Friday, September 30, 2005

Laying Up Treasure ~ The Hundredfold Return

Then Jesus. Looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me” (Mark 10:21)

So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time — houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecution — and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30)
Both of these passages are part of the same Gospel narrative, found in Mark 10:17-31. It is the story of the rich, young ruler who came to Jesus asking, “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life” (v. 17).

Jesus answered, “You know the commandments,” and listed the ones that pertain to our relationship with others. (He left out the first four, pertaining to God and the Sabbath, and the tenth commandment, which pertains to covetousness).

The young man answered, “I have kept all these from my youth.” That is when Jesus looked at him, loved him and said, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.”

The was more than the young man could bare: “He was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (v. 22). He desired eternal life, but he wasn’t willing to lay up his treasure in heaven. Though he was a good and honorable man, he somehow missed the truth there is no eternal life without being established in heaven.

Eternal life is not simply about living a really long time (for eternity, in fact); it is just as much about a quality of life. Jesus spoke about this when said that He came that we might have life and that we might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). This is life indeed.

This young man wanted to have eternal life, but he wanted it to somehow originate from the earthly dimension. But as Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). To be “born again,” literally means to be “born from above” by the Spirit of God. But the rich, young ruler was not ready to receive that new birth, not willing for his possessions to be found there.
Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:23-25)
The problem was not that the young man had riches; the problem was that riches had him. He put more trust in his possessions than he did in God, and as Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “You cannot serve both God and mammon.” When it came down to real choices with real consequences, the man chose his riches.
And they [the disciples] were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:26-27)
The rich, young ruler appeared to have the blessing of God on his life, and to a certain extent, he did. He knew enough of the covenant and received enough wisdom to prosper and become successful in so many areas of his life (although, as Jesus noted, he lacked on thing). If it was so very hard for this blessed young man to enter the kingdom of God, then how could the disciples ever hope to make it?

Jesus looked at them with just as much love as he had for the rich, young ruler, and said, “With men, it is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Not a very detailed answer, but a very hopeful one. It is not about us, our abilities, our achievements, our possessions. It is about God, His power and His promise.
Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.” (v. 28)
Matthew’s Gospel adds, “Therefore, what shall we have?” (Matthew 19:27). Peter and the disciples had given up everything for the sake of Jesus and the gospel — they had laid up for themselves treasure in heaven, just as the rich, young ruler had opportunity to do — but what does all that really mean?
So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time — houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecution — and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30)
We learn several important things, in this passage, about laying up treasure for ourselves in heaven.

Laying up treasure in heaven is about following Jesus and leaving all for the sake of the gospel. It is no longer trusting in ourselves or in anything in this world. It is about living our lives in complete dependence upon Him.

Laying up treasure in heaven brings a hundredfold return. A hundredfold return is not 100%—that would simply be a one-fold return. A hundredfold return is 10,000%. What we receive is of far greater value than what we leave behind.

Laying up treasure in heaven brings the hundredfold return in this life. There are two ages now at work in the world:
  1. This present age, fallen into darkness and sin. The devil is the god of this age, seeking to blind the minds of people to the light of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). We are not to be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2).
  2. The age to come, which is already breaking into the world to swallow up the present darkness with the light of the gospel and the glory of God.
Many religious Christians think treasure laid up in heaven, and someday we’ll be able to go there and have access to it all — but not before then. In sharp contradiction, Jesus declares that the hundredfold return is for this time, this life, this present age. It is for our use as we seek after the kingdom of God, His rule and reign emerging to transform this present age.

Laying up treasure in heaven also brings persecution in this life. This is another reason why we know that the hundredfold return is for this life, for no persecution originates from heaven or the age to come. It comes from the god of this present age. But the resources we have in God are much greater than any persecution we could ever receive in this world.

Laying up treasure in heaven is laying hold of the eternal life we have in Jesus Christ. Through faith in Christ, we are already “born from above,” born of heaven and the age to come (John 3:3). We are already citizens of heaven and of that age (Philippians 3:20). We are already seated in Christ Jesus at the right hand of the Father (Ephesians 2:6), a position of ruling and reigning. When we lay up for ourselves treasure in heaven, we are position ourselves to experience the flow of life of the age to come, even as that age breaks into the world in this present age.

When you lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, they are not at all lost to this life. No, they come back to you much more powerfully in this life as God establishes His rule and reign in and through you and me.

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Today is Your Day to Walk on Water

If you know the Lord Jesus, you already have enough faith to walk on water. But let me offer you a few helpful points.

  • Set your focus on Jesus.
  • Don’t get wigged out by the circumstances.
  • Keep your eyes on Jesus.
  • Step out of the boat.
  • Ignore the water, the wind, the waves.
  • Stay focused on Jesus.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Laying Up Treasure ~ Heaven Doesn’t Need It

Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. (Matthew 6:20)
Jesus told us to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven. Notice that we do this for our own sakes, not for the sake of heaven. Heaven has no need at all. In fact, heaven is the source for the provision of every need we may ever have. Jesus tells us to treasure up our treasure, not for the sake of heaven, but for the sake of earth. On earth is where we have all our needs.

This is completely upside down from the world’s way of thinking. If the need is on earth, the world says we should therefore lay up our treasure on earth. In this twisted view, storing up treasure in heaven is a waste. At most, it is something you do with what is extra, but surely not something you do with everything.

The truth is that heaven doesn’t need anything from the earth, but earth desperately needs what heaven has. That’s why Jesus taught us to pray for the will of God to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

So we treasure up for ourselves treasure in heaven, not to leave it there, but so it may be blessed with the scent and substance of heaven, to bring forth the will of God on earth as it is in heaven.

