Receive What He Has Done for You

Good Friday — The best way to honor this day, and more importantly, the day that this day commemorates, is to receive what Jesus did for you on the Cross:

• A great ransom has been paid for you. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10.45).
• He came to find you and save you. "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19.10).
• The works of the devil have been destroyed on your behalf. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3.8).
• Abundant life has been won for you this day. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy," Jesus said, "I have come that they may might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10.10).
• The favor of the LORD is upon you. "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD" (Luke 4.18,19).
• Everlasting life. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3.16).

Receive the salvation, the healing, the freedom from bondage, the prosperity and wholeness in every area of your life that Jesus has won for you on the Cross. Lay hold of it by faith, confessing that Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead (Romans 10.8-9). Give Him thanks and praise His name.

The Commandment of Love

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (1 John 4:20-21)

You cannot love God and hate your brother. It’s impossible.Once, a man who was skilled in the Law of Moses came to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus answered:

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40)

Notice that Jesus said, “The second is like it.” The commandment to love your neighbor as yourself is not given in addition to the first commandment, it is inherent in it. The second is just like the first. They are twins joined together. Break the one and you have broken the other.

If someone does not love his brother, or his neighbor, whom he has seen, then how can he say he loves God, whom he has not seen? The author of Hebrews tells us that “the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3). If we do not love our brother, who was created by the God who is invisible, then we do not love the God who created him.

It’s time to get serious about love. On the night He was betrayed, He spoke to the intimate gathering of His disciples and said, “These things I command you, that you love one another.” The day before Good Friday is known as Maundy Thursday in commemoration of this. Maundy means “commandment” or “mandate.”

On the next day, Good Friday, Jesus powerfully demonstrated His love for God and man through His obedience and sacrifice.

Love God and one another.

Poverty is No Blessing

He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
That He may seat him with princes —
With the princes of His people.

(Psalm 113:7-8)

There are many Christians who have a poverty mentality. They seem to think of poverty as some sort of blessing—not one they want to be blessed with, necessarily — but a blessing nonetheless. These same people also tend to think that prosperity is a sort of curse — but like Tevye the Milkman in Fiddler on the Roof, they would not mind being cursed with it. What these same people do seem to mind, though, is when other people teach that God wants to deliver all His people out of poverty into prosperity.

According to the Bible, however, poverty is not a blessing. Look at Deuteronomy 28, for example. It gives us a list of blessings (vv. 1-14) and curses (vv. 15-68). Poverty, along with sickness and failure, is not found among the blessings, only among the curses.

Some might ask, “But didn’t Jesus bless poverty in the Sermon on the Mount?” No, He didn’t. He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). There is a blessing for the poor, but poverty is not that blessing, nor it is blessed.

“Blessed are the poor.” But the poor are not simply those who have nothing. The poor are those who are totally dependent upon God, who realize that without God, they have nothing. A person can have nothing, and yet be trusting in his own efforts and devices to see him through. That is not who Jesus is talking about. On the other hand, a person may have much wealth, and yet be totally dependent upon God, realizing that, without God, he has absolutely nothing. Such a person is “poor in spirit.”

Now, “poor in spirit” is not a poverty mentality. Jesus is not advocating lack. That would violate the 23rd Psalm, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want [be in lack].” Jesus is advocating trust, and there is great blessing on that. The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). God is not pleased by poverty and He does not reward it all. But faith pleases Him and receives great reward from Him. That is why Jesus declared that the poor in spirit are blessed. They do not possess a poverty mentality, but a blessing mentality.

Poverty is not a blessing. Jesus did not say, “Blessed are the poor, because you are going to stay poor.” No, the poor in spirit — those who trust in God alone — are blessed because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. Jesus was not speaking of future expectation, “the kingdom will one day belong to them,” but of present reality, “theirs is [present tense] the kingdom.” It should be instructive to us that, in the kingdom of heaven, there is no poverty or lack, but prosperity and provision.

Jesus has no intention of leaving those who are poor in spirit in poverty. As the psalm writer said, “He lifts the poor out of the dust … that He may seat him with princes.”

Poverty is not a blessing but a curse. But being lifted out of the dust and seated with princes — that’s abundance of blessing.

