The King and His Kingdom – Part Six A

Our Role in His Kingdom.

The King and His Kingdom Video

Session 6a

In previous sessions we’ve looked at the Kingdom of God and how it is that as we obey God’s principles, (or His Government), we are blessed by Him (Psa.1:1-4). We also saw that as we drift out of His principles in our day, God is not able to bless us – this is because His Government is indisputable, irreversible, and final. We see in the books of Zechariah and Daniel, that His government, or another expression for His word or law, is beyond debate or question, whether we agree with it or not! (Zech.14:9; Daniel 2:44).

God desires to bless you and me on a daily basis, but if we don’t adhere to His principles, His own government prevents Him from doing so. If He were to bless someone who is acting outside of His Government, then He would be obliged to even bless the accuser of the believers, the devil – a situation He cannot have!

If God’s principles are close to our hearts, then we will be more aware of them during the course of our day. In this session, we are going to look at some of His principles that can apply specifically to our behavior in the workplace.

Please remember, there are many more principles in His word than what we are looking at in this session. Let’s try and prayerfully sit with the Lord on a regular basis, asking Him to reveal more principles to us, so that we become more aware and more blessed.

Eph 6:5  Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;

How obedient are we to those in authority over us? Do we carry out our tasks with a sincere heart, as if we were doing the work for the Lord?

Eph 6:6  not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

Eph 6:7  With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,

We should be working as though we are working for the Lord – not trying to please mankind but to please the Lord.

Eph 6:8  knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

As we work diligently as if for the Lord, His promise is that we will receive blessing back from Him.

1Ti 6:1  All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against.

Are we able to treat those in authority over us with honor? This, so that the name of the Lord is not scoffed at.

1Ti 6:2  Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren but must serve them all the more because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles.

Are we blessed to have an authority figure over us who believes in the Lord? The scripture says they are brothers or sisters in the Lord and therefore we should serve them. We should encourage this behavior in our workplace – not criticize it.

1Pe 2:18  Servants, you must obey your masters and always show respect to them. Do this, not only to those who are kind and thoughtful but also to those who are cruel.

It can be very easy to show respect to those who treat us well, but the scripture says we also need to show respect to those who are not kind to us as well.

1Pe 2:19  God will bless you, even if others treat you unfairly for being loyal to him.

As we respect others in the workplace we adhere to this Godly principle and therefore the Lord will bless us.

1Pe 2:20  You don’t gain anything by being punished for some wrong you have done. But God will bless you if you have to suffer for doing something good.

Have we been wrongfully accused of doing something – God says He will bless us if we are persecuted for wrongs we did not do.

1Pe 2:21  After all, God chose you to suffer as you follow in the footsteps of Christ, who set an example by suffering for you.

The Lord allows situations of suffering to come to us in order that we will change. If we had perfect lives – there would be no need for us to know or seek God.

1Pe 2:22 Christ did not sin or ever tell a lie.

Have a time of reflection about our day today. How many times did we lie or be deceitful? In our old sinful nature, we will continue to be deceitful but in our new Christ-like nature, His character will flow through us.

1Pe 2:23  Although he was abused, he never tried to get even. And when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he had faith in God, who judges fairly.

We need to trust in God more throughout our day. If wrongs have been done to us, God knows about it and it is His place to judge and bring vengeance – not ours.

In this last section let’s read out some scripture together as we did previously in part 2a. At the end of the section, pause and discuss for 10min what you have read together.

However, VERY IMPORTANTLY – please note here:

We have put in brackets some words in the following scriptures for the purpose of highlighting them for employees and employers. We are not trying to change God’s word.

EMPLOYERS

Col 4:1  Masters, (EMPLOYERS) grant to your slaves (EMPLOYEES) justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.

Eph 6:9  And masters (EMPLOYERS), do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Col 3:25  For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.

1Pe 3:7  You husbands (EMPLOYERS) in the same way live with your wives (EMPLOYEES) in an understanding way, as with someone weaker…….. and show her (THEM) honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

1Pe 3:8  To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;

1Pe 3:9  not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

EMPLOYEES –

1Pe 3:1  In the same way, you wives (EMPLOYEES), be submissive to your own husbands (EMPLOYERS) so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives (EMPLOYEES),

1Pe 3:2  as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.

1Pe 3:3  Your adornment must not be merely external–braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;

1Pe 3:4  but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

Remember – as we adhere to these principles daily, we will be blessed. I pray that the Lord has ministered some ‘pearls of wisdom in this session. These Godly principles for our daily lives are very difficult to adhere to if we try in our own strength. Let’s call on the Lord daily, to help us with the power of His Holy Spirit.

As we enter into the Kingdom of God here and now, we have acknowledged that our old sinful nature (the engine that drives us to sin), has died and been buried with Jesus. Let’s begin to walk in the new resurrected nature that God has given us.  This is the nature that is able to walk daily in God’s principles.

Please join me next week, for PART 7, where we will be looking at Christian businesses, to see how God would like them managed. Be blessed during this coming week – I look forward to being with you soon.

If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.

“…time with the Master…”

Advertisement

The Sermon on The Mount – Part Three

Feature Photo: Adam Kring Upsplash.com

The Sermon on The Mount – Part Three

If you missed the introduction to The First Sermon on The Mount please tap on this link.

You will reach Part Two here.

Matthew 7:1-28

Tap this link for scriptures.

In this final session, Jesus begins by teaching on the issue of the judgment of others. He warns that in terms of how the Disciples judge others, they themselves will be judged by the same measure. In comparatively harsh words, He explains why they are not in a position to judge others. Rather they should concentrate judgment of themselves.

Changing subjects, Jesus goes on to tell His disciples they should be discerning with whom they share these teachings. Unholy people will mock their words, damming them, and finally, use those words to attack the disciples personally.

Jesus now tells them that there are three things they should always do: Ask, if they are in need; they should seek if they are in doubt, and should they wish to enter Him and follow his example, they only have to knock. He assures them, in asking, they will receive what they ask for, in seeking they will find what they are looking for. Lastly, if they knock to enter Him, he will open the door.

He now compares their giving to that of His Father and states his Father’s giving to be the stronger, this is the way that their giving should be.

Wrapping this point up, Jesus states that they should always do unto others as they would have others do to them. He explains that this is the fulfillment of their law.

Now Jesus talks about the way forward, saying, the entrance to the Kingdom of God on earth is only accessible through a narrow gate. This leads to an equally narrow walk. Because the gate is narrow, few find it. Because the way is so narrow, it is a difficult walk. They will observe though, that the world at large enters their lives via a wide gate, easy to find and easy to walk.

He warns His disciples concerning those that would approach them with differing doctrines. He says that whilst they would appear as mild as lambs on the outside, they will be as ferocious as wolves on the inside. The way they should judge this ilk is to look at the fruit they bear in their lives. They well know that grapes don’t grow on thorn bushes and figs are not found on thistles. Neither do good trees bear bad fruit or bad trees bear good fruit. Those that do not bear good fruit are uprooted and destroyed. In short, don’t entertain these, they will ultimately destroy themselves.

