The Functioning Body of Christ

To be a part of the Body of Christ bears a lot of responsibility. Every member will take a turn mistakenly believing they are called to embody one part and that they only need to discern which one to have all their Kingdom service figured out. I would tell that person they are pretty close to being correct; except that no one is called to embody a singular part. Every part is vital, and God wants all of us. And even though no one person can fully reach perfection in the cursed world, we should all be striving to be fruitful in the work of the Kingdom as much as possible.
Every member of the Body of Christ can learn a great deal about their role in the Kingdom by considering the relevance of this analogy. What better source for learning how the Body of Christ should function than to find out how Jesus used his own body and how he viewed the roles of different body parts?

Matthew 12:36: I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak
Luke 11:34: Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.
Matthew 13:15: For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.
Eyes, ears and tongue are some body parts that get talked about in the Word a lot. Common sense can help us surmise that the main function of these pieces is information transfer. Humans can transfer information to and from other humans, on a partial and lesser level with animals, and on the highest and most complete level with their Creator.
Through Jesus' human eyes, God saw the world from our perspective. To follow in those steps we should put on a perspective of empathy. Empathy is the only way to possibly obey the two central commandments:
Matthew 22:37-40: Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Remember that our main point is that every body part is necessary to every member of the Body of Christ. So, although there may be people used by God in a dramatic way like seeing future events; everyone can perceive a lifetime's worth of Truth from the Word of God. Jesus saw the Scripture and heard the Holy Spirit, then he taught with his mouth what he was shown.
John 8:26b: but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.
Although we know not all of us should be regarded as teachers, (James 3:1) everyone should live as an example. More over, the Body of Christ must place a high priority on controlling their tongues:
James 3:5: So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

The heart and mind are also intricately woven together with the function of eyes, ears, and tongue. God's Word speaks often about seeing hearing and understanding; so it is pretty obvious that the mind is a part of the body that is also heavily involved with information transfer.
Although the mind helps us understand the information we deal with, it's the heart which then takes that understanding and chooses to act on it. So, this is like a peek into the spiritual economy of thought and life. We can share thoughts easily from mind to mind with our eyes, ears and tongues; but we can share life from heart to heart by actually living out thoughts through actions. In the same way eternal life is shared by hearing the Words about our Creator's actions; specifically the one that occurred on the cross.
Because these parts work in different directions, it's important to note that the information that goes out from us is dependent on what is going in to us.
Luke 6:45: The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Or, as Aaron Weiss would put it: a glass can only spill what it contains. So, the best way to control your tongue is to control what gets into your heart. Let's follow in Jesus' footsteps and tune into our Heavenly Father's Words as much as we can.

In the same way that we are called to be careful about what comes out of our mouths, we are also called to actively produce good fruit in the world. Some people like to classify parts of the Body of Christ like the hands as representing healers or the feet as missionaries. But being fruitful will require going and doing by every member.
Luke 4:40: Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.
At the time of Jesus' ministry healing had a big role to play in the work of the Kingdom; but healing can be any type of restoration like justice, mercy and blessing. Either way, we know the hands of the Body of Christ are meant to work; and not just work but serve. 
Healing is a great category for the kinds of activity which should be produced by Christ's hands. But as we wade deeper into the sea of believing by faith and not by sight, miraculous physical healing becomes more and more ambiguous. I take this to mean that there is an emphasis in this time for the other types of healing that the Kingdom of God is purposed for. I know I go on and on about caring for the poor and disavowed of the world; but I only do so because I'm convinced the Word does too.
Going and doing, feet and hands, really do work together. Jesus traveled all over the place, never settling for long. Though I'm not trying to say we should all be missionaries, I am trying to say that as long as we're here, we should never feel like our work is finished. That perspective won't leave you with too much time to spend sitting around. But it's pretty easy to calculate an ideal amount of rest... about a seventh of your time.