What if you gave to the poor, or to the work of the gospel, or some worthy cause? Certainly that is treasuring up treasure for ourselves in heaven. Even those afflicted with the religious spirit understand that. The trouble is that most people only give to heaven instead of giving from heaven. But what if, whenever you give, you give it first to heaven, and then give it on earth to the poor, or the work of the gospel, or whatever you feel led to give to?

And what if you did that with all your resources? What if, whenever you had a bill to pay or a purchase to make, you first gave everything to heaven? Now it has the substance and power of heaven at work in it. If it is blessed in heaven, don’t you think it would be much more powerful on earth in bringing forth the kingdom of God? Are you ready to believe that you can extend the rule and reign of God on earth by paying your electric bill?

Jesus tells us to treasure up treasure for ourselves in heaven, not because heaven needs it, but so it can be blessed by heaven for the sake of earth.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Laying Up Treasure ~ The Perspective of Heaven on Earth

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
Paul is talking about laying up treasure in heaven, the same thing Jesus spoke about in the Sermon on the Mount:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
The language of “storing up” and “laying up” is identical in the Greek. Notice, also, that both Jesus and Paul speak of laying up “for themselves” or “for yourselves.” That is, laying up treasure is something we do on our own behalf. We store up treasure for our own benefit. Paul calls it a “good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.” Jesus calls it laying up treasure “in heaven.”

Because Paul references eternal life and Jesus speaks of heaven in these passages, many Christians assume they are not talking about this present life, but only about the life to come. That completely misses the point, for the treasure we lay up for ourselves has as much to do with this life as it does with the next.

When we treasure up treasure in heaven, we do not remove it from circulation in this life, we enable it to circulate in this life in a much more powerful way. As believers, everything we do from now should be done from heavenwhich is where we have received the new birth, where we have our citizenship, and where we are seated with the Lord Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father.

Why should we do anything from an earthly perspective anymore. We are to treasure up everythingnot just a portion, not just a tenth, but everything in heaven. Then whenever we have need on earth, we draw on the account we have laid up for ourselves in heaven.

Paul speaks of “laying hold” of eternal life. That is not the way we receive eternal, for eternal life is the gift of God through the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). We receive this gift by faith. Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47). Notice that it is a present possession whoever believes in Jesus has (present tense) eternal life.

When we receive this gift of eternal life, through faith in Jesus Christ, we have the right to draw upon it for the sake of this life.
  • Trusting in the Living God
  • Being rich in good works
  • Always ready to give
  • Always willing to share
Some ancient Greek manuscripts of 1 Timothy 6:19 have ontos zoes (“that which is life indeed”) instead of aioniou zoes (“eternal life”). We find this also supported in the Latin Vulgate, the Syriac and the Ethiopic versions. No matter which version we take, Paul is talking about that which is really and truly life the essence of life which comes only from heaven.

Paul warns the rich not to live their lives upside down; we are to live from heaven to earth, not from earth to heaven. When we lay up our treasure on earth, that is where our trust is. Our expectation is not set on the assured provision of heaven but on the uncertain resources of earth, which can be taken from us very quickly by any number of means. Self-sufficiency is not only arrogant, its foolish.

When you use your wealth, our talents, and all the resources of your life with the perspective of heaven, you will be living out of the overflow of the eternal life you have in Jesus Christ. He came that you might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10), and it is meant to be lived here and now.

The Source of Your Provision

And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
Notice that this verse does not say that God will supply your needs according to:

  • your job
  • your talents
  • your education
  • your church, committee, choir memberships
  • your neighborhood
  • your stocks, bonds and annuities
His provision is not even according to your need. Yes, it is more than enough to meet every one of your needs, but it is not according to them. The provision is according to His riches in glory. This provision is now accessible to us because of the reconciling work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What a glorious freedom comes when you realize that your provision does not come from you but from Him. He is your source and supply. He is able to make all grace abound to you so that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have abundance for every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8).

Friday, September 23, 2005

Laying Up Treasure ~ Your Account in Heaven

Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. (Matthew 6:20)

And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul revealed that heaven is also where our provision comes from. God supplies our needs according to His riches in glory--in heaven. Stop thinking of heaven as “up there,” as if it were in outer space. No, it is much closer to us than that and our relationship to it is very intimate.
  • Heaven is where we were born (John 3:3; “born again” literally means “born from above”).
  • Heaven is where our citizenship is (Philippians 3:20).
  • Heaven is where we are already seated in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6).
That is why Jesus tell us to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven. We lay up our treasures there, and all our needs are met from there. But notice that, although it is our treasure we lay up, it is His riches that come from there to supply our needs. It is a wonderful transmutation. Our treasure my not be anywhere near enough to take care of us in fact, it isn’tbut God’s riches in glory in Christ Jesus certainly are.

Not many people catch this, but Paul is writing to his partners, those who have been supporting him in ministry. Go back a couple of verses and see:
Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:15-29).
Jesus said, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” That is exactly what the church at Philippi was doing--laying up treasure for themselves by contributing to Paul‘s ministry. Now, notice that Jesus did not just say, “Lay up treasures in heaven,” but “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” In other words, we have accounts in heaven. That’s what Paul was talking about. “Giving and receiving” is the language of transaction and accounting, and Paul specifically speaks of the fruit, or increase, abounding to the account of the Philippian believers who partnered with him in ministry.

