Friday, December 23, 2016

Romans 8:3



Romans 8:3
"“For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh,
God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh
and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,

What the Law Could Not Do

1. Law was a tutor. Wikipedia states: “A tutor is an instructor who gives private lessons.” Galatians 3:24: “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”
2. Law was a shadow. Colossians 2:17: “things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.” In New Living Translation word's, “For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.” Hebrews 10:4 says, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” The Old Testament law was like writing a check or using a credit card to pay for our sin. The payment would be made later. The check or credit card is a promise to pay later.
3. The law was weak. Romans 7:18 and following explains that the law does not change anything. Flesh still dominates when we try to live by the law. Hebrews 7:18 says the Old Testament commandments were weak and useless.

Jesus was the plan from long ago. Isaiah 53:5-8
Jesus became a man to pay our debt of sin for us, condemning sin in the flesh.
Hebrews 2:14-17

The law was never meant to bring righteousness. It was meant as a tutor to bring us to Christ. (Galatians 3:4) It never would work, as we see how the law tripped up Adam and Eve. It trips each of us because we are not made to keep rules directly.

The law shows us our need. Many reject Christianity because of the many rules they don't want to keep. Yet, because of this very problem, Jesus came. We are not to keep rules but live for Jesus. And living for Jesus will cause us to keep the rules by loving others and God!

People can't love, (with God's kind of love), without the new birth. It is the new birth and Christ in us that empowers us to love. Love supersedes the law because if we love we will obey the law. Love expresses itself in obedience. And it this obedience that the law is seeking for. Jesus takes our eyes off the problem and onto something else. We then become Christ centered rather than self-centered. We need to die to ourselves and live for Christ. Live as Christ centered, not as self-centered.

Romans 7 discusses the inability to live by keeping the rules. Paul mentioned himself a number of times in Romans 7. The end of the chapter states we are free from living under the curse of the law and we can now live in the law of the Spirit of Christ.

What was the law trying to do? It was trying to atone for the sin of the people. The sacrifices were only a type of what Christ was going to do.

Go to next verse

Go to Index

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Romans 8:2




“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

Life in the Spirit: The law of the Spirit sets us free from the law of sin and of death. Further passages in Romans 8 show that where we put our mind takes us either to life in the Spirit or to sin and death.

2 Corinthians 3:17 “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.” Galatians 5:13 “you were called to freedom.” Before, there was a struggle, but when the Spirit is introduced or utilized, there is no conflict. Romans 7 talks of the war within. As we live in the law of the Spirit, we are free.

Jesus says in John 6 that we need to eat His flesh and drink His blood to have life. He said this to the Pharisees to get them to stumble over His words. Jesus explains later, in verse 63, that the words He speaks are his flesh. We have life by meditating, pondering, considering and then doing the words of Jesus.

John 1:14 states “the word was made flesh and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth.” Jesus is the word (John 1:1) and he came to earth born of a virgin. When He was of age, He started His ministry.

John 5:24 When we believe what Jesus says, we are eating the words of Jesus. We are taking them into our life and letting them be part of us.

The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus is how the Holy Spirit acts. The Holy Spirit is the giver of life. John. 6:63

A law is a regulation that happens every time. It is not something will happen at times and at other times it won't happen. The law of gravity works all the time. A law will work unless another law will supersede it. The law of aerodynamics will supersede the law of gravity. The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus will supersede the law of sin and of death!

When we set our mind on the things above, we are operating in this law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. What are the things of the Spirit? It is the words of God. (John 6:63) The things of the Spirit is doing what the Word of God says to do. God's words to us are spirit and life. Putting our mind on these words brings life to our spirit. Putting our mind on the things of the Spirit brings life when we believe them and act on them.

What is the law of sin and of death? Taking the above definition and flipping it causes me to believe that if we set our mind on things contrary to God, we are trapped in sin. So, the battle of living in the spirit or the flesh is in our mind. Our mind is where our soul is. The decision of how to live is in our soul or our mind. Our spirit is reborn at salvation. This energizing force within gives us the desire to live for God. Deciding to reject the old way and live in the Spirit of God comes from putting our mind on the things of the Spirit of God.

