Living free isn't always easy, but it is rewarding.
Galatians 5 : 1, Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. NKJV
Living by faith while residing in a world filled with sin, and corruption can be very difficult at times. Let's look at this subject in a different light. The Lord didn't put you in a huge mud puddle and ask you to stay clean. However, He has saved us and instructed us to keep the sin that is in the world out of our hearts.
Would you not agree that it would be very easy to live in sin and to enjoy the pleasures of sin (though sin only has pleasure for a season) in contrast to the pressures of living a holy and consecrated life before God? Jesus never told us life in this world would be easy, but He has promised us that He would reward those who are faithful to Him.
Therefore, now that we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we must choose to walk by faith and to resist the pleasures of this world. This brings us to the point of today's word for you. We must realize there is something in this world that can cause us to backslide and lose our reward, and the Lord wants us to be fully aware of this stronghold so we can break it off of our lives. If we didn't have a carnal, or flesh nature, that desires to violate the principles of God's Word, then we wouldn't struggle one bit with living a holy life.
Our struggle to remain free and to walk in the liberty that Christ has given to every believer stems from our flesh nature... not from residing in a world of corruption. This was the issue that Paul was addressing with Jewish believers in Christ in the church at Galatia. They had begun living their new life by faith, but afterwards, they chose to go back to living under the Law and works. They had gone back into bondage. Are you living a life of liberty in Christ today? On the other hand, do you believe in Christ and at the same time are living in bondage to the flesh nature?
If you have placed your faith in Christ, and you still struggle with living in bondage to the flesh nature, then know that "in Christ," the old man is dead, and you don't have to obey its lusts. You don't have to give in to guilty pleasures and live under condemnation. The same Christ who has delivered you from the death of sin's wages is the same Christ that wants you to be free from the bondage of the flesh nature. The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to walk by faith. When we walk by faith, we don't try to keep the law or fulfill religious requirements, and we diligently seek Him, God has promised that He would reward us.
Let's seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness continually. Seek when you struggle. Seek when you're weak. Seek when you don't think you have the strength to seek. Always seek Him and His will over your own desires, and God will supply all that you have need of and will reward your obedient faith. We're not seeking pleasure, but we are seeking life.
Seeking the Rewarder,
Pastor Asa
Monday, July 11, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Sowing Seeds Through Your Obedience
Galatians 6: 7 - 9, Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. NKJV
As a pastor/teacher, I have taught on obedience for ten years. One night as I was teaching on obedience, the Lord had me use different terminology. He showed me by the Holy Spirit that when we obey as His children, we are, in fact, sowing (seeds) into our own future. It can't be much of a stretch to believe this to be true seeing how Paul used the same term in the scripture for today's word.
Whether you and I decide to sow according to our flesh or according to the Spirit of God, we will do so through the acts that we commit. Have you heard the voice of the Lord speak to you lately with instructions? In John 10, Jesus tells us that His sheep know His voice and another, they won't follow. If you are a Christian, but don't know how to recognize His voice, then that can change for you today. God requires us to be still and wait before Him until we hear His voice. God generally doesn't try to speak over the noise of something that has more of our attention than He does. Therefore, He requires us to get serious about seeking Him and hearing from Him before He speaks to us.
Here's the main reason I believe God wants us to gain a different understanding about our obedience to His voice. Since God first spoke to man in Genesis 1, He has chosen to speak to us by a promise or prophesy with conditions attached. He has chosen this method of communication and instruction because it requires us to fulfill the requirements of the promise first. It also demands that we live by faith. The writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter ten that we have need of patience after we have done the will of God in order that we might receive the promise of God. This confirms to us that God's promises have requirements that we must fulfill before He can release the harvest of that promise.
Jesus refers to the Word of God as being "SEED." He taught on the parable of the sower and used this one parable as a basis to understand all of His parables. As we receive the SEED of God's Word into our hearts and obey it, then our sowing of the seed (or obedience) will release God to give us the blessing. As we continue in His Word through obedient faith, we will have a continual harvest of God's blessings in our lives. Doesn't the Word instruct us to be instant in season and out of season? We are to be obedient when we feel like and when we don't. We are to obey God, whether we agree with Him or not. Why? God's wants us to receive His blessings continually through fulfilled promises so that we might not lack in any good thing.
