How people know you're a child of God

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  Romans 8:14 NIV


My wife took a picture of my son and I walking hand in hand.  On that day, the day my wife took the picture, anyone could see that my son looked like me, walked with me, and called me daddy. This is how they knew he was my child.  And this is how people know you are a child of God.


You look like God.
You walk with God.
You call God "daddy."


When you pray, you feel God listening.  Anyone with you or near you can also feel God listening to you, as it is written, "The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth." 


When you hear a daughter call her daddy sincerely, you know who her father is and who she is as a daughter.  The same is true for our heavenly father and us. When we pray, people see and feel God listening to us.  I've personally experienced this on more than one occasion.


Once on a job assignment I silently prayed within me, in my mind only.  Someone came up to me and said, "Excuse me, I didn't want to disturb you while you were praying...." He then asked me a question relating to my job position.  But how did he know I was praying?  I wasn't kneeling or bowing my head or putting my hands together like we sometimes do when we pray.  Somehow, he saw it and felt it.  Intuitively he knew I was connecting with God.  Another woman I worked with saw the same thing and responded the same way.  My prayer connection to God was so real they could feel it. The same is true for you, son or daughter or God, when you pray. 


How do people know you're a child of God?
You look like Him.
You walk with Him.
You call Him dad.


They know you are God's child when you pray.
They feel Him listening to you.
They sense Him in the room with you.


Know the power of your prayers in manifesting the presence of God.


If you agree, pray right now with me:


Our Father in heaven, we approach you in the name of Jesus by Your Spirit in us.  We welcome your presence with us and in us.  Let everyone with me and near me feel you with me and in me.  If they don't know you, let the come to know you.  If they do know you, let them be closer to you.  Amen.

God's power and yours (part 2)

DAVID
When David told Saul he would fight Goliath, Saul doubted David's ability because David was young and inexperienced in war.  David told Saul that God had given David victory over lions and bears.  The same God who delivered wild animals into David's hands would deliver Goliath into his hands.  David focused on victories he'd already experienced.  God had already prepared David for fighting a giant far bigger and stronger than him.  Even Goliath was probably no match for lions and bears. He probably wasn't as big or strong as a lion or bear.  David had been prepared by God, and God will prepare you and me for any battle we must face.  But there's more.


When David prepared to fight Goliath, at first he tried to wear Saul's armor.  The scriptures say David wasn't used to them, so David took off Saul's armor.  He then went to a brook and gathered 5 smooth stones for his sling, which he was used to, and had experience and practice.  Like Moses had experience with his staff, David had experience with his sling.  God didn't tell David to use a weapon or armor that David found awkward.  David used the resource he had with the strength and experience he had.  The same is true for me and you.




What can you do? 
What do you have?




All God expects of you is to do what you can with what you have.  If all you have is to give is your time and attention, use them to honor God.  If all you can do is read and share these words, share what you've read for God's honor.  This is all God expects and requires of you, no more, but no less. 




If you agree, please pray with me:


"God, I offer you who I am, what I have, and what I can do.  No more, no less.  I commit to use what I have and what I can do as soon as I finish reading these words.  Be with me for your glory.  In Jesus name and by the Spirit.  Amen."




Now share this blog, or write your own. 
Or do whatever you feel you can do, with what you have, to honor God. 


God is with you.  God is in you.  God loves you.  God empowers you.


Natural and supernatural abilities and resources both come from God. 


Use what you have.
Do what you can do.


God is with you.

How to have AUTHORITY wherever you go

You want authority. 
You want powerful influence.
Freedom to speak and act.
Respect.

How can you have these wherever you go?

To have authority, you must be under authority.

 

 

But first we must answer three questions:

1. What is authority?

2. Where does it come from?

3. How do we use it?

 

AUTHORITY IS THE POWER TO COMMAND AND BE OBEYED.

Once a soldier (a "centurion" in this historical context) wanted the Lord Jesus to heal one of his beloved servants.  Here is what happened according to Matthew, one of Jesus' chosen ambassadors:



 

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.  “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

 

Notice what the centurion says.  He felt confident that Jesus had authority to heal diseases, and he believed authority meant the power or ability to command and be obeyed.  In other words, because Jesus had authority over diseases, he had the ability to command diseases in the same way that the centurion had the ability to command soldiers under his authority.  The centurion would say, "Go," and his soldiers would go; he would say "Come," and his soldiers would come; he would say, "Do this," and his servant would do it.  That's authority:  The ability to command and be obeyed.  The ability to have happen what you want to have happen.  But where does authority come from?  Jesus and Paul tell us.

 

AUTHORITY COMES FROM GOD.

This is what Jesus said after he rose from the dead: 

"All authority is given to me in heaven and on earth."

 

Paul, Jesus' ambassador to all who were not of Hebrew descent (Gentiles) said this:

"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God.  The authorities that exist have been appointed by God."