Jesus continues; saying that because there will be those that call Him “…Lord, Lord…” does not necessarily mean they will enter into the Kingdom. Only those who do His Father’s will. Even when these protest that they performed miracles in His name, He will say, “I don’t know you, away from me you thugs!”

Jesus concludes by saying that any person who hears His words and acts on them would be compared to a wise person, who builds their house on firm foundations. When violent storms ravaged the earth, the house stood firm. Those, however, who hear His words and do not act on them are like the foolish person, who built their house on sandy foundations. When the storms raged the house collapsed in a huge heap.

The crowds below observed that Jesus did not teach like the teachers of their day, but as a person who had authority.

My prayer is that this series enlivened the Spirit within you and me, resulting in us thanking God for etching these Kingdom principles into our hearts.

Blessings

Peter.

If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.

“…time with the Master…”

The King and His Kingdom – Part Three

The King and His Kingdom Video

Session 3

Welcome to part 3 of the King and His Kingdom which we’ve entitled the Role of Husband. In the coming sessions, we’ll see what it is that God expects from our specific roles in the Kingdom.

In the last session we said the following:

1. What are the benefits of living in His Kingdom? – In the Kingdom of God, we live according to His ‘rule’ or ‘government’ and the results are that we are a people that are blessed. His promises to us are ‘in Him’ and ‘in Him’, is the Amen! The more we walk in His principles, the more God’s authority will flow through us.

We become ‘agents’ (or vessels) of the Kingdom, here on earth – permitting/forbidding that which has been permitted or forbidden in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt.16:19).

• What happens when we do not live according to His principles? – Duet 28: 15-68 describes this situation only too well.  In short, the more we are in His will (His Government), the more we will experience blessings in this life and reward in the next life. This is also a measure of how God’s authority will flow through us daily (Psa.1:4-6).
• Examples of Godly Principles – There are many of God’s principles to be found in His word. Why not spend a bit of time looking for them and be enriched as the Lord opens these principles to you? Try turning the principle around to discover why we are not living blessed lives.
• What is the purpose of His Kingdom? – God uses His principles on this earth to refine us (Ph.2:12). Each difficulty we face, God has permitted into our lives so that we will turn to Him and be strengthened as we overcome them. (Rom.8:28). It is impossible for us to live according to God’s Principles in our own strength. We need the power of His Spirit to strengthen, teach and guide us.

All of this is being done in order to prepare us for the greatest fulfillment of prophecy – the ruling of the saints with Jesus over the “House of Jacob” in the millennial reign as seen in the book of Luke (Luke1: 33).

God designed marriage as the cornerstone of our society. When we “go and make disciples” (Matt.28:19-20), if we are married, we need the testimony of a solid marriage because we can only disciple others to the level we ourselves are with God.

Never before in history has there been such a need for examples of Godly marriages, as now. Therefore – what does God expect from us in our marriages?

Until we have some knowledge of the character of God, it is difficult to understand what He expects of us.  Next, it is important to understand what He desires from us in the long term, eternally speaking, before we will be able to perform according to His will.

God’s Government (The Kingdom of God)

In Isa.55:8-11 we see the fact that God is sovereign.  He is supreme and not accountable to anyone except Himself. We see in the books of Zecharia and Daniel that His government, another expression for His word or law, is beyond debate or question and is final and irreversible (Zech.14:9; Daniel 2:44). The Kingdom of God (His government) is a separate system under which God does that which pleases Him. We see this in the scriptures of Psalms and 1 Timothy (Psa.135:6; 1.Tim.6:15).  God himself is powerless to reverse His own Government (Is.40:8). Pray for a revelation to understand this fact to gain meaningful change in our lives. 

Anyone who obeys His government (or God’s Will) is blessed.  Anyone who does not walk according to His principles will struggle through life (Psa.1:1-3).  God is powerless to help the one who wilfully disobeys Him (Heb.10:26), yet His infinite mercy provides us with ‘grace’ – the power to obey Him.

His government is precise and exacting and has far-reaching and often devastating consequences for those who will not follow in it.

Clearly defined area

The role of the Husband, like the role of the Wife and that of the church, is specific and VERY CLEARLY detailed in the word of God.  There are NO grey areas, no aspects of uncertainty.  If Husbands have a heart’s desire to be the type of Husband God intends, he shall be blessed among all people.  If he does not have this desire, he needs to pray for it, because without it, he will struggle much in this life.  Not only will he suffer, but he may drag others into his situations.

Both the role of the Husband and the role of the Wife, are Godly principles

(We can refer back to Part 2—The King and His Kingdom)

Suitable Partner

Genesis 2:18 says that God decided that it was not good for man to be alone.  He needed a ‘helper’.  Someone to help him in his needs: spiritual, emotional, and physical. The animals were paraded before man and whilst he named them all, NONE WERE FOUND AS A SUITABLE HELP FOR HIM! (Gen.2:19-20).

God put Adam to sleep and created a helpmeet for him, from his own body … from a rib taken out of Adam.   The woman was “brought unto the man” she was given to him as his possession, and it was him that named her ‘woman’ (Gen.2:21-23).

She came from his rib, out of his side and this is symbolic that God intended her to always be at his side, to be an assistant to him and him alone.   Not a slave, who would walk behind him – or ahead of him to take authority – Husband and Wife are inseparably linked by their spirits, as a team working with, and for, each other. (Gen.2:24).

All of this is the government of God (God’s Kingdom) – Undisputable, irreversible, and final.

Understand your wife

The husband is commanded to live with his wife in an understanding way.  He is commanded to honor her.  He is commanded to treat her as a weaker vessel, yet as a joint heir to the blessings of eternal life. The scripture of 1 Peter tells us this should be so, in order that the husbands’ prayers will not be hindered (1 Pet.3: 7).

In addition to this, the Husband is commanded to teach his wife that which she desires to know. (1 Cor.14:35).

To live with one’s wife in an understanding way is to accept by faith that which the scriptures say of her. To pray for a Christ-like attitude toward her and the way she has been created – the husband always putting himself in his wife’s shoes.

Honor and love your wife

To honor one’s Wife according to the scripture is to esteem her in the HIGHEST degree – to maintain her dignity. She is a critical support to man:  such as a crucial body part for instance, without which a man would find life very difficult.  She is honored because she is critically part of man and because she is a gift from God (Prov.19:14). Not honoring the wife will limit God’s blessings on the husband (Mal.2:13-14).

Paul says that husbands should love their wives as their own bodies! – even as Christ loved the Church (Eph.5:25; 28; 33). He says in Colossians that Husbands should love their wives and not bear any unforgiveness (bitterness) towards them – neither for past or present circumstances (Col. 3:19).

The husband should be a provider for his wife and family (1 Tim.5:8). This not only materially, but spiritually and emotionally. He will be desirable because of his kindness (Prov.19:22).