The Scandal of Prosperity

Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. (Psalm 35:27)

God has pleasure in the prosperity of His people. But oddly, some of God’s people are scandalized by that teaching. Oh, they are okay about having prosperity for themselves, but they get offended when someone says that God’s will and desire is for all His people to enjoy prosperity. It goes against years of training they have had in the world, and in church teaching influenced by the world — that faith is uncertain, and you never know what God is going to do, that God is out to get you and will make you sick and broke to teach you a lesson.

They ignore God’s continual desire, repeated often in Scripture, to bless His people — not just a little, but a lot, in fact, abundantly (without boundaries). They know the 23rd Psalm: The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want (be in lack), He makes me lie down in green pastures, He anoints my head with oil, my cup runs over. But for them, that is about when we die and go to heaven — never mind the fact that He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. There are no enemies in heaven, so Psalm 23 is a picture of what God desires for His people in this life.

God is not a respecter of persons. What He does for one He desires to do for another. Psalm 23 is for all of us, not just for David and a select few.

A couple of decades ago, many Christians, even pastors, were appalled when Oral Roberts began to teach that “God is a good God” and “Something good is going to happen.”

Then, a few years ago, when Bruce Wilkinson came out with his book on The Prayer of Jabez, many people were scandalized again. How dare he suggest that we can ask God to bless us big, and then expect to receive it!

These same people are once again offended by Joel Osteen’s new book, Your Best Life Now, because he teaches that God wants to bless and prosper His people.

But the Bible portrays the wild extravagance of God toward His people. Look, for example in Deuteronomy 6:

So it shall be, when the LORD your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant — when you have eaten and are full—then beware, lest you forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. (Deuteronomy 6:10-12)

That is God’s idea of blessing on the earth. Notice that the caution is not against prosperity, but against ingratitude. God is not against us having things, but only against things having us and causing us to forget Him.

Now, some will say, “Yeah, but that was for Israel, under the old Mosaic Covenant.” But the New Testament does not do away with the Old Testament. Rather, the New Testament fulfills the Old. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant, based on better promises (Hebrews 8:6).

Instead of being outraged, offended, and scandalized by the abundance of prosperity and blessing God desires towards us, let us lay hold of it by faith, and affirm with David, “Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

God wants to bless and prosper you. Believe it in your heart, confess it with your mouth, and gratefully receive all He has for you, that you might be both blessed and a blessing to all those around you.

Prosperity and the Rightness of God

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. (Psalm 97:2)

What does prosperity have to do with the righteousness of God? Everything. God is not opposed to prosperity. He is not even just neutral about it. He is all for it. As Psalm 35:27 says, “Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

If you study the Hebrew word for “righteousness,” tsedeq, you will discover that it also means “prosperity.”

You see, righteousness is really about rightness. It is the rightness of God, the rightness of His person, and the rightness He has built into the structure of the world.

In fact, says the psalm writer, rightness, along with justice, are the foundation of God’s throne. Rightness is doing what is right, and justice is setting right the things which have somehow ended up wrong. God does what is right and sets things right because He is right.

When the rightness of God prevails in a situation, then prosperity naturally follows. I say “naturally,” because it is the very nature of God’s rightness to prosper. Poverty, lack and failure are not from God. They are not right, so the judgment of God comes to set things right for His people, to bring prosperity, provision and success.

It is the very nature of the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness [‘His way of doing and being right,” Amplified Bible], and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

God’s way is totally good and brings no lack.

If you want prosperity, seek after the rightness of God, that is, His way of doing and being right.

Who is it All About—Really?

I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. (Song of Solomon 6:3)

Today we hear a lot of Christians say, “It’s all about God, all about Jesus.” In fact, I have said that quite a bit myself. It is true enough, and I will continue to say it. But let’s dig into it a little deeper by taking a moment to consider the gospel and ask, Who is it all about?

Well, on the one hand, we say that the Gospel is about Jesus Christ, because it is about what He has done on the Cross. But on the other hand, we also say that the work He did on the Cross, He did for us. After all, if it were not for our tremendous need for redemption, Jesus would not have had to come to redeem us.

So, who is the Gospel all about? Well, its all about Him — and us. Its all about Him because everything is about Him. But its about us because He has made it about us.