The church of today has seriously declined in their focus of going and doing good in the world. The Reformation lead the church to put a huge emphasis on salvation by grace and not works. At the same the majority of the Protestant portion of the church was laying the foundations of a country that would eventually set new standards for human rights throughout the world. Since the founding of that nation, the church here has handed more and more of our responsibilities to Humanity over to our government (as if they could come up with a better system than what God has come up with.) It seems like those seeds eventually took root throughout the world. Even today in some Christian communities there are individuals who don't intentionally do anything for others, and don't believe they need to.
As we know, James would speculate that these individuals do not actually believe, because believing means bearing good fruit; he even emphasizes that this is the main function of "pure religion."
James 1:26-27: If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
It's pretty easy to tell where James got his inspiration. Isaiah 1 begins with God scolding Israel; telling them to "bring no more vain offerings" (vs.13). Continuing reveals that Israel has been taking care of themselves but forgetting to "do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, [and] plead the widow's cause."(vs. 17)
Similarly, in Amos 5, because the poor are mistreated (vs. 10-12) God rejects every sacrifice and festival they offer Him (vs. 21-23).
What should we take away from this? Here it is: we could be making an honest effort to follow Jesus, we could be sacrificing parts of ourselves or our flesh to live for God, and it is all worthless vanity if we do not show God's love to those who need it most.
Orphans and widows are repeatedly cited as groups of focus for our charitable efforts. It makes a lot of sense to spend a majority of our time sharing God's love with the next generation; though I'm saddened to think how much stronger the church might be right now if we hadn't given our charge of the fatherless over to our various governments. Someday God will finish restoring the church to our duty of being servants to the world; and I believe He is capable of returning even those duties which, in certain countries, presently seem long gone in the tangled system of government bureaucracy. But just as the authors of these various portions of Scripture were listing the most oppressed and helpless of their time and culture, we should also include anyone fitting that category as it applies today.


Hands and feet have to do with how we effect our surroundings, but shoulders and backs have to do with how outward elements effect us. Shoulders carry burdens. Shoulders of a Christian are meant to bear certain kinds of burdens; like a burden of suffering or subordination. Also, the burdens we just discussed of obedience to God's Word and of caring for others at the heart of the law.
Matthew 23:1-4: Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3so practice and observe whatever they tell you--but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
Obedience to God's Word wasn't as much of a burden for Jesus as it is for us. But one burden that he carries a far greater portion of than we do, is helping the lost find their way.
Luke 15:4-5: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Yes, self-control is a fruit of the Spirit so obedience only comes by grace. But that grace depends on our effort a lot more than the grace for helping a lost one find their way. No one can change a person's heart but God. And through his example, Jesus shows us that even a minuscule portion of this burden should be carried with rejoicing.

A back certainly helps carry burdens. But from a Biblical perspective, the back is specifically shown as a place to receive punishment.
Proverbs 10:13: On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.
Sometimes it can seem a little ridiculous to imagine pure, holy and loving Jesus being punished. Yet we all know he was punished in our stead, for the sake of our salvation. What kind of situation can you imagine would give you the opportunity to receive a punishment that someone else deserved for the sake of their salvation?
Paul gives us one example that teaches the humility of willing oppression for the sake of others. Not only did he allow himself to be subjected to a Nazarite vow which he had not been inspired to do on his own, but he had this to say on the subject:
1 Corinthians 9:19-23: For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
So what about a situation where someone tries to enforce their own personal power over you? Would you become a slave to the one who would try to steal your life? Would you give up your right to self defense if it planted a seed in that person's heart for salvation? If you trusted in God, completely abandoning your life, is it possible He might use you to show your faith to someone who needs to see His faithfulness?
With both our back and shoulders, we are called to pick up our cross and follow in Jesus' example. Early Christians believed this command meant literally being crucified. They also believed the end had already begun and the world would be gone any second. These beliefs display the complete abandonment to God and mammoth-sized faith of this people. Christianity slowed down immensely when their time passed; but God planned for us to take the long hard road that would teach us the best. Eventually His correction will bring the church back to that original sense of urgency and strength of faith where we don't hesitate to lay our lives down for the sake of mercy for another.