 

The centurion we've been focusing on said he was "a man under authority."  And he assumed Jesus was under the authority of God, and thus had the ability to command diseases to leave and they obey him. 

 

To have authority, you must be under authority.

God's authority.

Directly or Indirectly.

 

This means you are either in authority, from God, or under the authority of someone who has authority from God.

 

For example, I am a father, and fathers have God given authority from their God given identity, as Moses said,

 

"Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long on the earth."

 

Paul also says, "Children obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord."

 

As a father, I have the right to command my children and expect obedience from them.  I have authority over them because I am in authority.  They have authority when they act under my authority. 

 

Authority comes from God.

You are either in authority right now, as you read my words, or you are under someone's authority as you read my words.  When you act under the authority over you, you have authority. 

 

If you are at work, and your manager or supervisor tells you to do something, you have authority to do it.  This means you do it in the name of your manager.  You can say, "My manager says to do this," to whom every you must interact with.  Your manager is your enforcer.  If you are resisted, he or she is the one being resisted, and he or she is the one to enforce his or her authority, given to you. 

 

Authority is the ability to command and be obeyed.

Authority comes from God.

You use authority by speaking and acting in the name of authority.

 



(Click HERE for part 2)

Who Knows YOU?

So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.  Joshua 6:27


Wherever they are, God's people become famous.  Jesus called them the "light of the world;" The Lord said they were "a town built on a hill" that "could not be hidden."  They cannot be unknown.  You cannot be unknown if you are a child of God.  The Spirit of God is with you.  Your fame should spread throughout the land just as Joshua's fame spread throughout the land.  This was the case for all of God's people.


Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob became famous because God was with them.  The surrounding people always made this clear to them, saying things like, "We know God is with you.  Now please show us favor."


Potiphar saw and knew that God was with Joseph because Joseph succeeded in everything he did.


The surrounding nations were afraid of Moses and Israel, because Israel had become famous for having the Only True God in their midst.  Rahab the prostitute told the two spies sent by Joshua how Jericho melted in fear because of the fame of Israel.


This didn't stop in the Old Testament, or with Israel.  It was true of the church as well. John the Baptist became famous, so did Jesus, so did the apostles and the church, so that people highly regarded the apostles and the church, yet dared not take them lightly. 


What about you, child of God?



Is your fame spreading in your family, in your neighborhood, at your job?


Do people see and know that God is with you?
Do they identify you as a son or daughter of God?


If not, here are the two things you need to do to glorify God in this way:


1. Live in such a way that it is impossible to not know you follow Jesus. 
Your life must be so devoted to God, at home, in your neighborhood, and at your job or school, that when people think of you, they think of the Lord Jesus.  For a believer, this should not be hard or something you have to force.  You should be where you are because the Lord led you there.  When people ask how you came to be where you are, you have a testimony.  It's who you are.  It's your life.  They should see you thank God for your food, reading scripture during your breaks, saying things like "God willing," when you speak of your future plans.  Your life should bear witness to Christ in very natural ways.  And people should see and know that Jesus is your Lord.


2. Follow the Spirit of Jesus in everything you do.
When you follow the Spirit, people will experience the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit in your life.  You will manifest the supernatural presence and power of God in your life, just as Joshua did, just as Moses did.  We serve the same awesome God.


If you agree with the prayer below, pray it with me:


"Our Father in heaven, glorify your Son in my life by His Spirit, so that I may be known as your child, wherever I am.  Amen."


Now think of two things you can deliberately do today, or continue to do, that point people directly to God.  Find a way to naturally and genuinely honor God in your conversations at home, in your neighborhood, or at work.  It's easy to do.  If you're married, at some point you mention your spouse.  If you have children, at some point you mention them.  They are a significant part of your life, so you can't talk about your life without talking about, unless you are ashamed of them.  In the same way, you can't talk for long without honoring God, if you live to honor God as the very meaning of your life.  Do this deliberately and prayerfully, seeking every opportunity to acknowledge Him.

How God Sees MEN and WOMEN (Part 1)

A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this.  Deuteronomy 22:5

God sees your distinction as a man or woman.  He loves this distinction and detests it's negation.  You should embrace and emphasize your distinction as a man or woman to honor your Creator, whose image you reflect.

GOD SEES THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN.

In Deuteronomy 22:5, God assumes the Israelites knew what He meant.  No matter what country or culture you are from, you know as God knows that men and women express themselves differently in  how they dress.  I know a girl who deliberately dresses like a boy.  I also know a mother who deliberately dresses her boy in girlish clothes. Even in our American culture that blurs gender specific clothing, we know that the blurring is happening.  We see and know the distinction between masculine and feminine. So does God, the one who made the distinction.

GOD LOVES THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN.

It is written,

So God created mankind in his own image,

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them. 

