Category: Growth

KINGS AND PRIESTS

Do we realize who Christ has made us to be in Himself? If there was any idea of the magnitude of what these words meant to the average believer in Christ, there would be a marked difference in the church today. Let us go back to the beginning of time when God created the first male and female.

Adam was created first then Eve. While in the garden of God they were given authority over, Fish, birds, and cattle. (Gen. 1:26) Then in (v. 28) God gave the order to subdue the earth. I looked up the word, subdue, and this is what I found. (Subdue = Conquer, subjugate, bring into subjection). In other words Adam and Eve had complete, authority over the whole earth. They were to rule and reign under God’s supreme authority, in the entire earth.

The evil one enters the garden and tempts eve with this age old question, “Did God really say?” This after God had told them they could eat of any tree in the garden except the tree of the ,”Knowledge of good and evil”. If they eat they would surely die. They did eat, and as a result lost fellowship with God, died latter in life, and lost their authority over the earth.

Fast forward to the crucifixion of Christ. Put to death on a Roman cross, but, arose again the third day. I said all that to say this, When Jesus arose from the grave He defeated the Devil and reclaimed the authority lost by Adam. We are no longer under the bondage of Satan, but under the life of Jesus Christ, (Romans 8:15)

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

With this new life comes the authority Adam lost. We are to reign, subdue, have dominion over this earth and all that is in it.(Romans 5:17);

“For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”

Revelations 1:5,6, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

v.6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

According to this scripture verse, we were made to rule as Kings over the earth and Priests so that we would be able to enter the Holy Of Holies and converse with God our Father. This is a true saying given to us from the mouth of God. Why have we not walked in our authority? Why do believers let the enemy torment them and not take their rightful authority over the adversary?

Believers in Jesus Christ rise up and take your rightful place in what our Lord died and return to us. You have all authority in this earth use it over sickness, diseases, and when the enemy comes against you or your family. Speak the Word of God over those situations, (Ephesians 6:17);

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

The only offensive weapon we have is the Word of God. It is Quick (alive) and powerful (active & operative) and sharper than a twoedged sword. Satan is not intimidated by our elegant words or much speaking, he is moved by the Words God speaks, so repeat them over your situation and watch your enemy flee from you. (James 4:7);

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Submit = To be under obedience to (GOD), subject to, submit self unto.

Resist = Stand against, oppose.

Flee = Run away from, vanish, escape, flee.

I urge all believers in Christ to use that authority given to us, go out and put that power to good use. Speak the Word of God over those mountains that stand in your way, take back what the enemy had stolen from you. Stand fast and don’t retreat, attack with the Word, and fear not!

It is time for the church of Jesus Christ to stop playing church, put on that armour of God to stand steadfast against the spiritual enemies of darkness. Read the end of the Book we win!

John 13:35,” By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Be a blessing to everyone.

Al S.

Tried by fire

Tried by fire

Are you going through some difficult time right now and you are wondering if there is something you did wrong? I have been in this very spot not to long ago. Asking God where did I go off track. Why are you not answering my prayers and so on? There may be many reasons for this time of uncertainty. So, after you check the usual trouble areas like, anger against anyone, sin, or you were told by God to do a task that has not been completed. You still have no idea the problem, let me give you some encouraging ideas at what may be happening.

The scriptures explain how we are to walk by FAITH, not by sight. I know, easier said than done. We need to look at the Bible for the answer. Take for instance the book of 1 Peter, he has some wonderful words for this situation.

1Peter 1:7, That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:“

Peter is explaining the importance of the tests, (trials) we go through in this life are more precious than gold. Some materials such as silver and gold, go into a fire and are heated to extreme temperatures to melt. As they become a liquid the impurities are skimmed off to reveal the purest gold.

When we received Christ as Lord, our lives were still full of the world with all its impurities, this needs to be brought to the surface and skimmed off. When trials come they are bringing to the surface what we need to dispose of from our lives to become more like Jesus. This is done through the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. When anger shows its ugly head we must recognize it as a worldly impurity needing to be removed.