Whenever you partner with the ministry of the gospel, you are laying up treasures for your account in heaven. This account is not for you in the “sweet by and by,” but for the “here and now.” When you lay up treasure in your heavenly account, you can be very sure that God will meet all your needs according to His riches in gloryHis heavenly account by Christ Jesus.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

A Table of Victory Prepared for You

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
(Psalm 23:5)
This is not a picture of heaven, for there are no enemies there. It is not about the “sweet by and by” but about the “here and now.” It is about heaven on earth. The table comes from heaven and is prepared by the LORD our Shepherd, but it is set before us on earth, in full view of our enemies — and it causes them to tremble.
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
(Psalm 23:5-6)

  • This is a table of covenant, for it is the Lord Yahweh, our covenant God who prepares it.
  • This is a table of anointing.
  • This is a table of abundance and prosperity.
  • This is a table of the sure mercies and goodness of God.
  • This is a table of abiding in His presence.
  • This is the Table of the Lord!
Jesus has prepared this table for all who come to Him.
And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22:19-20)
This table is prepared for us even in the presence of our enemies — or perhaps we should say, especially in the presence of our enemies. It is a powerful weapon of our spiritual warfare:
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but might in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)
At this table, we see that God’s enemies are ours, but we also see that our enemies are His, for that is part of our covenant provision with Him.
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
When we eat of this covenant table, we are submitting to God and resisting the devil — and he has no choice but to flee. Notice that he flees, not just from before God, but from before us.

As you take of this table, let the thoughts of your heart recall all the provisions of the covenant it represents. For it is at this table where you can deal most effectively with all your enemies:
  • Sin is defeated by the forgiveness of God.
  • Sickness is defeated by the healing of God.
  • Poverty is defeated by the provision and prosperity of God.
  • Brokenness is defeated by the peace, the wholeness of God.
  • Fear is defeated by the faith of God.
All these provisions belong to us in the covenant we have with God through the body of Christ given for us and the blood of Christ shed for us.

The LORD your Shepherd has prepared a table for you in the presence of your enemies. Come and dine, and experience there the victory you have in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Monday, September 19, 2005

Created For the Glory

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
The bummer is that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But the good news is that God created us to share in, walk in, experience and come into intimate relationship with His glory.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD will give grace and glory.
(Psalm 84:11)
That is why God gave us the Torah — that’s the Hebrew word for it, but you and I generally hear it referred to at “the Law.” However,  it can just as well be translated as “instruction.” It is related to the Hebrew verb form, yarah, which means to aim or direct, as a spear or arrow. God gave us His instruction so we could live on-target lives and experience His blessing and prosperity — the glory of God — in everything we do.

The problem is that we have all missed the mark. That is what the Greek word for sin, hamartia, literally means (the Hebrew word for sin means the same thing). We have fallen short of the target. We were created, not only to experience the glory of God, but to wear it like a garment. But by disobedience, we lost that.That is why Jesus came:
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
When Adam fell into sin and lost the glory of God, God immediately had a plan to restore it through Jesus Christ. It was a plan to destroy sin and its effects and once again direct our lives to the target of His glory — only this time through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is eternal life — the Tree of Life — and we receive it by receiving the Lord Jesus. The glory we receive in Him is the exact same glory with which God glorified Jesus. Jesus gives it to us freely (John 17:22).

You were created to experience and share in the glory of God given to Jesus Christ. Though you have sinned and fallen short of that target, Jesus has taken the penalty of your sin upon Himself. In its place, He offers you the Tree of Life and the full expression of the glory He received from God the Father. 

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Thank God for Faith

Faith comes from God. That is why Paul regularly gave thanks to God for the faith of those who believed in Jesus Christ.
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. (Ephesians 1:15-16)

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints — the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven. (Colossians 1:3-5 NIV)

We gives thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3)
Notice that it is not only faith that comes from God, but also love and hope. Faith brings forth good works, love energizes extraordinary effort, and hope results in patient expectation. The attributes and their fruit all come to us from God.
For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). The Thessalonians received faith from God by the Word that was preached to them.
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other. (2 Thessalonians 1:3)
Not only does our faith come from God, but we also grow in our faith because of God. From beginning to end, it is all about the God. There is no boasting before Him, only receiving and enjoying the benefits of His gracious work in us.

Thank God, the source of all true faith.

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Where Does Faith Come From?

Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 6:23)
Notice: The peace comes from God. The love comes from God.The faith comes from God.
    Faith without love is nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2), for faith works through love (Galatians 5:6). God is the source of both faith and love.
    For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. (Philippians 1:29)
    The Greek word for “grant” is built on the word for “grace.” To grant means to give as a favor. It is an act of grace. The Greek word behind “faith” and “believe” is the same; the only difference is that one is the noun form, the other is the verb. Paul says that it has been given to us to believe. Faith is a grant from God.
    And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 1:14)
    Notice again: The grace comes from God.The faith comes from God.The love comes from God.
    We receive faith and love from the superabundance of God’s grace, which comes to us in the person of Jesus Christ.
    To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:1)
    We receive the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:16; 2 Corinthians 5:21). But first we obtain faith by the righteousness of God. Our faith comes from God and returns to Him as we exercise it in response to Jesus Christ.

    If you desire to receive the Lord Jesus Christ, God has faith for you. You do not have to somehow work it up within yourself. Simply receive it. God also supplies all the faith you need to grow in grace and intimate fellowship with God, and to live the joy-filled Christian life.

    (See also Faith Comes From God and Faith Comes By Hearing.)

    Friday, September 16, 2005

    Laying Up Treasure ~ Seeking the Kingdom

    Therefore do not worry saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)
    Worry comes from laying up treasure on earth. When we invest ourselves in thinking the way the world thinks, acting the way the world acts, believing the way the world believes, we end up worrying the way the world worries. We look to the world to meet our needs because that is where we have treasured up our lives. In our heart we realize how fickle the world is, and fear that it will let us down — and it always does.

    But when we learn to treasure up our treasure in heaven, all the needs we have on earth will be met. We will have more than enough, so that we can bless others.