Genesis 1:27

The masculine and feminine in creation are a picture of Christ and the His Bride, the church...the mystery of the heavenly and eternal intimacy that will exist between the one true God and those who believe in Him. (See Ephesians 5:32)   This is a sacred picture of what God is like.  The distinction between men and women should be honored because it honors the image of God.


click HERE for part 2



What if It's Just YOU?

(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) Numbers 12:3

This is my dream:  That before Jesus returns, there will be a people of God who finally get it right.  A people distinguished by God's presence and power who remain faithful to Him until Christ returns in the sky.  But I have no control over "the people of God."  I only have control over myself.  My dream has to be about me.  I have to be a man, even if I'm the only man on earth, who is distinguished by the Presence of God. 

What about you?  What if it's just you?  What if you alone are known on earth as a faithful follower of Christ?  This is possible.  At one point in time, Moses was "more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth."  One man.  Moses.  Distinguished from every one else on earth.  This could be me, or this could be you.  We have no control over anyone else.  But we do have influence.

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Genesis 6:8

 

Again, in the history of men and women, only one man on earth found favor in the eyes of the Lord at one point in time.  There was a time when God regretted making us, but one man, one family, found favor with Him.  The word of God says that Noah walked faithfully with Him, but it doesn't mention the character of Noah's wife, his three sons, or his sons' wives.  Either they all were righteous in God's eyes, or God showed favor to them because of Noah, or both.  Either way, only 8 people in all of the human population were pleasing in God's sight.  8 people.  One man. One family. Three couples. 

 

What if it's just you?  What if your family is the only family that is pleasing to God at this point in history?  It's possible. Of course, we hope this is not the case.  But let's face it.  What else can we do?  What else can I do?  All I can do is walk with God to the best of my ability, and to the best of my ability influence my family and all who encounter me. That's it. 

 

I'm prepared for it to be just me?

What about you?

What if it's just you?

The ONLY Thing Necessary for YOU TODAY

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13

The only thing necessary for you today is to be recognized as one who has been with Jesus.  Not what you know or don't know.  Not your status in life.  No matter where you are life, you will have power and boldness as His witness.  Only start and continue your day with Him, letting His Spirit be recognized in your life.  You do this in two ways, in the same two ways that Peter and John did them:

Do everything in Jesus name, and do everything by His Spirit.

DO EVERYTHING IN JESUS' NAME.
We say grace and pray, and at the end we say, "In Jesus' name."  But we don't realize what we are saying or why we are saying it.  The apostles were strictly forbidden to teach or preach in Jesus' name.  Evidently their enemies knew the significance of using Jesus' name, so much so that the first interaction with the apostles after a great healing was this:

"They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: 'By what power or what name did you do this?'" Acts 4:7

By what power they asked?  By what name?

The name of Jesus on your lips, in your prayers, and in your life, means that you say and do everything under His authority and for His glory.  To obey and display Him.  When this is the case, people will  recognize that you have been with Jesus.  They will recognize His Spirit in you and with you.

DO EVERYTHING BY HIS SPIRIT.
It is written,

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  Romans 8:14

This is your birthright, your identity, your normality.  If you believe in Jesus, you should do NOTHING unless the Spirit is leading you to do it.  NOTHING.  Jesus told the 120 followers to stay in Jerusalem until they had been "endued with power from on high."  His apostles had been with Him for 3 years, even performing miracles.  They saw Him risen and ascending into heaven, and all they really were supposed to do is go and tell people what they had seen and heard. Yet even they were forbidden to start their mission without the Spirit.

So are you.

Here you are.  You're awake.  You pray to the Father, in the name of Jesus, by the Holy Spirit.  You read the scriptures, or words based on scripture, as your  spiritual food for today.  The Spirit impresses on you the need to focus your mind on why Jesus came to earth:  to seek and save the lost.  He shows you that your number 1 priority for today is to be a witness of the Lord Jesus by imitating Jesus in all you do.  You ask God to fill you with His Spirit so that you may imitate Jesus.  You thank God for the power of His Spirit, because you know you've asked that which is God's will, and that God will grant prayers that agree with His will.

So you go. You imitate Christ to the best of your knowledge, at home, and when you leave, doing the one thing in your own mind that you know without doubt is an imitation of Christ.  You feel the power of the Spirit giving you further insights into how Christ would speak or act in your exact situation. And people recognize that you have been with Jesus, because they know it is not your education level or status in life that gives you such boldness as a witness of the Lord Jesus.  They see the same power and boldness in us that they saw in Peter and John.

• We have no power as witnesses of Jesus without the Holy Spirit leading us. 
• You and I have the same Spirit that Peter and John had, bearing witness to the same Jesus.

Enter your day in the name of Jesus, under His authority and for His glory.

Enter your day by following His Spirit, doing only what He leads you to do.

 

The only thing necessary for you today is to be recognized as one who has been with Jesus.

 

 

Your Greatest Connection to God

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Revelation 4:11

When a creature desires nothing more nor less than to be what it was created to be,

there is no greater connection between the Creator and His creation.

