Free But Warned
The garden looked pristine and beautiful and Adam and Eve walked slowly through the trees, looking at all God had given them. God said "I have made it all for you but don’t touch the one tree in the midst of the garden, or you will die". God gives us freedom but He is not irresponsible. He shouts and cries out wisdom in the streets and in our lives. If you do somethings it will kill you. If you do other things you will end up in bondage so don’t commit adultery, don’t steal and don’t worship false Gods. You are free to choose but often the way that seems right to a man is the way to death. Often men choose to do things that will hurt themselves or other then when there are consequences, wished that God had of stepped in to avoid it happening. Why doesn’t He step in and stop the young man from crashing off the road while drunk. Why doesn’t He step in and stop people from their free choice and their harmful actions. If someone is drunk He doesn’t take the keys but He has already said don’t be drunk. Why doesn’t he stop the teenager from getting pregnant? He has already said do not fornicate.
Friend God gives His intervention up front by way of warning. If we fail to heed them He will not interfere with our choices.
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Who’s in Control?
The sovereignty of God doesn’t mean he makes everything happen that does happen. God is not behind the murderer or the rapist. He is not the planner and the plotter of tragedy, in fact there are many thing that are not Gods will that happen every day. God is not willing that any person should perish but some do every day without Christ. Both Christians and non-Christians fail to do His will every day. He forces no one. In so many ways the world is now disconnected from Gods perfect will. God operated in two modes His perfect sovereign will and his permitted will, have if you like; Gods will and his accommodation of free will and sin in creation. The ordination of King Saul was not Gods perfect will but He allowed it to happen. He was able to work around it and through it. He always can. The fall of man in the Garden was not god will but he chose not to interfere with man free choice. But part of Gods perfect will for us to be to love him and choose him freely; therefore he had to give his free choice. Mans freedom of choice was a necessary risk. God will not force men to worship but neither can he force people not to sin. Here is Gods dilemma: Shall I make people good or shall I make people free? Free to choose Good or evil.
Friend we are free to choose Gods way or our way but only God way ends in relationship with God and man in peace and joy.
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All dried up?
Elijah walked down to the river as he always had for months but it seems that the river from which he drank each day was becoming just a trickle. He was about to find out why. When the place that God brought you to becomes dry and unsustainable it is because God is getting ready to take you to a new place. God never takes you to a place that dries up and leaves you there. Though God had provided for Elijah at the river with obedient ravens, He had more in mind. That meant getting Elijah’s attention through a provision that dried up. God was not caught out. God knows everything all the time; He knows everything about the present the future and the past and He has known it from eternity. He has perfect understanding and wisdom. With perfect control and power He ensures all things work together for good.
Friend, if wherever you have been placed is drying up- look up; it may be a sign that He has a new thing, place, ministry and encounter with God, perhaps a increase of His supernatural power or a new people to be a part of.
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Key to everywhere
Cars, buses and taxis ply the streets of our town. Men and women walk to work and home again. It is easy to think that there is only the world we live in but high above and deep beneath there are other worlds. Three realms exist. There is heaven, the spiritual realm that God dwells in. There is earth on which the masses of humanity live, which we to reach with gospel and there is under the earth. The cross is the key to opening all three. The cross opened heaven for us. It restored our relationship with our Father in heaven. Through the cross of Christ, we are reconciled to God. Praise God that through cross we are able to fellowship with Jesus. The cross is also the key to authority with men in the earth. When a man or women speak as one truly carrying the cross of a disciple of Jesus there is a ring of authenticity about them that has impact in men hearts. Also between believers, it is the cross that reconciles brother with brother as the cross is embraced. It is the cross that releases ministry to men and women. Certainly the cross is the key to authority under the earth. It was the victory of the cross that destroyed the authority of Satan. The cross is the only badge of authority the devil recognizes. So the cross is the key to authority in every realm. The cross gives you recognition in heaven, recognition in earth, and recognition under the earth.