And so it is with every aspect of our relationship with God. It is all about God — but He makes it about us, as well. For God is love, and love gives and serves. Solomon revealed this divine reciprocity in the Song of Songs:

I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. (Song of Solomon 6:3)

I am my beloved’s, and His desire is toward me. (Song of Solomon 7:10)

So, to answer the question, Who is it all about? It is all about Jesus — but He makes it about us, too.

We should never make anything all about us, for that leads to barrenness and despair. But recognize that it is all about Him, and let Him make it about us, too, and then there is life and abundance and fruitfulness — for the branches are now abiding in the vine.

Those who receive the Lord Jesus Christ and call on His name belong to Him, and can say along with the Shulamite maid in the Song of Songs, “I am my Beloved’s and He is mine. I am my Beloved’s, and His desire it toward me.” Who is it all about? The Lord — and His beloved.

The Flow of Bold, Perfected Love

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:17-19)

What is the love of God all about in our lives? That we may have boldness in the day of judgment. Boldness is outspokenness, assurance, confidence. As we stand before God, both now and forever, we can have boldness and confidence.

“Because as He is, so are we in this world.” Jesus has boldness before the Father because He is in a perfect love relationship with the Father. This relationship never had need to be perfected, as does our relationship with God, but has always abided in perfection.

In verse 12, John revealed that the love of God has now been perfected in us, if we love one another. Therefore, just as Jesus walked the earth in the perfect love of the Father, so now do we. It is not about what we have done or deserve, it is about His love. There is a tremendous freedom in that, and an empowerment to show forth the love of God in mighty ways, just as the Lord Jesus did.

Just as that perfect love relationship continues between the Father and the Son, so does it continue for us on this planet. The Lord Jesus taught us to pray for the kingdom of God to keep coming forth and the will of God to keep being done on earth as it is in heaven. Now we see that this is actually the flow of God’s love perfected in us. It is the bringing together of heaven and earth, “because as He is, so are we in this world.”

“There is no fear in love.” Fear is the opposite of boldness. There is no confidence or assurance in fear. There is only torment. Fear does not bring torment — fear is torment, and that does not come from God.

If you have fear in your life, it is a sign that you are not yet letting the love of God have its way fully in your life. But you do not have to subject yourself to fear. You can, instead, resist it by bringing it before God, who is love. In the presence of perfect love, fear withers and dies and is no more. Perfect love renders its judgment on fear — and casts it out!

“We love Him because He first loved us.” Here is the perfection of love — He first loved us, and now we love Him. The circle is complete. To love Him includes loving all those whom He loves. There is no torment in that, no fear of judgment, only bold confidence before God. As He is in heaven, so are we on the earth.

If there is any fear, we just need more revelation of God’s love. So ask the Father to reveal it to you. Embrace His love, and meditate upon it. Let it flow into you. Be very intentional about it: “Father, I receive all the love You have for me. I yield myself to the work of Your love in my life. I let go of fear and lay hold of the boldness which comes through Your love.” Be very intentional, also, about letting God’s perfect love flow through you to others by your words and deeds.

Believing the Love

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16)

Notice that he is not simply saying, “We have known and believed God.” Rather, he says, “We have known and believed the love that God has for us.”

This knowledge is not theoretical, but experiential. John is declaring that we have experienced the love God has for us. And in experiencing the love of God, we have experienced God Himself, for God IS Love.

The author of Hebrews said, “He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). John is not the author of Hebrews, but if the Holy Spirit had used him to write it, I believe this verse might well have read, “He who comes to God must believe that He is Love.” And then we would see clearly that the reward that comes to those who diligently seek God actually comes forth from His love — and is there anything that love withholds from its beloved?

There is a great confidence that comes from experiencing the love of God. To paraphrase, We have experientially known and entrusted ourselves to the love God has for us. When we open ourselves to the love God has for us, there is no doubt. All the questions are settled. We quietly abide in faith and in God.

Paul said that faith expresses itself through love (Galatians5:6). This is because, in a very real sense, faith is created and formed by love. In another place, Paul said that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Since God is Love, we may also say it this way: Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Love.

We abide in faith, we abide in love, we abide in God.