How could there be?

Could the creature create itself by it's own will?
Could the creation come up with a purpose that is greater than the purpose of it's Creator?

God the Creator had something in His imagination for each of His creations.  For you.  When He made you, even before He made you, He had something in mind.  An idea. A feeling He wanted to express.  A purpose. 

So He makes you.
You wake up.
You are conscious.
You look at each other.
Your one desire is to please Him, to be what He had in mind.

Is there a greater connection between Creator and creation at this moment?
Is there a greater agreement between them? 

Is there anything you want more than to simply be what God made you to be, or to simply do what God made you to do?

You have this guarantee:  If you want this, so does God.  And it will happen.

This is your greatest connection to God.


 

Your Two Witnesses

So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him.  Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence.  Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.  Numbers 27:18-20

It is written,
"Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." 2 Corinthians 13:1b

In the matter of your calling before God, you have at least two witnesses: One on earth, and one in heaven.

YOUR WITNESS ON EARTH
What better witness could Joshua have on earth than Moses, the servant of God?  What better commission?  Yet Moses was a man.  In fact, when he commissioned Joshua, he was being disciplined by God for his disobedience.  Even with this being so, no one could deny Moses as a man of God.  And no one could deny the power of his commission as a witness to Joshua's calling.

In the same way, there is a man or woman of God who bears witness to you.  Someone who is clearly filled with God's Spirit and honors Christ.  Someone who comes to your mind right now.  Let  the thought of that someone encourage you today in your calling.

YOUR WITNESS IN HEAVEN
Joshua not only had Moses as a witness, but he had the testimony of "the spirit of leadership."  What if when I said "someone comes to mind" for you as a witness on earth, no one came to your mind as your witness on earth?"  What if you can't think of a godly and holy person that bears witness to your call or commission?

You still have two witnesses, one from earth, one from heaven, as it is written,

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children." Romans 8:16

Your primary calling in life is as a child of God. Even if you can't think of a man or woman of God like Moses who bears witness to this, The Spirit and your spirit bear witness.  And these are enough.

Your two witnesses should encourage you today in your calling.
A man or woman of God bears witness with your spirit.
Or the Spirit Himself bears witness with your spirit.

You are called.
You are a child of God.
Amen.

Who are Your Disciples?

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20

What is the cause Christ has given you, and who is following you?  Someone should be.  Someone should know the call of Christ in your life and feel called to follow you in that cause.  So what is it? 

Mine is a constant conversation connection with God.  In a word, I am a slave of the Spirit.  My purpose: Follow the Spirit.  Wherever He leads me, I will follow.  In this way I bear witness to Jesus in every situation.  My first followers are none other than my family. We are defined by the voice of the Spirit.  We are His slaves, and He alone is our Master. 

Total dedication and commitment to the Spirit is what binds us and defines us as a family. 

What binds you to those who follow you?  Or who do you follow?

We don't take discipleship as seriously as we should be in the Body.  We are too "independent."  Too afraid of starting "cults." But Jesus said to make disciples, so it's really an issue of obedience. We should be leading or following someone in a cause given directly by Christ, by His Spirit.  We know we are to preach the gospel.  We know we are to make disciples.  But the specific way in which this happens for you must come from the Spirit of Christ leading you.  And when He leads you, someone should be following you as you follow the Spirit.

YOUR ZEAL FOR GOD'S HONOR (Part 1)

The Lord said to Moses,  “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites. Since he was as zealous for my honor among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. 
Numbers 25:10-11

What is your zeal for God's honor? 
Your intensity. Your passion.
What are you as passionate about God, as God is passionate about Himself?

In other words, what dishonor towards God can you simply not tolerate, no matter the cost to you or those you love?  What divine line will you simply not allow to be crossed?

You must have one if you're a Christian.

I'm not talking about a political cause necessarily, or one of the mainline issues of today like abortion or same-sex marriages, though these may be your zeal for God's honor.

I'm talking about intense and fierce anger for an honor of God that is core to your being.

I'm convinced that our mission is an imitation of Jesus' mission--that's what makes us Christians:  Christ like.

It is written,
"The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." I John 3:8b

As a son or daughter of God through faith in Christ Jesus, there are specific works of the devil that you have appeared to destroy.  This is your zeal for God's honor.  This is a fierce fire of holy anger that burns in you when you see it, hear it, or encounter it.  Unless you quench it in fear.  But it is written,

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."  1 John 4:18

Your zeal for God's honor, and the works of the devil that you are here to destroy, are motivated by perfect love, from God, and for God.  You feel the same way about God that He feels about Himself.

(click HERE for part 2)

How People KNOW You are God's Child

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  Romans 8:14

 

Did you know that you can control whether people know you are God's child?  There is a way for you to do it.  Two ways to be exact.

