Tag: the blood of Jesus

Love – God’s Greatest Weakness?

August 28, 2021

For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. 2 Corinthians 13:4

Weakness – dfn. lack of physical strength; lack of power, influence, or strength of character; a weak point in a system or somebody’s character. (Source: Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary)

Can God be weak? Is it possible for the great God of glory to exhibit any weaknesses? Or can God “choose” to be weak to achieve a much greater purpose and cause? One thing is certain and one thing we all agree upon is that love is weak. Love does not operate from a position of power or strength. Love assumes the position of weakness, giving instead of taking and being the recipient of pain versus the one causing the pain, And the list goes on. That stated, how do we respond when the Bible says that “God is love” (I Jn 4:8,16). If God is love and love is weak then what does this say about God’s person, nature, and Being?

As we probe this a little further we will find out that God does and always has a plan. And His plans are perfect. And His plans have always centered around one goal and purpose – to show all of creation how magnificent, how wonderful, and how glorious He really is (Ps 145:10-11, Is 6:3, Col 1:16, Rev 4:11). And we will discover that this whole subject of weakness has an astounding ending. Let’s dive into this a little.

 The Progressive Works of God

In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth in a miraculous display of creative power. We know that, but what we sometimes forget or do not think about is that these acts of creative power were not conclusive.  After each day of creation God said that “it was good” six times (Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21 & 25). The number ‘six’ is the number of man, the number of incompletion. This tells us something. It tells us that God had something else planned that would supersede His “good”. What is that? The answer is God’s ‘best’. God said that His acts of creation were good. What God did not say was that He was “finished” with His work of creation. It would take 6,000 years before He would say that his work of creation on earth was “finished”.

God’s way of revealing His character and will through HIs sovereign acts and ways is progressive in nature (Is 28:10, 13). His plans unfold the way photographs were originally made. Photographs used to be formed after light-sensitive photographic paper was immersed a chemical bath called a “developing solution” after being exposed to a light source projected through a film negative. Images would slowly emerge over the paper’s surface while the solution swished over its surface until the entire scene photographed appeared. Such is the revelation of God, a step-by-step progression of events unfolding to culminate into the complete understanding and knowledge of all that God is.

Progressive Steps – A Man, A Family, A Nation & A World

God’s first step in revealing His character and nature started with a single man, Adam. Adam, the first created being made in God’s image was his first choice to begin exposing who He was through communication and fellowship. Adam failed in fulfilling all that God planned for him because of disobedience. So, as God always does, He moved on. God then chose a family to work with and continue to unfold his perfect plan and will. The man was Noah and he found grace in the sight of God (Gen 6:8). The Lord worked through Noah and his family to preserve a remnant of mankind from judgment (the flood) looming over earth’s inhabitants. After Noah and his offspring fulfilled their God-given role He moved on to something bigger – a nation.

The Lord chose the people of the nation of Israel (through the faith of Abraham) as the next step to reveal His will. The Lord started what would be a journey of almost 2,000 years to prepare a people who would glorify Him and be a witness of his power, mercy, goodness, and grace to a darkened world. Again, the plan fell short of its intended expectations. Israel would eventually become divisive, indifferent to the ways of God, and fall into relative oblivion amongst the nations of the earth.

After failing to achieve perfection yet again, God in his last and final attempt to fulfill His perfect plan decided to take matters into his own hands. This final plan would supersede all others in scope and power and go beyond the limitations of human futility, family frailty, and national hostility. God’s final and perfect plan would encompass the entire world and involve all of Heaven, including Himself!

But God faced a dilemma. Because of the nature of this final plan Heaven could not be its launching pad or its operations center. Why? Because this plan demanded a part of God that He had up to this point not revealed. This final plan demanded God’s total and complete commitment of His love and forgiveness only attainable through profound weakness. And He was up to the challenge.