Finally, Abraham obeyed God in Genesis 22 by taking Isaac upon Mount Moriah and offering him up to God as He commanded. After Abraham fully obeyed God's will, God spoke to him through a promise of victory for his descendants. As a consequence of Abraham's sowing or obedience upon the Mount, God could speak a blessing over the descendants of Abraham. "Your seed shall possess the gates of their enemies." Abraham sowed in obedience, but his descendants would be the ones who would reap the harvest.
If you're a Christian, but you haven't heard of this type of devotion to the Lord, then there's a good chance that you're not seeing the full release of God's blessings in your life as well. Remember, faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the Word of God. Once you know a truth, and you implement that truth, you can begin to get a harvest from that truth in your personal life. When you begin to hear the voice of God AND obey His commands, you will want to continue to obey no matter what may come your way. Why? Jesus tells us in John 15 that if we will continue (OBEY) in His Word and abide in Him, then we will bear much fruit.
Galatians 6: 9, And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. NKJV
I Rest My Case,
Pastor Asa
As a pastor/teacher, I have taught on obedience for ten years. One night as I was teaching on obedience, the Lord had me use different terminology. He showed me by the Holy Spirit that when we obey as His children, we are, in fact, sowing (seeds) into our own future. It can't be much of a stretch to believe this to be true seeing how Paul used the same term in the scripture for today's word.
Whether you and I decide to sow according to our flesh or according to the Spirit of God, we will do so through the acts that we commit. Have you heard the voice of the Lord speak to you lately with instructions? In John 10, Jesus tells us that His sheep know His voice and another, they won't follow. If you are a Christian, but don't know how to recognize His voice, then that can change for you today. God requires us to be still and wait before Him until we hear His voice. God generally doesn't try to speak over the noise of something that has more of our attention than He does. Therefore, He requires us to get serious about seeking Him and hearing from Him before He speaks to us.
Here's the main reason I believe God wants us to gain a different understanding about our obedience to His voice. Since God first spoke to man in Genesis 1, He has chosen to speak to us by a promise or prophesy with conditions attached. He has chosen this method of communication and instruction because it requires us to fulfill the requirements of the promise first. It also demands that we live by faith. The writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter ten that we have need of patience after we have done the will of God in order that we might receive the promise of God. This confirms to us that God's promises have requirements that we must fulfill before He can release the harvest of that promise.
Jesus refers to the Word of God as being "SEED." He taught on the parable of the sower and used this one parable as a basis to understand all of His parables. As we receive the SEED of God's Word into our hearts and obey it, then our sowing of the seed (or obedience) will release God to give us the blessing. As we continue in His Word through obedient faith, we will have a continual harvest of God's blessings in our lives. Doesn't the Word instruct us to be instant in season and out of season? We are to be obedient when we feel like and when we don't. We are to obey God, whether we agree with Him or not. Why? God's wants us to receive His blessings continually through fulfilled promises so that we might not lack in any good thing.
Finally, Abraham obeyed God in Genesis 22 by taking Isaac upon Mount Moriah and offering him up to God as He commanded. After Abraham fully obeyed God's will, God spoke to him through a promise of victory for his descendants. As a consequence of Abraham's sowing or obedience upon the Mount, God could speak a blessing over the descendants of Abraham. "Your seed shall possess the gates of their enemies." Abraham sowed in obedience, but his descendants would be the ones who would reap the harvest.
If you're a Christian, but you haven't heard of this type of devotion to the Lord, then there's a good chance that you're not seeing the full release of God's blessings in your life as well. Remember, faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the Word of God. Once you know a truth, and you implement that truth, you can begin to get a harvest from that truth in your personal life. When you begin to hear the voice of God AND obey His commands, you will want to continue to obey no matter what may come your way. Why? Jesus tells us in John 15 that if we will continue (OBEY) in His Word and abide in Him, then we will bear much fruit.
