11 Points on Responding to Current Events

1.) Respond not react - The social media an internet age is cultivating a culture of reaction, instead of response. Reaction is just the first thing that comes out, whereas response is very carefully mediated and well-thought out. Responding allows for actual follow-through, whereas reacting generally changes with the wind and makes you unreliable and therefore difficult to trust or have authority in the eyes of those around you. It also generates the atmosphere of the emotions it was birthed in.

2.) Choose your battles - Not everything is worth your time and energy. You do not have to have an opinion about everything, and even if you do, you don't have to say it. Decide what will be helpful and go with that.

3.) Pick the most important things - In the last few weeks I have seen people walk away from God, talked to people who found someone who committed suicide, loved on people who just buried their father from coronavirus, and talked to people who are suffering from severe anxiety, isolation, and depression. When I see these things, I understand that compared to these, many other issues everyone is fighting over are trivial.

4.) Pour into other people and personal relationships. One of the problems is that many people do not have deep relationships and they are filling that need with social networks and are somewhat out of touch with what is really happening with real people-- and are even out of touch with their own selves. In isolation, we have to fight for relationships and not fill that need with social media. 

5.) Publicly emoting causes you to lose the authority of your voice. If you want to be heard and for your voice to count, don't publicly spew out everything that is going through your heart and mind. Create a group of safe people around you that you can share those things with, and with the Lord,  then when you come say something publicly, you will be heard. There is a saying, "A wise man once said nothing." It is true. That is why people listen to wise men when they speak. 

6.) If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, fear, panic -- get off media for a while. Detox from it. Then set limits on it. You will be amazed at the difference. As with detoxing from anything -- it takes a few days to "kick the habit." Give it 3 or more days and then you will start to notice a difference. I recommend everyone to take a regular detox from media. Put it in your schedule. 

7.) Right now, we all need to help each other care for our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health. No one has it easy right now. Real lives and hearts are at stake. In all of our efforts to be right, let's not forget to be kind.

8.) True justice starts at the Cross of Jesus Christ and will culminate when He returns as King. The first commandment must be in first place in our lives for the second commandment to happen. Anything else is idolatry. (Matt. 22:34-40)

9.) Your view of the state of the world at the return of Jesus will affect how you respond to current events. Get your Bible open and study it.

10.) Everything high will be brought low and only the Lord will be exalted. If it's not humility, then it's not safe.

11.) I've heard so many ask, "Where are the Prophets?" The real ones are mostly on their faces weeping,  because the message hasn't changed,  "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven, and heal their land." (1 Chron. 7:13-14) And "Rend your hearts, not your garments." (Joel 2:12-14) That message won't change until we do it. And until we do it, nothing will change. 

Jesus: Tempted in all points, Yet without Sin

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matt. 3:1-4)

Some sentences in the Bible, we become so accustomed to, that they stop amazing us. But, when you take a moment to look at this first sentence again, “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil…” It is amazing. No wonder, in the following passages in Matthew 6, Jesus taught us to pray “lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from the evil one…”

If you find yourself alone, during these unusual quarantines of 2020, and being unusually tempted by sin – go to these passages to help you fight.

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Jesus was tempted in all ways as we are. And being alone and in isolation—it is even more difficult to withstand sin, because of lack of accountability, no one sees you, and also, maybe you have much more idle time on your hands and you are trying to understand what to do with it. Also, maybe you are fighting depression, loneliness, fear, isolation. Here in this story of Jesus, he was tempted by Satan in the most vulnerable areas when He was hungry, tired, and alone.

And yet, He was without sin. He fought, and He used Scripture. If you find yourself being hit with certain temptations – find the Scriptures that contradict those temptations and memorize them, say them, and fight with them. Also, even when we are in quarantine, we are not at this time alone in a desert as Jesus was in this story – so pick up the phone, call a friend, call a pastor, call a Jesus-loving family member.

In Hebrews 12:4, the author corrected that readers by saying, “You have not yet resisted sin to the point of bloodshed…” And pointed to Jesus in verses 1-3, that He did resist sin to the point of bloodshed, by tgoing to the Cross. And this is a reference to His struggle to submit His will to God in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before He died, where He said, “Not my will, but Yours be done…” He actually prayed and sweat to the point of sweating blood, as He struggled to say yes, and did it. This is the example He gave to us.

So, if you are struggling, alone, and tempted – look to Jesus, the author and finisher of Your faith, who was tempted in all points as we are, and was still without sin.