Earth – The Manifestation of God’s Greatest Weakness, The Perfection of God’s Magnificent Power

Heaven is a place of eternity and timelessness where demonstrations and exhibitions of God’s glory, might, and power are on full display. Heaven is not a place for weakness. When God determined it was time to manifest and reveal the most glorious aspects of His character, nature, and being He would have to do it at some other place and in some other form. And He did. It is the place we know as planet Earth. God designed earth for two purposes; to heal the breach of sin in Heaven (Lucifer’s rebellion) and on earth (Adam’s fall/man’s sin) and to reveal to all of Creation the glory of His character and the manifestation of His greatness weakness – His love. To gather together IN ONE “all things in Christ” (Eph 1:10).

He began the process on earth as a child in the “likeness of sinful (weak) flesh”:

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Luke 1:30-33

God himself stepped beyond the curtain of Heaven’s glory and power to become weak, weak like you and me. However, he did it unlike you and I. He became flesh and lived without committing sin. Jesus was truly the Lamb of God. Perfect. Sinless. Blameless. Guiltless.

First, we need to ask a question: Was Jesus really weak?

He became sin who knew no sin (Is 53:12; II Cor 5:21)
He laid down his life so others might take their life up (Luk 22:19-20; Rom 8:32; I Jn 3:16)
He chose death so others might have life (Joh 10:15-18)
He became poor so others might be rich (II Cor 8:9)
He relinquished his God-given power so others might be empowered by it (Mark 5:37-39; Joh 7:37-39; Acts 1:8, 2:38)
He was a lamb before a merciless company of fearless beasts (Is 53:7; Mark 15:32)
He was speechless and defenseless while being falsely accused (Mark 15:3-5)
He loved and forgave the who betrayed him (Mark 14:18-21;  Luk 22:47-48)
He loved and forgave all who hated him and were ashamed of him (Luk 23:34)

Can we conclude that Jesus indeed chose weakness over power? Is that not how true love is supposed to work?

God’s plans are foolproof. If he fails to accomplish something one way, He will always have something operating behind the scenes that will come through when needed.

Satan thinks he has it all figured out. He believes his dominion over the world is unchallengeable, his death threat forever intact and his plan of deception and destruction over mankind unequaled. Being the father of lies (Joh 8:44) he is the chief deceiver, deceived, and dead wrong.

There is one thing Satan never experienced in Heaven nor will he ever understand about God. And that is: God’s weakness and the profound love of God birthed in that weakness. Satan and his hordes of fallen angels are completely dumbfounded by continually being defeated by the power of God’s love. God’s love has the capacity (unlike any other agent known on earth) to attract the human soul beyond sin’s gravitational pull and cause it to fall in total surrender before its Creator. As one lady radio announcer phrased it: “God’s love is the most compelling force in the entire universe”. It most definitely is.

And here is how. God’s power is perfected in weakness:

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

The word “strength” in this verse is the Greek word “δύναμις” [dunamis] which is translated into English as “force” or specifically, “miraculous power”. The word “dynamite” is derived from this same Greek word. What does this all mean?

This tells us that God, in the most infinitely weak form possible, came to this earth in the “likeness” of sinful flesh to perfect His power. God became infinitely weak through his death on a cross so that He might become …………. infinitely powerful! So powerful in fact that Jesus is now worthy to receive all of the fullness of God’s glory, might, and honor – “even in him” (Eph 1:10). Now that is something to get excited about.

God’s perfect will was to manifest Himself in weakness as the Son (flesh) of God on earth to offer salvation to a fallen world through his sinless blood and give the hope of eternal rest (life) to those under the power of sin and death by the god of this world. It was through this sacrificial act that God revealed to the world the most magnificent and profound nature of His person being – His deep, profound love.

From “It Is Good” to “It Is Finished” – Jesus, Our Seventh Day Of Eternal Rest

As mentioned at the outset, God said after each act of creation the words “it is good” (6x). This tells us that God had one more act of creation to perform – an act to bring everything full circle and complete His final, perfect plan waiting to unfold from the beginning of time.