Galatians 6: 9, And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. NKJV
I Rest My Case,
Pastor Asa
No Excuses
Jeremiah 1: 4 - 7, Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Then said I: "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth." But the LORD said to me: "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. NKJV
Don't you find Jeremiah's response to God to be a little humorous? Jeremiah thought he was too young to be a prophet of God, but God told him that while he was being formed in his mother's womb, He had ordained him to be a prophet. Now that's young!
Did you know that God has given you the power to overcome anything or anyone whom Satan might use against you to prevent you from fulfilling God's purpose for your life? Doesn't Paul teach us in Romans 8 that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose?
You may ask, "Where is this power, and how do I access it so that I can move forward in my walk and purpose in Christ?" Romans 12: 3 says that God has given to every man (person) the measure of faith. With that faith, we can stand on God's Word and overcome our accuser when he tries to stop us from obeying God's will. God has also given us His Spirit, who will empower us to obey... once we choose to accept and fulfill God's purpose on earth.
Look at young Jeremiah's response to God when He declared to him that he would be a prophet. "I cannot speak for I am a youth." It was as though Jeremiah didn't give time for God to finish His thought before he jumped back at God with an anxious response. It would be the same as one of us reading this word today, saying to God, "I can't do what you've called me to do for you on earth because I'm ___________. Fill in the blank with your excuse.
We must understand that our faith has given us power over the Devil, our past sins, and changed our eternal destination, all because we chose to trust in Jesus as our Savior. If our faith in Christ has done all these things for us thus far as children of God, don't you also think that our faith in God's Word can empower us to be successful in our purpose as well?
It's true that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, but it's also true that God looked through the blood of Christ and saw our need more than our faults, and for His sake, He forgave us. When we place faith in Christ, it becomes the great equalizer. Our faith in Christ and God's Word makes us acceptable and worthy to serve and represent God in the earth. You can do all things through Christ because it is He who gives you the strength.
Grace is given to all who place their faith in Jesus as God's only begotten Son. Grace gives us the power to do successfully what was impossible to do before grace was granted. Therefore, we don't have to measure up to someone's standards in order to carryout God's will in our lives. All we must do is have faith in God, humble ourselves as Jeremiah had to do, and accept the plan that God has for us with thanksgiving. A thousand mile journey begins with the first step. If you're not serving God according to His divine purpose because________, then you can begin today. Just be willing, and He'll be there to help you succeed.
One Step at a Time,
Pastor Asa
Don't you find Jeremiah's response to God to be a little humorous? Jeremiah thought he was too young to be a prophet of God, but God told him that while he was being formed in his mother's womb, He had ordained him to be a prophet. Now that's young!
Did you know that God has given you the power to overcome anything or anyone whom Satan might use against you to prevent you from fulfilling God's purpose for your life? Doesn't Paul teach us in Romans 8 that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose?
You may ask, "Where is this power, and how do I access it so that I can move forward in my walk and purpose in Christ?" Romans 12: 3 says that God has given to every man (person) the measure of faith. With that faith, we can stand on God's Word and overcome our accuser when he tries to stop us from obeying God's will. God has also given us His Spirit, who will empower us to obey... once we choose to accept and fulfill God's purpose on earth.
Look at young Jeremiah's response to God when He declared to him that he would be a prophet. "I cannot speak for I am a youth." It was as though Jeremiah didn't give time for God to finish His thought before he jumped back at God with an anxious response. It would be the same as one of us reading this word today, saying to God, "I can't do what you've called me to do for you on earth because I'm ___________. Fill in the blank with your excuse.
We must understand that our faith has given us power over the Devil, our past sins, and changed our eternal destination, all because we chose to trust in Jesus as our Savior. If our faith in Christ has done all these things for us thus far as children of God, don't you also think that our faith in God's Word can empower us to be successful in our purpose as well?
It's true that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, but it's also true that God looked through the blood of Christ and saw our need more than our faults, and for His sake, He forgave us. When we place faith in Christ, it becomes the great equalizer. Our faith in Christ and God's Word makes us acceptable and worthy to serve and represent God in the earth. You can do all things through Christ because it is He who gives you the strength.