 

I learned these ways from a book called "The Power of Presence," by Kristi Hedges.  The point of the book is that your presence is a powerful source of your success in life, and that you have direct control over it. 

I applied this to scriptural truth, and saw how God's presence is the essence of His Kingdom, salvation, eternal life, reality.  His presence in His children is the distinction between true and false religion.  Kristi Hedges speaks of presence in ways that agree with the word of God.  (Where she doesn't, or if she doesn't, I ignore it.)  But where she does, she speaks two significant truths, or gives two types of presence that we determine in our relationships:

 

1. Our Personal Presence
2. Our Situational Presence.

 

You determine by deliberate intention your personal and situational presences.  This is how people know that you are God's child.

 

Your personal presence is how you want to be defined, or known.  What words you want to come to mind when people think of you.  For example, let's say you want to be known as intelligent.  When people think of you, they think, "He's very intelligent."  You want intelligence to define you.  That would be your personal presence, and everything you think, say, and do would need to be congruent with intelligence.  You first intend this deliberately, then you do nothing to contradict it.  This actually fits scripture by the way.  Let's substitute "intelligence" with "wisdom."  If you wanted your personal presence to be one of wisdom, meaning you wanted to be known as a wise man or woman, the scriptures give specific ways to "come across" as wise.

 

• Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent. Proverbs 17:28
• When there are many words transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.  Proverbs 10:19

So according to Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, second only to Christ in wisdom, if you wanted  your personal presence to be wisdom, one way to make that happen is restrain your lips.  We all know this intuitively.  Those who are careful with their words "come across" as wise, or intelligent.  How you want to come across is your personal presence.  And how you want people to feel in different situations when they experience you is your situational presence, the second deliberate choice you make about how you want to be known.

 

If you want people to feel excited when you come around, you should be "exciting."  If you want them feel encouraged, you should be encouraging.  Depending on the situation, and the needs of the situation, your "situational presence" may change, but it will never contradict your personal presence, who you are at your core.  Again this agrees with scripture:

 

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15

 

Even God has "situational presences":
To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd. Psalms 18:25:26

 

Now that you know what personal and situational presence is, and how to bring them about, you can apply them to being known as a child of God.  What better personal or situational presence can you and I have?  Paul tells us how to be known as children of God, so that when people think of you, the word that comes to mind is "child of God."  When people are around you, no matter the situation, they feel like they are in the presence of a child of God.

 

It is by the Spirit of God in you that gives you the personal presence of a child of God; the presence of the Spirit, in  you and with you, as you follow Him, gives you the situational presence of God's children.

 

You were born of the Spirit through faith in Christ Jesus.  This is who you are.  This never changes.
You are led by the Spirit in every situation; you walk in the Spirit; you are led by the Spirit. 

 

Remember, this is intentional and deliberate, and Paul shows us how in very practical words, words that define my life:

• "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that ones slave, whom you obey?"
• "Those who live in accordance with the Spirit set their minds on what the Spirit desires

I am a slave of the Spirit; I've presented myself to the Spirit as His slave to obey Him; therefore I am His slave because I obey Him. This is my personal presence.  It is also my situational presence, because there is never a situation where I am not His slave of obedience.  I want to be known as a slave of the Spirit, as one who obeys the Spirit. I want people to feel that I have only one master, only one will that I submit to, that I am under orders.  Now the beauty of this identity is liberty for me and all who are around me.  In other words, I no longer live according to my will, but only the will of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ.  As it is written, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 

If I'm only focused on the Spirit's will, then not only am I not controlled by any other will, but I don't want any body else to be controlled by my will!  As it is also written,

"Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand." Romans 14:4

All I want for me, and for you, is to follow the Holy Spirit. He alone is my master.  And He alone is your master.  This is my personal and situational presence.

What is yours?

How and Why God Wants YOU To Be Seen

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house."  Matthew 5:14-15

When Jesus came on the scene, it was obvious to all that His purpose was divine.  From His birth, to His baptism, throughout His ministry on earth, His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus' life could not be hidden.  And a Christians, neither should ours. 

How can our lives undeniably give God glory?

Intentionally.
We intend it.
We make it our aim to speak and act in a way that draws attention to God.

This is what Jesus meant by "the town built on a hill," and people putting their lamps in conspicuous places.  Look at the city on the hill!  The lamp lights the whole house.  Neither can be ignored.
Christ couldn't be ignored.

Christians, we who are Christ like, should not be able to be ignored.

Why?
Why does God WANT you to be seen?

Jesus said God wants you to be seen for His glory, that people will honor and praise God based on seeing your bright shining life.

The world needs to see Jesus, but more specifically, the people in your life need to see you reflecting Jesus. 

How will they see Him? 

According to Jesus, you display your good deeds so that they cannot be hidden, but they are completely seen wherever you are, just as a bright lamp is deliberately placed in a room to light up the whole room.