God in the Old Testament rested on the seventh day from His work of creation (Gen 2:1-3) and also reserved this day for mankind’s physical rest (Mar 2:27). In the New Testament, Jesus offers those who believe and trust in him a new life with a new beginning (2 Cor 5:17).

What was that final act or work of perfection God needed to perform?

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. John 4:34  

The death of Jesus Christ as the sacrificial Lamb of God and Savior of the world was God’s final ‘work’ that fulfilled the Father’s will and ‘finished’ His creative plan on earth:

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. John 19:30 

Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (the Gospel) ushered in the promised spiritual “rest” through the infilling of the Holy Ghost, prophesied by Joel and fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost:

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. Joel 2:28-29

To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. Isaiah 28:12

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Hebrews 4:9-11

We are entering 7,000 years, or 7 days of creation, since Genesis 1:1. The second coming of Jesus Christ to earth can be seen as the seventh day from creation offering mankind the gift of eternal ‘spiritual’ rest (Mat 11:28-29; Heb 3:11; Rev 14:13).

In conclusion, God’s perfected power is expressed and manifested in the form of the God-man Jesus Christ. Jesus is the embodiment of that perfected power and rules “at God’s right hand” in the seat of Heaven having all authority and power over all of Creation (Rev 1:12-18). All because of weakness and all because of love. God’s love. For God is love.

Be Blessed & Be Free in Jesus’ Name. Amen

(Credit: Photo of baby & finger)

The Treasures of Darkness – Souls

May 16, 2020

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7

Soul – Dfn. the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being, regarded as immortal (living forever, never dying). (New Oxford American Dictionary) The immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life, the spiritual principle embodied in human beings, all rational and spiritual beings, or the universe. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

We will look into the reason and purpose why God uses this peculiar, weak, frail and error-prone creation, the Soul, to accomplish His grandest work of Creation.

Specifically, we will look at three aspects of God’s plan being fulfilled through the soul: Revelation, Perfection and Restoration – The Revelation of God’s Person, Perfection of God’s Power and the Restoration of God’s Perfect Dominion.

The Soul – Revelation of God’s Being & Person

God is a God of order and harmony. And He is the ultimate judge of rebellion and lawlessness. Thus, when His chosen archangel Lucifer rebelled (Is. 14:12-16 Ez. 28:15-18), judgment against him and his rogue yoke-fellows was swift and final. Their destination? Planet earth:

And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Luke 10:18

Earth, the majestic, greenish-blue watery gem suspended in space would become the battleground for the epic of all wars and the final confrontation between the power of light, truth and righteousness and the powers of darkness, deception, rebellion and unrighteousness. God shifted His focus to a stage unlike Heaven. This earthly stage would be defined by finite space and time. God would now move into this new dimension to deal with and resolve the most gregarious of assaults against the Most High and Perfect God. Perfect? Oh yes, perfect. You see, any Being possessing ALL POWER must be perfect. Otherwise, the most minuscule fault, error or imperfection in that Being would (and ultimately will) destroy both Himself and everything He created.

The glorious and majestic Eternal God of glory would embark on a mission like never before. The Eternal God would slip into the dimension of time, become finite and experience His own self in Creation. Like His prized creation man, God would also become a living soul in the God-man Jesus Christ. Why? Because in God’s eternal and perfect plan orchestrated by His manifold wisdom (Ps 104:24 & Eph 3:10), Heaven’s breach, and the subsequent introduction of death through sin’s power could only be resolved and healed by blood (Mat 26:28, Rom 3:25 & Heb 9:22). For the very thing that destroys life can only be defeated and neutralized by life itself – by blood (Lev 17:11,14 & Deu 12:23). The death sentence hovering over souls created in His image must be conquered by the life giving power within blood itself – and only the precious, sinless, infinitely powerful blood of Heaven and earth’s perfect Lamb of God (Jn 6:54) could accomplish the task and mend the breach. And the plans of a perfect God are always perfect!

