a means but our ultimate all: as Christ lay down His will before the Father, we ought to lay down our will completely before Him.
No matter how decorated a general might be, the country who granted him a career and recognition remains greater than he. How true it is that a man of authority must be a man under authority! While athletes are governed by rules of conduct and sportsmanship, Christians are under the authority of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit who make up the triune God as revealed in the Bible. No man can cast a shadow upon Christ no matter how gifted or skilled he might be. While men are recognized for their talents on gridiron or their volunteer work off of it, every gift given by God to man is received only by grace. Is any person worthy to receive even a scrap from their Creator's table, much less to be counted fellow-heirs with Jesus Christ? Romans 8:14-17 reads, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."
While professional football players receive glory on the field, there is also a measure of suffering they endure for their effort: knee replacements, chronic arthritis and pain, early onset of dementia from head injuries, even paralysis or death. Christians are called to give all glory to God despite certain suffering as we serve Him faithfully. Consider the next verse: Romans 8:18 says, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." For children of God it is not the promise of rewards, gifts, awards, or compensation which moves us to serve God: it is love! God has revealed such gracious love to us in sending His Son Jesus to die for us! What a privilege to be permitted to serve and even suffer for His name's sake. Every gift we receive from God's hand gives us greater appreciation and love for Him! His gifts are greater than us, and God is greater than His gifts. Let us bow our heads and thank Him for such indescribable gifts of salvation, forgiveness, peace, joy, grace, mercy, and love - all with infinite quantity and divine quality!
22 March 2011
Faith Out of Date?
As a eating enthusiast, I enjoy cooking and baking a great deal. The quality of ingredients used plays a key role in creating an edible masterpiece. I appreciate an omelet packed with delicious contents, a well-formed Snickerdoodle, or sweet zucchini bread with a crack down the middle. Though I have met with relative success in the kitchen, there have been occasions where everything seemed to go very wrong - like the time I put in a cup of sugar instead of a tablespoon in the pancakes. Sometimes failures in the kitchen are not the fault of the cook. When the oven will not heat up to the correct temperature, baked goods will not rise property. If baking powder or yeast is very old, it will affect the amount of rise and texture. Both ingredients for baking and medicines have a "use by date" because their effectiveness is directly tied to their freshness.
But what about faith? Is old faith just as good as new faith in Jesus Christ? No way! Our faith is to be renewed day by day as we affirm our belief in Christ and trust in Him. Jesus commended a woman in scripture for her great faith, and chastened his disciples for their lack of faith. We walk in faith and exercise gifts according to proportion of faith (Rom. 12:6), and people also have faith of varying strengths (Rom. 14:1). Even the smallest amount of faith in Christ is real faith. Genuine faith in Jesus is saving faith indeed. As we are to grow in grace, Christians are also called to grow in faith (2 Cor. 10:15). Faith is not work to be done but a gift to be received.
1 Peter 5:8-9 reads, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." Faith helps us to stand and trust in Christ but also to resist attacks from Satan. When Paul talks about spiritual armor in Ephesians 6:16, every believer in Christ is exhorted to put on the whole armor of God: "...above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." Every believer has been given a shield of faith to aid and protect us from satanic attacks. A shield used in a battle by a Roman Hastati would be battered by stones, burnt by flaming arrows, chipped from slashes of spears and swords. The leather straps used as handles over time could become brittle or snap. Needless to say, shield maintenance and replacement was a part of life for a soldier.
I have a great burden for Christians who have gone into battle and fought valiantly for Christ and the Gospel, yet their faith has grown old and stale. The spiritual fight has whittled their shields to the size of a dinner plate! They can be more focused on fighting and contending than abiding in Jesus! More and more arrows find their mark and cause pain. Instead of finding strength when a man reads God's Word, his mind becomes more focused on difficulties. He picks over theological bones in online forums rather than drinking the wholesome milk and eating the meat meant to nourish in God's Word. This is a real danger for all believers. Instead of trusting in God has a child, we can have intellectual hindrances that keep us from taking God at His word. We can carry the same genuine shield of faith, but it can be old faith built by things God said or did years ago - rather than what He has spoken to us today! God is showing me I need renewed faith in Him. Won't you wait on the LORD to renew your strength by renewing your faith? He is our Refuge, our Help in trouble.
Isaiah 40:29-31 reads, "He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, 31 but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Take a moment to inspect your faith. Is it out of date or in dire need of maintenance? It is time to purge our pantries and have God restore our shields of faith. Fresh faith will give us renewed effectiveness for God's glory!
But what about faith? Is old faith just as good as new faith in Jesus Christ? No way! Our faith is to be renewed day by day as we affirm our belief in Christ and trust in Him. Jesus commended a woman in scripture for her great faith, and chastened his disciples for their lack of faith. We walk in faith and exercise gifts according to proportion of faith (Rom. 12:6), and people also have faith of varying strengths (Rom. 14:1). Even the smallest amount of faith in Christ is real faith. Genuine faith in Jesus is saving faith indeed. As we are to grow in grace, Christians are also called to grow in faith (2 Cor. 10:15). Faith is not work to be done but a gift to be received.
1 Peter 5:8-9 reads, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." Faith helps us to stand and trust in Christ but also to resist attacks from Satan. When Paul talks about spiritual armor in Ephesians 6:16, every believer in Christ is exhorted to put on the whole armor of God: "...above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." Every believer has been given a shield of faith to aid and protect us from satanic attacks. A shield used in a battle by a Roman Hastati would be battered by stones, burnt by flaming arrows, chipped from slashes of spears and swords. The leather straps used as handles over time could become brittle or snap. Needless to say, shield maintenance and replacement was a part of life for a soldier.
I have a great burden for Christians who have gone into battle and fought valiantly for Christ and the Gospel, yet their faith has grown old and stale. The spiritual fight has whittled their shields to the size of a dinner plate! They can be more focused on fighting and contending than abiding in Jesus! More and more arrows find their mark and cause pain. Instead of finding strength when a man reads God's Word, his mind becomes more focused on difficulties. He picks over theological bones in online forums rather than drinking the wholesome milk and eating the meat meant to nourish in God's Word. This is a real danger for all believers. Instead of trusting in God has a child, we can have intellectual hindrances that keep us from taking God at His word. We can carry the same genuine shield of faith, but it can be old faith built by things God said or did years ago - rather than what He has spoken to us today! God is showing me I need renewed faith in Him. Won't you wait on the LORD to renew your strength by renewing your faith? He is our Refuge, our Help in trouble.
Isaiah 40:29-31 reads, "He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, 31 but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Take a moment to inspect your faith. Is it out of date or in dire need of maintenance? It is time to purge our pantries and have God restore our shields of faith. Fresh faith will give us renewed effectiveness for God's glory!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)