To treat her as a weaker vessel is to accept that she is weaker physically, emotionally, and spiritually – but this should never be seen as a negative point (1 Peter 3:7). She is his partner. She compliments the usefulness of her husband and she is a co-heir of the grace of life.

She is treated as the weaker vessel because in order to perform her task as a helper – loving her husband, children, and managing the home (Psalm 31), she has to be sensitive.  Her role calls for sensitivity, but it can leave her vulnerable and therefore she needs understanding and protection.

But NEVER is she inferior in terms of her ultimate reward of eternal life, because in the Kingdom of Heaven there is neither male nor female. (Gal.3: 28).

God’s Line of Authority

The Husband is also the head of the Wife. Jesus is the head of the Husband and God is the head of Jesus. This is the word of God, whether we agree or not (1 Cor.11:3). Therefore, the husband is the spiritual authority of the wife.  He is to instruct her in the ways of the Lord, by word and by example.  (1 Cor. 14:34-35).

God seeks Godly seed from the covenant of marriage.  In the book Malachi, we see this is the SOLE OBJECTIVE of the union of marriage (Mal.2:15 NLT), but it is imperative to accept that this objective will only be achieved jointly.   The scripture says that the two are one. (Gen. 2:24).

As God’s chosen authority, never can a husband fulfill his role as a Christian unless he is fulfilling his role as a husband.

He has a very essential partner as assistant, spiritual, physical, and emotional support, in his wife.  It is almost like the pair who run the ‘two-legged’ race.  They can never be out of step, the stronger even carrying the weaker at different times.  However, that very ‘carrying’ must be done in the position that each of the partners occupies.  Individual roles should never be taken over or changed.

Our Role Models

Tragically today the family model is being poorly molded.  Beginning with our parents:  if we had a father who was dominated by our mother, we as children grow to accept that this is the norm.  The boys of the family will marry dominating women and the girls will dominate their husbands.  In some communities today ‘Fathers’ are scarcely ever seen, never mind fulfilling their roles – having left home to find employment in other areas.

The world, through the vast availability of media at its disposal, pounds our minds with all kinds of false impressions and possible worldly solutions, when all the time the only lasting and workable solution is the word of God. 

We face a ‘dog chasing its tail’ circumstance.  The professing church of today seems not to be able to teach the truth (The Gospel).  It seeks its help from worldly concepts and all this because it was never taught the true Gospel in the first place.

We as Christians need to take a firm stand in this last hour.  This situation must be reversed.  The best place to begin is in the family.  Husbands as the spiritual authority must be the initiators.

Next Step…

The beginning for the husband is to go earnestly before God and pray for the desire to change, whatever the cost.  Whilst this prayer may seem frightening; in terms of eternity, no price can be too great.  However, all of the effort of the husband to fulfill his role will amount to nothing, if it is not borne out of his relationship with God (Ps.127: 1).  Only in this way will he be the type of husband God wants him to be.

Right… let’s recap what we’ve shared this week:

1. Knowledge of God – Never before in history has there been such a need for examples of Godly marriages, as now. To truly understand what God expects from us in our marriages, we need to have a knowledge of His character.
2. God’s Government (The Kingdom of God) – God’s government or His word or law, is beyond debate or question and is final and irreversible. It is a separate system under which God does that which pleases Him. God himself is powerless to reverse His own Government. Anyone who obeys the will of God (or His government) is blessed.   Anyone who does not walk according to His principles, will struggle through life, yet still, God’s infinite mercy provides us with ‘grace’ – the power to obey Him.
3. Clearly defined area – The role of the Husband, like the role of the Wife and that of the church, is specific and VERY CLEARLY detailed in the word of God. If husbands have a heart’s desire to be the type of Husband God intends them to be, they will be blessed among all people. If they do not have this desire, they need to pray for it, because without it, they will struggle much in this life, and may even drag others into their situations.
4. Suitable Partner – God decided that it was not good for man to be alone.  He needed a ‘helper’.  Someone to help him in his needs: spiritual, emotional and physical. To be an assistant to him and him alone. Not a slave, following behind him – or ahead of him in a position of authority. Husband and wife are inseparably linked by their spirits – a team working with, and for, each other.
5. Understand your wife – To live with one’s wife in an understanding way is to accept by faith, that which the scriptures say of her, praying for a Christ like attitude toward her and the way she has been created – the husband always putting himself in her shoes.
6. Honour and love your wife – To honour one’s Wife according to the scripture is to esteem her in the HIGHEST degree – to maintain her dignity. She is honoured because she is critically part of man and because she is a gift from God. Husbands should love their wives and not bear any unforgiveness (bitterness) towards them – neither for past or present circumstances. Husbands should be providers for their wife and family. This, not only materially, but spiritually and emotionally. The wife’s role calls for sensitivity, but it can leave her vulnerable and therefore she needs understanding and protection, but NEVER is she inferior in terms of her ultimate reward of eternal life.
7. God’s Line of Authority – According to God’s government, the husband is the spiritual authority of the wife.  He is to instruct her in the ways of the Lord, by word and by example. The scripture says that Husband and wife are one. The husband cannot fulfil his role as a Christian unless he is fulfilling his role as a husband. He has a very essential partner as assistant, spiritual, physical and emotional support, in his wife. Husband and wife should never be out of step in their roles, the stronger even carrying the weaker at different times.  The individual roles should never be taken over or changed.
8. Our Role Models – Tragically today the family model is being poorly moulded. In some communities today ‘Fathers’ are scarcely even seen, never mind fulfilling their roles – sometimes having left home to find employment in other areas. The only lasting and workable solution for the marriage model is the word of God.  We as Christians need to take a firm stand in this last hour.  The best place to begin is in the family.  Husbands, as the spiritual authority, must be the initiators.
9. Next Step… – The beginning for the husband is to go earnestly before God and pray for the desire to change, whatever the cost.  The effort of the husband to fulfil his role will amount to nothing, if it is not borne out of his relationship with God.  Only in this way will he be the type of husband God wants him to be.

Please join me soon for PART 4, where we will explore some more principles of the Kingdom of God. Be blessed during this coming week – I look forward to being with you soon.

The Sermon on The Mount – Part Two

Feature Photo: Adam Kring Upsplash.com

The Sermon on The Mount – Part Two

If you missed the introduction to The Sermon on The Mount please tap on this link.

You will reach Part One here.

Matthew 6:1-34

tap on this link for scriptures.

We read in the introduction that Jesus, moved away from the crowd, up the mount and sitting down, taught his Disciples. In other words, this teaching was only for them.

Today I would start by saying, the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus were all Jews and raised under the law of the Jewish Torah. The basis of Jesus’s teaching was not to set aside this law but expand it so as to express the heart of God.

In part one we said the essence of Jesus’s message is the setting of a lifestyle for His Disciples. His message was not aimed at changing laws, but rather a change of heart.