So, here we are in a place defined by space, time and life as living souls graced with the power of free choice and free will, things Heaven’s angels lack. As a minister recently articulated, angels are given the freedom, but not the right to choose (remember Lucifer and his fallen angels?). We have both. Why? Because love demands both free will and the freedom to choose. God has gifted the soul both the unique quality and capacity to love and be loved. This is why angels do not know what love is. We do. And God designed it to be that way.

God’s ultimate desire is to love and be loved, not only for what He does, but more importantly for who He is (Is 43:10-11, Neh 9:30-31 & Ps 78:38-39). His desire is to reveal and express the profound and glorious aspects of his Person and Being – Love, Mercy, Grace, Understanding, Wisdom, Judgment, Justice, Forgiveness, Compassion, Glory, Power and as Healer, Deliverer, Provider and Savior.

To accomplish this God created a medium where He and the creation He loves can fulfill His will or plan for their lives through his Word. The Word is the source code that runs His creative processes and formulates His will (Jn 1:1-5). It is the Spirit of God that energizes the Word and gives it life (Job 33:4, Eze 37:5, 8-10, Jn 6:63 & II Cor 3:6). That Word became “flesh and dwelt among us” in the man Jesus Christ (Jn 1:14). The soul was formed to believe and trust in the Word and live with it residing on the inside and empowered by the Spirit of God (Rom 8:11).

The Lord chose the vehicle of a living soul with its life-giving blood to bring “all things” to a perfect and final conclusion. God became a soul so that the soul might know God in the fulness of His revelation:

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Hebrews 1:3

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18

Now that we looked at the revelation of God’s person and character through Jesus Christ, we now move along to His perfected power.

The Soul – Perfection of God’s Power

Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Psalm 69:20-21

Heaven’s breach of trust and unity accompanying Lucifer’s fall produced a temporary shadow over God’s perfect dominion. A foreign element entered the stage known as death and tainted creation. Death was never God’s intention, but the result of judgment against disobedience and sin. And sin seperates God from everything and everyone:

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:2

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Romans 5:12

And death’s defeat demanded something Heaven could not provide – weakness. Why weakness? Because according to God’s word, His perfected strength is only possible through brokenness and suffering:

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

The Greek word “strength” used in this verse is: δύναμις (dunamis) meaning ‘force’ or ‘miraculous power’. Death demanded a perfected strength that only perfected weakness could produce. And God perfected His power through the weakness of the perfect, sinless flesh in the God-man, Jesus Christ. No greater weakness was ever or ever will be demonstrated in heaven or on earth. Ever. God himself enrobed in the veil of human flesh freely sacrificed on the savage and unmerciful altar of earthly sin at the hands of sinful humanity.

As God became “a living soul” himself, he could now become perfectly weak so that He might become perfectly strong and conquer the power of death:

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Rom 6:9-10

Jesus came in the “likeness” of sinful flesh (Rom 8:3) and unlike the first man Adam who failed, Jesus was the perfect second man (I Cor 15:45-47) who fulfilled all of God’s will and “finished” His work (Joh 4:34; Mat 26:39 & Joh 5:30).

God’s power now perfected through the sinless blood of the Lamb of God broke the power of sin and death to give the gift of eternal life to those who will trust him and obey His word:

Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. John 6:68  

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23  

And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. 1 John 2:25  

The Soul – Restoration of God’s Perfect Dominion

Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12  

It is well understood that some restored things can be very expensive. Time and its tendency to reduce both the quality and quantity of objects, items and things leaves what remains rare and valuable. On a superficial level, consider the following restored ‘earthly treasures’:

Salvator Mundi (circa 1490–1500) painting by Leonardo da Vinci – Sale price: $450M
Les Femmes d’Alger (1955) painting by Pablo Picasso – Sale price: $179.4M
Claude Monet’s Meules (1891) Auctioned price: $110.7M
Paul Cézanne’s Bouilloire et fruits (1888) Auctioned price: $59.3M 
Restored 1935 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante – Sale price: $3.8M
Restored Ferrari 275 GTB – Sale price: $2.3M
Restored 1950 Ferrari 166MM Barchetta – Sale price: $1M

The Extraordinary Value of The Restored Soul

There is one last restored earthen object worth our consideration – earthen vessels. The earthen vessel known as the human soul, your soul:

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

Every soul is made in the image God. When God created you, he put his fingerprint upon you and made you unlike any other creation before you or after you. As a Pastor is famously quoted as saying: “After God made you, He threw away the mold!”
That makes you exceptionally rare and valuable, much more valuable than a one hundred year-old restored painting.