Romans 7:14,23 talk of this trap of the law of sin. The law of the Spirit will supersede the law of sin and death when we use it. As we renew our mind, (Romans 12:1,2) we don't consider the temptation of Satan, but look to the promise of victory in Christ. Consider the law of gravity. It works every time. But when the law of aerodynamics is used, the law of gravity no longer works. We can fly in the Spirit above the law of sin and death. When we let up and coast, the law of sin and death comes back into play. When we put our mind on the things of the Spirit, the law of sin and death stops working. The next few verses on Romans 8 explain how to use the law of the Spirit.

8 Laws in Romans From Dake Bible notes
Law of Moses Rom 2:12; 3:19; 7:12
Law of nature Rom 2:14,15
Law of faith Rom 3:27; 4:3-5; 11:24
Law of the mind Rom 7:16,21,23
Law of sin 8:23,8:22
Law of righteousness 9:31
Law of God 7:22,25
Law of the Spirit of life, that is the Holy Spirit that works through the redemption of Christ to make free from and to cancel the law of sin and death in all who are in Christ (8:2)

Believe and Speak

Isaiah 51:16 “I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, Your are My people.”

Exodus 33:22 “and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.”

Isaiah 49:2 “He has made My mouth like a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me; And He has also made Me a select arrow.”

Some may say this is speaking of Jesus, it is not applicable to us. John 20:21 “... as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”  It is God's purpose for us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.  Jesus  is the first born from the dead. Col 1:18 We also can live as Jesus leads us from His example  because, we are new creatures in Christ. 2 Cor 5:17

We can walk in the same anointing as Jesus had. It was after Jesus was baptised in water that the Holy Spirit came on Him. Matt 3:16 It was after the temptations in the wilderness that Jesus ministered in the Holy Spirit and power. Luke 4:14

Our baptism in the Holy Spirit allows the power of God in our ministry as we believe. Each trial brings us to perfection as we set our mind on the Spirit and not the flesh. James 1:2-4

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Romans 8:1



Romans 8:1 

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Therefore

The word “therefore” is there because Paul refers to himself in the previous chapter, Romans 7, fifty-three times in his futile attempts to live righteously. After much struggle, he comes to the revelation that the answer is Jesus. The rest of Romans 8 explains this.

Now

We live by faith in the now. The past is the past. The future is the future.  Now speaks of what is going on currently. Life is happening now. Faith happens now. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).  We can't live on past faith. If you don't have faith now, you don't have faith. You can't rely on the faith of the past if it is not faith now.

Don't put off believing what you have learned from the Scriptures. Don't put off doing what God has directed you to do. If we don't act on the word we hear, it is susceptible to being lost. For example, in the parable of the Sower, the seeds sown on roadside soil were lost because the birds ate them. We lose God's input if we don't receive His words immediately. When we hear a teaching it is important to ponder what we have heard with thought and prayer so that we can incorporate it into our life.

The rushing to get to church and then when it is over rushing to get to the next thing is detrimental to spiritual growth. Instead, use church and devotions as preparation for your future. Because of this tendency to rush I think the preacher should give time for prayer after the sermon.

In the past (Old Testament times), there was condemnation. If one tried to live according to the Jewish law there was condemnation, because no one is justified by the law. Trusting in God by sacrifice was okay as long as one kept the sacrifice. Those who lived without law, such as Gentiles, were under condemnation because they did not even live according to the law that was in their mind. 

The prefix, con, means to know, learn or study. Science means knowledge. Everyone has a conscience (the quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself). Our sin nature condemns us to be judged by the laws of the Old Testament or the law of our conscience. Either way, we could not live up to this expectation and were condemned by God to eternal punishment.

Now no condemnation

Because of Jesus and our life with Him, there is now no condemnation. We are free from condemnation because of the blood of Jesus. Now there is no condemnation because of the work of Christ on the cross. We are free from condemnation because of our new life in Jesus. We are new creatures in Christ. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Cor 5:17)  

Does your conscience bother you? Put your past under the blood of Jesus. Ask Him to forgive you of your sin. State to your conscience and to our enemy that our past has been forgiven. We are free to live with a clear conscience without condemnation. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. We can live free from condemnation and have a clear conscience before God and not be under worry from the past. Yes, if you commit sin there is a cost in this world. But we can continue to minister to others, for our life is hid in Christ. 