    Laying up treasure in heaven is about much more than our money and finances. It is about our whole lives. It is seeking the kingdom of God, which is His rule and reign. It is seeking the righteousness — the rightness — of God, which is His way of doing and being right. It is eating from the Tree of Life. Consequently, the life of God flows forth into every area of our existence. Seeking all from Him, we receive all from Him, for He is gracious in all things.

    Call for the kingdom of God to come, as Jesus taught us to do. Lay up your treasure — your life, your being and all you possess — in heaven. Then call for the will of God to be done on earth as it is in heaven. You will flow with the abundance of heaven in all your earthly affairs. You will not only be blessed, you will be a blessing.



    The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth

    The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
    Keys to the Kingdom of God
    in the Gospel of Matthew

    by Jeff Doles

    Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

    Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

    Thursday, September 15, 2005

    Laying Up Treasure ~ Only One Master

    No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 6:24)
    There are three decisions we must make about the treasure of our heart.We must choose where we will lay up our treasure — on earth or in heaven. We must choose whether our eye will be evil or good, whether we will be greedy or generous. We must choose which master we will serve — God or mammon.

    “Mammon” is an ancient word that refers, not just to money, but to the god of money. The Greeks had Plutus as their god of money. The Jews never formalized such a deity, but there were some who idolized money just the same.

    We cannot serve both God and money. For one thing, God will not share His glory with any other — the First Commandment declares, “I am the Lord your God … you shall have no other gods before me.”

    For another thing, our hearts are not made to be divided. If we try to serve both gods, we will end up loving one and hating the other. It is the source of great confusion in both the inner and outer realms of our lives.

    It is not money itself, but our attitude toward that is the problem. Some people think the Bible teaches that money is the root of all evil, but what it actually says is that the love of many is the root of all evil (or all kinds of evil). Many people love, serve and put their trust in money for their welfare. They have made it their god. Money can be a wonderful servant, but it is a tyrannical master.

    A rich young man came to Jesus asking, “What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” (He did not realize that good works do not gain us eternal life — they flow out of eternal life.) After establishing that the young man had kept the commandments — the six out of the Ten Commandments that deal with loving our neighbor as ourselves — Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” The Bible says, “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (This account is found in Matthew 19:16-22.)

    This man failed in the very First Commandment. He did not trust in God alone and love Him with all his heart. He had already made a prior commitment to the god of money. His heart was chained to his possessions. He affected a fine religious tone, but he loved and trusted in his wealth and was unwilling to truly put his faith in God.

    He could have treasured up his treasure in heaven, trusting God with everything in his life and serving Him alone — and he would have been full of joy. Instead, he remained the slave of his money, laying up his treasure on earth, and went away full of sorrow.

    Who or what will you love, serve and trust? It will determine where you lay up your treasure, and whether that treasure will endure.



    The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth

    The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
    Keys to the Kingdom of God
    in the Gospel of Matthew

    by Jeff Doles

    Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

    Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

    Wednesday, September 14, 2005

    Laying Up Treasure ~ the Good Eye

    The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:22-23)
    Jesus is not giving us an anatomy lesson here; He is still talking about laying up treasure. Just as we must choose where we will treasure up our treasure — on earth or in heaven, we must also choose whether our eye will be evil or good.

    Speaking of the eye in this way, Jesus is using an ancient Hebrew idiom that describes whether a man is generous or greedy. We see an example of the “evil eye” in the book of Proverbs:
    A man with an evil eye hastens after riches,
    And does not consider that poverty will come upon him.
    (Proverbs 28:22)
    The man with an evil eye loves money. It has become his master and he trusts in it to see him through. But he does not realize that he is actually on the road to poverty and ruin.

    We discover the source of the evil eye in the book of Deuteronomy:
    Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart saying, “The seventh year, the year of release is at hand,” and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the Lord again you, and it become sin among you. (Deuteronomy 15:9)
    The evil eye of stinginess starts as a wicked thought in the heart. The Hebrew word for “wicked” is belial and refers to that which is destructive, worthless, profitless. It does not add to the goodness of life but takes away from it. The man with the evil eye deceived to think he will profit by his greed. He will not even break even, but will lose all he has.

    That is why Jesus said, “if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness … how great is that darkness.” He describes that darkness in another place:
    For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these things come from within and defile a man. (Mark7:21-23)
    But enough of the evil eye; let’s talk about the good — that’s where the blessing is. Jesus said, “If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be light.” The Greek word used here for “good” literally means “without folds” or unentwined. It is simple, single, clear. The good, single eye, is not complicated by the greed of the evil eye. A man with a good eye is generous. He sows generously and reaps abundantly (2 Corinthians 9:6). Psalm 112 describes the blessing of such a man:
    Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
      Who delights greatly in His commandments.
    His descendants will be mighty on earth;
      The generation of the upright will be blessed.
    Wealth and riches will be in his house,
      And his righteousness endures forever.
    Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
      He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
    A good man deals graciously and lends;
      He will guide his affairs with discretion.

    He has dispersed abroad,
      He has given to the poor;
    His righteousness endures forever;
      His horn will be exalted with honor.
    (Psalm 112:1-5, 9)
    This is a man who honors the Lord and follows His Word. It becomes light in his heart and he becomes light to all those around because he is full of grace and compassion. His generosity does not lead to poverty but to prosperity — wealth and riches will be in his house.

    The greedy eye leads to lack, poverty, even destruction. The generous eye leads to prosperity and honor.



    The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth

    The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
    Keys to the Kingdom of God
    in the Gospel of Matthew

    by Jeff Doles

    Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

    Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

    Tuesday, September 13, 2005

    Laying Up Treasure ~ Where is Your Heart?

    Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
    The discipleship of the present world-system teaches us that we must sock away our treasure on earth if we want to be secure. But that is trusting in our riches and soon leads to our enslavement, for we become servant to whatever we place our trust in. Jesus tells us to stop doing it.