This process in not a pleasant one, but it is quite necessarily for that refining fire to burn off all the dross in our lives. Peter goes on to say, don’t think this is some strange thing, it will happen to all that follow Christ. As we go on to chapter 4 of 1^st Peter, he gives us some comforting thoughts. 1 Peter 4:12-13, “ Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

Listen the what Paul say about our suffering in Romans 8:17:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

Beloved, the thing you are going through isn’t strange, they are common to every person that names the name of Christ. The very reason we will go through these trials and tests is to be partakers of Christ’s sufferings and be glorified with Him.

Now this is the part we have a difficult time with, REJOICE! This is where our attitude must change. If we continue to fret and fume over being tried by fire, the process will take longer and be much harder. Why, because we are fighting against God’s plan for our lives and to make us holy, mature, not moved by every wind and doctrine.

1 Corinthians 3;13, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”

Remember, God will not allow the enemy to over power you. God loves you more than you can even imagine. So take heart in God’s Word, trust in His ability to see you through. Praise God, to Him be all the Glory.

Al S.

REPENTANCE OR REMORSE

Have you ever given any thought to why some bible characters seem to get forgiven, and others lose what they have? Take for example Jacob and Esau. Jacob tricked Esau into selling his birthright, when he tried to get it back God rejected him. And how about Judas Iscariot after betraying Jesus went out and hanged himself. Or, Peter for instance after denying Jesus went and wept bitterly, but in the next chapter we find him preaching the gospel.

So, I went into the scriptures to see if there was a reason for these actions. I found some interesting bible facts that may hold a answer to this question. Let us first, look at Matthew 27:3-5,

“Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that”.

In the KJV above, the word “repent-ed is used”, this is not a true interpretation of this word. Looking into the original meaning, we find the word Metamelomai,when interpreted, this word actually means regret. Did you ever stop and ponder, why Judas was condemned and Peter forgiven? I will cover that a little later.

Look at the confrontation between Jacob and Esau, Genesis 25:29-34. Esau

was the first born which gave him the birthright and best inheritence of his father’s estate. But he despised his birthright and sold it to Jacob for some red stew. When he tried to retrieve it with tears was denied.According to:

Hebrews 12:16-17, “Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears”.

Take notice of what the bible describes in Peter’s betrayal of Jesus. Peter was with Jesus when the guards arrested Him. Peter followed as they took Jesus to be condemned. He mingled among the guards, was close enough that he saw Jesus’ eyes as the rooster crowed for the third time. Then Peter went out and wept bitterly. This is where confusion comes in. Just because a person sheds a lot of tears, doesn’t necessarily mean that the heart has repented. Tears can be a heart felt sign of true repentance in a persons heart. In this instance, Peter did what Judas did not, Peter repented for his part in the betrayal of Jesus. How do we know this, John 20:2, Simon Peter and John ran to the sepulchre to see the empty tomb. More proof would be, in Acts 2:38, On the day of Pentecost, Peter launched his preaching ministry with the same requirement of repentance as John the Baptist and Jesus did.

Here Is the difference between repentance and remorse, guilt, regret and sorrow.

Guilt is a prison that will keep you perpetually bound and unchanged.

Remorse enslaves you in sorrow that engulfs you emotionally and leaves you feeling sad, depressed, hopeless, and unchanged.

Regret is self-pity that is focused more on your own personal loss than on the pain or loss you caused to others or the heart of God and leaves you unchanged.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 7:10, “For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death”. Peter repented to salvation. Judas’ remorse led him to his death.

This is possibly what Judas went through. Deep remorse for his part in the betrayal of Jesus. Had he repented, I don’t believe he would have hung himself.

The word for repentance is, Metanoeo. Which referring to a complete turn in the way one thinks, lives, or acts. For a person to repent, he must simply make up his mind to change. Esau did not repent of his selfish attitude but, sought it back with regret, not repentance.

Could this be the reason a person will go to the altar every time one is given. For regret, remorse or guilt, and not for true repentance?

If you are trapped in any one of these, there is healing for you today.