Are we making a mistake? There is no condemnation. Have we made a mistake in the past? There is no condemnation. Do we think we will make a mistake in the future?  There is no condemnation.

This does not mean there is not a cost to sin. If we sin there is a cost to pay in this world. Don't use your freedom for a license to sin. “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Gal. 5:13) Use your freedom to serve God.

A note about the cost of sin. When we sin, our heart becomes hardened to the Scriptures. With this hardened heart we have difficulty in believing the teachings of Jesus. Sin will destroy our life if we let it. It will destroy our health, our finances, and our relationships.

Stay in the word and your tendency to sin will diminish greatly. 

Those who are in Christ Jesus

What does it mean to be in Christ? (2 Cor 5:17) Therefore, if any man be in Christ he is a new creation. We are in Christ at salvation. It is salvation that puts us in Christ.

Thoughts on repentance:
As I was thinking of this repentance here in Isaiah I thought of my meditations on Romans 8. In Romans 7 & 8 is there nothing about repentance?

The absence of repentance in Romans 7 & 8 is deafening. Because of this the effort of repentance is best spent in just turning to Christ and not putting anymore effort into the repentance.

The effort of repentance is not asking forgiveness from God but turning from a mind on the flesh to a mind on the Spirit. Just a quick turning. Repentance is not saying I'm sorry, but following the dictates of the Spirit Romans 8:14 and being about the business you are led to do by the words of the Spirit.


Of course if you have hurt someone you should ask forgiveness and if you have sinned against God, apologize for the wrong. But God is not after a prayer of forgiveness but a life turned to doing what He is asking us to do So the best repentance is to obey fully.  


Blessings of being In Christ 
Redemption 3:24 1 Cor 1:30
Freedom from condemnation 8:1,2,8,9,10,11. 
Spirit of Life Rom 8:2
Love of God 8:39; 1 Tim 1:14
Truth Rom 9:1
Unity  12:15; Gal 3:28
Faith Acts 24:24 1 Tim 3:13
Sanctification 1 Cor 1:2,30
Wisdom 1 cor 1:30 4
Righteousness 1 Cor 1:30
God is our Father 1 Cor 4:15
Hope 1 Cor 15:19
Security in death 1 Cor 15:18
Resurrection 1 Cor 15:1; 1 Thes 4
Joy 1 Cor 15:31
Establishment in God 2 Cor 1:21
Triumph 2 Cor 2:14
Pure Scripture  2 Cor 2:17 
Law abolished 2 Cor 3:6-15
New creation 2 Cor 5:17,18
Simplicity 2 Cor 11:3
Liberty Gal 2:4
All spiritual blessings Eph 1:3
Power Eph 1:20
Heavenly Places Eph 2:6
Nearness Of God Eph 2:13
Eternal Purpose Eph 3:11
Self Humbling Phil 2:5
High calling Phil 3:14
Perfection Col 1:28
Eternal life 2 Tim 2:10
Grace 2 Tim 2:1
Salvation 2 Tim 2:10
Preservation Jude 1
This list from the Dake Bible 

Go to Next Verse
Go to Index

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Psalm 29 Worship, Hear and Obey


 

Ascribe to the Lord O sons of the mighty. Are we sons of God? Yes we are! Jesus called God His Father and the Pharisees thought it was blasphemy. They knew the Bible but they did not know God. 

Jesus said if they knew Moses they would follow the works of Moses and know that Jesus did the works of God. They rejected the works of Jesus. 

 There are 3 ascribes and one worship in the beginning of the psalm. Then in the Psalm there are 7 voices of God. When we worship God we will hear God. 

 Ascribe to the Lord O sons of the mighty. As we act on the fact we are sons. As we know we are sons. As we become confident we are sons. As we rely the true fact we are sons and act accordingly, we hear. 

 Ascribe to the Lord the glory and strength. As we state that God has glory and power to fulfil what He is leading us to do we hear God. When we hear God we are empowered. If we believe God, we will act on what we hear. Because God will do what He says if we believe.

 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name. God deserves our praise. When something is due we owe it to Him. God has given, we have life. Responding to what God gives allows life to flow. To withhold, to block what God gives, stops the flow of ability. 

 Yes we can continue to live by not ascribing to God the glory due His name. But kingdom living responds to the gift in worship. 