    In the Greek, the text reads something like, “Do not treasure up for yourselves treasure on earth.” There is nothing wrong in having treasure; the problem is where we choose to keep it. Jesus tells us to treasure up our treasure in heaven. Then He gets to the heart of the matter:
    For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
    Your treasury can be a great blessing or a great disappointment. The key is the attitude of your heart. If you store up your treasure on earth and set your heart only on the things of the world, it will soon let you down. It makes a poor master and is not worthy of your trust.

    Both your heart and your money were made for better things. God wants to do something powerful and world-changing through them:
    And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers. (Deuteronomy 8:18)
    The Hebrew word for “get” literally means to do, to make. In other words, God gives us the power not only to get wealth, but to create wealth. He does it for a specific reason: That He may establish His covenant. God has a covenant — all those who come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ are a part of it — and He is in the business of establishing that covenant on the earth. Our ability to create and get wealth has the potential to bless the earth because it has the covenant-establishing purpose of heaven.

    Some people think that laying up treasure in heaven is for when we die—then we’ll go to heaven and get to enjoy all the treasure we’ve laid up there. But that is not what our treasure is about. We will not need any of that treasure in heaven, for there is no need or lack there. We need the treasure here and now, but we need it to be blessed with the prosperity and purpose of heaven.
    • All those who have received the Lord Jesus Christ have been “born again” (John 3:3), literally “born from above,” that is, from heaven.
    • Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).
    • Jesus authorized us to command the will of God to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).
    • Jesus said, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18).
    • Jesus said, “If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19).
    See the pattern? God is in the business of transforming the earth with the substance of heaven. Jesus tells us to treasure up our treasure in heaven because that is how it will change the world.

    Treasure laid up on earth will lead to poverty. Treasure laid up in heaven will lead to prosperity on earth as it is in heaven. There are many ways to lay up your treasure in heaven, but here are a few ideas to help you:
    • Sow your tithe into the work of God’s kingdom. The tithe is a tenth, not the last and the least but the first and the best, of all your increase. God will not only bless that first 10%, but the other 90% as well.
    • Give generously to the poor and those in special need. God always honors that and will pay you back with interest.
    • Treat every financial transaction with godly integrity.
    • Pay your bills from your treasury in heaven. Invest some prayer and faith into the process and expect divine blessing to come upon everyone involved.
    • Be a good tipper. Let the generosity and prosperity of heaven direct you in prospering others even in this small way.
    • When prices increase at the pump, in the grocery store, in your utility bills or wherever else, don’t panic. Look to your Father in heaven and expect His prosperity to take care of all your needs.
    • Call for the kingdom of God—His rule and reign—to come and take over in your finances. Command His will to be done on earth, in and through your finances, exactly as it is being done in heaven.
    • Understand that your treasure is much more than your finances. It includes your time, your talents, and everything else in your life.
    • In all you do, discover the purpose of heaven and let that be your purpose as well.
    Treasure up your treasure in heaven, for that is where your heart will be.



    The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth

    The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
    Keys to the Kingdom of God
    in the Gospel of Matthew

    by Jeff Doles

    Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

    Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

    Sunday, September 11, 2005

    I Would Declare and Speak

    Many, O LORD, are Your wonderful works
    Which You have done;
    And You thoughts toward us
    Cannot be recounted to You in order;
    If I would declare and speak of them,
    They are more than can be numbered.
    (Psalm 40:5)
    “I would declare and speak of them.” The “if” is set in italics, provided by translators as an aid to understanding, but I think it just gets in the way here.

    The works of the LORD are many and full of wonder. His thoughts toward us (yes, we’ve been on His mind) are without number. They are so numerous that we cannot even classify or arrange them all — an infinite number, each in a category of one.

    And yet, the psalm writer has a great passion to declare and speak them all. What a terrific idea. Why should we speak of anything else when God has an endless supply of thoughts — all of them good toward us — to dwell on and proclaim.

    The Hebrew for “declare” is nagad and means to stand boldly to proclaim and manifest. The word for “speak” is dabar and means to arrange, subdue, appoint, bid, command, pronounce, or name.

    When God saw darkness on the face of the earth in Genesis 1, He had a thought. It was not a thought of darkness, but of light, and He pronounced it, calling it forth: “Light, be!” And there was light.

    God has many wonderful thoughts toward you and me. They are not like the thoughts you and I have toward ourselves. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of my own thoughts — they are completely inadequate. That is why wisdom advises us to “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

    Our minds were not made to think our own thoughts but to think God’s thoughts. The creative force of our speech was not made to call forth our own ideas, but to call forth God’s. By His own breath, He created us as “speaking spirits,” to be His likeness on the earth and to give voice to His heart.

    God has an infinite number of thoughts toward us, and I would declare and speak of them all. I intend on spending the rest of my earthly life calling forth the promises of God onto the earth. To boldly proclaim His heart and arrange, subdue, appoint, bid, command, pronounce and name the earth according to His thoughts. This is our true calling.

    Saturday, September 10, 2005

    Healing in His Corners

    But to you who fear My name
    The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
    With healing in His wings.
    (Malachi 4:2)
    This is a messianic prophecy. It tells us about the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. He is the light of the world, radiating with the glory of God’s rightness. And He has come with healing in His wings.

    The Hebrew word for “wings” is very interesting. It is the word kanaph. What is interesting is that we find this word in another place where it means “corners.”

    Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners [kanaph] of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners [kanaph]. (Numbers 15:37-38)

    This is the garment that came to be known as the tallit, a prayer shawl. It was a rectangle of cloth with tassels at each corner (kanaph). Each tassel contained a ribbon of blue (a color symbolic of heaven). It was a symbol of the covenant, a reminder of the commandments of God. In Hebrew, it is called a tzitzit and refers to a fringe, a tassel, a lock (such as a lock of hair) — a wing-like projection (see Strong’s number H6734).