He begins, in Chapter six by saying they must never show off their Godly acts in public. These, He continues, saying, when they give it must be done in secret. A warning is issued here; if they make public their Godly acts, there will be no benefit for them. They must carry out these in secret and God will bless them in secret.

Likewise, in terms of prayer, these must never be a public performance, but in private. Likewise, their prayers must come from their hearts as if they were in intimate conversation with God. (when we are in conversation with one another, we do not double-talk.) The prayer pattern he gave them was only a guideline and not to be prayed repetitively. Praying as such would bring results.

Jesus enlarges the words, “…forgive us our debts..” Saying forgiving others is of critical importance. As they forgave others it would unlock the door of freedom for them.

It was a practice of the day for fasting Jews to look unkempt and painful. Jesus explains; to receive benefit from fasting, they must behave in the reverse.

He goes on by saying they must not be materialistic. Every person that dies takes nothing but relationships with them. Those that live a Godly life build up benefits in the afterlife. Jesus cautions that their heart desires will determine their rewards in the afterlife.

Jesus now reveals the importance of the fact that their eyes are the windows of their soul. (It is a scientific fact that 55% of our emotions are projected via our eyes.) Their heart condition must be Godly, in order to project Godly power from within themselves.

He warns His Disciples that they will not be able to be in an intimate relationship with God and be slaves to materialism. They must choose one or the other, no other options.

Finally, Jesus says, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ Worry is a powerfully destructive emotion; it blinds the mind to Godly thinking and peace. It blocks the release of miracles and many opportunities.

For those that are committed to living by faith, worry is a primary obstacle. I found in my life; worry was caused by listening to thoughts in my mind. I should rather believe that my Father knows what I need, and will he not provide?

Until next Sunday then.

Blessings

Peter.

If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.

“…time with the Master…”

The King and His Kingdom. Part 2a.

The King and His Kingdom Video

Session 2a

In previous sessions we’ve looked at the Kingdom of God and how it is that as we obey God’s principles, (or His Government), we are blessed by Him (Psa.1:1-4). We also saw that as we drift out of His principles in our day, God is not able to bless us – this is because His Government is indisputable, irreversible, and final. We see in the books of Zechariah and Daniel, that His government, or another expression for His word or law, is beyond debate or question, whether we agree with it or not! (Zech.14:9; Daniel 2:44).

God desires to bless you and me on a daily basis, but if we do not adhere to His principles, His own government prevents Him from doing so. If He were to bless someone who is acting outside of His Government, then He would be obliged to even bless the accuser of the believers, the devil – a situation He cannot have!

The more we obey these principles, the more we feel the character of God in us, and the more we walk in His authority.

These Godly principles need to be real in our lives. If they are not real, practical and easily understood, then our daily walk with the Lord becomes a farce – an act for the world – which we struggle to maintain in our strength on a daily basis. No – our relationship with God needs to be a true reflection of blessing to us and those around us.

In our daily lives, we will not be perfect in our display of God’s principles. As we miss the mark with God, provided we are truly sorry, we receive forgiveness. As He forgives us, God intends for us to learn from the error of our ways and His amazing grace will help us to continue our day, without guilt.

If the Lord’s principles are near to our minds on a daily basis, it will help us to walk closer to Him – help us to be more aware of the path to glory.

Let’s take a look at some of these Godly principles which make up God’s government and see how we measure up to them. Perhaps this will give each one of us an indication of why we are not being blessed by God as much as we could be?

Please remember there are many more principles in His word than what we are looking at in this session. Let’s try and prayerfully sit with the Lord on a regular basis, asking Him to reveal others to us, so that we become more aware and more blessed.

Mat 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”

Are we being an example for the Kingdom of God on a daily basis? How do we reflect God at home and work? And what about in our daily relationships – family and work colleagues?

Mat 5:25 “Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.”

Do we have any issues with others that have been left unattended? The scripture says deal with it now or it may turn into something worse.

Mat 5:27 “You have heard that it was said, `YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’;

Mat 5:28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

The Lord shows us here that sin has been committed in our hearts even as we think about doing something wrong. This, before we have physically done anything!

Mat 5:37 Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

How do we answer others in our daily communication? Deceitfully – or truthfully and to the point. Interesting that Jesus says “anything beyond this comes from the evil one”!

Mat 5:42 Give to the one who asks you and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Do we feel the need to judge how others are going to use that which we give them, instead of just giving and allowing God to be their judge?

Mat 5:43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

Mat 5:44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Rom 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

How did we react the last time someone was negative towards us in our day – did we pray for them or get angry with them?

Rom 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

It’s very difficult to live alongside others if we are proud and conceited. We will always feel that we are superior.

Rom 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.

Rom 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Rom 12:19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

How many times when we are offended by another do we want to take revenge? God says it’s His job to judge and avenge others.

Rom 13:1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except God, and those which exist are established by God.

Rom 13:2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God, and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

It’s very easy for us to disobey or be deceitful to those in authority over us. Mankind may not see – but God does! Are we receiving condemnation from God because we disobey those He has put in authority over us?

Php 2:4 not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.

Php 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and questionings:

Php 2:15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.

Going about our daily tasks without having negative comments or thoughts is very difficult. God says we should see where we can serve others instead of criticizing them. 

In your group now, please read the following three sections of scriptures out aloud together. At the end of each section, pause and discuss for 10min what you have read together. After your 10min discussion, read the next section.

SECTION 1

Rom 14:13 Therefore, let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this, not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.

Rom 14:19 So then let us follow after things which make for peace, and things whereby we may edify one another.

1Co 10:32 Give no occasions of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God:

1Co 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,

1Co 13:5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

1Co 13:6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

1Co 13:7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1Co 13:8 Love never fails…

Rom 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

Rom 12:20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

SECTION 2

2Co 9:6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

2Co 9:7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God, loves a cheerful giver.

1Pe 2:15  For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

1Jn 3:18  My Little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.

Pro 11:15  He who is a guarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it, But he who hates being a guarantor is secure.

Pro 11:28  He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

Pro 12:1  Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid.

Pro 12:15  The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

Pro 13:18  Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, But he who regards reproof will be honored.

Pro 14:29  He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.

SECTION 3

Pro 15:1  A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Pro 15:6  In the house of the righteous is much treasure; But in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.

Pro 15:27  He who profits illicitly troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live.

Pro 16:7  When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Jas 1:23  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;

Jas 1:24  for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

Jas 3:8  But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

Jas 3:9  With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;

Jas 3:10  from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.

Php 2:3  Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

Mat 5:11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Rom 8:6  For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace:

Php 3:20  For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Remember – as we adhere to these principles daily, we will be blessed. I pray that the Lord has ministered some ‘pearls of wisdom in this session. These Godly principles for our daily lives are very difficult to adhere to if we try in our own strength.

As we enter into the Kingdom of God here and now, we have acknowledged that our old sinful nature (the engine that drives us to sin), has died and been buried with Jesus. Let us begin to walk in the new resurrected nature that God has given us.  This is the nature that is able to walk daily in God’s principles.