Being a member of the Body of Christ bears a lot of responsibility. So let's pray that with God's  joy and patience, we would have strong shoulders and backs; and let's look for opportunities to exercise. Let's ask for loving hearts and minds; and for a hunger to see and hear God's Word. Let's beg for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in blessings of self-control over our tongues; kind, generous hands, and peace over where our feet are led. To repeat an old piece of encouragement: let's get the Body of Christ moving today!

A Two-way Conversation With God

Personal reflection time! Meant for individuals who desire to be strong, skilled, practiced and effective with their two weapons: prayer and the Word.

What is your time spent in the Word really like? Do you see the time you spend contemplating God's Words as a time of listening to God's voice speak to you? Do you rely on God's direction to lead your walk with Him? By that I mean to ask if you come to God in prayer before beginning a time of study to ask Him to show you what He wants you to learn. Do you pray that you will retain everything He wants you to remember, that His Words would abide in your very life and being? Do you ask God to let you feel His Words burn in the depths of your soul; that they would be recalled to your mind at the times in which you need them?
However you study you should always start with Prayer; at the very least a prayer asking for God's wisdom.
James 1:5-6: If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

You can engage God in a two-way conversation if you take on this perspective. And if you transform your study time in this way and you will simultaneously change the way you pray as well. The moment you read something you don't understand, pray for understanding. If you read something that seems to contradict another portion of Scripture, pray that very moment that God would display the truth to you. If you use these tips, keep your eyes open throughout the day. Weather God has planned for you to read or hear of a past event that gives an example of the Word your struggling with or if He has planned to use a situation in your experiences to do the same, expect that God will teach you. You could even ask that God help you to recognize His teaching and opportunities for you.

If you are requesting that God do something in your life, you should call to mind the mighty things that God has done in your life or in History. Especially if you are asking Him to do something you've already seen Him accomplish. Let your Creator hear from your mouth the kind of Faith you have in Him.
Daniel 9:15-16:  “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong.¹⁶ Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
Daniel had been reading God's Word in Jeremiah, and he realized the 70 years that had been prophesied for Israel's captivity in Babylon were coming to an end. So he did what God put on his heart to do and prayed for the fulfillment of events he already knew would happen.
Just because it's a sure thing or an obvious thing doesn't mean it's not worth praying over. Do you remember what we talked about in the last post? The instant you say Scripture out loud you are manifesting a part of God in the physical world. Satan and his forces cannot read your mind!
If God has fulfilled a request you made of Him, always give your thankfulness to God in praise. When you read portions of the Word that praise God, let Him use you to make that worship audible. If He puts a song in your heart, offer it to Him as incense.

I happen to think it's a great idea to include a confession of sins when you are preparing to study the Word. But I also think it's an even better practice to confess your sins the moment you realize them; even (and especially) if that moment is while the sin is occurring. How humbling would that be?
I cannot stress this point enough, the entire function of prayer is humility. In it's most basic form a prayer always humbles you; even if only in the act of admitting that there is someone you need to pray to.
The Bible shows us that if we need our prayers to be extra powerful for a specific reason, we should do some extra humbling of ourselves by fasting (Matthew 9:14-15, 2 Samuel 12:16, Daniel 9:3, Acts 9:9, 13:2-3.)

In these ways, prayer and the Word are no longer two separate weapons; they are two sides of one pair of scissors, two edges of one sword. I didn't always employ this method; but ever since I started to I've been on a wild ride. Not only are you filling your reading time with prayer, you'll start filling your day with prayer. You'll begin to rely on it the way God meant for us to, by making prayer your default reaction.
Luke 18:1:Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
Ephesians 6:18: And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Be careful that you expect big things to happen when you enter into constant communication with God. At that point, your most helpful prayer will be in intersession for others.
James 5:16: Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Let's get the mouth of the Body of Christ moving today.