 Worship the Lord in holy array. What is holy? It is what is used for God. What do we put on to use for God. The robe of righteousness. The armor of God. The armor of light. We worship standing ready to serve. 

 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. What are the waters. It is God's people. God's voice goes forth to us. When we are with the people of God we hear the voice of God. 

 On the waters there is no building, trees or hills obstructing His voice. Put yourself in a place to hear God. God of glory thunders. There is power in hearing God. And be assured God is over many people and many tribes, nations and groups. 

 The voice of the Lord is powerful. What an understatement! And God said let there be light and there was light. And this command is continuing to expand the universe at the speed of light. And God said be fruitful and multiply and there are seven billion people living on earth today. What He says empowers. Respond to what He says and you will have His power working for you. 

 The voice of the Lord is majestic. Spurgeon – “As for the written Word of God, the majesty is apparent in its style, matter and power. Blessed be God, it is the majesty of mercy wielding a silver scepter. Our salvation is full to overflowing with this majesty.-” 

 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. There is nothing that can stand before God. The cedars are majestic, but this majesty is nothing when compared to the voice of the Lord. 

 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. There is revival in hearing God's voice. There is youthful vigor in hearing God's voice. There is vitality in hearing God's voice. Do you lack energy? Do you need strength? Do you need direction? Hear God and you will be energised. 

 The voice of the Lord hews out flames of fire. God is a consuming fire. God baptises in the Holy Spirit and fire. God spoke to Moses from the fire of the bush. God purifies with fire. Lightening of God's voice changes everything. 

 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness. God causes what has been rejected, what has been ignored, what has been left for being useless to whirl and be stirred up. Has your life been useless and of no value? Hear the voice of God and everything will change. 

 The voice of the Lord makes the deer to calve. God brings to birth what has been barren. There will be no one barren who lives in God's kingdom. Ex 23:26 

 He strips the forests bare. There is no hiding from God. There is nothing hidden from God. God knows all and sees all. 

 And in His temple everything says, Glory! Come before God with praise. Come to Him in holy array. Come boldly before Him Hebrews 4:16 

 God is king and sat at the flood and continues to be king and sits on His throne today. 

 There will be strength and peace for  God”s people. Worship, hear and obey.

Monday, November 21, 2016

Believe God: Verses from John on Belief #6

Photobucket
Hidden Path

 John 14:12
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.

Belief starts the new life. Belief allows us to live effectively in this life. We have all we need now to serve as we are called. It is understanding what we have and believing, that will allow us to do the works Jesus has called us to. Jesus called us to follow His steps. What Jesus did we can also. 1 Peter 2:21 There will also be suffering. To follow Jesus means you are willing to pay the price. The reward is far greater then any suffering we go through. Romans8:18

 John14:29
“Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.

It is easier to believe when we see. Faith allows us to believe when we don't see what we need.

 John 16:9
concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;

Whatever is not of faith is sin. Romans 14:23 Everything we do should be done in faith. Do everything by the direction of God. When we turn from following God, what we turn to is sin. Look to Jesus and follow Him.

 John 16:30
“Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.”

Because of Jesus ministry with the disciples and the time He spent with them, they came to know Him and believe in Him.

 John 16:31
Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?

Belief can be shaken. The disciples would be scattered after the crucifixion. Make sure your belief is sure so that problems won't knock you out. We make our belief sure by not relying on our strength, instead we rely completely on Jesus.

 John17:20
“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;

What you believe in will spread to others. We talk of what is valuable to us. Truth will be acceptable to those who are looking.

Ask yourself what you talk about. You talk of what you believe.

 John 17:21
that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

It takes Christ living within to be in unity with others. We all have our ideas and experiences. Differences of opinion will arise. Unity shows the world we are the real deal.

 John 19:35
And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.

The testimony of truth will cause people to believe.

 John 20:25
So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

Thomas decided that unless he saw he would not believe. Don't do that. God might have mercy and give you a sign you are looking for. Belief that rests on Jesus and His word, can't be shaken. God's word will always be there.

 John 20:31
but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

People have read the Bible and believed without hearing anyone preach. When the Bible is preached more will believe. When the Bible is preached and love is shown even more will believe.