But, we have a problem here. Our original condition is marred through the ravages of time and the ensuing effects of sin thus diminishing our value compared to the value of its ‘originally intended condition’. We need restoration. From the fall of Adam and Eve to our present age the human condition lies in a grave state. We need to be restored to pre-Fall, mint condition. And now that Jesus has come we can be! Praise God we can. We now have hope!

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:12-13

Now, not only can the vessel be restored to “mint” condition, it is redeemed by the blood of Jesus and ownership transferred from satan’s dominion into the eternal kingdom of God:

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: I Peter 1:18-19

The restored soul’s value has gone from the price of earthly dust to a value determined only by eternity for a vessel possessing eternal life and destined for eternal glory:

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23 
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
1 Peter 5:10  
And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. 1 John 2:25  

Death’s Defeat & God’s Perfected Dominion Restored

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:26

The devil knows God’s word. Satan is earth’s supreme Bible student. He knew the Savior would come on the scene sometime and somewhere in the spectrum of earthly time (Gen 3:15). But, he was taken totally by surprise. You see the devil cannot and will never know the mind of God. It is hidden from him. In simplistic earthly terms, satan perceives God’s mind as encrypted information and intelligence. There is scripture to back the claim:

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. Mat 2:7-8

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. I Cor 2:7-8

The same goes for the true believer. The enemy cannot decrypt or eavesdrop in on what God communicates to His people through His Spirit (the very next three verses!):

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. I Cor 2:9-11

But, someone might say: “The devil is not flesh (man), but a spiritual being!” True, but the defrocked and dethroned spiritual being has no authority. He lost his “Heaven connection”, covering of anointing, spiritual influence and Holy intimacy when cast out of heaven. What is the purpose of all this? It says that a true born-again believer (of Water & Spirit) now has more authority and power than the devil. Here are just a few verses among many:

And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. Luke 10:17  

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; Mark 16:17  

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4  

Jesus has empowered his church, the bride of Christ, everything it needs to live victoriously over sin, the world and the powers of darkness as restored and perfected souls through faith, hope and love in Him.

Conclusion: Revelation, Perfection & Restoration – In Jesus Christ

We have walked along a path to establish the role the Soul has in God’s plan. In God’s infinite understanding (Ps 147:5), manifold wisdom (Psa 104:24 & Eph 3:10) and creative power (Gen 1:1; Isa 42:5, 45:12 & 18) the Lord is his foreknowledge formed Earth in the finite dimensions of time and space to include living souls, souls impressed with God’s own fingerprint.

He did this for one purpose – that “all things” both in Heaven and on earth be gathered together in Jesus Christ (Eph 1:10). All things were created by him (Jn 1:3 & Col 1:16-17). All things (the law, prophets and psalms) are fulfilled in him (Lk 24:44 & Jn 19:28). And all things were given to him and under his authority (Mat 11:27, 28:18; Lk 10:22; Jn 3:35 & Jn 13:3).

The soul is the Lord’s chosen medium to fulfill three purposes: the expression of His Person and Being by slipping into time from the realm of eternity through the channel of a living soul as the man Jesus Christ, the perfection of God’s power through the frail and vulnerable life of the Saviour and the restoration of Heaven’s breach and its sin stain over humanity through the defeat of satan and death by the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (I Cor 15:3-4) and the New Birth experience by being born again of water and the Spirit (Jn 3:3-8, Lk 24:46-49, Acts 1:4-5 & Acts Ch 2).