Recognizing and Utilizing God's Power: Part 2

...Continued from Part 1

Showing love to others is the physically manifested outcome of obedience rooted in God's spiritual power. We really thoroughly broke this down in the Strength in Weakness series; but this is not the only way we are called to use God's spiritual strength. We are also tasked with waging spiritual warfare. The battlefield for this war is located in the hearts and minds of Humanity; and we only need one weapon, God's Word.
We want to complete our trust in God's Word, which means acting on it. Listen closely, the most effective and most direct way for us to act on our trust in God's Word is to say it out loud. Remember that Satan cannot read your mind, only God can! When we say God's Word out loud we are immediately manifesting a part of God in the physical realm.

We can utilize this weapon in conversation to sharpen a brother's spiritual strength or to tear down spiritual strongholds of confusion.
Proverbs 27:17: As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5: For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,


But there is a serious risk of losing effectiveness with our weapon which we should all be on guard against, literally.
James 1:26-27: If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
We certainly don't want our religion to be worthless, so we must prioritize ourselves with remaining of God and not of the world. Lucky for us God has provided a suit of armor to equip us against such defiling.
Ephesians 6:10-18: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints
You will probably recognize that we are bringing back up a portion of scripture that we just cited in Part 1 when discussing Satan's authority existing in the power of government. If you know much of my views, you know I'm drawing a strong line between using Satan's power and becoming defiled by the world. But that isn't the only way that we can become polluted by worldliness, and it's not the way that I want to discuss right now.
I like to note that most of the pieces are defensive and there is only one offensive, the Bible. This perspective supports our claim that controlling our tongues and remaining undefiled by the world is imperative for our weapon's effectiveness. This armor allows us to be in the world without becoming of the world. So, I want to discuss the kind of worldly pollution that Jame's was talking about; the kind that can make our use of God's Word worthless and ineffective. When you consider the functions represented by all of the individual pieces they paint a picture centered around protecting the Truth of God in our hearts. Most of the armor is described with words that represent protection against doubt (Satan's #1 flaming arrow.) This protection is necessary if we are going to be effective with God's weapon of Truth.

The Belt of Truth- because Truth is our security.

The Breastplate of Righteousness- to encase our hearts for whom it belongs.

The Shoes of Readiness (from the gospel of peace)- willingness to take this Truth wherever we are sent which comes from having the peace of God's Spirit living within us.

The Shield of Faith- to protect us from doubting God's Truth.

The Helmet of Salvation- to know that we are saved and having intellectual protection of what we understand to be knowledge from God.

All of these things enable us to utilize God's Word as a powerful and effective application to our lives and actions; protecting us from the world which would spiritually weaken us. The most basic form this spiritual weakening can take is when God's Word loses it's authority. If  we doubt that God inspired the writing of it, and whether or not it's the Truth which is His power, how effective can we really be with it?

I am, of course referring to the inerrancy of Scripture. But my own view of that subject cannot be understood with the assumptions attached to that phrase. I pray that you would desire to read what I have  written in expounding on that subject here; but it's not necessary for you to get my point presently.

The specific point I want to make right now is the literal truth of the Old Testament, specifically creation according to Genesis as opposed to creation via millions of years of evolution and a figurative reading of Genesis.

This is a simple point to make. Basically, I understand that most of the beliefs about evolution being the tool God used to create life and the belief that other portions of the Old Testament cannot fit into the view of modern science without being read figuratively, come from the insouluable timetable of history that finds it's support from modern dating processes. Dating methods are not exact sciences, and even contradict each other. You don't have to take my word for it, please go look deeper into it. Every method of dating must rely on assumptions; first assuming the starting point, then a constant rate of change and lastly the effects of outside elements. The further back one attempts to apply those assumptions the less reliable they are. As I see it, even if it only requires a tiny amount of faith I still have to put my faith in one, either man's word or God's. I simply choose to put my faith in God's Word. It's fine with me, and even encouraging for me if this decision makes me look foolish according to the world's standard of knowledge.

1 Corinthians 1:26-28: Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not —to nullify the things that are,

My decision to trust God's Word is made easier when I look to our rock, Jesus. Because Scripture leads me to believe that Christ assumed the events in Genesis really happened.

