Sanctification
Jacob was the second-born son of Isaac. He was a schemer but he knew what he wanted. He wheedled the birthright, then he got the blessing. He was always working the angles. When he met God in Gen 28.17 he said “If you will bless me, help me, keep me, feed me and clothe me, then I’m going to make a house for You and begin to tithe like Abraham. Which is fine but it is a bit like saying If I’m better off materially, by being right with God then I’ll serve him. He might have thought; the reason I’ll tithe is so that I can get blessed. (The reason we tithe is that we are already blessed. The job you have already, is a blessing and we need to honour God, lest we lose the one we’ve got.) Jacob knew what he wanted and when God met him he said “I want you to bless me and wrestled with him till God blessed him. God did bless him but the blessing meant a change in his walk. He walked with a limp from that day on. He was no longer striving in his own strength which was diminished. That is what we call sanctification; when we learn to lean completely on God and come to a place where we realise that our strength is not sufficient. God wrestles with us in such a way through circumstance that though we are loved sons and fully justified before God, He helps us to become like Jesus in actuality. In reality, we are changed to be more like him. This is practical righteousness not just imputed or even imparted righteousness. We might be justified and declared righteous, but our habits can still be demanding, selfish or ungrateful, so God will help us change.
Friend, if we don’t realise he is wrestling with us we will wrestle all night but not win. Give in and do it Gods way.
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Don’t make me wait
The old farmer leans on his shovel and looks at the field. Its been a few weeks since he planted a seed and still, the field hasn’t turned green with new spouts. But he’s not worried and he’s not impatient. He knows there is a due season.
Patience is not just being able to wait, anyone can do that but it’s waiting with the right attitude of faith and trust. I have had some things that stretch my patience for years. Not just one or two but many years till I said: “Lord how much longer?” Most people have enough faith to trust God for a day. If God sorts it after a day they can be happy but fewer people have faith to trust God if it takes six or ten years.
In the kingdom there can only one can be Lord and trials of faith and patience, teach us that He is God and that we are dependent upon him. We can rejoice in trials, as they develop patience in us. Trials sometimes bring other things out of us. Not patience but anger. We really only have the character that we demonstrate in the midst of a trial. Anyone can look patient on a slow yacht in their holidays.
Friend, Paul had to learn to be content, so it didn’t happen overnight. He didn’t find it easily and neither will you, but we are never losers only learners. God doesn’t see as failures but only as His growing children.
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How do we grow
Jesus said to the disciples “Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they neither toil nor spin yet they grow and are beautiful. All growth depends upon God. The Christian life is not a life of self-help or self-improvement but is about receiving the benefits of God’s grace. Growth happens when you and learn to receive more grace from God. The early church had only the Old Testament for a bible and found in its pages explanation and illustrations of the truth they had experienced. The 6 men of Genesis illustrate the work of God in us to bring us to His image and spiritual growth. Adam, of course, is a clear picture and cause of the sin we all share. Noah is a picture of regeneration, where new life begins out of the old. God saved him from being destroyed with the old creation and he begins a new life with those He brings forth into a new life Abraham is the illustration of Justification by faith. He shows us that Gods way of putting man right with Himself is by an unusual manner; faith. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. Isaac illustrates sonship, where the son becomes the apple of Father’s eye. Isaac is truly blessed; he has no needs, everything is provided for. He is loved by God and even in time of famine he is blessed. He is the favoured one, the special boy, the beloved son. That is you and me. We are Gods sons and daughters. To as many as received Him, He gave them power to become the sons of God. That is a picture of supernatural living because he’s blessed by Father. Jacob’s life reflects the process of sanctification. Jacob was a trickster he was a schemer. Faith is living without scheming; it’s living in a way that just trusts God. His life was all about him but God changed him and wrestled with him till he walked with a limp.
Friends, all growth and the dealings of God in our lives, are to bring us to a walk of dependence upon God where our self strength is broken and we limp on our own feet. Ultimately growth must come about through a work of God.
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Deny Self?
There is confusion about the importance of self in today’s world. As disciples, we are all called to deny self as we take up our cross.
This is not talking about self-hood (being an individual) God has made you with a personality and you are uniquely you and you should be grateful for what God has done. We call that self-acceptance.
The self we are to deny is the selfish desires that put ourselves before God and others. The self that wants to be the boss and be in control. It must be denied. All of its little outbreaks of self centred-ness, selfishness, self-protection and self-promotion.
Too many believers think the only one dying in the gospel is Jesus. We have proclaimed loudly the death of Jesus to gain us but speak with less conviction about our death to gain him. Like the song says “Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die.” He died for our sins but we are to die to our sins.