Revelation, Perfection & Restoration of “All Things” through Jesus! Amen

And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. 1 Corinthians 15:28

The Love Warrior

January 27, 2018

And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. Revelation 5:5  

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11:12

All good things in life are based on the foundation of love. The love of Jesus Christ touches everything good. God’s love is life’s “secret sauce” for spiritual growth and fruitfulness, true happiness, joy, peace, fulfillment, and harmony with others (a short list). The reverse is also true. Evil, base things, the beggarly elements, works done in darkness and the like share a commonality – a lack of true love.

When Jesus stepped upon the stage of this earthly drama he knew the odds were stacked against him. God understood it would take something very special, unique, radical, “out-of-the-box”,  disruptive, paradoxical and above human calculation to break through sin-hardened hearts, walls of prejudice, evil spirits and hopelessness. Jesus was up to the challenge. Jesus conquered the works of darkness and the sin of mankind with a full frontal assault with an amazing strategy; approach it with the weakness of a Lamb as The Love Warrior.

The Call For War

There was a serious problem in heaven. Imperfection surfaced within the perfect eternal realm we know as heaven (Ezekiel 28:15). God, being the perfect, eternal Being (Deu 32:4, II Sam 22:31, Ps 18:30), engaged the plan to restore order in heaven. The Word is not clear how long that took, but no doubt long enough for the rebellion to complete its course. The Lord works that way (Gen 15:16, Dan 8:23).

So, Lucifer, Heaven’s premiere worship leader, and one-third of his worship team were expelled from heaven and exiled to a realm encircling earth’s lower atmosphere:

In the sphere of which trespasses and sins at one time you ordered your behavior as dominated by the spirit of the age in this world system, as dominated by the leader of the authority of the lower atmosphere, the source also of the spirit that is now operating in the sons of the disobedience, Ephesians 2:2 (Wuest)

Church splits (and sometimes individual exodus’ for that matter) are always centered around worship. Always. How is that? Because people decide to worship the “god of self” instead of the God of Glory. Okay, let’s move on.

Now that heaven was rid of its rebellious blotch, the Lord encountered the dilemma of now dealing with the fallen archangel and his cohorts. And God, who is never confounded, confused, dismayed or dumbfounded had a plan for that too. In fact, His plan was ordained before the foundation of the world (John 17:24, I Peter 1:20, Rev 13:8). Enter front-center stage the One for whom all things were created (Is 40:21-28, John 1:3, Eph 3:9, Col 1:16, Rev 4:11) – the perfect God-man, Jesus Christ.

God rolled up His sleeves and went to war. Why? For love.

God who “is love” never knew what it was like to “be loved”, until now. God as the man Christ Jesus came to earth to fulfill and perfect what the law could not do – set the captives and prisoners of the earth free with the love of God (Is 43:10-13, Is 61:1, Lk 4:18, Ps 68:18, Eph 4:8).

Jesus Christ is The Love Warrior.

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10

And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. John 17:26

And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. Luke 23:33–34

Jesus’ Love Warrior Boot Camp

Jesus has a knack for turning disciples into love warriors. One of Jesus’ prime examples was a man named John. John was a potential warrior, but his weapon of choice, his passion for revenge, needed some tweaking:

And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? Luke 9:54

Fire? From Heaven? To scorch the poor guys? Not Jesus’ MO, at least not yet. But, as usual when Jesus begins a work of grace, mercy and love on a subject they might as well surrender because love never fails (I Cor 13:8). And John did not let Jesus down.

John held one of Jesus’ three inner-circle gold cards. John had passion. John wanted to be close to the Master’s heart, so close as to hear what emanated from Jesus’ heart before it exited his mouth:

Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? John 21:20

You are going to hear some pretty amazing things when you are that close to God’s heart. What did John hear while living a life close to Jesus’ heart? It must have had a lot to do with love because John went on to write and reference more about love than any other writer in the Holy Bible:

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. I John 4:7-8

Jesus saw John was a good candidate for becoming a Love Warrior.