Matthew 19:4-6: He answered, “Have you not read that He who created them at the beginning made them male and female, ⁵ and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Not only is he referencing Scripture as something that truly happened, but because God really said in Genesis 2:24 that He joins us together when we marry, we are given an application: "let not man separate."

Luke 17:26-33: Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. ²⁷  They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸ Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, ²⁹  but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— ³⁰ so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. ³¹ On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. ³²  Remember Lot's wife. ³³ Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.

Jesus considers that the days of his second coming will be just like those of the flood and those of Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction; including that they will actually happen. These verses also give us an application: twice we hear "let the one," then "remember," followed by "whoever loses his life will keep it." This time we are told to guard against doing things which others truly did and which we may do if we're not vigilante. This whole application idea even exists because (as we learned in Part 1) the power of God is the Truth which changes us and causes us to desire to obey.

Some may be skeptical that taking the creation story as figurative could really change how powerful the Word is through them. I don't believe that taking these portions of Scripture as figurative effects an individual's personal salvation. But it does carry the risk of endangering the possible salvation of people who that doubtful person may witness too.

Let's take a cue from Paul for this. I don't have to tell you that Paul was a gifted speaker. Many people comment on how well he was able to adapt his message to his audience. He knew what people needed to hear and he shows us plainly that Genesis must be included with the message of good news for people that don't know the history of the earth. Otherwise it wouldn't really be viewed as good news by them.

In Acts 2:14-41, when Peter addresses a crowd of "fellow Israelites," he presents the message of the good news as an answer to the Scripture they already recognized and were more than familiar with. He speaks about the law and of prophesy from Joel and Psalm being fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth.

On the other hand, when Paul presented the good news to the Gentiles in Athens, he goes much further back than Peter did.

Acts 17:22-31: Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship —and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. ²⁵ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. ²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ²⁸ ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
²⁹ “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. ³⁰ In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. ³¹ For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
Paul had to back track for the Greeks because when the first thing they heard (like in verse 18) was Paul talking about the good news of the Resurrection, they merely thought he was referring to "foreign gods." He needed to tell them that this wasn't one of many gods; but the one and only Creator of heaven an earth. Then he says "since" what is told in Genesis is true, they shouldn't worship idols. There's that application of God's Truth again. It is necessary to understand God's sovereignty to accept Him as Lord of your life. Just as we found in Part 1, the material which provides the explanation for our understanding of this principal is found in the creation story of Genesis.

I don't usually go on about stories I've heard from others, but if you don't mind I'll say that I've heard from at least four people that attend my church stories about them attempting to witness to people without and then with the background of history from Genesis. As you can probably imagine their efforts were only successful with it. One man told me of missions work in Malaysia that was having no outcome. Then they showed the people there Genesis and they understood that they were sinners. One couple talked about a friend who witnessed to his mother for a long time. She was a pagan priestess and she denied the gospel wholeheartedly. On her deathbed he began reading Genesis to her and she suddenly said, "Why have you never told me that your God created mine?" Obviously she hadn't arrived completely but they assured me that she was saved before she passed. The point is, without a literal Genesis, the Bible is just a mass of confusion to an individual's soul.

The second way we can utilize God's Word as a spiritual weapon is in the form of prayer, to weigh the scales of our own soul's struggle toward God's advantage. Prayer being the mechanism to change the one praying instead of just changing the circumstances is not an unheard of notion. Jesus even teaches us to pray for the changing of our own hearts. The entire first half of the "Lord's Prayer" in Matthew 6 makes this is evident with requests like "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done." Since we know that God's Kingdom is in our hearts and His work is done when we obey His Word, we're asking for God's grace to be provided for our obedience. Although, it should be obvious that our ability to obey is grace from God since self-control is a fruit of the Spirit.

This explains why our true motive of heart is the curb that God grades our actions by. If we're praying that God enable us to obey and helps us to recognize His opportunities for us, He knows we're paying mind to our part of the extremely lopsided two-way street which is our relationship with Him.