Let Bible teachings be in your mouth mourning, noon, night and in the middle of the night. Joshua 1:8; Psalm 119:148 This builds belief.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Believing God: Verses from John #5


Bald Eagles 

 John 11:42
“I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”

Jesus didn't need to pray this prayer before He raised Lazarus from the dead. He already believed and had the authority to do the work. He prayed so others would believe.

 John 11:48
“If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

A life lived for God will cause others to follow. Therefore, we will receive persecution from those who don't believe.

Is there evidence to show you believe?

 John 12:36
“While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.

Don't wait to believe. Hear and believe right away. If you wait, you might lose your opportunity.  Don't let the birds eat the seed newly planted in your heart. Don't let time cause the word you heard to fade away. Luke 8:5 When you hear a message that speaks to you, pray for God to make it real in your life.  Prayer will solidify what you hear. Then confess what you believe. 2 Corinthians 4:13 Then go and do it. James 1:22

Becoming sons of light follows belief. We are sons, but we won't live as sons if we don't believe.

Do others know you believe?

 John12:39,40
For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, 40" he has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal them."

The parable of the sower deals with a heart that won't receive the word of God. Mark 4:20 (See my booklet on this.)

 John12:44
And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me.

When we believe in Jesus we also believe in God the Father. They go together.

John 12:46
“I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

Jesus is the light. His word is light. Psalm 119:105 As we walk in the light we have fellowship with others. 1 John 1:7 Darkness is in the realm of Satan. His people prefer the dark. John 3:20,21 Believe Jesus and start walking in the light He gives.

The answers to life come from the understanding or light that Jesus gives.

 John 13:19
“From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.

We  have the testimony of the Scriptures. When we believe, they are true and active in our life.  As you study the Bible you will find many prophecies that have been fulfilled and will have much to believe in.

  John14:1
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.

Make a decision not to be troubled but to instead believe what God has said. It is a decision to believe and not be troubled.  Study Philippians 4:6-9. (I have a study on this passage soon to be posted.)

John 14:6 “ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

We come to the Father by believing in Jesus.

Jesus had a number I Am statements.
John 6: 35, 48 I am the bread of life.
John 8: 12, 9:5 I am the light of the world.
John 8: 58 Before Abraham was, I am.
John 10:9 I am the door.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd.
John 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life.
John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life.
John 15:1 I am the true vine.

 John 14:10
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.

Jesus taught under the authority of the Father. We can believe what Jesus said because we know Jesus is the real deal.

 John 14:11
“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.

Believe Jesus because of what He said, or believe because of what He did.

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Believing God: Verses from John # 4


 John 6:30
So they said to Him, “What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform?

They were looking for some great sign to believe. Belief comes from exchanging your life and getting a new one from Jesus. Being born again. John 3:16

John 6:35
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

When you are really thirsty you speak about it. When we have a refreshing drink to quench our thirst we also speak of how good it is.

We come to Jesus by serving Him. We come to Jesus by opening the Bible and reading it. We come to Jesus by prayer. We come to Jesus by meeting with other Christians. We come to Jesus by searching for Him in the Scriptures and in life. And we come to Jesus by worshipping Him with our mouth in trust that He will provide.

Do you thirst for more in life? Go to Jesus and learn from Him.

 John 6:36
“But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.

There is a saying that seeing is believing. Seeing is not believing. It is the opposite. When we believe than we see. Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say to you. All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.”

First you pray, then you believe and then you see! If you wait to see to believe, you will be disappointed. If you believe Jesus before you see the answer, you won't be disappointed. Romans 10:11

John 6:40
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

When we come to understand who Jesus really is and believe Him we have eternal life. We also have the hope of this eternal life continuing in heaven. Eternal life is not just going to heaven. Eternal life is a new life in Christ that starts at our new birth. We can live in this eternal life, or we can ignore it.

Let us look to Jesus and believe Him for the issues of our life today.

John 6:47
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.

Belief brings life to our soul. Life flows from God, so belief opens our minds and changes our speech and actions to be about kingdom business.

 John 6:64
“But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.

One of Jesus' disciples who did not believe was Judas Iscariot. Not all that claim they are Christians are truly saved. It is those who have believed. So speak with belief. If you aren't believing, go to God for renewal. As Christians, we can live for a while with unbelief. That is called being asleep.