    The word kanaph means corner, border, margin, edge, and it is often to a garment. It also refers, in a number of Scriptures to the farthest reaches of the earth, the “four corners.” And in many places, it is translated as “wing.”

    The Sun of Righteousness rises with healing in His kanaph.

    Perhaps you remember the story of the woman with the flow of blood, who pressed after Jesus so that she might touch Him and be healed.
    Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. (Luke 8:43-44)
    Jesus was an observant Jew, which meant that He wore the garment God prescribed in Numbers 15, which was meant to be worn “throughout the generations.” And on each corner was the requisite tassel.

    This woman, desperately in need of healing, pursued Jesus through the crowd, crouching to touch this garment, which in those days extended almost to the ground. She was not simply reaching for the garment in general, she was specifically going after the “border.” The Greek word used here is kraspedon, and means “fringe” or “tassel.”

    In Matthew’s account of this incident, we learn that she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well” (Mathew 9:21). She pursued with great focus and intent, reaching for that part of the garment which was given to remind the wearer of the covenant God made with His people, a covenant that included healing.

    She pressed through until she grasped the tassel — the wing-like projection on the corner (kanaph) of His garment. The Greek word for “touch” does not mean that she merely brushed up against the tassel, but that she attached to it. With that very purposeful touch she released her faith and immediately she was healed — and knew it. Jesus also knew it. He wheeled around and said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me” (Luke 8:46). Her faith had laid hold of the covenant promise of God and released the healing power of the Messiah into her body.

    This woman was not the only one who experience healing in the “wings” of Jesus. Many others came:
    When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem [kraspedon] of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. (Matthew 14:34-36)
    Jesus is the Messiah, the Sun of Righteousness risen with healing in His “wings.” If you need healing, lay hold of Him now by faith and receive His healing power into your body.



    Healing Scriptures and Prayers

    Healing Scriptures and Prayers
    by Jeff Doles

    Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

    Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

    Friday, September 9, 2005

    Living By His Faith

    I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 KJV)
    The man that I was is dead; he has been crucified with Christ. There is nothing of him that has any control over me. He is dead.

    And yet, I have life. But this life does not come from me, it comes to me. It comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His life, and He is now living it in me.

    This life that I am now living in the flesh, I am living by the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that is it not just faith in Him, but faith of Him. It is not my faith, it does not come from me. It is His faith. Apart from Him, I have no faith.

    Everything I now possess I received from Him. His righteousness, His life, His faith.

    I used to think my faith was weak, but now I know that His faith is strong. Jesus never had any problem believing the promises of God. His faith is always perfectly focused on the Father. His faith moves mountains, calms storms, heals the sick, raises the dead.

    If I ever feel that my faith is weak, my faith is not really the problem, because it comes from Jesus. My problem is just that I need to know Jesus more.

    Thursday, September 8, 2005

    The Knowledge We Need

    The fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is always evil. It is never just the good by itself, but is always mixed with evil. Evil is nothing more than the lack of the good.
    • Darkness is the absence of light.
    • Hate is the absence of love.
    • Sickness is the absence of health.
    • Brokenness is the absence of wholeness.
    • Poverty is the absence of provision.
    When good is mixed with evil the final result is always a lack of good. Even great good, when it is mixed with a little evil, is evil in the end.

    We therefore do not need to know evil, not even a little bit, for it will always bring us up short of the wonderful plan God has for us. That is what the Bible means when it says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God created us to experience and be full of His glory — the extreme value of every good thing in Him. That is what the Tree of Life is all about.

    But we have fallen short of that wonderful experience. The Greek word for “sin” literally means to “miss the mark.” That is, we have “missed the mark” of knowing the glory of God.

    We do not need to know good and evil; we need to know the glory of God. The whole earth is full of His glory, but the world does not see because it is still eating from the wrong tree. Paul said,
    If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them … For it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:3-6)
    The “god of this age” is the one who tempted Adam and Eve to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He wants us to be consumed with that knowledge. He does not mind us knowing the good, but he also wants us to focus on evil. He is quite content with those who will even identify and avoid evil and focus on doing good. For they are deceived into thinking that their good works will bring forth life and the intimate, personal knowledge of God’s glory. But His glory will never be revealed to us in that way.

    The only way to know the glory of God is to eat of the Tree of Life. For the light of the knowledge of the glory of God is not revealed in our good works but in the face of Jesus Christ. He is the Tree of Life, the righteousness of God by whom we are made righteous. The knowledge we need is in knowing Him.

    Wednesday, September 7, 2005

    The Table of the Lord is the Tree of Life

    And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for may for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-28)
    In the Garden of Eden, Eve thought that the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was good for food, so she ate of it. But the fruit was deadly. It could not be otherwise since it was eaten apart from the will of God.

    In the Upper Room, on the night He was betrayed, Jesus offered a different food — Himself. He is the bread and drink that sustains us. His body, given to the stripes and the cross, and His blood, brutally shed to pardon and deliver us, are life for us. The bread and the wine are the symbols which minister the reality of these things to us in the Table of the Lord.

    The Table of the Lord gives us a tangible answer to some basic concerns Jesus raised in the Sermon on the Mount:
    Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)
    These questions express legitimate concerns, for the Father agrees that we need all these things. Many people fail to realize that every physical problem is based on a spiritual need, and they try to use material things to solve what is a spiritual problem — that is eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

    The real answer to these needs, however, is found in the spiritual realm. That is why we must seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, for only then do we discover that all these things have been taken care of.