Signs of Abiding in God

By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. (1 John 4:13-15)

Are you abiding in God? Is He abiding in you? The Bible says you can know, and the apostle John shows us how.First, remember that this is in the context of the love of God working in us and through us. In verse 12, John said, “If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.”

Now in verse 13, John asserts, “By this we know that we abide in Him, and He is us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” Both verses speak about God’s abiding in us and our abiding in Him. But other than that, what do these verse have to do with one another? What does the Spirit have to do with love? Everything. For the love that has been perfected in us, that works through us and flows to others, is the love that comes by the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Remember that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is “Love, joy, peace …” Love is at the head of the list. Love is the highest expression of everything God is. In fact, as John tells us, God IS Love. So the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Love.

God has given us His Spirit, the Spirit of Love. When we walk in that love and let it flow toward others, the Love of God is doing its work and become a witness to us that we are abiding in Him and He is abiding in us.

But there is also another work the Spirit of God does in us by which we can know that God abides in us and we in Him. For John continues in verse 14, “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.”

In his Gospel, John recalls Jesus speaking about the Holy Spirit, “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14). That is what the role of the Holy Spirit is in us—to glorify Jesus and take the things that belong to Jesus and reveal them to us. He is a witness, resident within us, of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Love that is the fruit of the Spirit is the same love demonstrated by the Lord Jesus when He laid down His life for us. (In John 17, we learn that it is the same love with which the Father loves the Lord Jesus, and the exact same love with which the Father loves us.) In the Book of Revelation, John tells us, “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” In other words, whatever the Holy Spirit says and does in us is always about Jesus.

The Holy Spirit testifies, or gives witness, to us that the Father send the Son to be the Savior of the world. Having this witness within us, we begin to testify to the same thing, and that testimony itself become a sign that we are dwelling in the Father and He in us.

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (v. 15). The apostle Paul reminds us that “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3). Since that is so, the heartfelt confession that Jesus is Lord again becomes a witness to us that we are abiding in God and He is abiding in us.

Is the Spirit of Love at work in you bringing forth love to others? Is the Spirit of Prophecy speaking forth in your life, bearing witness to the testimony of Jesus? These are the signs by which you be confident that you are dwelling in God and God is dwelling in you. If these signs are obscured in your life, repentance and crying out to Jesus are wonderful opportunities for renewal.

How to Increase Your Greatness

You shall increase my greatness,
And comfort me on every side.

(Psalm 71:21)

Here is a man (probably David) who trusts completely in God. “In You, O LORD, I put my trust” (v. 1). Behind the name LORD (all caps) is the Hebrew name Yahweh, the personal name of God, the name by which He revealed Himself in covenant with His people. The writer of this psalm is leaning hard into the covenant God has made with him. His expectation has been set by the promises of God’s protection and provision, and so he is full of confidence in the LORD.

The actions and impulses of his life, his motions and emotions, are consistently focused on Yahweh. “Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually” (v. 3). “My praise shall be continually of You” (v. 6). “But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more” (v. 14).

This is a man who has walked with the LORD for years, faithfully declaring His works (v. 17), and now, even in his old age, his desire is to proclaim the LORD to the next generation. “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come” (v. 18).

He is not settling back to reminisce about the “good old days,” he is pressing forward to prophesy the future to all who will embrace the strength and power of Yahweh. He has become a father to generations. The essence of fatherhood is inheritance, and inheritance is the secret of greatness.

He has a divine perspective on his life; he takes the long view. Though he has known great and severe troubles, troubles which are not yet past, he trusts God to restore him in a powerful way (v. 20). Then, in verse 21, he declares, “You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.” There is a greatness to his life, a majesty of mighty deeds. As he continues steadfastly to declare the righteousness and strength of God to the generations, he sees only increase in greatness. God has him surrounded with comfort on all sides. This echoes an earlier prayer of David, “For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield” (Psalm 5:11).

Yahweh, our covenant God, is a God of abundance. That abundance is released toward those who are abundant toward Him.

God is willing. Are you? Lay hold of the increase of greatness by the consistency of a life that implicitly trusts, thankfully acknowledges, and faithfully declares the goodness and power of God.

Seeing God Through Eyes of Love

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. (1 John 4:12)

God is invisible — that is, He cannot be seen with the human eye. We often tend to value that which can be seen over that which is invisible. But in fact, all that can be seen was made by Him who cannot be seen. So don’t let the invisibility of God throw you.

