Wisdom From Above

We creatures of the Father above have not changed much over the years. In the garden Satan went to twisting God’s Word. Satan said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

Eve replied, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”

Wrong Eve. God didn’t say a thing about not touching the fruit. (See Genesis 2:16-17)

Satan again comes back inciting doubt to what the Lord had said saying, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

This is the story played out in Genesis 3.

This is how is has gone ever since. God speaks. Then those voices cry out telling us God certainly didn’t say that but He said this. We inadvertently, carelessly or purposely adds to what scripture says to make it fit their our own limited understanding.

Today, we encourage and worship the act of questioning God’s Word. Intellectuals who battle with faith will justify their own ideas to be added or God’s Words to be tossed out with phrases like “you don’t check your brain out at the door” . Neither Adam nor Eve didn’t need to pay hundreds and thousands of dollars to attend the newest bible conference to understand what God said or have it explained by a theory. Books by the greatest authors of the age were not needed. Of course these resources (thankfully) were not available to them.

God’s Word indeed is not the way we think or act. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD Isaiah 55:8. Quite frankly, our brains just don’t have the horsepower, or capacity to come close to grasping the Infinite Mind. So why do we continue to ignore God’s Word, dismiss it, add to it or take away from it thinking our ideas are on equal footing with His?

So what are we to do. Trust in the love of the One who loves us and that He will act in our best interest. That was done in Christ. You know, the way we trusted our parents when we were small children. “Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, {According to} the faithful mercies shown to David Isaiah 55:3. “

Finally, James tells us how to recognize wisdom from above, as apposed to the twisted versions we get elsewhere, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy James 3:17″

It is Christ who came from above and is the wisdom and power of God . (See 1 Corinthians 1:24). It is in Him whom we trust.

Paul Sheppard: What’s Love got to do with it?

Picked this up when flipping through radio stations coming home Friday evening. It is the conclusion of a 2 part message by Paul Sheppard. Here is the link if you care to listen. It is a teaching on Agape love from 1 Corinthians 13. It is wonderful to hear that this is still preached from the pulpit. Of course the title is very reminiscent of the song by that title done by Tina Turner.

This message really struck me since the devotion in Our Daily Bread for 4/20 was on 1 Corinthians 13….

Paul Sheppard’s radio ministry link is EnduringTruth.org. He is the pastor at Abundant Life Christian Fellowship

Jesus came Among Wolves

The upcoming National Geographic special “Man Among Wolves” has reminded me of one of our dogs who definitely qualifies as the alfa male. Years ago he was so bad that we seriously thought of putting him down. My wife who dearly loves the dog admitted that she thought he was a mistake. He would chew up anybody or anything that got near his stuff. Most of the time we try to make dogs a human, so as a last resort I thought I’d become a dog and maybe he would get it… So I employed some of the methods this guy uses. Getting down on all fours, I chewed on the side of his face, back of his neck and he would chew on the back of my arms and the back of my neck. Years later he has mellowed to the behavior and demeanor of a normal doggy. It is picture I use as the avatar here at WordPress.

Not wanting to lose His creation Jesus became a man among Wolves. He was fully God, fully man and came in an act of love to save us, the Wolves who in the end put Him on a cross and crucified Him. But this was the plan and death could not contain Him. If you find you are in the alfa male mode then fall on the one who is able to save us from ourselves. Never believe the lie you are a mistake or beyond the reach of the Father’s hand.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, Romans 1:3-4

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father! Galatians 4:4-6

Repentance is a Work of God, Not a work we can Claim

(Picture by orb@www.Morguefile.com)

I am discovering that repentance is a work of God. This has been nagging at me quite a bit since this past Easter Sunday. It started with a devotion that morning that had me asking lots of questions and thinking how many put the book of Galatians and the book of James at odds with each other. But I do not see them in opposition.

I believe the Lord uses His Holy Law in a manner which convicts us, moves us to repentance and then to faith in Christ. But repentance is His work in us. It is not us putting faith or efficacious value in an act to force His hand.

I did a short, but not exhaustive study in repentance this morning. Here are some of the places in scripture I studied:

Acts 2:14-40; Acts 3:11-26; Acts 5:31; Acts 11:18; Acts 20:21; Acts 26:21 and 2 Cor 7:9-10.

In these passages we hear that God has granted repentance to Israel and Gentiles, a repentance for the forgiveness of sins, repentance for the times of refreshing that comes from the presence of the Lord, a repentance that leads to life and a sorrow to the point of repentance according to the will of God to mention a few.

Check’em out if you like and post any comments if you wish.

I did find another source the supports part of what I am saying here and seems to express what I believe is occurring or not occurring in our church body today.

Be intolerant: Reject the lies of Satan

“Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” Jesus, Matthew 24:12

“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable,…” Paul, 2 Timothy 3:1-3

When looking at our world today it would pretty hard to deny that we are in the last days of which our Lord and Paul spoke of 2000 years ago. Many are obsessed with self with an enduring self love. A quick look at the churches today will tell us many are “marketing” their church by playing on people’s selfish wants. These fleshly pursuits are masked as spiritual.

When a person walks into a church, the biggest need a non-believer has is to hear the dire state of their sin situation and hear the gospel. Of course this sin talk just doesn’t bring in the crowds these days. The body has believed the lie that talking about sin is hateful and intolerant. Was Jesus being hateful, intolerant and judgmental in Matthew 5 when He tells His hearers that when you look at a woman to lust after her you have committed adultery? Was He beating them with a bible (Torah) as evangelists have been accused?

Or is this love? Jesus ticked off many by telling the truth. It got John the Baptist beheaded. It put Jesus on the cross to die a terrible death.

Instead, we hear things like sow a seed and you will reap an increase [ give us money and you will get a bunch more money and you'll be healthy too], buy our book to discover your purpose so you will be happy [follow our rules and Laws to get to heaven].

Mere counterfeits and lies of Satan.

In Jesus’ day people who promoted this kind of stuff were called the Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees. They rejected Jesus and sought righteousness by their own hand [by obeying the Law].

It is time to be intolerant and reject these lies. Look to scriptures which always points us to a living faith in our Lord.

Forgiveness

Mark 11:25 “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.

I found myself in the position of having let down my guard recently and quite stupidly stepped into sin. Of course all sin is stupid if you ask me. What disturbed me so much was those little bells didn’t go off. Worse yet I got others in my family involved in that sin.

Last night I went to my bookshelf and pulled out a book I reference from time to time called The Bondage Breaker by Neil T. Anderson. I asked the Lord to reveal any other sins that I may have conveniently glossed over or ignored. Then as I proceeded to ask for His forgiveness for this sin, the Spirit began revealing people whom I have not forgiven.

And it just kept coming.

Anderson makes an astute observation of forgiveness: “Forgiveness is agreeing to live with the consequences of another person’s sin. Forgiveness is costly; we pay the price of the evil we forgive.”

As we approach Resurrection Day, remember that our Lord paid the price for our evil. Likewise He asks that we “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Eph 4:32

Your Grace still amazes me

Here is a wonderful and timely piece from Igniter Media. Truly, I am not worthy of His grace which is still amazes this man. Stumbled into Mike Macon’s Mikescape blog in which he has a spoof video posted on the Church of Me .