Grace is given to all who place their faith in Jesus as God's only begotten Son. Grace gives us the power to do successfully what was impossible to do before grace was granted. Therefore, we don't have to measure up to someone's standards in order to carryout God's will in our lives. All we must do is have faith in God, humble ourselves as Jeremiah had to do, and accept the plan that God has for us with thanksgiving. A thousand mile journey begins with the first step. If you're not serving God according to His divine purpose because________, then you can begin today. Just be willing, and He'll be there to help you succeed.
One Step at a Time,
Pastor Asa
CROSSing Over
Matthew 10: 34 - 39, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. NKJV
Whenever you and I became a believer in Christ, we made a decision to become one with Him. Paul tells us in Philippians 2 that Christ humbled Himself and became a man. After He was flesh, Jesus chose to suffer the death of the cross that He might redeem fallen man from sin. If He has redeemed us from sin and called us "out" of the world so that we can become one with Him in the Spirit, then we must obey His will.
Jesus, the Son of God, became flesh for one reason, that He might be our Kinsmen Redeemer (the book of Ruth). After the resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven and received His gloried body (John 20). Now that He has risen from the dead, Jesus is no longer flesh. God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth. Therefore, as believers and imitators of Christ, we're not to live according to the desires or ways of this world. We must be willing to die (our cross) to the flesh and it desires.
I have found that it is far easier to make an initial commitment to Christ than it is to carry out that commitment. We make commitments to become one with Christ in "good faith," but when God requires us to keep that commitment in our lives and not only in our hearts, He gives us the grace to embrace the change. As we become one with Christ in the spirit, we must be willing to love the things in this world less. In today's verses, we can see that Jesus requires us to LOVE HIM MORE. If we should choose to love this world more than Him, then we're not worthy of Him. Therefore, if the Lord has asked something of you that requires sacrifice from you, you must be willing to die to that relationship, status, or possession in order to become changed. After you have obeyed, you will receive more of His power and experience more of His love. God doesn't change, but as we allow Him to change us, it allows us to receive and experience more of Him.
Has the Lord asked something of you that you find difficult to let go of or give up for Him? If so, you're in good company. John the Baptist came to a point in his walk where he had decided to decrease so that Christ might increase. We must also decide, as John did, to decrease in our flesh in order for Christ to increase in our hearts and lives. Here's a hint: God ALWAYS has blessing and increase in mind when He asks something of us. He rewards those who diligently seek Him, especially if it costs us everything we love.
Losing the World but Gaining Heaven,
Pastor Asa
Whenever you and I became a believer in Christ, we made a decision to become one with Him. Paul tells us in Philippians 2 that Christ humbled Himself and became a man. After He was flesh, Jesus chose to suffer the death of the cross that He might redeem fallen man from sin. If He has redeemed us from sin and called us "out" of the world so that we can become one with Him in the Spirit, then we must obey His will.
Jesus, the Son of God, became flesh for one reason, that He might be our Kinsmen Redeemer (the book of Ruth). After the resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven and received His gloried body (John 20). Now that He has risen from the dead, Jesus is no longer flesh. God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth. Therefore, as believers and imitators of Christ, we're not to live according to the desires or ways of this world. We must be willing to die (our cross) to the flesh and it desires.
I have found that it is far easier to make an initial commitment to Christ than it is to carry out that commitment. We make commitments to become one with Christ in "good faith," but when God requires us to keep that commitment in our lives and not only in our hearts, He gives us the grace to embrace the change. As we become one with Christ in the spirit, we must be willing to love the things in this world less. In today's verses, we can see that Jesus requires us to LOVE HIM MORE. If we should choose to love this world more than Him, then we're not worthy of Him. Therefore, if the Lord has asked something of you that requires sacrifice from you, you must be willing to die to that relationship, status, or possession in order to become changed. After you have obeyed, you will receive more of His power and experience more of His love. God doesn't change, but as we allow Him to change us, it allows us to receive and experience more of Him.