And in Luke, it says that Jesus came up from this time of testing and temptation that, “Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all” (Luke 4:14-15). Jesus came through that time of testing and was then powerfully used by God. Many times, the devil tries to lie to us in the midst of our temptation and struggle and say that now God can no longer use us, but if we resist, fight and come out on the other side – we actually will be moving in power and authority, because of the temptation and testing that we have overcome.

Scripture: Prayerfully read the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness in Matthew 3, and Luke 4.

 

Interaction: Write down some temptations that you are been facing lately. Confess them to God, and ask Him to deliver you from temptation and deliver you from the evil one.

Write: Write a list of those temptations, and then go find Scriptures that speak against those sins or temptations. Find Scriptures that speak about your identity in Christ, walking in the Spirit, resisting temptations, abiding in the Spirit, etc.

Memorize: Pick 2-3 Scriptures to memorize as your go-to scriptures in the time of temptation or struggle. If it helps to memorize them by putting them to a song melody or drawing a picture or writing them out, then do those things to help you remember them.

Share: Ask 2 or 3 trusted friends or family members to help hold you accountable in these temptations and struggles. Share the Scriptures with them that you have picked, and ask them to check on you and ask you about these temptations that you are struggling with.

Ask: Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you as the High Priest who was tempted in everyway as we are, and yet without sin. Go in boldness to His throne of grace in confidence that He will strengthen you to overcome. Ask Him to give you a picture of yourself free from that sin, so that you have a goal set before you.

For more tools on praying Scripture and exploring the knowledge of God, check out the “knowledge of God” blog series.

God is Love: Loving Father Who Corrects

Hebrews 12:3-13 – “Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens (corrects) everyone he accepts as his son.” 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.” (NIV)

Sometimes, our concept of love is limited to “what feels good,” but love is so much more than that. Here it is written that “God disciplines us (corrects us) for our good” – but that does not always feel good. Actually, it says that it never seems pleasant, but painful. However, it brings forth good fruit.

God is a loving Father. He loves us, and His correction is always for our good. Look at these different reasons given for why God corrects us…

• “So that you will not grow weary and lose heart”
• This word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son”
• “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens (corrects) everyone he accepts as his son.”
•  “God is treating you as his children.”
•  “Submit…and live!”
• "God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness."
• It produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
• “So that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed…”

These are all good things, even if it may not feel like it at the time. The correction of the Lord IS LOVE.

So let us look at our part in this passage and use those things as prayer tools to make changes in our lives.

What is our part?

• “Consider Him” (focus on the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, how He laid down His life for us.)
•  “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood…” (which means we need to resist sin to the point of shedding blood…
•  “Have you completely forgotten the word of encouragement that addresses you as a son?” (which means, that we need to remember, and constantly remind ourselves of it.)
•  “Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline”
• “Do not lose heart when He rebukes you”
• “Endure hardship as discipline.”
•  “Submit to the Father of spirits and live!”
• “...for those who have been trained by it” (God, help me be trained by Your discipline. Help me be changed by it).
• “Strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees” (Do not lose heart. Be encouraged.)

Prayer Time: Take this passage and these thoughts and talk to God about them in your own words. Turn this into a conversation with Your Loving Heavenly Father and ask Him what needs to be corrected in Your life. Ask Him to strengthen you and help you to make changes. Ask Him to encourage your heart and strengthen you and bring forth fruit in this time.

Thank Him: Thank Him for being your Father and helping you and correcting you. Let thankfulness flow from your heart that He has not left you as an orphan and He is teaching you during this time.

Write: Write your thoughts and impressions in a journal. Write down the things He is asking you to correct and prayerfully write down action steps of how you can take little practical steps in your daily life to change those things.

For more practical prayer tools on praying Scriptures, see the previous posts on the “Knowledge of God Series.”

God is Love: No Fear in Love

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” (I John 4:17-19)

We are going to be filled with something. But in order to get rid of darkness, the answer is not to try to cast out the darkness, but to turn on the light. What is the antidote to fear? Love. Perfect love casts out all Fear. God is Love and He is perfect, and His love toward us is perfect. How can we be filled with more of His Love and be free of fear? We need to “behold” (look, think deeply, meditate, chew on in thought) His Love for us.

I John 3: 1-3 says, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

In this passage, John actually says, “Behold” or look, gaze, meditate on, chew on, think deeply about -- God’s love. And specifically, in this passage, it says to think deeply about His love as a Father, and our position or identity as His children. In the last lesson, we looked at God’s love through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, and in this lesson, we are looking at the Love of God as a Father to His children.