    That is what we are doing when we come to the Table of the Lord — seeking the kingdom of God. Jesus is the righteousness of that kingdom, and He took our sin on Himself so we, too, might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). The blood He shed for us is the very basis for the covenant of God’s kingdom. In that covenant, we find every provision, physical and spiritual.

    In the Table of the Lord we discover that Jesus is the answer to our every need — the Tree of Life.
    • What shall we eat? “Take eat; this is My body.”
    • What shall we drink? “This is My blood of the New Covenant. Drink from it.”
    • What shall we wear? “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14)
    The Table of the Lord is the Tree of Life.

    Tuesday, September 6, 2005

    The Proper Work of Our Hands

    Hear the voice of my supplications
    When I cry to You,
    When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

    Do not take me away with the wicked
    And with the workers of iniquity,
    Who speak peace to their neighbors,
    But evil is in their hearts.

    Give them according to their deeds,
    And according to the wickedness of their endeavors;
    Give them according to the work of their hands;
    Render to the what they deserve.

    Because they do not regard the works of the LORD,
    Nor the operation of his hands,
    He shall destroy them
    And not build them up.

    Blessed be the Lord,
    Because He has heard the voice of my supplication.
    (Psalm 28:2-6)
    The Hebrew word for “hand” is yad. It is a simple, ancient word referring to the open hand, signifying power, means, guidance. Three hands are mentioned in this psalm:
    • The hand of the worshipper
    • The hand of the wicked
    • The hand of the LORD
    The wicked occupy their hands with the works of evil because they do not regard the works of God’s hands. They have eaten from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and have borne its bitter fruit. They promise good but deliver evil. In the end, the evil they have extended to others is returned to them in greater measure.

    Then there are those who lift their hand toward the holy sanctuary of the LORD. The KJV translates this as “holy oracle.” It is the innermost place where the voice of the LORD is discerned and petition is granted. The wicked consults his own thoughts for the answer to his problems because he has divorced himself from the thoughts of God. But the worshipper reaches for the heart of God and finds the Tree of Life.

    The hand of the LORD is His power, and His works display His purpose. The wicked give no attention to the LORD. They do not consider His Word, discern His will, consider His ways or honor His works. The righteous lift their hands in worship and lay hold of the hand of God.

    The proper work of your hands is to worship and honor God. When you reach out your hand to Him, He will fill it with what is in His hands.

    Monday, September 5, 2005

    From Which Tree Are You Eating?

    Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25)
    This goes back to the original choice in the Garden of Eden: Eat of the Tree of Life, or of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? Notice how the Tree of the Knowledge appeared to Eve:
    So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. (Genesis 3:6)
    Jesus said, “Is not life more than food?” Eve could have tasted life, but she settled for food.

    Many people are worried about where their food is going to come from, where they will get their clothes, how they will be able to get to where they need to be. They do not realize it, but they are actually looking for the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, as if it will take care of all their concerns. “If I can just discern good from evil, and then follow only the good, I’ll be okay.” Apart from the Tree of Life, good works are nothing more than dead fruit.

    What we really need is life. Jesus said, It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

    Bread alone is death to the spirit. We need to hear God, for every word He utters brings us life in abundance.
    Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)
    Gentiles, the pagan followers of this present world system, vainly seek fruit from the wrong tree. They will never be satisfied. But seek after the Tree of Life — the kingdom of God, His rule and reign, His way of doing and being right — and all these things will be added to you.

    The fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil leads to fear, anger, sickness, poverty, and death. The fruit of the Tree of Life leads to abundant life, full of every blessing and provision of God.

    From which tree are you eating? The one that fills you with worry and has you frantically scrambling after the things you need? Or the one that has you hearing the life-giving words from God and fills you with faith, hope, love, joy, and peace?

    Sunday, September 4, 2005

    A Wholesome Tongue—a Tree of Life

    A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
    But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
    (Proverbs 15:4)
    The wholesome tongue is a soothing and healing tongue. It is a tree of life. Its opposite is the perverse tongue, full of distortions and cutting remarks. The perverse tongue fractures and wounds the heart.
    Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
    And those who love it will eat its fruit.
    (Proverbs 18:21)
    Words are very powerful. They have the capacity to wound or to heal, to give life or bring death. Those who respect the power of wholesome words will eat the fruit of the tree of life.

    How it is that the tongue contains such great power? It is because God created the heavens and the earth by means of the spoken word. “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God” (Hebrews 11:3). For example, when God said, “Light, be,” there was light. And God saw that it was good, for His words were wholesome.

    When God created man in His own image, He breathed the breath of life into his mouth. The Hebrew word for “breath” is the same word for “spirit.” God breathed His spirit into Adam, and Adam became a living spirit. The Targum Onkelos, an ancient Jewish commentary, says that man became a “speaking spirit.”

    God breathes out His word by His Spirit. Paul said that “all Scripture is give by inspiration of God.” A more literal translation would be that all Scripture is God-breathed (Greek, theoneustos). It is not that God breathes into the words (which is what we understand by “inspire”), but God breathes out His words. They are not external to Himself, but come from within.

    When we speak, we breathe out our words — our breathe arising from within and passing over our vocal cords. More than that, we speak by the spirit in us (only man is a speaking creature). Our words have such great power because natural reality arises from the spirit realm, just as God, who is spirit, called the physical world into existence.

    Remember, the first assignment God gave to Adam was to call the animals, giving them their names. A name is a word of that tongue that calls forth and establishes the nature and purpose of the thing which is named. By naming the animals, Adam established their destinies. That is what the Bible means when it says, “And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name” (Genesis 2:19).

    You have the power of life and death in your tongue. If you respect that power and speak the words God would speak, your words will be wholesome — a tree of life for many others as well as yourself.