There was another subject that showed some promise for becoming a Love Warrior. His name was Peter. Like John, Peter had passion and also packed some maligned, artful grit:

Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. John 18:10

Peter was aiming for Malchus’ head, not his ear. Peter was a changed man after the Day of Pentecost and went on to join the esteemed ranks of one of Jesus’ Love Warriors:

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: I Peter 1:8

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: I Peter 1:22

Jesus saw Peter was a good candidate for becoming a Love Warrior.

We cannot forget another one of Jesus’ love warriors. This one was a women named Mary Magdalene. The Bible refers to Mary as the women “out of whom went seven devils”.  I guess if one were to be demon possessed, seven devils might be the perfect number of choice. It is also noteworthy that Mary is referenced exactly twelve times in twelve verses in the KJV of the Holy Bible. Seven and twelve. Interesting.

Whatever Mary did in her past was now forgotten and superseded with a present and future centered around the Lord. Mary was a member of Jesus’ entourage of women who followed and ministered to Jesus (Luke 8:2). Who was there at Calvary? Mary (Jn 19:25).  Who was one the first ones to visit the tomb after Jesus’ crucifixion? Mary (Jn 20:1). Who was the first person Jesus appeared to after he rose from the dead? Mary (Mk 16:9). Who informed the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead? Mary (Lk 24:10).

Jesus saw Mary was a good candidate for becoming a Love Warrior.

Am I A Love Warrior For Jesus?

In conclusion, I need to ask myself: “Am I a love warrior for Jesus?” Are my thoughts and the meditations of my heart focused on the Kingdom of God, on the saving of souls, compassion towards the broken and weak, or does my life evolve around my needs, my wants and the pleasures of my flesh? Have I determined to seek “God’s own heart” like King David or the Apostle John?

Love Warriors always have a price to pay.

“Well, the Lord has not called me to be an apostle.” Maybe not. However, Jesus has called his church to an even higher calling – Kings and Priests unto God:

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:5-6

One thing is certain, Jesus came to this earth as a lamb, but he is not returning as one. Jesus will visit the second time as a lion, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. And he is coming as a warrior to judge the earth of its sin.

Until then, the Lord searches the earth looking for human hearts that will respond to his call to join him with his army of Love Warriors in The Name of Jesus. Be Blessed.

 

Pure Life

February 15, 2013

waterfall 3 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Rom 6:12

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1Jn 1:8

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No artificial ingredients
Contains no additives
Organically grown
Not a genetically modified food product
Made with all fresh ingredients
Made with 100% all natural…
Grown without pesticides, herbicides or fungicides
Water drawn from the bubbling springs of …

Such are some of the adjectives and label descriptions we find on the food products we purchase. They are meant to send us a signal that the food we are about to purchase is pure, healthy and will be good for our bodies.

Eating the right foods and being cognizant of one’s health is good stuff. We should take care of our bodies and be mindful of what we ingest or decide not to ingest. But, oftentimes we do not consider the more important aspect of our being; the eternal spiritual element. Thus, we neglect or fail to navigate what we allow or disallow into our spiritual being. Let me explain.

The Acid Test

Our stomach lining contains gastric juices that have a pH in the range of 1.5 – 3.5. In comparison, battery acid has a pH of less than 1.0. Literally, we harbor in our stomachs what amounts to a pH level almost equal to that of battery acid. Have you ever wondered and find it strange that this acid resident in our bodies does not harm our health and destroy us?

Let’s take the battery acid analogy and parallel it to the sin issue. We all have sin resident on our bodies. It is an inevitable and undeniable fact of life:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23

It is inescapable that sin be resident and an occupier in our bodies, but it does not have to be the property manager! The blood of Jesus is our antidote, the blood is the attacking and neutralizing agent we have at our disposal that enables us to be conquerors and victors over the sin issue:

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us  from all sin. 1Jn 1:7

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

True repentance means to sincerely ask God for forgiveness and TO MOVE ON. It is the Lord’s desire that we all mature in faith and not let the weaknesses of our flesh dictate our course in life.