Please join me next week, for PART 3, where we will start to look at the roles God would like us to fit into. Be blessed during this coming week – I look forward to being with you soon.

If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.

“…time with the Master…”

The Sermon on The Mount – Part One

Feature Photo: Adam Kring Upsplash.com

If you missed the introduction to The Sermon on The Mount please tap on this link.

Matthew 5:1-48

tap on this link for scriptures.

Let’s begin with Matthew’s opening statement, “When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them, saying…”

Jesus sees the crowds and goes up the mountain; sitting down with His Disciples, he begins to teach them. Said differently, he was addressing His disciples – the instruction was for them only.

He began to explain to them the characteristics of being a disciple of His, expounding the Beatitudes, the Salt and light of and in the world. These are the founding pillars of one who aspires to live a higher life on this earth.

He moves on to explain, he was not in any way suggesting they abandon the Mosaic Law, but rather to fulfill it, through their higher living example.

Jesus unveils the importance of relationships with their fellow humans; the effects and significance of this relationship, especially making right with others before it is too late.

He speaks about the sanctity of their marriage relationship revealing an aspect that few would realize and where the Law was not specific. In addition to this Jesus elaborates on the issue of divorce, when and when not, it is permissible.

Jesus now demonstrates the futility of making vows and states that their yes’s or no’s must mean just that, and nothing else is required.

He expands on the law of loving one’s neighbor, pointing out that loving those that love you is something everyone does, but the one who loves their enemy, this is the quality of a person who aspires to higher living. The person who is a child of God.  

The final statement Jesus makes in this chapter is, “Be perfect even as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The Greek root word for perfect is ‘Teleios’ meaning ‘mature.’ Another view might be when using the English word perfect, that God is perfect and therefore the standard to follow, is not what the world considers perfect, but that which God sets. The choice is yours.

Because the Holy Spirit has been placed within us, unlike the ancients, we no longer follow a God that is outside us, but rather our God that is inside us.

We glean from this chapter in Matthew 5, that Jesus, in preparing His Disciples for their future life on Earth, established a standard by which they (and us) should all live, that others may see God in us.

Until next Sunday then.

Blessings

Peter.

If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.

“…time with the Master…”

The Sermon on the Mount

Feature Photo: Adam Kring Upsplash.com

Matthew 5:1–48 – Introduction

I would like very much to share some thoughts I have on one of the (I feel) most powerful sermons I have ever read in all of my involvement with the scriptures in the bible.

After eighteen years of missionary work and specifically bible teaching I was left wondering if any of us could ‘teach’ others the meaning of scriptures without those being taught referring to God. I recall in those days saying to my disciples that they should not attempt to ‘study the bible, but rather to just read it. And if they came across any pieces that stood out, they should meditate on these and let them be fused into their hearts and God would reveal the interpretation of the scriptures to them.

To all those I ever taught, I would say, “Do not blindly accept my teaching, but go to God and ask Him.”

My reasoning in teaching this approach was to draw people into the discipline of seeking to receive their interpretations directly from God in addition to those of their teachers. In Mark 4 it was said that Jesus taught in parables and His disciples asked Him why He did this, as they did not understand the meaning of the parables. Later, alone with His disciples, he explained the meaning of those parables.

I learned from those days that I did not have all the answers (although, at the time I believed I did.) It was later, in the course of my life that I realized that there was much more for me to learn; and I don’t think any human will ever have all the answers, not on this Earth in any event.

These days I am touched more about the life and power of Jesus on this earth than anything else in the Bible. This is because, in Matthew 10, Jesus is taking His disciples through the process of preparing for their initial walk-about. It is in this walk-about that they discover first-hand, the teaching of Jesus in a practical way. It is also interesting that Jesus was not actually teaching the crowds, as a whole, but just His disciples. One thought I have on this is, His disciples had already had their spiritual eyes and ears opened and this meant they could receive what Jesus taught them. Whereas the crowds had to wait until Jesus ascended to His Father and His Spirit came down on earth.

I would love to take you on a walk with me through the scriptures; from Matthew chapter 5 to 7 inclusive, and will share my thoughts with you over three Sunday sessions beginning from Sunday 18^th July. If you would like to join me, you would be so welcome. It would really help if you read through these chapters first before joining me.

Until next Sunday then.

Blessings

Peter.

If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.

“…time with the Master…”

The King and His Kingdom – Part Two

The King and His Kingdom Video

Session 2

Welcome to session 2 of the King and His Kingdom where we are going to explore some more things about the Kingdom of God.

In the last session we said the following:

1. We can enter the Kingdom of God here and now.
2. The Kingdom Prophesied – The promise of the Old Testament was that “…the government will rest on His shoulders….” This promise was fulfilled by the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus would permit as many as were willing, to receive sight of this invisible system.
3. Where is the Kingdom of God? – Jesus said His Kingdom is within us and therefore among us. It is not bound by physical boundaries but is that area where God does things according to His ways (in other words His principles or His Government).
4. How do we get into His Kingdom? – Jesus said that firstly, we need to be ‘born again’, for this is the way that we catch sight (or become aware of) His kingdom. Next, we need to be ‘…born of water and born of the Spirit…’ in order to enter His kingdom. 
5. How do we walk in the Kingdom? – Paul tells us in 2 Cor that FAITH must replace human sight as we live daily in God’s Kingdom, because here on earth, the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world run in parallel.
6. Obedience in the Kingdom – Romans 13 says that all authority on earth has been put in place by God. We are all accountable to someone in our lives. ALL have been elected by God to have authority over us. Therefore, if we choose to disobey the worldly authority above us (which are God’s appointed), we are indirectly disobeying God.
7. A kingdom’s most important asset, are its people. We can judge how Godly a king is by the condition of the people in that kingdom. A quick comparison with worldly kingdoms will show us how wonderfully God blesses His children.

What are the benefits of living in His Kingdom?

Deut.28:1-14 is a very good description of a person who lives according to the principles of God’s Kingdom. Please find time to read this scripture in the next few days as time does not allow us to go through it in this video session.

In the Kingdom of God, we live according to His ‘rule’ or ‘government’ and the results are that, as we obey, we are a people that are blessed.

We see in 2 Cor that God’s promises to us, are ‘in Him’ and ‘in Him is the Amen! (2 Cor.1:20). Therefore, the more we walk in His principles, the more God’s authority will flow through us. We see a good example of this in Acts 19 where the sons of Sceva failed to cast out demons by their own authority.

We become ‘agents’ of the Kingdom here on earth – permitting/forbidding that which has been permitted or forbidden in the Kingdom of Heaven. For example, when we share the Gospel with others, we are ‘permitting’ here on earth that has already been permitted in Heaven. When we do not pay a bribe to others, we are forbidding here on earth that which has been forbidden in Heaven. Agents act, look and feel exactly like their ‘head offices’.

What happens when we do not live according to His principles?