Has the Lord asked something of you that you find difficult to let go of or give up for Him? If so, you're in good company. John the Baptist came to a point in his walk where he had decided to decrease so that Christ might increase. We must also decide, as John did, to decrease in our flesh in order for Christ to increase in our hearts and lives. Here's a hint: God ALWAYS has blessing and increase in mind when He asks something of us. He rewards those who diligently seek Him, especially if it costs us everything we love.
Losing the World but Gaining Heaven,
Pastor Asa
Good Master
Matthew 19: 16, Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" NKJV
Do you believe that being a Christian is all about being good and doing good things? If that is your belief, then allow me to share some truths from God's Word that can empower you to live a victorious life in Christ. Although "good" has its merits with man, it is a stench in the nostrils of God. Remember when Adam fell into sin, he and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves. If this had been acceptable to God, then why did He sacrifice an animal and skin it to cover their nakedness?
In the New Testament, Jesus warned the disciples of the leaven of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were all about making a show before man, but were disobedient to God. They were more consumed with self-righteousness through the law than they were of being obedient to God through faith in His Son, Jesus. The man into today's scripture really believed that he had all the qualifications to inherit life because he believed in his heart that he was keeping the entire law of God.
However, when Jesus spoke the truth concerning his heart, he found out that all he was really doing was deceiving himself. Being good has nothing at all with being righteous in God's sight. Being good has nothing to do with being righteous as a disciple of Christ. Having a good heart doesn't make us a Christian, but it is the result of a life that has committed to being a Christian. Once this man talked with Jesus, this man discovered that his goodness wasn't so good.
Matthew 19: 18 - 22, Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness, ''Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. NKJV
This ruler thought he was keeping the Law of God, but when he heard the truth out of Jesus' mouth, he learned that he had fallen short. He obeyed the law as long as it didn't cost him...thus revealing his heart's motive: he did it out of duty and not from a heart of faith and love.
If you will reread the commandments Jesus quoted to the rich ruler, you will see that Jesus commanded him to love his neighbor as himself; to this, the ruler replied that he had kept it from his youth. Nevertheless, when Jesus told him to take all that he had and sell it and give the proceeds to the poor, he walked away sorrowful. In one instance, the rich man said that he obeyed, but when it came down to him having to obey, he walked away disobedient. This man had a form of godliness, but he denied the power of Christ because his trust was in his riches and not in God.
If we are truly born again, we will love God more than anyone or anything, and we will demonstrate that faith and love by sacrificing whatever is required to obey His voice.
Words to Live By,
Pastor Asa
Do you believe that being a Christian is all about being good and doing good things? If that is your belief, then allow me to share some truths from God's Word that can empower you to live a victorious life in Christ. Although "good" has its merits with man, it is a stench in the nostrils of God. Remember when Adam fell into sin, he and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves. If this had been acceptable to God, then why did He sacrifice an animal and skin it to cover their nakedness?
In the New Testament, Jesus warned the disciples of the leaven of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were all about making a show before man, but were disobedient to God. They were more consumed with self-righteousness through the law than they were of being obedient to God through faith in His Son, Jesus. The man into today's scripture really believed that he had all the qualifications to inherit life because he believed in his heart that he was keeping the entire law of God.
However, when Jesus spoke the truth concerning his heart, he found out that all he was really doing was deceiving himself. Being good has nothing at all with being righteous in God's sight. Being good has nothing to do with being righteous as a disciple of Christ. Having a good heart doesn't make us a Christian, but it is the result of a life that has committed to being a Christian. Once this man talked with Jesus, this man discovered that his goodness wasn't so good.
Matthew 19: 18 - 22, Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness, ''Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. NKJV
This ruler thought he was keeping the Law of God, but when he heard the truth out of Jesus' mouth, he learned that he had fallen short. He obeyed the law as long as it didn't cost him...thus revealing his heart's motive: he did it out of duty and not from a heart of faith and love.