When we want to get the Love of God deep into us, or know an attribrute or characteristic of God more, we need to study those passages of Scripture about Him, but also, we need to look at various ways those Scriptures can get deep into our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits, so that we can love God with all of our being (Matt. 22:33-40).

And right now, we are focusing on God’s love as a Father that fills us and casts out fear. Romans 8:15-16 further develops this thought, “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.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…”

Again, here we see that our identity as children of God frees us from every fear. But how can we be filled with God’s love and be freed from fear? The key to this is in I John 4:19, “We love Him because He first loved us” – which means that the love that we have for God, and God’s love that we can feel does not originate with us, but it originates with God. But does that mean that we are helpless to do anything about receiving the Love of God? The answer is no, of course not.

God is Love, which means that His love is ALWAYS there, whether we feel it or not, whether we experience or see it manifesting as a reality in our lives. It is there and exists and is moving constantly. But we need to receive it, and how we do it goes back to this idea of “Beholding” (look, meditate, think deeply, chew on, etc). 

2 Corinthians 3:18 says that, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

This means that in order to transform (change) our thoughts, emotions, and will (choices, decisions, desires) that we need to behold (look, meditate, chew on, etc) the Glory of God – or His attributes, characteristics. This is why growing in the knowledge of God is so important – not only in head knowledge, but heart knowledge, and relational experience with Him. And we do that through praying, singing, and interacting with Scripture until it becomes a part of us and changes us.

So, let’s try that today with beholding the Love of God. Try these interactive methods of praying Scripture, and adapt them to how you see fit. You can even try this as a family with your kids, or your spouse, or with a group of friends, as well as alone in your quiet time with Jesus.

Scripture:

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” (I John 4:17-19)

Prayer Points:

• Jesus, I just declare who You are. You are Love. I worship You, and behold You as Love today. I want to behold and ponder Your Love as a Father toward me and How great Your Love is toward me!

• Your love is GREAT toward me, Lord! I thank You and Praise You for it.

• Show me how much You love me today, and let me feel Your Love and know it personally deep inside.

• I give you all of my fears. You said those who are in fear have not been made perfect in love. So, I give you my fear today – my fear of …….. and I ask that You would make me perfect in Love. And you would cast all fear out of my mind, will, and emotions.

• Holy Spirit, you said that those led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God, and we have not been given a bondage of fear, but a spirit of adoption. And so I cry out to you, “Abba! Father!” Come and touch me. Come and hold me. Come and give me peace. Fill me with Your love today.

• Give me boldness. Give me boldness to speak your Word to my friends and neighbors. Give me boldness to live without fear in an unstable environment.

• Make me perfect in love, Father.

• I just set my eyes on Your love today. I behold it. I receive it. It is wonderful and it is perfect. I love You, because You first loved me. You are the beginning of love and your love is eternal. Thank you, Father. I love you!

Sing: You can do this a Capello or turn on a little instrumental music or grab an instrument, and sing these phrases and prayers, and allow them to go even deeper into your heart. Allow your own words and thoughts to come out of your spirit. Allow yourself to take more or less time as you need it, and open your heart to God.

Listen: Ask Jesus to talk to You about His love for you, and just take a few minutes to pause in silence and see if He shows You anything. You might feel certain fears come up inside of you. Tell Jesus about them and ask Him to take those fears out of your life. Declare His Love and truth over yourself. Pause to see if you feel or sense anything that He might be saying to you. See if He brings anyone to your mind to pray for and pray for Him to show His love to them.

Write: Write down your thoughts or impressions in a journal, and write the different Scriptures that touched you the most, and maybe some of the reasons why they impacted you so much in this season. In times when you need encouragement, go back and read them and speak them over yourself again.

Draw or color: This is especially great for kids, or creative types. Close your eyes, and ask Jesus to give you a picture of His love for you, or have your kids do this. And then have them draw or color what they saw.

Know God: God is Love

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (I John 4:14-16)

God is Love. It is the very nature of who He is. Even if he punishes, corrects, or carries out justice – It is done in Love, because that is His very nature. He is like a loving father who corrects his children so that they become good adults (Hebrews 12).

Romans 5:8 says that “God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for the ungodly.” It means that love is not based on a feeling. It is not based on a circumstance or what is happening around us. It is not based on whether we have money this month or we lost it. It is not based on whether the healing came or did not come. The Love of God is based on this: That Jesus Christ came into the world to die for us while we were yet sinners, and He gave His own life for us.

“Greater Love has no man than this, that a man would lay down His life for His friends.” (John 15:13).

God already showed His love to us by His completed work on the Cross and that should be our anchor in the midst of chaos when we feel that God does not love us. It is at exactly that time when we need to believe.