James 5:16: Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

If we are obedient servants, our willingness and desire for God's will should change our hearts enough that we will pray for things that are already a part of God's plan for our lives. Don't you want that kind of connection with God's heart? I do.

When God created man, He wanted a physical race of beings with which to share Himself. He gave us His Word, a small portion of Him, to expand our minds. Then He took it to the next level, giving us His flesh and blood actions, until He acted to give us His flesh and blood. Sharing His heart with us in this way allowed us to house His Spirit in our flesh and blood bodies. Christ was the only human to ever house God's Holy Spirit in entirety. Since then God has been maturing the Body of Christ through our own actions to allow our hearts to collectively share a complete portion of Him that our minds couldn't absorb individually from the incomplete portion of Him from Scripture.

If you couldn't tell, communication is the key to the soul. This function is true between two humans as well. We can share a part of our minds or thoughts with words, but we can also share a part of our hearts and souls through our actions. These concepts overlap when the action of obedience is opening our mouths to speak. God's design is that the spirit we share with others be His, done for His glory. Prayer and meditating on the Word is the way to access that change of mind that leads to that change of heart. When our thinking is changed our actions follow suit.

Rich people have to fight the urge to think they don't need God. And by rich people I'm referring to an international scale; so anyone with an education to read and a book to use that skill on is included. You may take pity on poor brothers and sisters, but being poor produces more opportunities to rely on God and trust in His Word. Poor Christians, especially those in poor countries, are more directly effected by the curses of the fallen world; like toiling for food, suffering pain in childbirth and the order of male dominance. But because the outcome of God's punishment is correction urging us closer to His holiness, they also share a greater portion of the coming Kingdom.

1 Thessalonians 4:10-12: And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,¹¹ and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, ¹² so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Even before the curse God's design for the creation He made in His image was a being with dominion over the plants and animals of creation. There is something the human soul finds so fulfilling and freeing about physical labor; especially when we can live off of what our work produces. This function of Humanity is so much more fulfilling and even fun or easier when we share our work with other humans. How much more of a paradise will we experience caring for creation along side the individuals with which we share perfect unity of soul? I believe our efforts in these areas do not go in vain. People who work for these goals will have given more of themselves to God and be better equipped for greater responsibility in His Kingdom.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15: For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.¹² If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,¹³ their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

They don't need your pity, they need you to share whatever God has given you in order to aid them. That's how it works in God's Kingdom. We give of ourselves for the benefit of others.

Mark 10:42-45: Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴³ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Even if you don't agree with everything I've said about physical weakness and accepting opportunities to rely on God being the key to His spiritual power. You must admit that His power and miraculous blessings are most active and obvious in the greatly impoverished countries of the world. When the Word spreads there, it spreads like wildfire. Their faith is stronger, because they use it more.

Another thing that can defile us is the Babylonian culture of luxury and self-indulgence that we are surrounded with. Let's allow God to do His work in and through us and give of ourselves for others so that we may practice pure religion in the sight of God. Through this, God will make us to be seriously effective users of His power. That is my prayer for every member of the Body of Christ; perhaps you'll make it yours as well.

Recognizing and Utilizing God's Power: Part 1

If you didn't already expect it, we'll be drawing many lines from the Strength in Weakness series to discuss God's authority and power. I know my opinion about this isn't worth much but if you care, I'd suggest those posts as very near future reading material.

God is so vast; there is no way we can completely comprehend Him individually. Even so, He wants us to learn as much about Him as we can and progressively gain His perspective. The idea is that sharing His perspective should rouse up empathy in our hearts for His cause and we will desire to obey Him. This is because He not only desires for us to learn about Him, He wants us to become as much like Him as possible. He wanted this so badly that He became us, took on our perspective, turned His words into actions and completed His love. Willing surrender to obedience is the mechanism through which God changes our hearts/minds/souls to be Christlike. So, completing our faith by obeying with actions is how we become like Jesus. God's Word confirms these truths:

James 2:18,22: But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
22You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;
Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Ephesians 2:10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
1 John 2:6: Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

As mere humans, it can be hard to see God moving and working in the world around us. There are a couple of reasons for our poor vision. We are born physical and see the physical. The fact that seeing God doesn't come naturally to us has been a key part in His plan for the world. If we naturally saw the spiritual we wouldn't need faith to rely on God. And faith is necessary for our salvation:

Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,"

God did not only desire for us to belong to Him; He wanted us to give ourselves to Him without being able to prove Him.