If you will reread the commandments Jesus quoted to the rich ruler, you will see that Jesus commanded him to love his neighbor as himself; to this, the ruler replied that he had kept it from his youth. Nevertheless, when Jesus told him to take all that he had and sell it and give the proceeds to the poor, he walked away sorrowful. In one instance, the rich man said that he obeyed, but when it came down to him having to obey, he walked away disobedient. This man had a form of godliness, but he denied the power of Christ because his trust was in his riches and not in God.
If we are truly born again, we will love God more than anyone or anything, and we will demonstrate that faith and love by sacrificing whatever is required to obey His voice.
Words to Live By,
Pastor Asa
Fulfilling Your Divine Purpose
Ephesians 2 : 10, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. NKJV
Do you seek to live the life that God has planned for you as a Christian? Do you seek to please Him by your faith? One day, all Christians will stand before the Judgment seat of Christ and give an account for the way they chose to live their lives on earth. Please continue to read. It's not that Christ is lining us up before Him to condemn us, but rather His desire is to reward us for a job well done. The only ones who'll be ashamed before Him will be those who chose not to obey the Father's will. (Matthew 7: 21)
Paul tells us in the text for today that God has created us in Christ for good works that we SHOULD walk in them. If God has laid out the road map, and we follow that map by faith, then we will end up at the correct destination. However, if we should attempt to stray from the preset coordinates, we won't please the Father.
How do we please the Father? Hebrews 11: 6 says that without faith, no one can please (or come to agreement with) the Father. Romans 10: 17 says that faith comes by hearing. So when you and I hear the voice of the Father and do what He commands of us as His children, we please (or agree with) His will and fulfill the plan for our life.
Here is an example of pleasing the Father by faith. In Genesis 1, God is speaking out of His mouth in heaven those things He desires to see on earth. As God speaks from heaven, the Holy Spirit, who is hovering on the earth, empowers the Word and fulfills the plan that was previously spoken from heaven. When God sees on earth what He has willed in heaven, then He declares at the end of the day that it was good.
We were created in Christ unto good works that we should walk in them. The only way to fulfill God's plan for your life and walk in agreement with Him is to hear His voice and do as He directs you. This is exactly what Jesus did while He was on the earth. He listened to His Father and obeyed His will on earth; it pleased the Father, and He accepted Jesus' sacrifice at the end of His life. Now God has greatly rewarded Jesus by giving Him authority in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.
If you're a Christian, but don't know the will of God for your life, then let me leave you with a passage that will help you discover His will for you.
Hebrews 11: 6, But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. NKJV
Seeking the Father,
Pastor Asa
Do you seek to live the life that God has planned for you as a Christian? Do you seek to please Him by your faith? One day, all Christians will stand before the Judgment seat of Christ and give an account for the way they chose to live their lives on earth. Please continue to read. It's not that Christ is lining us up before Him to condemn us, but rather His desire is to reward us for a job well done. The only ones who'll be ashamed before Him will be those who chose not to obey the Father's will. (Matthew 7: 21)
Paul tells us in the text for today that God has created us in Christ for good works that we SHOULD walk in them. If God has laid out the road map, and we follow that map by faith, then we will end up at the correct destination. However, if we should attempt to stray from the preset coordinates, we won't please the Father.
How do we please the Father? Hebrews 11: 6 says that without faith, no one can please (or come to agreement with) the Father. Romans 10: 17 says that faith comes by hearing. So when you and I hear the voice of the Father and do what He commands of us as His children, we please (or agree with) His will and fulfill the plan for our life.
Here is an example of pleasing the Father by faith. In Genesis 1, God is speaking out of His mouth in heaven those things He desires to see on earth. As God speaks from heaven, the Holy Spirit, who is hovering on the earth, empowers the Word and fulfills the plan that was previously spoken from heaven. When God sees on earth what He has willed in heaven, then He declares at the end of the day that it was good.
We were created in Christ unto good works that we should walk in them. The only way to fulfill God's plan for your life and walk in agreement with Him is to hear His voice and do as He directs you. This is exactly what Jesus did while He was on the earth. He listened to His Father and obeyed His will on earth; it pleased the Father, and He accepted Jesus' sacrifice at the end of His life. Now God has greatly rewarded Jesus by giving Him authority in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.