Here are some prayer points to pray this Scripture into you, so that it becomes not just head knowledge, but heart knowledge. Pray these out loud to yourself, adding things as you feel in your heart.

Scripture: “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (I John 4:14-16)

Prayer Points:

• Jesus, help Your Word come alive in my thoughts and in my heart.

• Jesus, I testify and believe that You are the Savior of the world.

• I confess that You are the Son of God.

• Help me to abide (live, dwell) in You, and in Your Presence. Help me to live in Your Love. Help me to receive Your Love.

• I know Your Love, and I believe in Your Love, but help me know Your Love more and believe Your Love more. Help me to feel it and experience it, even when outside circumstances are telling me differently.

• God, You are Love. Jesus, You are Love. Help me to know you more as Love. Unconditional. Pure. Help me know True Love that has no end. Help me to know You and experience You as Love in Person.

• I love you, Jesus. Help me to love You more. Help me to live in Your love today and show Your love to others.

Sing: Also, feel free to turn on a little instrumental music or grab your instrument, and sing these phrases and prayers, and allow them to go even deeper into your heart. Allow your own words and thoughts to come out of your spirit.

Listen: Ask Jesus to talk to You about His love for you, and just take a few minutes to pause and see if He shows You anything. Ask Him to talk to you about His love for others. And pause to see if you feel or sense anything.

Write: Write down your thoughts, or impressions in a journal, and write different Scriptures that touch you. In times when you need encouragement, go back and read them.

Changing of National Boundary Lines - “That they might grope for Him”

Solomon prayed in II Chronicles 6 and I Kings 8 that if God released war on the people because of their sin, that when they repented, He would hear and answer. Throughout the Bible, wars and judgments were released on a people who were walking in disobedience against God and not turning to Him.

Acts 15:26-27 says that God “has determined the pre-appointed times and boundaries of their dwellings, that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.”

What does it mean when the boundary lines of a nation are changed? The changing of boundary lines of nations typically means war. And changing boundary lines means that God is giving an opportunity for men to grope for Him and find Him.

God answered Solomon’s prayer in II Chronicles and said, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, turn from the wicked ways, I will hear from heaven, and heal their land…”

The answer to war and the changing of boundary lines is not a political solution or a solution derived from man. The answer is for men to grope for God and find Him. The answer is for men to call on His name and He will answer them, and heal their land.

GOD IS NOT SHOCKED

God is never shocked about the way things turn out in life, even if we are. It is never a surprise to Him. He never makes mistakes. And because He is a Good Leader, we can trust Him that everything is going to turn out right in the end.

Many times, we think we know how something is going to turn out. That is an expectation. Then, it does not turn out that way. This can cause disappointment. But if we are able to come into agreement with God’s leadership in the midst of this disappointment, we will be able to overcome any trial without quitting in the face of opposition.

But there are times when we are concerned that we missed God’s will. We may wonder if we did something wrong in a specific situation. We may ask the question, “How could I have done it differently?”

It is important to ask these questions and to learn from our mistakes, but many times, we torture ourselves with these questions to the point of worry and anxiety. There comes a point where we must quiet our soul, and realize that God is not as shocked as we are. Actually, He is not shocked at all.

God knows when we have the desire to please Him. He knows when we want to do His complete will with an absolute “Yes” in our hearts. He is not out to trick us. His goal is not to make us mess up so He can beat us over the head.

First, ask yourself, “Am I obeying the commandments in God’s Word to the best of my ability, repenting and warring against sin when I fail?” Then, ask yourself, “Am I truly asking God what He wants me to do in this situation?” Thirdly, ask yourself, “Have I heard a clear answer from the Lord and if so, what is it?”

Most likely, you can answer yes to the first two questions. If not, go back and fix something, but most sincere believers who are truly seeking God can answer “yes” to the first two questions.

The third question, however, is where people begin to torture themselves about whether they are in God’s will or not. But the answer is simple. If you are truly asking the Lord, and you have not heard a clear answer, then do what you feel is best from the wisdom and experience you have, and your knowledge of the Word. If God wants to stop you, He can simply say something.

You are truly seeking Him, and if you heard something clearly, you would do exactly what He said, right? So, if you have not heard anything clear, take a deep breath and do what you feel is best. Maybe seek some godly counsel from close friends and mentors—and breathe. It’s going to be okay. God is not shocked, and He is not worried that you are going to make the wrong decision.

He is a Good Leader and He will let you know if you need to make a turn. Trust Him. He knows where this thing is going.

