My feet are firm...........

Wow! How time flies when you are having fun living in the joy of the Lord! Ha ha! Recently, I have gone back through many of my old posts on this here blog of mine and realized many things. One, I can't get enough of this glorious gospel of grace and reminding myself and others of who I am in Christ! It never gets old! Another thing I noticed is, that the way I see things is shifting. There are some things I may have written in the past on this blog that were the way I saw it at the time, but now I see things differently. Don't get me wrong the truth hasn't changed, just my perception of it. It's like going up a spiral staircase, going round and round until I get higher up. The more I have delved into the truth of the finished work of the Cross the more my heart grips it's truth all the more firmly. I shall not be moved! Ha! 

I used to be more confused, used to have to more attacks on my spirit of condemnation and guilt, used to be weary and feel weak. Believing the truth changed all of that. 

I choose to be contented by the fact that Christ dwells in me, and He is more than enough. My life is complete in Him, I have no lack or want or need or sickness! This is the beauty of life in Him. We can live so free, in such inner peace that even when circumstances come at us, we will not be shaken!! 

So I will be here standing on the Rock, the waves can come and slap me in the face, but that's ok, my feet are held firm in Him, by His grace................Peace to all! Shalom peace!!!

Thoughts from the Book of Acts...........

I am loving reading the book of Acts again!! There are way too many wonderful powerful passages in this book. This book demonstrates what the first church, birthed after the New Covenant came, was like - full of power through the Holy Spirit. This is a better covenant, one with power and life! The promise of the Spirit was fulfilled, and the disciples began to move in power to spread the truth of Jesus! They modeled what church life should look like!! The Gospel continued to go forth with power and signs and wonders through the disciples! They continued in the same manner Jesus did, healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons and preaching the truth of Jesus!! Wasn't it kind of God to have demonstrated in such obvious, tangible ways! Why would he do this - to give faith to people, faith in Jesus who saves us from sin and sickness!! Everytime miracles were performed, eyes were opened, hearts were opened, faith was established! Faith!! And we know, without faith it is impossible to please God!! He is the author and perfector of our faith too!! This is a glorious gospel and covenant indeed!! 

Okay, so on with my random snippets from Acts.........................

After the Holy Spirit came upon those in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost;

Acts 2 - 14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17" 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
22"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25David said about him: " 'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, 27because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. 28You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'
29"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 33Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, " 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand 35until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." '
36"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
38Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."
40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

In the passage below, Peter knew he had nothing better to offer this man, other than to demonstrate the power of the gospel, of salvation in action - look at the response this powerful declaration and miracle received. Amazement and wonder and more who believed!! They all gave glory to God! 

Acts 3 - "1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Then look at what Peter says to the astonished crowd................He clarified to them that they did not heal this man by their own power, but by the power of God. He then says;

"16By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see."

Did you see that? "It is Jesus name and the faith that comes through him that gave the man COMPLETE healing." 

Then in Acts 4, Peter and John were seized and then questioned by the Sandhedrin. Can you imagine this scene?!

8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! 9If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11He is " 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. 12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
13When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16"What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. 17But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name."
18Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. 20For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

I love the first line and the last line in that passage, don't you? Peter is so full of the Holy Spirit, he is compelled and can not be silent about Jesus! I love it! Even in the face of danger...........

Then in Acts 5 -"12The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. 13No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil^[a] spirits, and all of them were healed."

That passage is awesome to me! Peter's shadow healed them! How could that be? He must have been overshadowed by One who indeed carried the power!!! And did you see that more and more believed as a result?!!!

Also, I loved this part in verse 42, after having been persecuted; "42Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ."

Further along in Acts we read Paul's message in Athens; 

24"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'29"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

Where is the church that moved in power like this? Was it really meant for just the early church? Do we believe in this same Gospel that the disciples preached, the one that came with mighty signs and wonders? If so, aren't we to move in power as the disciples did, and as Jesus did? If we are his offspring, and he is within us and we have been given the promise of the Holy Spirit - and it's in Him we live and move and have our being - wouldn't or shouldn't we be compelled to follow in His and the disciples footsteps! Not only compelled, but propelled and actually moving in signs, wonders and miracles! Proclaiming the good news of Jesus and demonstrating with signs, wonders and miracles to give faith to all those who hear....................why should we settle for less than what we see here in Acts? 