One simple way to begin recognizing God's power is to submit to the fact that He is totally sovereign. God lays out in the beginning of His Book a very telling tale involving the shifting of power and authority on earth. But no matter where authority ends up, it still originated from God. (Romans 13:1) He knew what they would do with it and allowed for the things that would happen to fulfill His plan for the world. After learning this we can distinguish the difference between God's active and passive (or providential) authority.

Technically, everything is a part of God's providential authority because He planned everything that would ever happen; knowing every outcome of free will in infinite foresight. It is simpler then, to pinpoint God's active authority; and some would argue more crucial. We've already begun to discuss God's active authority but let's frame it neatly.

The beginning of Genesis reveals a lot about God's active and providential authority. The first action we ever see God take is creating heaven and earth; so common sense leads us to understand that He starts out with all authority over all creation. He created nature and the laws of nature to passively control it. Then He created animals and gave them instincts to passively control them.
God begins to relinquish active authority when He creates man in His image. One of the attributes of His image which He bestows upon mankind is dominion; which first takes shape as dominion over animals and nature (Genesis 1:26,28). When God created man, He gave them the authority of free will over their individual person. Now, God can plan for our wills to be effected in such a way that we serve His purposes. So although He already knows what choices we will make He allows us the authority to make those choices.
Adam and Eve were given the perfect opportunity to trust in God's Word and obey His simple command through the test He planned for them in the garden. But without the knowledge of good and evil I would probably be tricked pretty easily too; and that's what happened to them. They sinned, and their sin would basically effect everyone else that would ever exist. And we know those with more influence are held to a higher standard (James 3:1).
The world was broken now, mankind had failed to trust God's Words and looked to themselves instead. But God anticipated this outcome knowing our nature already (Judges 17:6). In order to set things right, God cursed His creation and punished Adam, Eve, serpent-kind and Satan. At the same time God handed out judgement for all of them, He established an order of authority; it was almost as though power and authority played a big part in the punishments themselves.
Satan was given power to "strike the heel" of Christ. Which on an eternal scale named the earthly persecution, suffering and death of Jesus. As we've defined elsewhere, This power came in the form of governmental authority (Luke 4:5-8 and Ephesians 6:10-12 then Revelations 19:19 and 13:2-4) which depends on dominance (Mark 10:42-45).
The woman was also effected by this broken form of power. Besides pain relating to childbirth, wives are cursed to be subjected to their husband ruling over them. It's possible that God intended for married women to bear the brunt of this burden. Although, as logic would lead one to assume after man was made to outrank woman in the family unit, male dominance would permeated the very fabric of most cultures. History has shown this to be true even today.
Finally, man was cursed to struggle with his dominion over the earth, the original purpose God had given him. Then, in the first act of violence against animals, God gave the vegetarian Adam and Eve garments of skin. While banishing them from the only place where true peace had been possible, He sent them into a world where only a shadow remained from the beauty of God's good creation.
I know I can't be the only one to consider the non-violent aspect of Christ's example to be crucial for restoration. He chose not to dominate other humans; instead he submitted to them and served them and even died for them. As I've noted previously, Jesus showed us that self-sacrifice is the only action capable of ending the cycle this broken world is run with: selfish desire, violence, revenge. God seems to be covering Adam and Eve in their shame by clothing them via death. We can skip ahead to see the future outcome of that in Zechariah 3:3-4 where we see a parallel to salvation through grace when God himself removes Joshua's filthy clothes and puts fine garments on him.