What good deeds are Jesus talking about?  What shines so brightly when you do it that people see it and praise God?  Before He told them to let their lights sine, Jesus told  His followers in His sermon on the mount something that you can apply today. You can focus on doing this one thing because it inherently draws attention to you as a child of God, according to Jesus.  By doing it, by deliberately and intentionally doing it, people will see this good deed and glorify your Father in heaven:

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.  Matthew 5:9

There it is.  There is a way you can let your light shine today.  You can put yourself in a position where you are a peacemaker.  Whether there is a conflict to resolve between two people arguing, or whether you simply make the room feel peaceful by simply coming in with a prayerful and peaceful attitude from the Spirit of Peace, if you choose to deliberately be a peace maker in the name of Jesus, you will be called a child of God, drawing attention to God, letting your light shine before men and women.  No one will be able to ignore you, just as a bright lamp cannot be ignored.

How does God want you to be seen?  By you deliberately putting yourself in a position to draw attention to God whom you serve, so much so that it is impossible to ignore you.

Why does God want you to be seen, to be as impossible to ignore as a city DELIBERATELY built on a hill, or as lamp DELIBERATELY put in the middle of a house to light the whole house?  Because He Himself wants to be seen and known by everyone you come into contact with.  God wants to be known.  He wants to be known through you. 

Be a peacemaker today and be called a child of God.  In this way, intentionally and deliberately let your light shine before the people in your life right now.  God bless you as you do this. 

(Tell me what happens when you do it.  I need your encouragement, and I want to give you mine.  Tell me in the comments section how you let your light shine today.)

Two Ways To Know The Spirit in Your Life

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6

What were you thinking about before you started reading my words?  Right before.  The beauty about that question is that you know, or should know.  It's easy to know.  You have complete control over what you choose or refuse to think about. 

Was it your plans for today?  A conversation you just had or anticipate having?

Whatever you were thinking about was governed by one of two sources:
1. The flesh.
2. The Spirit

Of course, if you believe in the Lord, you want your mind governed by the Spirit of God.  You know your mind is governed, or led, or influenced, by the Spirit in two ways:

• Life
• Peace.

THE MIND GOVERNED BY THE SPIRIT IS LIFE.
What is life?  It is more than mere existence and breathing.  It is the energy of intimacy between God, you, and me, as Jesus said, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent."  When you focus your mind on following the desires of the Spirit, you will feel the energy of God's intimacy. God listening and responding to you.

THE MIND GOVERNED BY THE SPIRIT IS PEACE
God is not your enemy, nor does He consider you His enemy.  Jesus removed all hostility between us and God, so our relationship with Him by His Spirit feels like a harmonious union of two friends with one purpose. 

Yet if you feel disconnected and conflicted, look at what you are thinking about.  It will be obvious.  The Spirit's desires will be the farthest thing from our mind, and you will be conflicted within yourself because you have contradictory and self centered desires, none involving Christ, none involving His Spirit's leading. This is what it means for your mind to be governed by the flesh--by self centeredness instead of God centeredness.

But You do have a choice.

Whatever you were thinking about before you read these words, from this moment on you can let the Spirit govern your mind, and experience the life and peace that Jesus died and rose to give you by His Spirit.

Where are YOU in YOUR LIFE Right Now? (Part 1)

God's Word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path.

Your feet are below you, and at some point you will take a step in one direction or another.  But why are you where you are, and what determines the very next step you will take?  God asked this question to an Egyptian woman named Hagar.  He demanded an account of Hagar's life, and He demands the same of your life and mine. 

God reveals where you are in your life in three ways:
1. God finds you.
2. God calls you by your name.
3. God gives you the next step in your life.

GOD FINDS YOU
The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.  Genesis 16:7

How did God "find" Hagar?  Does the All Present All knowing God actually find anyone or anything?  According to the scriptures, He does.  God called for Adam when the first man hid from The LORD in Eden.  God also asked Cain where his brother Abel was.  So to find Hagar meant God was actively paying attention to her life.  This is what God is doing for you before He reveals where you are in your life.  God tells us to cast our cares on Him because He cares for us.  The LORD cares where you are right now in your life, and He cares about who you are.

GOD CALLS YOU BY YOUR NAME
And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” Genesis 16:8

When God found Hagar, He addressed her according to her name and her title. This is what He called her:  Hagar, servant of Sarai. This is who Hagar was at that time, and when God finds and calls you, it will be based on who you are right now.  So the question is, who are you?  Where have you come from and where are you going?  How do I know God is asking you this?  Because you're reading this blog.  God found you here; He's calling you by your name and title, according to who you really are at this moment...., and He's demanding an account of your life right now. 
(click here for part 2)

Why You Should Be Different As A Christian

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;  for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."  1 Peter 1:14-16


If you are a Christian, you sin when you are the same as everyone else.  It is the ultimate contradiction and hypocrisy, and Jesus had absolutely no tolerance for fakeness.  We who believe are to be holy, set apart, distinct--different.  We are different in two ways: 


We don't conform to our old ignorant desires, but we are obedient children of God.