Real repentance is a mental choice to leave a life of sin, flesh, and selfishness, and turn toward God with all of one’s heart and mind to follow Jesus. The scripture verses below will help you find rest for your soul.

Romans 10:9-10, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”.

Be blessed in Jesus.

Al S.

CHANGE FROM WITHIN

If you are like many Christians that are in love with God, then there are probably some areas in your life that need internal changing. These can be emotional, or spiritual. There may be something in scripture that you found not in line with your life style. We all have had issues with this same problem. What have you tried on your own to eliminate the problem?

If you are like me, I have tried to change myself. This has only produced anger and frustration with no real improvement. There are many self-help books on the market, some may even be beneficial for a short term gain.

Another course of action, we all have tried is, Will Power. You know the one that says, “I can do this on my own”. I have been acquainted with some of these approaches and still had not changed into the image of Christ. What was I doing wrong? That answer was quite easy. I was trying to do the changing in my own strength. If you can relate to this problem the answer is in the scriptures.

The Lord God made provisions for us to live a holy life on earth, the difference is we don’t do the changing, the Holy Spirit works in us. Notice the wording in 2 Corinthians 3:18:

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”.

This verse plainly says, we are changed from glory to glory into the image of Christ. God’s, Holy spirit is the only one that can change us from the inside out. Scripture calls this “Sanctification”. This sanctification must be pursued by the believer, earnestly and diligently.

There is another aspect to being sanctified and that is the Word of God. We are clearly told in John 17:17, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” To be continually in the Word means, you will have good success. Through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, we can mortify the deeds of the flesh, as described in Romans 8:13:

“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live”.

We are being continually changed every day as we put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. Romans 13:14. In conclusion, let the Holy Spirit do His work in you. Pray that He would reveal those areas that you so desperately want changed. Read and study the Word daily to show yourself approved unto God, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. We are a work in progress and God will finish what He started. Don’t quit. Let the Holy Spirit lead, and give you His peace.

Blessings to you in Jesus’ name!

Al S.

Something happened in the garden of Eden that caused a major shift in man’s relationship with his creator. Since God created man in His own image and stated that everything He had created was, very good, the problem I see is not with God but man.

We all know how the story goes. Adam and Eve were in a perfect garden environment no sin, sickness or turmoil of any kind. Just perfection at its finest. Along comes the Tempter with partial truths to question what God really said. (He has not changed His tactics to this day). His whole ploy was to get the authority that God had given Adam over the earth. Could it be that Satan’s objective was to have the people of earth worship Him instead of God? The Bible does not give us the answer.

God enters the narrative with a question, “Adam where are you?” Isn’t that just like our God to give us the opportunity for repentance, to explain what he had done? But no, he starts the age old blame game. The woman you gave me she did it. Eve said, the snake he tricked me into eating the fruit. Genesis Chapter 3.

This is the part I find most interesting, Genesis 3:7, “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew they were naked;..” Why did they now know of their nakedness, they had been naked just moments before and had no shame? Could it be that Adam was painfully aware His relationship with his Creator was not the same as it had been?

Under the Mosaic law, which God had given to Moses, was to show mankind their sin but, provide no lasting solution to the problem. The law and sacrifice was their conscience effort to cover the sins committed by them. The process went something like this, sin, then sacrifice, sin, then sacrifice with no viable end. Because of man’s flesh he was trapped in an continues circle. Before Jesus came into our lives, we too were living in dead works.

Titus 1:15, “ Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled”.

Then enters Jesus with a new covenant, one that does away with that endless cycle. Jesus does what that old covenant could never do. His death and resurrection refreshed man’s old conscience and made it new.

Hebrews 9:14, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

A new conscience is part of the new covenant, where sin is forgiven and guilt is removed, allowing for a renewed relationship with God.

1 Peter 3:21, “ The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”

When Adam sinned his conscience changed from a God-conscience, to a self-conscience, that is why (I believe) he then saw himself naked and hid from God.

Thank You Jesus for Your ultimate sacrifice for mankind.

1 John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us”.

May you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers! 3 John 1:2

Al S