After watching all that authority get thrown around you're probably wondering if we were still going to pinpoint God's active power. If you'll remember I did say we had already begun to discuss it when we were talking about obedience. Adam and Eve failed their test to obey one simple command. At the time of their testing they could have obeyed by trusting God's Words; which as you may have guessed is the main source of God's active power, His Voice.
The same voice He created everything with:
John 1:1-5: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

And even the same voice that causes us to desire to obey, instead of violently dominating us like a worldly king:

John 18:36-37: Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
³⁷ “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Truth and life, that's some serious power, right? This is the power that God actively utilizes and it is spiritual power, not physical power like that of Satan. God provides that His authority has jurisdiction over the human soul/heart/mind. The basis of spiritual warfare is the struggle between Satan and God to win us over. They both want us to give all of ourselves to them. But this struggle is not just for owning us; the greater struggle is for our actions, because the one who we give ownership of ourselves to is the one who our actions will serve.

Luke 6:45: The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
So if we want to see God's physical power moving and working in the world around us, we need look no further than the actions of those who obey His Words. This is a little different than the spiritual power we discussed in the Strength in Weakness series. That power can be seen in the resolve and perseverance of those who trust in His Words; though obviously they go hand-in-hand. I find it very fitting that the physical manifestation of God's active hand is found in the Body of Christ; both the original and the one that lives on earth today.

Now let's apply that same verse (Luke 6:45) to God; specifically that last bit about the mouth speaking out of the abundance of the heart. For us to recognize God in daily life we must learn what He looks like and ask God to bless the time we spend searching Him out in His Word to teach us to see Him. His Words help us learn what is in His heart and this is crucial for us to recognize His Holy Spirit, which we have defined as the active power He uses to work through us. God lends us a lot of help in this endeavor by openly showing His emotions to us in His Word.
We don't need to do much work to find out how to sum up God's heart; love is the simplest answer. But let's consider the parts of Scripture that support this:
John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
God completed His love for us by manifesting physically on the earth in order to put action to His Words.
Matthew 22:37-40: Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Jesus sums up God's heart right here by telling us that these are the two most important commandments. He adds a little note about them being like each other; probably because when we love others we are showing God our love for Him as well.

Matthew 25:37-40: Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

So the most obvious physical manifestation of God's power is shown when His people love others in His name, for His glory.

Continued in Part 2...

What are you saving for?

It's easy to say that your security comes from God instead of your money. But what does it say about a person if they are afraid of having nothing? One fruit of the Spirit is peace; and that peace is unwavering even in the face of death because we know that dying on earth doesn't end our true lives. But if your peace can be taken away with your possessions isn't it safe to say that those objects were the source your peace to begin with?


Why does God entrust us with money? Well there are a few examples in the Word that answer this question for us.
Proverbs 3:9: Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops
It seems pretty obvious to say that everything God gives to us is meant to be used for His glory. But this is easier said than done.
Mark 10:21-25: And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
As the posts of this blog have featured time and time again, doing the work of the Kingdom can be summed up by caring for others. This doesn't mean caring for physical needs instead of spiritual ones; but rather that caring for a person's physical needs is the most effective way to gain an opportunity to share Jesus with them.


So is it a sin to be rich with worldly wealth? No. But keeping that wealth for yourself definitely is.
James 5:1-3: Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. 2Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.
The best way to honor God with the wealth He entrusts to you is to give it to others who need it and use it to help yourself serve God's purposes.


One may ask if saving for retirement would be wrong if they plan to use it to enable themselves to do the work of the Lord after they've finished working for humans. But I would remind them of what James teaches us about relying on ourselves to make plans for the future, like continuing to live:
James 4:13-16: Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
Psalm 39:6: Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.
Psalm 49:10: For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.


So, being rich is not a sin, but it is a situation from which attaining eternal life is very difficult. To die with many earthly riches, or to use all your wealth for yourself, these are the sinful actions. The best way to show God that you rely on Him and not your money is to give it to those who need it in order to minister to them. If you do that God will continue to provide for you because you will be the type of person He wants to trust money to.