Duet 28: 15-68 describes what happens when we don’t live according to Godly principles.  Once again I would like to encourage us to read this scripture during this coming week as we don’t have time to go through it all on this video. In short, the more we are in His perfect will (His Government), the more we will experience blessings in this life and reward in the next life.

Let’s have a look at these diagrams:

(Fig.1a)

If we were to adhere to God’s principles 100%, we would be 100% blessed and walk 100% in His authority here on earth.

(Fig 1b)

As we partly adhere to God’s principles, we are partly blessed and walk partly in His authority here on earth.

(Fig 1c)

When we do not adhere to Godly principles we cannot be blessed and do not walk in His authority here on earth.

Examples of Godly Principles

There are many of God’s principles to be found in His word. Why not spend a bit of time looking for them and be enriched as the Lord opens these principles to you? Let’s look at some examples:

– “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap..“

– “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.…”

– “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.…”

– “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.…”                       

– “You have heard that it was said, `YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY‘; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.…”

It is interesting that if we read these principles and turn them around, we can start to see why perhaps, we are not receiving a blessing from the Lord – in other words, let’s look at the same scriptures and ask ourselves some questions:

In Gal.6:7 – If we feel we are being ‘dealt a bad hand’ in life – we should ask: how are we treating life?

Matt.7:2 – Do we feel we are being unfairly judged by others? – how then, are we judging others daily?

1 Jn.2:9 – Are we going through daily life with unforgiveness in our hearts? – yet we tell others we are Christians?

Col.4:6 – Do we find it difficult to answer and respond to others? – how are we speaking to those around us daily?

And finally – Matt.5:27-28 – we need to check our daily thoughts – not only our actions!

What is the purpose of His Kingdom?

Under the New Covenant, God has permitted all who are willing, to gain sight of the kingdom, and by the power of His Spirit to enable them to live, not according to the world’s system, but according to kingdom principles.

God uses His principles on this earth to refine us. Each difficulty we face, God has permitted into our lives so that we will turn to Him and be strengthened as we overcome it (Rom.8:28).

From the viewpoint of Marriage, God requires ‘Godly offspring’. God’s Principles will help us fulfill our roles as Godly Husbands and Wives to produce Godly offspring. This to ensure that the authority of God is passed on from generation to generation.

It is impossible for us to live according to God’s Principles in our own strength. We need the power of His Spirit indwelling us to strengthen, teach and guide us.

All of this being done to prepare us for the greatest fulfillment of prophecy, the ruling of the saints with Jesus over the “House of Jacob” in the millennial reign.

OK… let’s just recap what we’ve shared this week:

1. What are the benefits of living in His Kingdom? – In the Kingdom of God, we live according to His ‘rule’ or ‘government’ and the results are that we are a people that are blessed. His promises to us are ‘in Him’ and ‘in Him’, is the Amen! The more we walk in His principles, the more God’s authority will flow through us.

We become ‘agents’ (or vessels) of the Kingdom here on earth – permitting/forbidding that which has been permitted or forbidden in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt.16:19).

• What happens when we do not live according to His principles? – Duet 28: 15-68 describes what happens when we don’t live according to Godly principles.  In short, the more we are in His perfect will (His Government), the more we will experience blessings in this life and reward in the next life. This is also a measure of how God’s authority will flow through us daily (Psa.1:4-6).
• Examples of Godly Principles – There are many of God’s principles to be found in His word. Why not spend a bit of time looking for them and be enriched as the Lord opens these principles to you? Try turning the principle around to discover why we are not living blessed lives.
• What is the purpose of His Kingdom? – God uses His principles on this earth to refine us (Ph.2:12). Each difficulty we face, God has permitted into our lives so that we will turn to Him and be strengthened as we overcome them. (Rom.8:28). It is impossible for us to live according to God’s Principles in our own strength. We need the power of His Spirit to strengthen, teach and guide us.

All of this being done to prepare us for the greatest fulfillment of prophecy – the ruling of the saints with Jesus over the “House of Jacob” in the millennial reign as seen in the book of Luke (Luke1: 33).

Please join me next week, for PART 2a, where we will look at some examples of Godly principles and get an indication of how we measure up to them. Be blessed during this coming week – I look forward to being with you soon.

If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.

“…time with the Master…”

Let’s Look at Prayer -4

Let’s look at Prayer Video

Session 4

Welcome to session 4 of Let’s look at Prayer

How about a quick recap on what we said in last week’s session on Warfare prayers?

1. Pray God’s Will – Warfare prayers are a matter of seeking God’s will. It is never man’s place to make a decision on behalf of God.
2. What is warfare prayer? – Warfare prayer is asking God to come up against powers of darkness and spiritual wickedness, that we may witness in our day
3. What are spiritual weapons? – Spiritual weapons are the unseen weapons of the spiritual world – through God
4. When to pray ‘forbid or Permit’ prayers – The more we are one with God, the more we hear Him directing us when to pray
5. How to pray ‘forbid and permit’ prayers – God will give us the wording for each burden that he gives us to pray for
6. How not to pray ‘forbid and permit’ prayers – ‘Binding and Loosing’ prayers should never be prayed in our own strength or out of an emotional frenzy
7. Where is our Authority? – The only authority that we have on this earth is “…through God…”

And lastly

• How do we lay hold of this authority? – Our authority lies ‘In Christ’ only. The more our old nature is laid down, the deeper ‘in Christ’ we move and the more His authority is released through us

In this week’s session we’ll look at some important questions about prayer.

WHAT SHOULD MY ATTITUDE BE WHEN I PRAY?

In Luke 18, Jesus explains to us what our attitude should be when we pray.  He is saying that it is persistent prayer, inspired by faith and intensity, from a heart that is humble and repentant, that receives a response from the throne of God .

It’s not that God gets some kind of pleasure at seeing us begging and grovelling before Him day after day, but rather that the persistent prayer of a righteous believer will break down the evil forces that try to prevent the answers to our prayers reaching us as confirmed by these scriptures (Eph. 6:12; Jas. 5:16; 1Thess.5:17). Later, we’ll look more closely at the example of Daniel’s prayer in Daniel chapter 9.

Believing and trusting God (in other words Faith) when we pray, puts the emphasis on God Himself. It is all about Him and His faithfulness. Jesus did not teach us to rely on prayer alone – He taught us to rely on, and trust Him. Only when we can fully trust Him, can we fully pray believing. We are to believe Him first, and then express that belief in prayer. Trust must be in the heart before prayer comes out of the mouth. In Luke 18, we see how strong the beggar’s faith was. He trusted God to heal him.

Another example of prayer attitude is once again seen in Luke 18 where Jesus says that the Tax gatherer’s seeking God, was one of humility. We also see in Daniel chapter 9 how Daniel prayed from a heart that was humble and repentant, longing to understand God’s will. Please, if you have time this week, read through this chapter and let the Lord show you the state of Daniel’s heart.

CAN WE PRAY LIKE THE GREAT MEN OF GOD?