Friend, Jesus is perfect and doesn’t change so it is us that need to adjust. “Can two walk together unless they are agreed? Let’s take up the cross and imitate him
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Receive
Imagine that tomorrow the family lawyer rings you up and says a relative has died in England and has no close relatives. We tracked you down and you’re the closest survivor and will inherit her wealth. With your mind racing, you enquire “How much?” 10 million dollars is the reply. Now that is an inheritance! But when you inherit the money, did you work for it or receive it? You received; you don’t deserve you didn’t work, you just received and was very thankful. We are co-heirs with Jesus which means we get to share in His inheritance. In the world, people try to get things. To get a blessing, get ahead, get a wife and get a child, but it is really an unbiblical way of thinking about life. Every good thing comes down from heaven as a gift. That’s Christian thinking. We’re not trying to get things from God; we are learning how to receive things from God. Everything we receive from God we receive as a gift. Father wants to give you an inheritance. He gave you the gift of salvation and you received it. Success is the Christian life is about who can receive the most from God. The more you can receive of God’s grace and gifts the better you live as a Christian. The moment you stopped receiving from God today, was the moment you decided you didn’t need grace; didn’t need Gods power or His help to stay walking in love. Those that do exploits for God are those who keep receiving from God all the time.
Friend, we will always be receivers, so that way He gets all the credit. All we can do is become better at receiving grace. That’s the difference between a believer and a more mature believer; they have learned to be better receivers of grace.
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Be weak?
One day, I felt the Lord say to me "Any real success in life is proportional to the Life you have drawn from God in prayer and relationship with God”. The greatest weakness of the flesh is its own natural ability. O yes, it has strength and the flesh has power. It can build, run, think and contrive, but it all ends in the natural world. Nothing of the flesh goes through into the spirit realm to move men eternally or to move Gods hand on behalf of sinners. The flesh has no ability to affect men's heart for good. The flesh finds it hard to do nothing in its physical world? Jesus asked his disciples “Could you not watch one hour?” Just waiting can seem like a waste to the natural person. Gal 5.17 The flesh is at war with the Holy Spirit of God. The flesh is smart, conniving, determined, self-sufficient and that’s what makes it dangerous. Our flesh’s strength is our weakness! God says “Cursed is the man who trusts in a man who makes flesh his strength..... but blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord”
Friend, if you know that the flesh is dead and therefore determine not to rely upon it, you have a weakness that God can turn to strength. Strong people are people who know they are totally weak to do His will in the flesh so they know desperately that they need Him to do His will through them.
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Legend in his own mind
King Nebuchadnezzar thought he had done it all by himself. Pride gets us imagining something of ourselves, which is not true. Nebuchadnezzar thought “My own power has gotten me this wealth.”
And it manifests in our attitude to others too. We become obsessed with disputes and arguments, or maybe we won’t listen to others advice. Some people are unteachable, they think that know best. Pride enters into their heart and instead of receiving grace which leads to success, they blunder into the darkness alone, making all the mistakes the unaided person is prone to make.
But worse, if we are proud we will be resisted by God. It’s just a law. It’s not that God wants to resist you, it’s that He must. He doesn’t want his children to hurt themselves, but He knows if they seek to break the law of gravity they will and similarly the laws of the kingdom can never be broken. The way up is down. The only way to know success in life is to have Gods grace upon us. Success is to become a servant. To serve your wife; to serve your husband; to serve your parents.
Friend, it is the law of humility. God gets behind the humble and pushes them but He gets in front of the proud. We either lose our pride or we lose our possible destiny, it’s our choice.
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The power of weakness
Luke Skywalker, Batman and other superheroes are the icons of our day. We like the idea of people just like us having great supernatural power. God promises us a great power too through His spirit but there is one step before being strong and that is weakness. Heb 11 tells us that out of weakness many Old Testament heroes were made strong and became valiant in battle. The hall of faith gives the list of hero’s names and gives the secret of their admission to the list. They were all weak, first. There are two parts to Gods' economy; first weakness and secondly strength. Only after weakness, they became valiant in the battle. We must understand today the power of weakness. I say that because weakness is not something we have to gain it is something we have to recognize! It is something we have to embrace. I'm talking about of course a weakness that is recognition of our actual weakness. Jesus said to Peter “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. That was not a criticism that was and is a fact. It not that Peter can do anything about it. The flesh was going to be with him and us till the day we die. Jesus wasn't saying Peter "how could you have flesh? If you’re human you’ve got it. But he was saying how come you didn't recognize when it began to influence your life and you dropped back to natural from the supernatural.
Friend, God has not left us in the flesh without God. In fact, you are not merely in the flesh any more if the Spirit of God dwells in you. We are not just human flesh without God now we are new creations who have supernatural DNA.
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With Him
The disciples are in the boat and Jesus is there too. When the storm stills He wonders where their faith was. He never said have you any faith but where is it? Your faith is misplaced! Our faith is sometimes focused upon us - Can we be sunk? Instead of on Christ can he be sunk? No! Our faith is in whether He is in control of the storms in our life. The question should be... “ Is God in control of the storms that are coming against Him? Of course! He is in control over all the storms that are coming against Him and His purpose. Against His boat and against anyone in His boat. If no weapon formed against us can prosper it certainly is not going to prosper against the Lord of hosts. He is the Ruler of the universe. Waters winds storms and devils are nothing to Him.