Now, notice what John does here. He says, “No one has seen God at any time.” Then he follows it up with “If we love one another …” Does that seem abrupt to you? A non-sequitur? I mean, what does loving one another have to do with “No man has seen God at any time?”

Remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). God is invisible, He cannot be seen with the human eye — and yet, it is still possible to see God.

Or what did Jesus say to Nicodemus in explaining the new birth by the Spirit? “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). Jesus is talking about the wind and the Spirit (the Greek word for “wind” and “Spirit” are the same — pneuma).

We cannot see the wind but we can perceive it at work. In the same way, we cannot see God with the human eye, but that doesn’t mean we cannot perceive Him at work. This kind of seeing has to do with purity of heart and with love. “No man has seen God at any time,” John tell us. And yet, “If we love one another, God abides in us.” Not only that, but John adds, “and His love is perfected in us.”

What does love have to do with seeing God? Everything. But it is not just about our love for God or even His love for us. It is about His love working through us — being perfected in us.

If we love one another, God abides in us. This does not mean that God comes to abide in us when we love one another, for we cannot love one another until God does come to abide in us. Rather, our love for one another is the sign that God abides in us and that His love is doing its perfect work in us, fulfilling its mission in us.

In other words, when we love one another, we are seeing God at work. Even though we do not see Him with our physical eyes, we see His love doing its thing. We are experiencing God at a deeper level than our eyes can ever reveal.

Now, go back to the beatitude, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” To be pure in heart means to have an undivided heart, one that is all for God. A divided heart fences off sections from God and from others. It is holding back from God and others and keeps us from loving them freely. God does not hold back His love from us, but we can hold back His love from flowing through us to others. It is only when our hearts are undivided, and we give God free reign in us completely, that we begin to perceive His love perfected in us.

Welcome the rule and reign of God in your heart, giving yourself completely to Him. Let His love do its perfect work in you, reaching out to love one another. Then you shall see God.

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise!

Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
  And the man who gains understanding;
For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
  And her gain than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies,
  And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
Length of days is in her right hand,
  In her left hand riches and honor.

(Proverbs 3:13-16)

Here is God’s desire for His people: Wisdom! Wisdom brings happiness. So, we see that God wants us to be happy. Some will protest, “No, God wants us to be holy,” as if holiness and happiness are in some sort of competition (they are not) and we have to choose between one and the other (we do not).

Other people will want to “spiritualize” the whole thing, by which they actually mean to divorce the spiritual from the material and ignore the material altogether. But what happen in the natural has everything to do with what happens in the spirit, and in fact, flows from the spirit.

Still others will say that these are only principles, not promises. But is God a respecter of persons, doing for one what He will not do for another? No, he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him in faith (Hebrews 11:6). He will show His salvation to all who love Him (Psalm 91:16). Nothing is left out of that salvation.

Even others suggest that, since God is sovereign, we can never know what He’s going to do? But we can know what God is going to do — He’s going to keep His Word. The sovereignty of God does not mitigate that in any way. Rather, His sovereignty is the assurance that He is going to do whatever He has said He will do.

This does not mean that there is nothing that can block us from receiving these things. There are things that can become a great obstacles to fully enjoying God’s blessings. Unbelief is one. Unwillingness to forgive is another. But if we are willing to deal with those roadblocks, God will move heaven and earth to fulfill His Word on our behalf.

Now, notice that Wisdom is pictured as holding out her hands. In her left hand is length of days, that is, long life. God’s promise has as much to do with the natural realm as with the spiritual. This is not a protracted state of feeble, doddering life, but life that is vibrant and healthy. It is youth renewed by that satisfying of our desires with good things (Psalm 103:5). It is life that is fresh and flourishing and fruitful, even in old age, to declare that the LORD is righteous (Psalm 92:14-15).

In her left hand, Wisdom brings forth riches, not only spiritual riches, but material riches as well. “Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who delights greatly in His commandments …Wealth and riches will be in his house” (Psalm 112:1, 3). Here again, wealth and riches has as much to do with the natural realm as with the spiritual.

Wisdom also brings honor. “The LORD will give grace and glory (the NIV says “favor and honor”); no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11). Wisdom releases the favor of God into our lives.