CHRISTIANS DO NOT CONFORM TO EVIL DESIRES.
We used to be ignorant of the truth and of goodness, according to the Apostle Peter. Those in his day worshiped idols, and we today used to do the same.  We used to think of ourselves as central, the starting point from which we measure good and evil.  But when Jesus showed us who we really, creatures who belong to our Creator, we changed our minds.  We believed and became the children of God, and no longer made our desires center.


CHRISTIAN ARE OBEDIENT CHILDREN OF GOD.
We live to obey the Spirit of our Father in us.  This distinguishes us.  This makes us different.  We have given our bodies as living sacrifices. We honor our bodies as the temples of the Holy Spirit.  We present each body part to God as instruments and weapons of righteousness.  Unlike those who consider their bodies their own to do whatever they please, we dare not defile God's Holy Temple.  We set our bodies apart, using them only for God's glory.


You should be different as a Christian because you are different as a Christian.  You should be holy because God is holy.  There is only One God, and you belong to Him alone. 


Be different. 
Belong to God.

TWO THINGS GOD SAYS ABOUT YOU

Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.  Psalms 127:3


There is something you and I and everyone shares in common:
We were born. Whether planned or a surprise, from adultery or even rape, God says this about you: 


You are a heritage from the LORD; you a reward from him.


YOU ARE A HERITAGE FROM THE LORD.
When your father and mother leave this world, what they will leave behind is you.  You will be the reason your parents ever existed.  Their memory.  Their legacy.  Their eternity.


YOU ARE A REWARD FROM THE LORD.
I mentioned adultery and rape earlier.  How can children of these be considered a heritage or reward?  In these situations children are children.  They've committed no evil and are in no way evil.  They are the redeemers of evil fathers and mothers, if the father and mother will accept them as their redemption.  If a child comes from adultery or rape, the child can shame the sinful adults into repentance, and be the salvation of their parents. 


No matter the circumstances of your birth, God sees you as a gift and legacy, to your parents and the world.  It's good that you're here.  Be what God says you are.

The Worst Christian Sin (Part 3)

THINK LIKE CHRIST WHEN YOU SERVE GOD.
We should come to God to please Him, without an agenda of what He should and should not like.  He tells us in His word that His "ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.  As high as the heavens are above the earth, so are His ways above our ways and His thoughts above our thoughts."  Paul said that just as no one knows your thoughts except your spirit in you, no one knows God's thoughts except God's Spirit.  How do I know what makes you happy and what makes you angry unless you tell me?  If I'm your waiter, how do I know your order unless you tell me?  In the same way, God is not subject to our church programs and agenda.  We should seek the Spirit's desires, at church and in our lives, just like waiters seek to know what pleases their customers. 




THINK LIKE CHRIST WHEN YOU SERVE PEOPLE.
Imagine this:


I see you at church and you look sad.  I gently approach you.


"Excuse me, I'm Olatunde.  Would you mind if I sat with you? "


In this scenario you don't know me, so I'm not expecting a yes or no.  I'm waiting to see what you want. I'm doing my best to create an atmosphere where you feel free to say yes or no without any pressure.


"No thank you, I'm ok."
"Alright," I say.  God bless you.


"Wait," he says.  "Could you pray for me?"


"Yes, I'd be glad to.  What do you want me to pray?"
"Right now I feel like dying.  Please ask God to help me."
"Alright, I'll pray that God helps you.  Do you mind if I ask the Spirit to lead me as I pray for you?"
"No, not at all."


So I first pray only what this man asks me to.  No more. No less.  Then I wait for the Spirit to lead me, if the Spirit wants me to say anything else. I'm serving the sad man.  And I'm serving the Spirit by praying only what the Spirit leads.


I don't give the man unsolicited advice that I very badly want him to take.  I don't try to force more information out of him. I am his servant.  I'm there to meet whatever spiritual need he has, as he tells me, or as the Spirit tells me.  I have no agenda of my own.


If you get nothing else from these 3 blogs, or the blogs on healing, or the blogs on spiritual gifts, get this:

WE ARE GOD'S SERVANTS WHO HAVE NO AGENDA OF OUR OWN.

We have "emptied ourselves," just as Jesus emptied Himself.  When we come to God we come with the words of Jesus, "Not my will, but yours be done."  When we come to each other, we come with the words of Jesus, "Not my will but yours be done."

Imagine two or three believers meeting at a home to pray.  They don't come with any preset prayer plans or talks or anything.  Each come completely submitted to the will of the Holy Spirit.  Yes, each come with burdens or needs.  But they have put their needs aside to focus on God's will and on each other.  Each of the three come in this very mindset.  Three servants of God, together.