If you're a Christian, but don't know the will of God for your life, then let me leave you with a passage that will help you discover His will for you.
Hebrews 11: 6, But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. NKJV
Seeking the Father,
Pastor Asa
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
What Is That in Your Hand
Exodus 4: 2, So the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod." NKJV
When God appeared to Moses in the wilderness and declared His plan to deliver His people from the land of bondage, He asked Moses to throw down his rod. In Psalms 23, the shepherd's staff is called rod and staff. Rod being used to ward off predators and staff being a help or something to be leaned upon when tired or weary. The Lord asked Moses about the object in his hand. Do you think that God, who is omniscient, didn't know what Moses was holding in his hand?
God was testing Moses' obedience. Since he obeyed the Lord's directives, the Lord could change Moses' thinking about the rod. Once he threw the shepherd's rod on the ground and picked it back up again, the rod became a symbol of authority to him. At that very moment, the Lord took something that Moses brought from his past and used it to empower him to walk in his divine purpose.
We all have things from our past that we bring with us when we come from the ways of the world and begin to walk by faith in Christ. Just like Moses, God wants us to lay down those things we've held onto from our past, so He might be able to change our view of them. We all have trophies and mementos from our past and the experiences that we have encountered along the way. Generally, these items come from either painful or precious memories. The reason God asks us to lay them down can be found in the Law that He handed down on Mount Sinai. He doesn't want us to have any "gods" before Him. Any person or thing that captures our heart's attention over Him can become an idol to us.
If we should refuse to lay them down because of their significance, it shows the Lord that we're not yet ready to move forward into our calling and fulfill our purpose. However, if we are willing to lay them down, He can empower us to use them as a tool in our testimony to help others overcome their land of bondage. Moses' rod stayed with him throughout his ministry, and God used it to perform great miracles. It all began when Moses threw it down and picked it up again as the Lord commanded.
What are you holding onto today that God has commanded you to throw down from your past? If it's still under your control, and you haven't released that "thing" to Him, then it's in your hand. God can't give to us what is in His hand until we throw down the thing that He requests from us which in our hand.
Hebrews 12: 1 - 2, Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. NKJV
Are You Ready for a Throw Down,
Pastor Asa
When God appeared to Moses in the wilderness and declared His plan to deliver His people from the land of bondage, He asked Moses to throw down his rod. In Psalms 23, the shepherd's staff is called rod and staff. Rod being used to ward off predators and staff being a help or something to be leaned upon when tired or weary. The Lord asked Moses about the object in his hand. Do you think that God, who is omniscient, didn't know what Moses was holding in his hand?
God was testing Moses' obedience. Since he obeyed the Lord's directives, the Lord could change Moses' thinking about the rod. Once he threw the shepherd's rod on the ground and picked it back up again, the rod became a symbol of authority to him. At that very moment, the Lord took something that Moses brought from his past and used it to empower him to walk in his divine purpose.
We all have things from our past that we bring with us when we come from the ways of the world and begin to walk by faith in Christ. Just like Moses, God wants us to lay down those things we've held onto from our past, so He might be able to change our view of them. We all have trophies and mementos from our past and the experiences that we have encountered along the way. Generally, these items come from either painful or precious memories. The reason God asks us to lay them down can be found in the Law that He handed down on Mount Sinai. He doesn't want us to have any "gods" before Him. Any person or thing that captures our heart's attention over Him can become an idol to us.
If we should refuse to lay them down because of their significance, it shows the Lord that we're not yet ready to move forward into our calling and fulfill our purpose. However, if we are willing to lay them down, He can empower us to use them as a tool in our testimony to help others overcome their land of bondage. Moses' rod stayed with him throughout his ministry, and God used it to perform great miracles. It all began when Moses threw it down and picked it up again as the Lord commanded.
What are you holding onto today that God has commanded you to throw down from your past? If it's still under your control, and you haven't released that "thing" to Him, then it's in your hand. God can't give to us what is in His hand until we throw down the thing that He requests from us which in our hand.
Hebrews 12: 1 - 2, Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. NKJV
Are You Ready for a Throw Down,
Pastor Asa
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