Mark of True Call of God: Perseverance

Many people say that they want great experiences from God—encounters in the throne room, angelic visitations, burning bush experiences—but they do not realize the responsibility that comes along with these types of encounters.

Yes, God wants us to be captivated with Him and truly experience Him not just with head knowledge, but with actual revelation. However, many of the dramatic encounters we see in the Word of God were a commissioning to do a great work of God. These commissionings were given to strengthen the person to do great exploits in the face of grave danger and hardship over long periods of time where it seemed the promise would never come to pass.

Any believer can go preach the gospel—the Lord calls us all to do this, but there are certain assignments set aside that are so difficult that the Lord will grant specific experiences to sustain that person over the long-haul.

Most people so covet the experience, but they do not realize that God gives those encounters, because He knows that person is going to have so many difficulties that they will want to quit over and over again.

The world, Satan, and even our own human nature are constantly pushing us to give up and quit. However, God will come strengthen us with His grace so that we can persevere.

I have heard Mike Bickle say, “Perseverance is the mark of a true minister of God.” Everything in us and around us says, “Quit, give up, you’re a failure anyway.” However, God’s Word says that we have already won. We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus, and the God of peace will soon crush Satan under our feet.

Encounters into the realm of heaven give us a glimpse into eternity, and pull us out of our present circumstances into the vast expanse of God’s redeeming plan. When life gets mundane, difficult, or we are in danger of losing our very lives, we can remember those times when God met us in such a way that we will never forget it. Those times strengthen our hearts to persevere.

I can imagine that when things got hard for Moses, he remembered the bush that burned with fire, but was not consumed. He remembered the voice that came from the bush and sent him to deliver Israel from the land of Egypt. An encounter like that is difficult to forget no matter the circumstances. I am sure that encounter sustained him in the journey.

Even Paul had a dramatic encounter on the road to Damascus. He met Jesus and was blinded by His glory. Meeting the risen Christ sustained Paul through beatings, shipwrecks, stonings, scourges, hunger, thirst, and miles and miles of endless road. He had been captivated and could never turn away.

God comes to strengthen the weak hands and the feeble knees. He comes to tell us, “Do not grow weary in doing good, for in due season, you will reap a harvest, if you do not lose heart!”

Life & Message of the Apostolic: Laying Down Your Life

On the night that Jesus died, he was in the garden of Gethsemane praying in anguish that the grueling assignment of his death would be taken away from Him. He knew His assignment on earth was to die on the Cross. Yet, He knew it would be the hardest thing any human being has ever done (Lk. 22:39-46; Mt. 26:36-46).

However, Jesus stayed in the place of prayer and surrendered His will over to the will of His Father. He said, “Not my will, but Yours be done” (Lk. 22:42). In the place of prayer, He laid down His life before He was even arrested or went to the Cross.

Jesus knew what was coming for His disciples and He told them to pray so that they would not enter into temptation (Mt. 26:41; Lk. 22:40). He knew that they would have the opportunity to lay down their lives that night, and He told them to pray to strengthen their spirits so that they were not tempted to betray Him.

However, they all fell asleep in the garden. None of them prayed during that time of temptation, and all of them were scattered. By the end of the night, every one of the disciples betrayed Jesus.

Jesus had promised that anyone who wanted to be His disciple needed to take up their cross and follow Him (Mk. 8). A mark of following Jesus is laying down your life.

Later on, after the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples were restored back into their ministry. I believe they were forever marked with what it means to lay down your life.

Time and time again, Paul preached how the mark of the apostleship was laying down their lives for the Church. And ultimately, nearly all of the apostles (if not all of them) were killed for their faith.

Laying down your life is a constant process of being identified with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ in your daily life (Gal. 2, Rom. 6). It is like being “a living martyr” who is fully surrendered to Jesus. However, the entire New Testament is marked with those who actually died for their faith.

Before the return of Jesus, the Lord will restore the true apostolic to the church again and many will die for their faith in Christ.

However, if we, like Christ, stay in that place of prayer so that we will not be delivered over into temptation, our lives will already be completely surrendered to Christ in life, a long time before we are given over to death.

“Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13).

From Pressure to Passion

The Lord knows exactly how to squeeze you through a hole that you don't fit in. He likes to do that actually. We call it refining. It is a much cleaner sounding term than what it feels like.

Sometimes, the Lord allows all kinds of external pressures to cause you to move into a certain direction--or come to a certain conclusion. His leadership is like know other--it is perfect.

We are so fortunate to have a Good Shepherd who knows exactly the right amount of pressure to add--not to much, not too little. The end result is eternal diamonds--things that will not pass away forever. His fire burns everything that is not eternal & purifies the eternal things.