So, they all enter the home and greet each other.  They sit in silence, waiting for the Spirit's leading.  Each of them.  Sean, Fredrick, and Louis.  The Spirit leads Louis to speak first.  Sean and Fredrick felt led to stay quite.

"The Spirit is leading me to open us up in prayer.  Do you both agree to this? They do, affirming Louis that he is hearing from the Spirit.  So Louis prays as the Spirit leads him.  Then Fredrick sees a picture of Sean at his job, alone, reading his bible during a lunch break.  Fredrick asks the Spirit what this means and if he should tell Fredrick. The Spirit tells Fredrick that Sean needs to know how much of an impact he's making just by reading his bible on his lunch break. So Fredrick tells Sean what the Spirit says, and Sean is overwhelmingly encouraged!  Sean never told either of his friends about his bible reading at work.

Each came to serve God and each other, not force God to follow their house prayer program, and not force each other to worship God, pray a certain way, or recite certain scriptures by faith.  They all come with the mind of Christ, having emptied themselves, and avoided the worst Christian sin:

Seeking to be served instead of seeking to serve.

The Worst Christian Sin (Part 2)

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  Philippians 2:5-7


To never commit the worst Christian sin, we must assume the mind of Christ.  We must think and act like servants of God, and servants of each other.  True ministers. We must think like servants of God; we must think like servants of people.  But before we can think like servants, we must know once and for all what a true servant is.


TRUE SERVANTS ARE LIKE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
How do true servants think?  What is the essential quality of the truest servants?  There is no one who ever served with the perfection of humility displayed gloriously by our Lord Jesus Christ.  He shows us the way to true servant hood in these words from the Apostle Paul:


He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant...


The essential quality of Christ, the perfect picture of a servant, is that He it totally focused on the one He is serving, and not on himself at all. 


Yet there are Christians who come with a very strong agenda when they serve God or people.  They want God or people to do something very badly, and they won't let up until you do it.  They pray with a manipulativeness that is not focused on God's happiness. They want you to do something, pray something, sing some song, read some bible verses repeatedly.  They aren't asking you if they can pray for you or not, accepting a yes or no from you.  No, they insist they pray for you. They insist you read certain verses or pray certain prayers that they give you. 


How is this serving, when the server is trying to make you take their service?  If a waiter insisted you eat a certain food on the menu, and wouldn't let up until you ate what she wanted you to eat, wouldn't you get another waiter?  Is this really what servant does?


Yet we see people try to bully God into answering their prayers. They think their faith is so impressive, and that their knowledge of scriptures so vast, that they can force God to give them their requests. They think they can force God to obey them. 


And we see people so self centered that they refuse to simply ask suffering believers how, OR IF, they can help them.  Yes, they ASSUME they can help them, and the try to force their help on brothers and sisters who are already weary and worn out. 


For example, we see healthy Christians telling sick Christians to raise their hands, pray certain prayers, and have enough faith, or they won't get healed. These healthy believers aren't compassionate servants of their sick brothers and sisters.  Instead they inspire the sick with more fear if the sick don't do what the "healer"says.  Antichrist!  The servant nature of Christ should be the nature of every Christian.  How did we come to this place of self centeredness? (click here for part 3)

The Worst Christian Sin (Part 1)

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Matthew 20:25-28


Christians are antichrist when they seek to be served instead of to serve each other.  When a Christian exerts lordship, spiritual lordship, over his brothers or sisters, He is the diametrically opposed to everything Jesus is, was, and forever will be. I see this happen in two ways in church services, or among us who believe.


I. WE FORCE MINISTRY TO GOD.
To minister means to  worship and serve God.  Yet the servant of God is never coerced in worshiping the Lord.  He genuinely loves God with all of his heart.  She sincerely serves Jesus with all of her soul and strength.  God.  Not the preacher, teacher, or praise worship leader.  No man or woman should evaluate your praise, your hands raised, your silence, your singing, or anything you are doing before the Lord.  Unless it is obvious you are not doing it before the Lord, but have become a distractor from the Lord.  Otherwise, as it is written,


Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.  Romans 14:4


II. WE FORCE MINISTRY TO GOD'S PEOPLE
When you go to a restaurant, the server comes to you and asks you if you're ready to order.  If he is a good server, you don't feel pressured or rushed.  She makes you feel like you've got all the time in the world.  She's not a brooding annoying presence.  He's not hovering or invasive.  After all, she's there for you, to meet your needs and desires.


But bad waiters make it all about themselves.  The same is true with servants of the Lord who don't focus on your spiritual needs, and more importantly, don't focus on where the Spirit is leading you.  They forget that the word of God says we have one mediator between God and us:  Jesus Christ. They attempt to force thoughtless prayers, or thoughtless receiving of their so called "Words from God."  They don't want you to think before you pray the prayer they give you.  And they don't want you to go to God for yourself about whatever He is supposedly telling them. This is not the way of a servant.  This not Christ, but antichrist. (click HERE for part 2)