Friend, it is not a uniform of bright colours or a flag that flutters proudly that gives us authority, but the cross. Not a physical cross to be lifted or carried through the town but a cross clung to in faith and embraced in our heart that gives us power in every place above, on or the under the earth
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Dress to Impress
Esther was getting ready to appear before the king and she asked Hegai what she should wear. She trusted him completely as he knew what the kings liked and disliked. All the girls in the palace selected for the king all knew that they could have anything they wanted to wear and no doubt they went shopping to look stunning in their own eyes. The bible challenges us to please the Lord and not to please ourselves. One thing we sometimes struggle to grasp is the difference between being accepted in the Beloved and living in ways that please God.2 Corinthians 5.9. It not a works salvation but of pure grace. We don’t try to please Him to be saved but we will want to please him if we are saved.
Friend, the key I see to pleasing God, is not to live in a special way in order to get to heaven but to live a special way because we are going to heaven.
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Fear Not
The devil knew Jesus was coming to set the man free, stirred up great storm to stop Jesus coming to the region. You know the devil is not really interested in stopping you doing anything but he is interested in stopping the Lord Jesus from touching people's lives. It was not the disciples that he was trying to stop from reaching the other side, it was Jesus. The disciples at this point were merely men. Christ did not live within them. They were not anointed with the Holy Spirit. Jesus authority was not dwelling in them. The only person that worried the devil in that boatload of people, was Christ. But things are different now. Today Christ is in our life like he was in the boat and because Christ is in us; the devil will cause the storms and troubles to come against us. If he can he will seek to way lay us, distract us and cause enough trouble to turn us back. How many times have you made a fresh commitment to be available to God only to find that quickly trouble comes?
Friend if you are with Jesus in His purpose to reach the lost, the enemy may seek to rock your boat but with Jesus in the boat your life and boat is safe.
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Spiritual warfare
Elijah stood in front of all the people and demanded to know how long they were going to limp between opinions. But the people answered him not a word. Canaanite mythology believed that Baal ruled the earth and was responsible for harvest, rain and fertility and that Mot ruled below in the underworld, as the god of death. These two were engaged in constant battle and when Mot was winning, there was cold, drought and famines but when Baal got the upper hand, there was rain and blessings harvest and life. The ministry of Elijah was set in direct opposition to the supposed power of Baal. When Elijah declared that there would be neither “dew nor rain” it was a clear challenge to Baals’ supremacy. At Zarephath, he is seen to overcome death (seen as the power of Mot) when he raised the widow’s son from the dead. We too live our lives on a battleground not a playground but like Elijah, our God is with us to bring victory. The nation had turned away from God. God’s people were not fully following Jehovah but they weren’t fully following Baal either. There was accommodation in their life to his influence. After all, his religion was more satisfying to their flesh. He offered unbridled sexuality without restrictive standards. Baal titillated their imaginations. Many were not fanatical worshippers like Jezebel but they knew his philosophy and Baal was all the gossip around the nation. Sure we love God he has been our traditional God for generations but we like Baal too. We think there are some good things about Baal; we feel we can relate to Baal, he’s not all bad. Friend, surely we can see the picture here of the Western nations in the last days. The nations were forged and strengthened by God and His Word, but now they are post-Christian. They may still have prayer in parliament on occasions but there are new false gods in the land. Our leaders may choose to be like Jezebel in its state-sponsored syncretism and denial of the God of Israel but let not the people on the mount be a picture of ourselves!
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Reconciled
The guilty thief is pronounced not guilty and runs free from the court room. On the streets no one knew the judge was the thief's father. But the boy didn’t return home. Sad-Free but reconciled. We are not just freed and forgiven, we are reconciled to God. If we were only justified that would still leave us in dirty clothes cowering and uncertain although perhaps thankful for the goodness of the judge because He declares us holy and blameless. God is no longer a judge but He is our father and reconciliation is a family term. So we can talk to him relate to him share with him. He is your father. Not only are we reconciled to God but we are reconciled to men of Eph 2: 16 the Jews and Gentiles the most difficult people ever to get on together are now made one through the cross that are due a Gentile can become brothers any of us can become brothers and sisters through the cross. The Cross was the most shameful thing to happen to a person. They would die naked. It was the pits - they would cheer gladiators on the way to die. But never a crucified person. Now Paul was the opposite of the sophist and young rhetoricians of his day. He was old, dressed badly, poor and couldn’t speak that well. He said it is a miracle that the Corinthians listened or heard but it was God! Paul said for them to believe on the gospel is a miracle. I came with a ridiculous message, looking ridiculous to you but you changed it was a work of God.
Friend, the gospel is the power of God. it was then and it is now.
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