    Saturday, September 3, 2005

    “Now I Will Arise” says the LORD

    For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,
    “Now I will arise,” says the LORD;
    “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”
    (Psalm 12:5)
    God sees the oppression and hears the sighing. He has arisen and is moving His hand to rescue. He does it through His people.
    Blessed is he who considers the poor;
    The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble,
    The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive,
    And he will be blessed on the earth.
    (Psalm 41:1-2)
    Those who bless the poor will themselves be blessed.
    He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD,
    And He will pay back what he gives.
    (Proverbs 19:17)
    The Hebrew word for “pity” means to incline. The word for “poor” refers to those who are weak, thin, dangling. The word for “lend” means to twine, to unite.

    When you incline your ear to the cry of those in great need, opening your heart and your hand toward them, you are entwining your heart with God’s, synchronizing with Him. For He has already inclined His heart and opened His heart and hand toward them.

    Whatever you give in this time of great need, the LORD will pay back, and He always pays back much more than what you give. You will not come up short in any way but will abound with the blessing of the LORD.

    God is arising to help the victims of Katrina, will you entwine your heart with His and let Him arise through you? It will be blessed back to you in greater measure.

    Give to Operation Blessing Hurricane Relief.
    Give to Somebody Cares America Hurricane Relief.
    Give to Salvation Army Hurricane Relief.
    Give to American Red Cross.

    Friday, September 2, 2005

    Father, Reveal Who You Are

    Our Father in heaven,
    Hallowed be Your name.
    (Matthew 6:9)
    A young Christian went to her spiritual mentor and said, “Teach me how to pray.” The mentor answered, “Pray the Lord’s Prayer, but take an hour to do it.” The opening line of the Lord’s Prayer is so loaded with meaning, you can spend an hour on it alone. Consider what it teaches us:

    First, God is not just our Sovereign Creator, He is our Father. Anytime we see the word “father” we know that it is speaking to us about two things:
    • Family name and honor
    • Inheritance
    We bear His name and honor of the Father and share in all that is His.

    Second, the inheritance we have in Him is all of heaven itself. This is not just a matter of going to heaven when we die. It has very much to do with this life, for Jesus also teaches us in this prayer to say, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Because we belong to the family of our Father in heaven, we have an inheritance to bring forth on the earth.

    Third, God is our Father. All who call on Him in this way are linked together. Our relationship with God brings us into relationship with each other. We are in this family together. We share in the inheritance with each other and with Jesus Christ.

    Fourth, there is a uniqueness to the name in which we share. It is a name that is above all principality, power, might and dominion. No other name even comes close to this name. It is the name above all names, and it is full of glory.

    In the prayer, “Hallowed be Your name,” we are calling for the revelation of God’s glory — His greatness and goodness — to be made know. The Message Bible puts it well:
    Reveal who You are.
    In the Bible, a name is not merely a means to get someone’s attention. A name discloses identity, purpose, destiny. In the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam the assignment of calling the animals, of giving them names. It was not a matter of organizing a convenient system of identification, but of establishing what each animal was to be about.

    When God makes His name known to us, He is actually revealing Himself to us, showing us who He is and what He is like. He is offering Himself to us in intimate relationship. To receive, believe and call on the name is to receive, believe and call on Him.

    The mood of this prayer is imperative — that is, it is a command. That is exactly how Jesus authorized us to pray it. To speak this command does not go against the will of God in any way. We are not making Him do something He doesn’t want to do. No, it is completely in line with His will because He longs to reveal Himself to us. But He will not do it unless we ourselves are willing to receive it.

    I am captured by this powerful opening line, and I am praying it wherever I go:

    Father, reveal who You are.
    • Reveal who You are in the businesses, schools and marketplaces of this city.
    • Reveal who You are in the theatres and restaurants.
    • Reveal who You are in the bars, strip clubs, porn shops and red light districts.
    • Reveal who You are in the prisons, county jails and detentions halls.
    • Reveal who You are on the hospital floors, in the E.R., the O.R. and the Paramedic van.
    • Reveal who You are in the bodies of the infirm, the sick and the lame.
    • Reveal who You are in the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf.
    • Reveal who You are in the rescue missions, in the streets, under the bridges—wherever destitute souls seek refuge.
    • Reveal who You are to all peoples and nations, to heads of state and religious leaders.
    • Reveal who You are to the Christian, the Jew, the Muslim—to men of every religion, and to the atheist as well.
    • Especially in this hour, reveal who You are in New Orleans, in Gulfport, in Buloxi, in all the places devastated by Katrina. Reveal who You are the lives of all those who have lost everything to this terrible storm. Reveal Yourself as the God of salvation, protection, provision, healing and restoration. Reveal the light of Your glory in this dark hour.
    Reveal who You are in Jesus’ name, Amen.

    The Lord Jesus Christ has authorized you to bring forth the revelation of the Father into this world. Begin now by praying, “Father, reveal who You are.”

    Thursday, September 1, 2005

    Desire Fulfilled—a Tree of Life

    Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.
    (Proverbs 13:12)
    The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil creates false hope and leads to sickness of heart. But God’s way is a Tree of Life. It is not the squelching of desire, as some suppose, but a fulfillment that brings healing to the brokenhearted.
    Delight yourself also in the LORD,
    And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
    (Psalm 37:4)
    God’s way is delight and desire. When you choose to delight yourself in Him—in His ways, in His Word, in His will — the desires of your heart will be fulfilled. This is because, in choosing Him you are choosing the Tree of Life.
    Praise the LORD, O my soul …
    Who satisfies your desires with good things
    So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
    (Psalm 103:1, 5 NIV)
    Eating from the Tree of Life — getting into deeper personal relationship with God — will develop your passions for the things that give life. God will satisfy every one of them, so that your youth, your strength, your life will be made new.