God allows the pressure that pushes us into our eternal destiny as sons & daughters. It creates such a passion for Jesus in us that will never be crushed. Thank You for Your leadership, Jesus.

From Friction to Fire

If you are like me, you are probably always wondering when the pressure is going to lift, when you can stop fighting, when the problems are going to cease, etc...If you are like many people, you may be bitter & angry at God for the injustices you see in the world.

Let me put a challenge to you though. Every single thing in our lives can either draw us closer to God or farther away--it depends on how we carry our hearts in the matter.

Sometimes God allows friction in our lives--like two sticks rubbing together that eventually combust into a flame. That flame turns into a fire that burns up everything in us. Then, we pick up the ashes, hand them to the Lord, and He turns them into beauty (Is. 61, Mk. 8:35).

Unfortunately, many times we abort the mission at the friction process & try to run away from the situation to relieve the tension. However, it is in the presence of our enemies that we find the banqueting table of fellowship with the Lord (Ps. 23).

I challenge you to begin to see every situation as an opportunity to grow closer to the Lord.

Devo 58: There is no Fear in Love

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.

I John 4:17-18

As the world continues to spiral downward in economics, politics, morals, spiritual decline, crime, etc…many people find themselves terribly afraid. Fear of death, fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of debt, fear of loss, fear of men, fear of rejection, fear of pain, fear, fear, fear…Fear is one of the most paralyzing influences on a person.

Many people struggle with fear. Even those who seem confident in outward appearance are, many times, terribly afraid on the inside. However, people will cover up fear with anything and everything, filling their lives with lots of “noise” to keep themselves from being alone and afraid.

Jesus said that in the last days, men’s hearts will fail from the “fear and expectation of things to come” (Lk 21:26). Basically, men will have heart attacks from the fear of the future—fear of the unknown, uncertainty, insecurity. The world will be rampant with fear in the last days.

However, as sons and daughters of God, fear is not our inheritance. Our inheritance is the spirit of adoption that cries out “Abba! Father!” and breaks the bondage of fear! (Rom. 8:15). Our inheritance is the love of the Father. His perfect love casts out all fear.

I John 3 says, “Behold what manner of love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God!” Then, I John 4 talks about this love and how it is manifested to us and through us. It is in this context that John speaks of love being made perfect among us, which casts out fear.

When this love is perfected, it also gives us boldness in the Day of Judgment. This is our inheritance, because even though we may not know individual twists and turns such as finances, deaths, disasters…etc, we know the ultimate outcome. We know that Jesus is coming back and He will make the wrong things right. We know what He says in Revelation and other books concerning the things to come. We are instructed in how to carry our hearts during these times—love, humility, abiding in the Spirit, etc.

In Philippians 3, Paul speaks of those who set their mind on earthly things. He says that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, but “our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly bodies that it may be conformed to His glorious body…” (Phil. 3:18-21). Our challenge is to live for heavenly things even while we are still on earth.

We belong to a kingdom which cannot be shaken (Heb. 12:27-28). In the last days, the Lord will shake not only earth, but heaven also (Heb. 12:27-28). He will shake the 2nd heavens where the demonic principalities and powers have their dominion (Eph 6.) Jesus says that this is the time when men’s hearts will fail because of fear—when the heavens are shaken (Lk. 21:26).

Revelation 12 speaks of the time when Michael will throw Satan out of heaven onto the earth. This is comes as a result of the intercession of the saints prevailing over the principalities and powers in the 2nd heavens, because the saints have found their identity not on earth or in the 2nd heavens, but seated with Christ in heavenly places (in the 3rd heavens) (see Eph. 2:6, 6:12-13; II Cor. 12:2).

At this time, Satan will be cast down to earth and this will be the time of the greatest persecution of the saints and Jews that the world has ever known. However, the saints will overcome by the blood of the lamb and the Word of their testimony (Rev. 12:11).

The Lord is preparing our hearts now to be free of fear so that we will have boldness in the Day of Judgment. Even if bad things happen to us and around us, we will have the courage and boldness to set our mind on heavenly things instead of things on earth. We will have answers when everyone else has questions, anxiety, and fear.