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Hebrews 6:1

The Bible lets us know that sin is serious business and not to be taken with a cavalier attitude:

And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. Isa 35:8

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Rom 8:13

The Cross and The Conscience

The way of holiness and the cross are intertwined. They are both needed to orient us down the only path that leads to the Pure Life, a path whose landscape is strewn with crosses; Jesus’ cross, my cross, your cross and your brother and sister’s cross. Life is meaningless outside the cross. It just cannot be circumvented.

When we can get to the place when our own personal cross becomes the only thing we cling to, the fixture and focal point in our spirit that we know we must embrace in order to make it through this life; it is then that we can begin to take in “healthy” spiritual food and head towards the Pure Life; a life that is whole and “Just” before the God of Creation.

A pastor recently elaborated on a powerful Bible passage dealing with the human conscience:

And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. Acts 24:16

As he explained, the word “conscience” is derived from a Greek word meaning “co-perception”. In essence, our conscience is comprised of two parts; our perception and the perception of another. When our perception is coupled and in synch with God and His Word, nothing will offend us:

Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. Psa 119:165

When something other than God is in partnership with our conscience (do the words carnality or satan ring a bell?), our perception is flawed, our conscience becomes tainted, and inevitably offense results. In this scenario, offense blocks God from bringing true peace, and thereby, prevents repentance and forgiveness to mend a conscience gone awry. This is always not good.

Living a whole and Pure Life before God will lead one to live offense-free and have a pure conscience before both God and men (i.e. humanity). This is what a “Pure Life” is all about.

It all comes down to perception and perspective, perception of the cross of Jesus Christ. What does that cross really mean to me? What influence does Jesus’ cross wield in my life? It is a question we have to keep asking ourselves over and over again. Will what I am about to do glorify the Lord? Will this action lead me down the road of regret and condemnation?

And a cross-less Christ is a powerless Christ. Some desire the admonition and to bear the label of being a “Christian”, but deflect the discomfort of the cross-bearing that is included in the job description:

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; Php 3:10

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luk 9:23

Outside the safeguards and protective perimeters one’s cross provides, making money will become more attractive, jobs and career ascension will grip our heart and sap our spiritual drive, worldly ambition will be our demigod, we will bow down to the goddesses of lust and pride, and be found worshiping in the groves of carnality.

Oxen Ain’t Pretty

Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox. Pro 14:4

Oxen are dirty and not so attractive creatures. But, they are the workhorses on the farm, nothing gets done without their sheer strength and determination. But, there is a price the farmer must pay for their labor; dirt, waste, stench and inconvenience.

Let’s face it, life is messy, we are sometimes messy and people business is almost always messy (this includes church’s !).

Such it is with us. Nothing can be done without people; ministries cannot mature, church’s cannot be built and people cannot be shown the way to eternal life. We have all fallen and come up short at times. But, is this the expected norm for a child of God? Do we just except our fallen nature and continually make excuses for our failings and shortcomings? Is this what the Lord desires for our lives?

There are four things the Lord takes particular pleasure in: His people (Psalm 149:4), in the prosperity of His people (Psalm 35:27), those who fear and honor Him (Psalm 147:11), and those who live a “Pure Life” above reproach (I Chr 29:17, Psa 5:4, Eze 18:23, 32).

This tells us that the Lord wants His people to be successes. He wants to be glorified by the life and testimony of His people. But, this is an impossibility while the sin factor maintains a commanding presence in the chemistry of our spiritual composition.

We should find it repulsive and fall below our expectations to allow sin to rule and manage our lives, and ultimately, defeat God’s will and what He purposes us to accomplish for the Kingdom of God.

The power of God’s holy spirit and the forgiveness that is available through the blood of Jesus is more than enough for us to live overcoming lives and be the Victor and not the Victim. God’s grace is sufficient for all of us!

Pure Life – may the Lord grant us the grace and strength to be overcomers and live victoriously in this present challenging world.

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Rom 6:14

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Heb 9:26