Let’s have a look at two examples of how great men of God prayed. In 1 Kings 18, we enter the story at the point where Elijah tells King Ahab that it is going to rain (and that’s after three and a half years of drought!).  Although he tells Ahab, what he is really doing is prophesying.

Elijah immediately then got onto his knees and prayed until what he had prophesied had come to pass.

Daniel, in chapter 9, said this: “So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes…” (Dan.9:3).

Daniel’s seeking the Lord was very serious – not a light hearted approach.

We must desire to pray the way Elijah and Daniel prayed because these types of prayers produce results.  Not only this, but they are within the reach of every believer.

We need however to take note of a very important factor here:-

Both these men prayed in God’s will. 

Elijah heard from God before he prophesied to Ahab that there would be no rain.

And

Daniel read about the prophecies of Jeremiah before he began to pray .

PRAY IN GOD’S WILL, PRAY BELIEVING

The next important issue is that they both firmly believed that their prayers would be heard by God.  This was visible by their behaviour.  Elijah went to Ahab and told him what was going to happen, then prayed without moving from his place until his servant reported a cloud.

Daniel never moved from his place for three whole weeks, neither eating, drinking nor bathing!!

HUMILITY AND BROKENESS IS WHAT WE NEED IN PRAYER

If we go back to Luke 18, Jesus describes two attitudes in prayer:

Firstly, the scribe who is proud of his achievements and legalistic in his manner of praying. 

Secondly, and very different, is the attitude of the tax-gatherer.  He goes to God with a heart that is looking for mercy.

Let’s try and remember these prayer attitudes, as we next seek God.

CAN I ONLY PRAY THE WILL OF GOD?

Praying in the will of God is really a way of life. In other words, people who have utterly surrendered their lives to God, don’t have much difficulty praying God’s will, because they KNOW Him – not just know ABOUT Him. Let’s just repeat that… they KNOW him – not just know ABOUT Him.

But for those of us still growing to that place, we need firstly to desire to pray in God’s will, and then ask Him to cause our prayers to be prayed in His will.  But we are certainly free to ask God for the things that we want, then ask Him to make it subject to His will.

WHY DOES GOD WANT US TO DO THE PRAYING?

God’s ways are unique to Him and they work in spite of what we do or don’t do. He does require us to pray and preach to fulfill His purpose on earth, but even where we are disobedient, He will find others that are willing, so He always accomplishes His will. The scripture of Romans 10 shows us this.

In Luke 18, Jesus gives us some idea as to why God wants us to pray:

In this instance, the judge can be likened to the position God holds over the earth.  He is in total charge.

The widow (who is a symbol of defencelessness and a particular focus of God’s deep compassion), is likened to a person who cries out for deliverance from their adversary.

The adversary is Satan who constantly seeks to bind people in slavery to his will.

The widow remained persistent, and it was because of this that the judge agreed to deliver her, “…lest by her continuous requesting, she wear me out…” (vs. 5).  Jesus says that God too, will deliver, when His children pray to Him, “…crying to Him day and night…” (vs. 7).

Jesus guarantees, in fact, that God will deliver speedily (vs. 8)!

WHY PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER?

Why would God insist that we persist in prayer, is He like a judge waiting to be wearied?  Never!  God is just and has a very good reason for us persisting in prayer. 

We see in Daniel 9, how and what Daniel prayed.  The answer to his prayer comes in chapter 10 when a messenger from God tells Daniel that his prayer was answered the first time he prayed, but it took twenty-one days for the answer to reach him.  Why?  Because it was hindered by the Prince of Persia (which we can understand to be a demonic strong-hold over the area – vs. 13).

Daniel fasted and never gave up on his praying.  His prayers were persistent and in deep sincerity.

In 1 John 3, we read that Jesus defeated Satan, yet Satan is still the god of this world as we see in 2 Cor.2.  How?  By illegal means, he does this.  He tempts man to sin and those that do not have the power to overcome, become slaves to him.  Therefore, he rules!

However, as the saints persist in prayer, many shall be freed from his evil clutches. In Heb.10, we see that through perseverance and the will of God, we will receive what He promises us (Heb.10:36).

SOME LAST POINTS TO CONSIDER…

In essence then, this is what Jesus is teaching us:

When we pray, first look for what GOD wants.

Ask God to empty us as we begin to pray and show us what’s on His heart.

Pray according to the will of God.

BELIEVE that God will not only hear our prayer, but will answer them as well.

Persist in prayer – don’t give up!

Lastly, when all this has been done, ask God to give you peace about that which you have prayed.

OK… let’s quickly recap what have we seen this week:

1. What should my attitude be when I pray? – It is persistent prayer, inspired by faith and intensity, from a heart that is humble and repentant, that receives a response from the throne of God
2. Can we pray like the great men of God? – Praying is well within the reach of everybody and is encouraged by God – there are many biblical examples of praying people.
3. Pray in God’s Will, pray believing – All great praying people totally believed God would answer their requests
4. Humility and Brokenness in prayer – God looks for humble hearts seeking mercy rather than arrogant prideful attitudes in prayer
5. Can I only pray the will of God? – God’s will in our prayers will come naturally as we get to know Him – but we are free to ask for the things we want according to His will
6. Why does God want us to do the praying? – God uses us to further His Kingdom here on earth – through prayer and His will
7. Why persistence in prayer? – We need to persevere in prayer because answers are sometimes delayed in the heavenlies and through perseverance and the will of God, we will receive answers.

And lastly, when we pray:

• Look for what God wants – ask God to empty our hearts as we begin to pray – pray the will of God – believe God will hear our prayer and trust Him for the answer – persist and don’t give up – and then ask Him to give us peace about what we have prayed.

Let’s end off this last session by praying together in your group. Hopefully by now we are all used to praying with each other and we’ve begun to hear God sharing His heart with us in the prayer time.

Remember – we hold a very powerful tool in our hands when we pray, not by our power – but by His. Talk to God all day long – get to know Him intimately and tell Him you love Him. Marvel as we see situations around us change by the power of our prayers, subject to God’s will.

Thanks so much for joining me as we’ve had a look together at the topic prayer over the last few weeks. I pray the Lord has used these sessions in some way, to bring us all that bit closer to Him.

May our Father in Heaven Bless you all.

If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.

“…time with the Master…”

The Holy Spirit – Part Five

Join our Pastor Ray as he shares the dynamic power of The Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit Video

Session 5

Welcome to number 5 of The Holy Spirit sessions

Last week, we had a closer look at the gifts of ‘knowing or revelation’, more of the gifts that the Holy Spirit brings with Him as He resides in us, in order that individuals become equipped to enter in and walk along the narrow road.