The law in the life of a believer - GOOD or BAD?

So in light of some discussions I have been having, I decided it was time to review the place of the law in the life of a believer again. I find it to be helpful to me, to go back and reconfirm what I believe, by going through the Scriptures. It is so comforting for me to do this. Not only do I feel more confident in God's grace, I get to seal these truth's in my heart at a deeper level. And, I get to preach the Gospel to myself yet again. Something my former church insisted was crucial - "preach the Gospel to yourself everyday". Only problem was, they only understood part of it. (and I include myself.)

So what about you? Do you believe that the law is a good thing for the believer, does it bring him joy to live by it? Should we as believers aspire to live by the law? Is the law indeed God's set of moral values or standards for us? OR is the law a bad thing for the believer to live by, bringing death and condemnation? (You know which one I vote for!)

John 1:17 - "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (truth is on the side of grace, not the law)

Galatians 2:21- "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." ( The moment you place the law of Moses between you and God again, you are negating the finished work of the Cross, of Jesus, for if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died in vain.)

Col. 2:14 -"having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross" (the written code here is the law, does this sound "bad:" to you? You cannot reduce our christian walk to a list of rules, Jesus death fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law of the old covenant. The righteous requirements were nailed to the cross, so once we come to faith in Christ through the cross the law stays nailed to the cross, and we enter into a new covenant, and the way to God is now open - He fulfilled it so we don't have to! )

Matthew 5:17-"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (Jesus did not sweep the law under the carpet, He came and He fulfilled every requirement of the law perfectly on our behalf. The debt we owed to the law has already come and been fulfilled by our Saviour, we do not still owe payments or installments on that debt by keeping the law anymore, it is cancelled fully! The law has no hold over you anymore!!)

look at Col 2:14 and then 15, ..."having disarmed the principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." (It sounds like the devil was armed with the "handwriting of requirements that was AGAINST us. The handwriting of requirements was written on Mount Sinai by the finger of God on 2 tablets of stone - the devil armed himself with the law to accuse and condemn, man - remember he is an accuser.(see Rev. 12:10- he is the biggest legalist of ALL) God didn't give the law to arm the devil, but the devil, knowing that the law was AGAINST man, took advantage of it and has been using it against man ever since. The law always condemns and keeps man away from God. So the devil, knowing this, uses it to keep us from God - that's why when God nailed it to the cross, He made a public spectacle of the devil and all the powers of darkness.)

so when you here a voice telling you you failed and did not live up to the law and you feel guilty or condemned, you can point to the cross and say I am redeemed from the curse of the law, I stand fully justified and complete in Him and condemnation has no hold over me!!!

But if you insist that you need to keep the law, you are actually arming the devil again! God has nailed the law, he blotted out it's requirements and disarmed it, but when you subject yourseld to this old covenant system of the law, you are putting the weapon back in the devil's hands. ANY teaching that says, "we have to keep the law to be blessed by god and to sanctify ourselves" is putting the weapon of the law back into the devil's hands. Instead of resting in God's disarmament, people are rearming the power's of darkness!!! And let's not forget that if you insist that you need to keep the law,you must keep the whole thing perfectly!

Yes the law is holy, just and good. But, even though the law is holy, just and good, it has no power to make you holy, just and good. The law was added that the trespass might increase, it was added and designed to expose your weaknesses, your sins and your inability to be holy, just and good. It is like a mirror that exposes your flaws! You can't take the mirror and try to clean up your flaws, because that is not the purpose of the mirror. You need to realize that no amount of keeping the law can make you holy. Only the blood of Jesus can do that. Regardless, the law is holy and it is from God.

Romans 3:20 - " Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."

Romans 6:14 - "For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under grace." So sin WILL have dominion over you when you are under the law.