Don't sleep. Wake up and believe God to move in your life.

John 7:38
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'”

Belief brings living water. What is this living water? It is the vitality of life. It is the fulfilment of life. It is the joy and the sustaining ability of God. How does this water flow? It flows as we act on our belief in faith. Confess what you believe and act on it.

What are you believing God for?

 John 8:24
“Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

If we don't believe, we die in our ability to live for Jesus. Romans 8:6 “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.”

 John 8:30
As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him.

Belief comes from hearing and receiving with an open heart.  Mark 4:20 “And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." Bearing fruit is doing good works that are instructed from the word you hear.

 John 8:46
“Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?

The Pharisees did not accept what Jesus taught. But it was not because of not being true. It was because He threatened their power. Let us believe what Jesus teaches. It will give us true ability to live for Him. Don't let your position in life keep you from believing what Jesus says.

What Jesus says is true. And our belief will cause us to speak God's truth. Truth is not always seen in the natural first.

 John 10:26
“But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.

The decision to believe and the decision to follow Christ go together. If we don't believe we won't last. Isaiah 7:9

 John 10:37
“If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;

Works show there is something to believe in. Jesus showed us by His death and resurrection that He is the Son of God. Jesus shows us today that He lives within by the comfort we receive from Him. And Jesus will show us His power as we follow His leading.

 John 10:38
but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”

Believe because of what Jesus says, or believe because of His works. Realise that Jesus is from God and does the works of God. He does not do them just in New Testament times, but also He continues to do them today.

 John 11:15
and I am glad for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.”

Lazarus died while Jesus was by Jericho near the Jordan river. This would be a long days hike from Bethany. When Jesus got there, Lazarus had been dead four days. This was an opportunity for Jesus to show His glory by raising Lazarus from the dead.

John 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,

There are 2 types of life and 2 types of death. We live naturally after birth and spiritually when we are born again at salvation. John 3:3,16 We die a natural death and a spiritual death if we have not been born again. The result of our rejection of Christ or ignoring Christ is to be cast into hell, the lake of fire. This is the second death. Those who believe don't experience this death.

John 11:26
and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?

This belief causes us to not die the second death. We are free from the wages of sin. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus paid our wages by dying for us.

 John11:40
Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

Belief causes us to see the glory of God. The glory of God brings the power of God. We will see God's power when we believe. Jesus showed Martha and Mary His glory and power by raising Lazarus from the dead.

Are we quiet about what God has promised, or do we believe?

Go to the next lesson.

Friday, November 18, 2016

Believing God: Verses on Belief in John #3

Osprey 

John 4:48
So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.”

In John there were 7 signs:

Changing water into wine at Cana in John 2:1-11 - "the first of the signs"
Healing the royal official's son in Capernaum in John 4:46-54
Healing the paralytic at Bethesda in John 5:1-15
Feeding the 5000 in John 6:5-14
Jesus walking on water in John 6:16-24
Healing the man blind from birth in John 9:1-7
The raising of Lazarus in John 11:1-45

People won't believe, if their heart is set against it. So let us soften our heart before God so we will be able to believe. We speak what is on our heart. Listen to what you are saying. Do you speak belief or unbelief?

John 5:24
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

Hearing the word of God brings belief. (Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”) and Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.”

 John 5:38
“You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent.

To believe is to accept what Jesus says. When we accept what Jesus says, we are then abiding in Jesus. This abiding allows us to get our prayers answered. John 15:7 If you abide in Me and My word abides in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. We can't accept what Jesus says and disregard what He says at the same time.

When we have God's word abiding in us, we will speak these words. Joshua 1:8 says that we are to have God's word in our mouth. Instead of questing God's word, think on it and speak it into your life.

 John 5:44
“How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?

To believe Jesus is to be focused on Jesus and not yourself. When we receive glory we are focused on our wants. Jesus is the source and all we are able to do comes from Him. Speak of Jesus and His faithfulness. Deflect the praise others would give you by speaking of  Jesus.

 John 5:46
“For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.

The Pharisees thought they believed Moses. But they really were not believing in what Moses wrote but were instead using his writings as a way to maintain their power.

 John 5:47
“But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

In the end it is either all or nothing. We can't accept part of the Bible and reject other parts. For they all come from the same source.