Don’t count yourself out! The immediate response when I say something like that is to say that this cannot be for you. You cannot have that kind of freedom. That is not true. The enemy wants us to believe that because he wants to keep us in bondage to fear so that we will not realize our inheritance as sons and daughters, and take our place seated with Christ—above Satan! When we truly realize that and make conscious choices to walk in that everyday, we become deadly to Satan, because it is the result of our prayers that will ultimately cast him out of heaven and call forth Jesus to return.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is—there is freedom! (II Cor. 3:17). We do not want to be enemies of the cross by thinking that we cannot be free and therefore setting our minds on earthly things (Phil. 3:18). We must be anxious for nothing, but set our minds on whatever is noble, lovely, true, and pure (Phil. 4:6-8).

This week, meditate on the love of God. Meditate either on Jesus love for us by dying on the cross (Jn 15:13) or on the love of the Father (Rom. 8:15, I John 3:1, I Jn. 4:19). Pray the following kinds of prayers out loud. Ask the Lord to reveal His love to you. Ask Him to prepare your heart to receive His love and ask Him to remove fear or anything that stops you from receiving His love. Ask Him to make you able to comprehend what is the width, length, depth, and height, of the love of Christ which passes all knowledge (Eph. 3:17-18). Ask Him to perfect you in love and to make you bold in the Day of Judgment.

Grace and Peace in the Lord Jesus!

Amanda
 
Copyright © 2010, Amanda Rich, All Rights Reserved

Devo 57: Where the Seed Falls

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.


But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.

Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
Luke 8:11-15

Jesus said that understanding the parable of the sower is key to understanding all the other parables. This parable has more truth in it than I fully comprehend right now, but there are several things I want to point out which are crucial for us in the time in which we live.

By the Wayside: We all have seen how the seed falls by the wayside and is stolen before a person has time to receive it and believe. This happens everytime the Word is preached to an unbeliever and they remain unbelieving.

However, the other three types of soil apply to people who believe or have believed the Word in some capacity during their lives.

On Rocky Soil: For the first type of soil—or rock rather, the person hears the Word and receives it with joy, but then when trouble or temptation comes, they fall away (Mt 13 & Mk 4 say tribulation and persecution). These are people who get saved, but they only have a surface-level knowledge of God and relationship with Him.

However, it is not just that they have never developed a root or had personal growth any, but their root did not grown as fast as the plant, and they have not tilled the soil for the root to grow. So, the storms come or temptation or persecution, and that plant does not stand up to the testing, because it has not developed a root system.

Jesus said that anyone who does not abide in the vine or abide in His love will be cut off (Jn 15), but He gives many promises for those who remain in Him. Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, may be rooted and grounded in love, and may be able to comprehend with all the saints, what is the width, the length, the depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes all knowledge…” We must be rooted in God’s love. We have to believe that what He says about us is true and ask Him to constantly fill us with His love and make us able to receive it.

Among Thorns: Other seeds fell among thorns. Some thorns are the cares of the world—sickness, disease, financial hardship, relationship trouble, circumstances, etc. Other thorns are riches, pleasures of this life—things that distract us. These things pull our attention away from growing. They outgrow us quickly, become taller than us, and consume all the light, so that we are stifled out, and get no light.

If you have ever grown plants, you will know that they always grow toward the light. If you turn a houseplant away from the window, its leaves will reach toward the window. However, say that a plant was surrounded by thorns and so focused on the fact that there where thorns, that it does not grow towards the light. This is how a plant dies from lack of light, and this is how our spirits get choked out from the cares of the Lord. Want is our focus on? Is it on the thorns or the light?

We have to focus on the light rather than on the things that are choking us. Paul said that when we behold God, we become more like Him (II Cor. 3:18). We must focus on Jesus and what He is capable of doing, rather than on everything surrounding us and what they are capable of doing.

James 1 talks about how the testing of our faith produces patience, which when patience is perfected, it makes us perfect or complete, lacking nothing. Being perfect here means mature. The Lord allows testing to produce a fruit of the spirit in us called patience, which brings us into maturity.

However, many times, we allow that testing to choke us out and keep us from bringing any fruit to maturity (Js 1, Lk 8:14). Jesus said that anyone who abides in Him, must bear fruit or it will be cut off and thrown in the fire (Jn 15). We must not only have a deep root, and grow tall, but we must bear fruit.

In Good Soil: Finally, the seed falls on good soil. These are those who hear the word, keep it, and bear fruit with patience. They hear the word, receive it, cultivate the ground, and grow towards the light. They keep the Word, which means they hear His word and obey it. They are ones who abide in His love, and because they love Him, they obey His commands (Jn 15: 9-10, 14).

Those who cultivate good soil bear fruit. Jesus said we must bear fruit (Jn 15). However, we cannot bear fruit by our own strength—that would be works of the Law or works of the flesh, but we must bear fruits of the SPIRIT. We cannot grow this fruit without abiding in the Spirit and allowing Him to prune us, and produce these fruits in us.