Romans 4:15 - " because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression" ( Did you hear that? Where there is no law, there is no transgression. Did you also hear that law brings wrath, that doesn't sound good to me! Here's an example of what that would look like; say there is no law on how fast you can drive, there is no speed limit. the cops can't pull you over and give you a ticket for speeding, because there is no law stating that you cannot speed. In other words, no law = no sin. No recognition of sin equals no need for a Saviour - the law was given to bring us to the end of ourselves, so that in our desperation we would see our need for Jesus!! Because of the law, none of us can say that we were not sinners and none of us can say we didn't/don't need Jesus. That is the purpose of the law. It was not designed to make you godly, but to expose your ungodliness. The devil will use the law to make you conscious of all your shortcomings - but through Christ you are not under the condemnation of the law any longer!!! )

Righteousness is a gift, it's not a reward for perfect obedience to the law. You are clothed today not in your own righteousness, which is self-righteousness, but with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. God sees you as righteous as Jesus himself. Think of the parable of the prodigal son, remember in the story how the Father ran to the son, and kissed him and hugged him and wanted to throw a party for him and kill the fatted calf, he also put his finest robes on him, symbolizing the gift of righteousness, God's royal robes of righteousness. He loved us so much, he wanted to be with us, he didn't care that we had been in the pig sty after blowing all our inheritance on prositutes - he looked past all of that and blessed us anyway. What lavish love!!

Gal. 3:2-3 -" Let me ask you this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (Do you believe the idea that the Holy Spirit helps us keep and obey the law? We no longer have a relationship with the law. We have died to it. The life we live now is not a life of Spirit-led keeping of the law.)

Let me say this too, that the difference between the old covenant of law and the new covenant of grace is: the law is deserved favor (when you obey the commandments perfectly, you will be blessed.) and grace is undeserved favor (Jesus obeyed God perfectly, and you will be blessed by BELIEVING in Him) So, which covenant are you under? Cause you can't mix the two and still call it grace. God found fault with the old covenant, Hebrews 8:7-8 (hect, read the whole chapter!) "for if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says; "Behold the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.........read on through verse 13. He made the first one obsolete............OBSOLETE!!!! No more old covenant keeping of laws and rules and regulations.

Romans 7:1-4 -"Do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to men who know the law—that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God." ( I love this picture! We were all born into this world in Adam, married to the law. In other words, we are married to an authoritarian dominating husband, a husband that points out our faults, a husband that says, don't do this, don't do that, and he never lifts a finger to help, any time you try and argue with him and say that's not fair, you can't because he is always right.

And Paul is saying here, that you can't say, I am tired of the Law, this husband, I am just going to go marry Jesus - because Paul says, "Hey, while this husband is still alive you would be in spiritual adultery to go marry Jesus while the law is still alive." And to make it really bleak and dark and discouraging in the Gospels, Jesus says the law will never pass away. -So you're married to a husband who's fault finding, oppressive, dominating, a bully, always pointing out your faults, never lifts a finger to help you, is always right and you can't argue with him and he'll never pass away, and you can't go marry anyone else. - Pretty bleak and depressing right? Doesn't sound good to me! Is this good news? So what happens now - back to Gal. 2 - You died to that which once bound you, so that you may marry another - Jesus! Jesus is a husband that does not point out your faults, He is extremely gracious, extremely loving, extremely gentle, helpful, breathes life into you, stands by you, does not point out your faults, believes you, holds no sin against you- that's who you're married to, in Christ.

Romans 10:3 - "Christ is the end of the law."

God is Grace ~ the Gospel is Grace

Okay so I am launching in to what is potentially another long post, so bear with me, I just can't help myself! I have been really amazed by the aspects of the Gospel I never understood all these years. And essentially the Grace I am in awe of and in love with is the Gospel! In addition God in his character, who he is, is Grace! You see over the years in my former church I heard about grace quite a bit, but not in the way it was fully intended. Let me see if I can explain. I remember terms with grace infused into them, such as, "evidence of grace", "a means of grace", or "the grace was there for me to get through, xypd and q" -as well as "look for the graces in people's lives." Okay, so before anyone gets upset with me, these "phrases", in and of themselves are not necessarily wrong to say. However, I am finding that because they seem to be drawing from grace to essentially pull strength from, that's all there is and the big picture is missing. Are you following me? You see God finally showed me, He is Grace! We do not need to keep drawing from the grace of God to get by, we can draw from the very life of Christ that now lives in us!!! Don't get me wrong God's grace to us is awesome it is a gift and his kindness to us, but we can have more, the very life of God!
As Joseph Prince says, "Grace isn't a doctrine, it's a Person, Jesus Christ!" I love that!
I guess I am just continuously marveling in the breadth, depth, heighth and vastness of all that God is and has for us, and it's all ultimately for the praise of His glory!
Turns out this was meant to be short and sweet!! May you too be amazed and in awe of the One who is Grace!