 John 6:29
Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

It takes work to believe at times. Sometimes we have to overcome our pattern of thought. This is done by meditation on Scripture and as we renew our mind in the Bible our mind is changed from stinking thinking to life giving belief. Romans 12:1,2 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

We renew our mind in the Scriptures. What we believe we speak.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 is another passage that we can use to fight for belief. Reject doubt and decide to believe what God has said. Philippians 4:6-9 is another passage that will move us from fear to belief. Verse 8 shows we control our thoughts and speech.

This war in our mind is managed by speaking what we believe. If we don't speak it we don't believe it. 2 Corinthians 4:13 “But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, 'I believed, therefor I spoke,' we also believe, therefore we also speak.”

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Believe God: Verses on Belief in John #2



John 3:18
“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

What we decide to do with our life brings results. If we decide to follow Jesus we have life. If we neglect Jesus, or decide against Him we remain in judgement. It is the belief that moves us from the judgement and the domain of darkness to God's light. Colossians 1:13

John 3:36
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Belief and obedience are contrasted. Belief is not just an idea. To believe means we will act as well. To not believe with obedience results in our staying in the judgement that the world is under. We move into God's realm, His kingdom, when we obey.

 John 4:21
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.

Jesus is saying that His statement is true. We should accept what Jesus says as the truth.

 John 4:42
and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Testimony will bring a person to Jesus. As they learn from Him their belief will be solidified into a stronger belief.

 John 4:48
So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.”

In John there were 7 signs:

Changing water into wine at Cana in John 2:1-11 - "the first of the signs"
Healing the royal official's son in Capernaum in John 4:46-54
Healing the paralytic at Bethesda in John 5:1-15
Feeding the 5000 in John 6:5-14
Jesus walking on water in John 6:16-24
Healing the man blind from birth in John 9:1-7
The raising of Lazarus in John 11:1-45

People won't believe, if their heart is set against it. So let us soften our heart before God so we will be able to believe. We speak what is on our heart. Listen to what you are saying. Do you speak belief or unbelief?


Next post in this series.

Believe God: Verses on Belief in John




 John 1:7
He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.

Testimony builds belief. Jesus' life was a testimony of the light of God, the truth of the gospel and the hope of salvation.

 John 1:12
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

We receive Jesus by turning our life over to Him. (John 3:16; Romans 10:9,10). We then have the right to be children of God. We choose to live for Christ Jesus. It is belief in Jesus that changes us from being of this world and instead being accepted into God's family.

 John1:50
Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”

Nathaniel believed, because Jesus saw him. There will be many things from the Scriptures and that happen in our life that will solidify our belief in Jesus.

 John 3:12
“If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Nicodemus came to Jesus to inquire about His ministry. Jesus turned the conversation to belief, salvation and new birth. Nicodemus questioned what Jesus was saying and this questioning was an act of unbelief. We can't believe if we question what Jesus says. Belief accepts what Jesus said and is saying to us. Don't reject what the Scriptures say, instead ask for insight into the meaning.

John 3:15
so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

Belief brings eternal life. As we believe we come to know Jesus. (John 17:3) Belief is not only an idea, but is also an experience.

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

It is God's love that made a way for us to have eternal life. Without Jesus dying for us, we would not have access to God or His eternal life.

Verses quoted from NASB.

Next in this series.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

2 Corinthians Highlights

2 Corinthians 1:20



“For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”

How many promises of God are there? 1000's
2 Peter 1:3,4 We are granted everything pertaining to life and godliness. It is through the true knowledge of Him that we gain access to these promises to be real in our life. It is as we live to the manner we are called to give God glory and excellence.

In Him. What does it mean to be in Him? In Jesus. 2 Cor 5:17 Being in Jesus is being a new person in Christ. When we receive Jesus as our savior we have become in Christ. When we set our minds on Christ and the things He desires for us and take them off our flesh and the things we want, we allow the promises to become active in our life. With this situation the promises become yes. The promises are real but only work when we believe them.

Amen can be said when we believe. Amen is used as an ending to a statement. But it is much more than that. It is saying that what we have said is going to happen. Amen is a confession of faith that what we have asked will happen. Let us believe the promises with an emphatic amen! Let us not quit our belief but remain in belief and stand by what we first believed.