This includes coming against things that keep us from believing in His love, which damages our root. This process of bearing fruit includes focusing on the Light—Jesus, rather than the thorns surrounding us. It says those with good soil, bear fruit with patience. They allow the testing of their faith to produce patience, and the patience to bring them into maturity.

Ultimately, this parable is not about different types of people, but about different experiences of discipleship as we grow in the Lord. We go through each process many times in all areas of our lives.

After Jesus told this parable, He said, “He who has an ear, let Him hear!” The Lord is speaking to us through this parable, and it is especially important for the time we live in as the wheat and tares are being brought up into maturity and the harvest is made ready. The Lord will return soon for a Bride who has been brought into maturity, and we must take heed, so that we do not allow the things of the world to keep us from bearing fruit that will last for an eternity.

“Lord, help us to cultivate good soil. Help us to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Strengthen us with might in the inner man that we may know the love of Christ that passes all knowledge. Help us to abide in your love. Guard us and deliver us from the evil one. Give us ears to hear and eyes to see. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen”

Love,

Amanda

Copyright © 2010, Amanda Rich, All Rights Reserved

Devo 41: Comfort in Adversity

There are several things most humans have in common. We do not like pain. We do not like difficulty. We do not like struggle. When push comes to shove, there is not a human being that really likes those things—at least I have never met one.


When difficult things happen to us, we begin to blame God. We complain. We want to quit. We try to look for a way out. We try to come up with verses that make us comfortable, and we look for something to explain the pain we are feeling.

Yet, most of the time, we have no answer and we do not understand. We are required to trust God and rely on Him to be our source, but that option is much too difficult. So, we look for something else to occupy us in hopes of forgetting about the pain we feel.

This reality is evident throughout the history of the world—Adam and Eve, Cain and Able, Abraham and Sarah, the children of Israel…yet, it still seems to take us by surprise.

In Psalm 10, the writer says of a wicked man, “His [a wicked man’s] ways are always prospering, Your [the Lord’s] judgments are far above, out of his sight; As for all his enemies, he sneers at them. He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity” (Ps. 10:5-6, NKJV, parentheses added).

This is a surprising truth. Believing that we will never be in adversity is a lie. Exposing this lie makes us face our beliefs about the reality of who God is and what it means to follow Him. Again in Psalm 50, God is speaking to the wicked and says, “You thought I was altogether like you” (Ps. 50:21, NIV). In Isaiah 55:8-9, the Lord says, “My thoughts are higher than your thoughts and my ways higher than your ways.”

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus called His followers to “take up their cross” and follow Him. He said, “Those who love their life, will lose it, but whoever loses his life will find it” (Mk 8:34; Mt 10:38, 16:34; Jn 12:25, Lk 9:23).

In Hebrews 12, the writer speaks of how the Lord disciplines those He loves and we are called to “run the race with endurance.” In Philippians 3, Paul says that he must “press on for the upward call of Christ Jesus.”

All of these teachings implicate struggle, pain, and hardship, but here is the paradox…I say all of this to comfort you. Throughout our lives, we have been fed falsehoods that our life should be easy, pleasurable, and free of difficulty. Therefore when trouble comes, we despair. We think something is wrong with us, or we try to find answers and become bitter and angry when nothing can explain what happened to us.

Imagine what Jesus, as a man, was feeling the night before He was hung on the cross. Was He blaming God? Was He bitter and angry? Was He looking for answers? I am sure He was tempted with all of those things, but ultimately, He said, “Not my will but Yours be done” (Lk 22:42).

If we begin to line up our thinking about who God is and realize that the way He leads is not the way we lead, then we will be able to trust Him no matter the circumstance. We will begin to find comfort in Him when pain surrounds us and nothing is comfortable. Our thoughts about Him will begin to line up with who He says He is. We will realize that the majority of our reward will not be found in this age, but in the age to come, and in that place, we will find comfort.

This week, ask the Lord to teach you who He is. Ask Him to expose those false ideas about comfort in this life. Ask Him to strengthen you to run the race. Read several psalms this week—especially psalms of David, and notice how he continually runs to the Lord in the place of pain and despair. Notice how the Lord brings comfort to him and ask the Lord to comfort You.

Lord, I ask that you would expose every idea in us that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. I ask that you would refine us, mold us, and shape us into people that love Your name and know who You are. Come and teach us, Holy Spirit. We love You! Amen.

I love you all.

Amanda
 
Copyright © 2010, Amanda Rich, All Rights Reserved