God is Grace ~ the Gospel is Grace

Okay so I am launching in to what is potentially another long post, so bear with me, I just can't help myself! I have been really amazed by the aspects of the Gospel I never understood all these years. And essentially the Grace I am in awe of and in love with is the Gospel! In addition God in his character, who he is, is Grace! You see over the years in my former church I heard about grace quite a bit, but not in the way it was fully intended. Let me see if I can explain. I remember terms with grace infused into them, such as, "evidence of grace", "a means of grace", or "the grace was there for me to get through, xypd and q" -as well as "look for the graces in people's lives." Okay, so before anyone gets upset with me, these "phrases", in and of themselves are not necessarily wrong to say. However, I am finding that because they seem to be drawing from grace to essentially pull strength from, that's all there is and the big picture is missing. Are you following me? You see God finally showed me, He is Grace! We do not need to keep drawing from the grace of God to get by, we can draw from the very life of Christ that now lives in us!!! Don't get me wrong God's grace to us is awesome it is a gift and his kindness to us, but we can have more, the very life of God!
As Joseph Prince says, "Grace isn't a doctrine, it's a Person, Jesus Christ!" I love that!
I guess I am just continuously marveling in the breadth, depth, heighth and vastness of all that God is and has for us, and it's all ultimately for the praise of His glory!
Turns out this was meant to be short and sweet!! May you too be amazed and in awe of the One who is Grace!

A Prayer........!!!!

Romans 10:10 "For with the heart a person believes and so is justified, and with the mouth he confesses(declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms (his) salvation."

So, this is a prayer confessing the truth of the gospel so our hearts can get a hold of the truth...........

"Holy Spirit, I thank you, that you annoint the Word of God, and in my heart, the Word of God has been deposited, and I say out of my mouth, what I believe in my heart, through grace, through the gospel, through faith - I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, I am always righteous, because my righteousness does not depend on me, but on what Jesus did at the cross, Jesus obeyed for me, Jesus kept the law perfectly for me, and I am in Him a joint equal heir with Christ and an heir of God, through the righteousness that is by faith, I believe you are making me an heir of the world, you are giving me favor, you are giving me influence, financial empowerment, health and healing and annointing and supernatural deliverance, you are giving me victory and triumph, not through my successful obedience, but through the successful obedience of Jesus on my behalf, and as He is, so am I, in this world, and it's all through faith, from first to last, nothing in between, nothing before, nothing after, and it's all of faith. And Father I confess today I have faith in this Gospel and I thank you for doing it! And now devil, You are under my feet, not because of my holiness, but because of Jesus holiness, I have dominion over you, all your lies, and all your accusations have no power any more, because I know the gospel, and the cross is clear, the victory's mine, I will not be denied, you have been made a public spectacle of, you were triumphed over at the cross, and Jesus took the rules and the regulations that stood opposed to me and he cancelled them, and where there is no law there is no wrath, there is no transgression, I am not a transgressor, I am dead to the law, I belong to Jesus, He's my great high priest, he's my heavenly attorney, and he's arguing a perfect case for me, not on the basis of my performance, but on the basis of His perfect performance, so my Father in heaven declares to you devil, you are illegitimate, your case is illegal and is neutralized, cause I believe the gospel, and I am free in the grace of God, I have victory, I have triumph, I celebrate - Thank You Jesus, Thank You for saving me, Thank You for delivering me!! Thank You for the Gospel!! AMEN!!!"

This is a prayer that Rob had his congregation declare out of their mouth, confessing the truth of the Gospel so their hearts can get a hold of the truth, it's all from Scripture. I just had to transcribe it! Anyway, we can come up with our own spontaneous prayer from our heart declaring the truth from Scripture to encourage our hearts and build our faith, and crush condemnation and build up our spirits. If you have not yet listened to any of the messages to the left, I must beg you now to do so!! I implore -this is life and freedom! Every time I listen, more revelation comes, more faith comes - I get fed!!!!

(Please listen to "How wonderful is the Gospel". )

May God be greater in your eyes today, may you be more grateful for the gospel today, be encouraged -God is for you, He loves you, he does not condemn you, he offers you life and freedom in Christ -Take hold of this!!