It is through Christ we can state with belief that we believe. We can't believe in ourselves. But we are not of the old. We are of the new. We are a new person, a born again person with God within us. It is through Christ that we state our belief. It is through Christ that we believe. We have Christ and because we have Christ we can believe. As we renew our mind in the word, belief springs up and faith is released. This is why it is important to meditate in Scripture during the day. As we let the word soak within us our old way of thinking is replaced by a new and living way of belief in God's promises.

To the glory of God. This is the purpose of the new creation. To glorify God. Test yourself to see if you are in the faith. 2 Cor 13:5 Are we believing to glorify God? Or are we believing to better ourselves? Is our purpose to glorify God? If it is, all the promises are active. If it is not the promises are hindered because of wrong motives. James 4:3

God will work through us to do great things as we live to glorify God. How do we shift from being focused on ourselves and be focused on Christ? Set as your purpose to serve God and rely on Him to take care of you. If you take care of His business, He will take care of your business. Matt. 6:33 Trust and believe.

Monday, May 2, 2016

2 Corinthians Highlights



God of mercies and comfort. God comforts us in our afflictions so we can comfort others that experience what we have experienced. The verse starts out with blessed be … God. This shows the proper attitude in Christian service. No matter what we are going through we are to bless God. 2 Cor 1:3,4

Then Paul makes the statement God is the Father of all comfort. Does that mean that Paul has already been comforted or is Paul stating this in anticipation of the comfort to come? We should take it both ways. If we are not comforted we are to expect that comfort to come from God. If we are comforted we are to thank God for the comfort. 2 Cor 1:3,4

Who comforts us. The comfort comes on a continual basis. How? Not looking at ourselves but to Jesus.  Having Jesus and the Scriptures we have comfort. John 16:33; Ps 23

8 Sources of Comfort (mostly from Dake notes Ps 119:52)
> God Isa 51:3; 2 Cor 1:3
> The Holy Spirit Acts 9:31
This is described as the Holy Spirit prays through us and for us in Romans 8:26,27
> The Scriptures Rom 15:4; 1 Thes. 4:18
> Preaching or prophesying 1 Cor 14:3,31
> Love Phil 2:1
> God's rod and staff Ps 23:4
> Others 1 Chron 7:22; 19:2; 1 Thes 5:11
> Remember God's past works. Ps 119:52
I find comfort in remembering how God has brought me and leads me in life.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Sowing and Reaping


We always will have victory in life or death, so keep serving.
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 NASB

Share good things with the one who teaches you, and you will be rewarded.
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:9 NASB

God will cause what you have lost to be restored.
“Thus says the LORD, "Restrain your voice from weeping And your eyes from tears; For your work will be rewarded," declares the LORD, "And they will return from the land of the enemy.” Jeremiah 31:16 NASB

Don't weep for what you have lost, but do weep for people that are lost.
“Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.
6 He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed,
Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. “ Psalm 126:5,6 NASB

Spread out your investments and the increase will find you.
Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.
2 Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth. Eccl 11:1 NASB

God has good things for us that accompany salvation.
“For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,” Hebrews 6:10,11 NASB

There is a reward for sowing righteousness.
“The wicked earns deceptive wages,
But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.” Proverbs 11:18 NASB

Lend but don't borrow. Help the poor in all they need.
“ You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings.” Deuteronomy 15:10

Proverbs 19:17
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.

Isaiah 32:20
how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Modern Idols






Modern Idols are:

When you have an overriding desire for something that pushes God to the side for more than a short period of time.

When you have some free time. Where do you turn? Do you turn to God or to the passion that consumes you.

It could be that busyness is an idol. For there is not time for God.

Can religion be an idol? Can we be too busy with the things of the church that we have no time for God?

Would you be willing to give up the passion you have?

Money, power, sex, food, sports, body building, comfort, drugs and alcohol, shopping, internet, TV, movies, marriage, family, work. These things all could be summed up with the term of: personal peace and affluence.

So the response is: are we to be glum and miserable?

Jesus offered us life with abundance. John 10:10 so no, we are not to choose misery over personal peace and affluence. Jesus is not pleased with us unless we are living in faith. Hebrews 11:6 So instead of living for personal peace and affluence we should live by faith in the direction God has given us. Habakkuk 2:4; Ephesians 2:10