Friend, when a storm from the enemy comes into our life, freshly submit to God. Say “Lord, I'm on the mission with you. You are in the boat and this is your storm!” Matthew 28 tells us that as they went the Lord worked with them because it was His work they were on.
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Self pity
The ten spies returned to the camp from the Promised Land, focused upon the giants and forgetting the promise. As the talked about what they couldn’t do but there were two who talked about what they could do. The difference was how they saw themselves. Sometimes we don’t realise the problem is with us. We may not get on with other people but not realise it’s not them, it’s us. Were unable to love them or relate to them and connect with them because we don’t love or like ourselves. When someone is insecure it’s hard to talk to them. If they feel bad about themselves, it conveys to everyone around them. “I don’t deserve God’s blessing because I am too unworthy; I don’t think He wants to bless me.”
It won’t be the size of the task before us or the lack of experience but it will be how we see ourselves that stop us from touching our world. When you have a bad attitude about yourselves, everything is too hard. We have to see ourselves in Christ! In Christ, we are everything to God. Not only do we have everything in Christ we are everything to God in Christ.
We are not worthy of any kind of blessing but Jesus is worthy of every blessing. Christians do not get what they deserve they get what Jesus deserves. We deserve punishment but we get a blessing because Jesus deserves it.
Friend, you are going to be a great leader in the house of God. You will make a difference in the kingdom of God. He’s not looking for people whose upbringing was perfect. He’s not looking for people who have a lot of money but He’s looking for people that can believe that in Christ they can do everything God desires them to do and be.
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Don’t just sit there
God uses His power not to interrupt free choice but to turn evil for good. He uses the tribulation of the world and the temptations of the devil all for good. We know all things work together for good to them that are called but does that mean we just accept them all blindly? No, we don’t just accept it or give in to it. Joseph didn’t say well it Gods will for me to be in prison forever so here so I won’t take any opportunity to get out. When the apostles ended up in prisons they didn’t say it is the will of God, no they prayed till there was an earthquake. When troubles come or we lose our job, we don’t say Que - sera sera - instead, God wants us to rise up in faith and trust Him for the new job. Sometimes you have to fight the devil off. This builds our character, forges perseverance, opens our understanding and grows us into the mighty image of Christ.
Friend, if the enemy is seeing to depress you or sap your strength, rise and fight him off by declaring God goodness and His promises.
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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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No bones about it
When Darwin was asked about the fact that there is no fossil evidence of any intermediate life forms between a fish and a cow or a bird and a monkey, he confessed that it was as embarrassing problem with his theory. What the fossil record does show which is embarrassing to evolutionist is that the foot prints of man are found in the same strata as signs of what they call homo erectus and Neanderthal man. In other words the ancient primates where living at the same time as men. So far all the primitive men that are meant to be the missing link between man and monkey are either all in the monkey bones or men’s bone but still nothing in between. They are embarrassed about Piltdown man who turned out to be a total hoax and likewise are embarrassed about Nebraska man who was all based upon a pigs tooth.
Friends make no bones about it...God made us.
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Castaway
When the Potter has finished firing the vessel, it is ready for final inspection. He looks closely all over the vessel, to see if it has been ruined by cracking. The vessels that pass the inspection test are approved, meaning proven and found to be without cracks.2Cor 10:18 . For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends. When a vessel did not pass inspection, it was cast out the shop into the Potters Field; it was called a castaway. Paul said he strove to walk in integrity lest he became a castaway vessel.1Cor 9:27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become castaway. KJV . One man who did become a castaway was Judas Iscariot, who was finally broken, in the Potters Field.Mat 27:7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
Friend, are you in a test right now? Pass you final inspection! Be faithful to God, keep integrity with people, hold you peace because the Potter is about to pour greater treasure into your life. God never makes a great vessel except for a great purpose.
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Shipwreck
Paul remembered standing on the heaving deck of the ship assuring the men that they would be saved even though the ship was to be wrecked upon the rocks. Aware of the perils of the sea, he warned Timothy about the spiritual perils of making a shipwreck of his faith. 1Tim 1.19 Hold on to faith and a good conscience. When our lives are in a great storm, we have to hold on to faith. Hold onto the promise of God- everything works for good for those who believe. If you have a direct word from God like Paul on the boat, declare it and believe it and even if you if you don’t have a word at present, we still have His written word which assures us of His unchanging character. Rom 8.29 When you run out of understanding of His will we can still run in peace as it surpasses understanding. Also we need to hold a good conscience. In many storms God uses other people and if we get bitter, angry or harbour evil thoughts people we can make a ship wreck too. We need to see them as the instrument of God for good. If we keep our hearts right God gives grace to the humble.
Friend, don’t take the treatment of other people personally; they are tools in God hands to develop our character and prepare us for our future.
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