This is what we discussed:

1. Word of Wisdom (How to act or speak) – receiving divine understanding and insight, which enables us to deal with a specific situation or circumstance, is a word of Wisdom.
2. Word of Knowledge (Know about a situation) – God imparted information of facts and details which are humanly impossible to know in any circumstance we may face, is a word of Knowledge.
3. Discerning of Spirits – Being able to perceive the spiritual source behind a spoken word, motive, attitude, mood or action of an individual or group, is the gift of discernment. Spiritual sources are either: Heavenly, Human or Demonic.
4. Healings – The supernatural ability to minister physical healing to those who are sick, is a gift of healing.
5. Working of Miracles – God working through individuals to perform the impossible or an act contrary to the physical laws of nature, is the working of miracles.
6. Faith – The ability to believe God for the impossible in a situation beyond the normal, is a gift of Faith

This week we’ll look at the gifts that the Spirit gives to certain individuals for the purpose of building up, equipping, and serving the members of the local body (or His Church) – as confirmed in the scripture of Ephesians 4 .

Just a quick reminder here: Who are the true ‘Body of Christ’? Jesus tells us in John 3 who His body is… those who are born of water and of the spirit. We can refer back to the Gospel Explained sessions for a recap on being “born of water and of the Spirit”.

According to Gods plan, it is not sufficient for us to just enter in the narrow gate and walk along the narrow road. Rather through His unit, the Church or His body, we should be assisting directly or indirectly, in preparing others for what God wants of them.

The prayer of Jesus to the Father in John 17, was that His body would be one. In the prayer, Jesus asks God for His body to be perfected in unity so that the world would know He had been sent by God. Paul says in 1Cor that we were all baptized into one body.  Therefore, we have a responsibility to others in the body, and cannot just center on ourselves. To pray for others, encourage others, help others materially, are just some of the things we need to be doing for one another.

The Spirit adequately prepares us for these functions, by giving us specific gifts that we use to minister to others.  There are seven Gifts of Function that are used for the uplifting of the members of the body, in both the individual and corporate sense.

PROPHETICAL GIFT OF FUNCTION

This gift of prophecy is a gift that operates in different people from time to time …” just as God wills…” and this, as we see in 1Cor, is for the edification, exhorting, and comforting of the body. The gift operates differently to those who are appointed to the office of Prophet, in the Fivefold ministry.  These operate in the gift of Prophecy all the time. We will look more deeply into this topic in the next session.

THE GIFT OF SERVICE

This gift involves serving the brethren in a very practical way.  Such members of the body are reliable, willing helpers, that experience fulfillment in getting a job done. As confirmation of this, we can look at the book of Acts, to see how the early church dealt with this.

THE GIFT OF TEACHING

This gift involves the desire for truth and the willingness to share it with others.  It also involves the ability to communicate the truths from the scriptures to the body.  This person is usually found teaching in smaller home groups and to the children’s church.  Depending on the degree of the gift, some of those with this gift may well find themselves appointed to the office of teacher, as in the Fivefold ministry which we will discuss next session.

THE GIFT OF EXHORTATION

To exhort is to appeal, encourage, console or comfort.  Exhortation can even involve admonishing or urging someone to follow the right course of action.  The scriptures command us to do this for one another.  This gift enables a person to have a ‘spiritual eye’ for a need, and then respond with the proper advice, encouragement, warning, or counsel to others.

THE GIFT OF GIVING

This gift is the ability to generate money or acquire material goods and give generously for the work of God’s kingdom as we see in the book of Acts when Joseph (or Barnabas), sold his land and blessed the body of Christ.  The gift is manifested by consistent giving and also God’s blessing on the one who does the giving.

THE GIFT OF LEADERSHIP

This gift provides the ability to lead others into accomplishing God’s purpose for their lives and the life of the body as a whole. We see this as Peter leads the disciples at an outreach situation.

Those with the gift of leadership, are visionaries in the making and are used to establish different ministry areas by the Lord.  Those with this gift are being formed into the appointments of ‘administration’ or apostle as we see in the scripture of 1Cor.  The gift is vital for the growth of the local church and is particularly important for pastoral work.

THE GIFT OF MERCY

This gift provides the ability to empathize with those who suffer misfortune or are experiencing some kind of hurt.  The gift leads those who have it, to perform acts of kindness, help, and comfort towards those in need.  We see in Psalms that God is the source of all mercy, and according to Luke, God requires His children to be merciful.

Just to help us get further understanding of what we’ve looked at this week, let’s have a look at this diagram:

– Once again we see the ‘fruit’ of the Spirit can be seen all together (as one unit) in the green section – showing that all parts of the fruit of the Spirit are within us at the same time.

– The Holy Spirit brings ‘gifts’ with Him.

– The 7 Gifts of Function we’ve just discussed can be seen – made up of Prophecy, Service, Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Leadership and Mercy.

Right – Let’s recap then, on what gifts we’ve heard about this week:

1. The gift of Prophecy – This prophetical gift of function, is a gift that operates in different people from time to time as God wills – to lift up and encourage His body. Normally it is witnessed at a group gathering.
2. The Gift of Service – Serving the body of Christ in a very practical way, is a gift of service.
3. The Gift of Teaching – Teaching others involves the desire for truth and the willingness to share it.  It also involves the ability to communicate the truth of the scriptures, to the body.
4. The Gift of Exhortation – Being able to appeal to, encourage, console or comfort others, is the gift of exhortation.
5. The Gift of Giving – The ability to generate money or acquire material goods and give generously for the work of Gods kingdom, is the gift of giving.
6. The Gift of Leadership – The ability to lead others into accomplishing Gods purpose for their lives, and the life of the body as a whole, is the gift of leadership.
7. The Gift of Mercy – To be able to empathize with those who suffer misfortune or are experiencing some kind of hurt, is the gift of mercy.

LET’S PRACTICE….

To close this session, as in previous sessions, take a few minutes to go around your group, practicing the gifts that we’ve learned over the last three weeks. Be encouraged to leave your seat and lay hands on other members of the group whilst praying for them – as the Lord leads.

Remember as we mentioned before – The purpose of practicing the gifts is to help us overcome the ‘fear of man’ (or

shyness). PLEASE – IT IS NOT AN EXERCISE TO FORCE GOD TO ACT BY OUR OWN STRENGTH. Rather simply, the more we practice in front of others, the more confident we will become.

Once again – As you pray now – remember:

With the language gifts, we must Firstly, Believe and

Secondly, open our mouths and move our tongues – otherwise absolutely nothing is going to happen!

Thirdly, we must get rid of any unforgiveness or anger in us by praying quietly for the Lord’s help. (remember we said forgiveness is a decision not a feeling!). 

Also, please be sensitive to those who are not comfortable praying out aloud. Don’t force them to pray, but rather allow them to be still and let the Spirit of the Lord, wash over them during this time.

The Lord be with you as you discover new things this coming week – In Him!

Thanks so much for spending this time with me – next week in the last session, we’ll look at some more gifts the Holy Spirit brings to us which are more permanent, abiding gifts.  Until then, Bless you all.

If you feel this article has value, please send this link to others. Writings are meant for people, not for dormant files in our computers. Often, sharing them results in positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities.

“…time with the Master…”