Honor is not an idle “feel good” concept. It has substance to it. The word for honor/glory here is kabod, and literally refers to the weight of good and valuable things. Spiritual blessing, certainly, but also material blessing as well. God does not withhold it from those who walk uprightly, those who walk in wisdom.

God wants you and me to be healthy, wealthy and wise. He wants us happy as well as holy. He wants us to live long and strong on the earth, and to be fresh and flourishing and fruitful, even in our old age. The main thing is to lay hold of the wisdom of God.

The Shepherd of Abundant Life

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have lie, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

Jesus is making a contrast between Himself, as the Good Shepherd (John10:11), and the thief who tries to sneak into the sheepfold. This thief is the devil, false teachers, the spirit of religion, and all who rebel against the authority of God. The thief comes for three purposes:

• To steal. He does not add anything good to your life, but comes to take good away from you.
• To kill. He may promise you a good life, but he actually comes to take your life away. He is a murderer.
• To destroy. He comes to completely destroy you and everything about you — your life, your work, your home, your family, your inheritance.

Many people, even many Christians, believe God comes to steal, that is, to take good things away from us, to kill us or destroy us. They believe He does these things to punish us for sin, to teach us a lesson, or to test our faith in some way. They think He is waiting to pounce on us in judgment.

They’ve got the wrong guy. Jesus, who is the express image of God, does not come to do any of those things. He comes to give life, not just a little, but abundantly. He is overflowing with life, and He comes that you might overflow with it also. He is waiting for you to turn to Him so He can rescue you.

This abundant life is not just about living long, or even living eternally. It is much more. It is a quality of life. It is health and wholeness and prosperity. It is a life filled full to overflowing with the life and blessing of God.

The Shepherd of Prosperity

The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)

Everything about this great Psalm speaks of prosperity and wholeness. We might even say that it is the very definition of peace, the fullness of the Hebrew shalom.

“The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” The LORD supplies all that we need. There is no lack with Him.

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” Sheep lie down when they are full, when they’ve had all they want to eat. The LORD our Shepherd takes us to places where there is more than enough to meet our needs. We don’t lie down in dry, dusty fields, having eaten all the grass. No, He leads us to where the pastures are green, even after we’ve eaten our fill.

“He leads me beside the still water.” There is a place of peace and calm, even in the midst of the storm. And that is where our Shepherd takes us. He gives us to drink from the river of His pleasures (Psalm 36:8).

“He restores my soul.” Restoration to wholeness. We do not come up short in anything.

“He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” He leads us into what is right, what is good, and what leads us into the prosperity of God.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” This is not about death, but about life, for He leads us through the valley of the shadow of death. The devil is the false shepherd who comes to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus is the Good Shepherd who comes to give us life more abundantly (John 10:10).

“For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Our prosperity comes from our relationship with Him. He provides for us, guides and directs us, and gives us His protection.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Here is how we know that this Psalm is not just about heaven, but especially about this present life: We will have no enemies in heaven! God sets that table for us, even in the presence of our enemies. He abundantly satisfies us with the fullness of His house (Psalm 36:8).

“You anoint my head with oil.” This is the sign of His favor and hospitality, but also of His enabling in our lives. The anointing lifts the burden and destroys the yoke (Isaiah 10:27). It is a sign of our prosperity.

“My cup runs over.” Not only are all our needs met, but we have more than enough. Our God is able to make His grace abound to us so that we always have all sufficiency in all things—and abundance for every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8)

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” The prosperity of God in our lives is not a passing thing. It endures all our days. His goodness and mercy are always with us.

“And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” The secret of true prosperity is dwelling with Him. So deep is His love and so rich is His grace toward us, He takes us into His abode. We are not merely welcomed as visitors, but given a dwelling place forever in His presence.

The LORD is our shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd, the shepherd of our prosperity.

Believe the Glory

Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory. (Isaiah 6:3)

In Isaiah’s vision of the LORD, recorded in Isaiah 6, the seraphim, fiery angels of God, declared that the whole earth is full of God’s glory. Think of it — the entire earth is full to overflowing with the glory of God. Always has been, always will be.We don’t have to bring the glory down. It’s already here. Our job is simply to believe it, to get into agreement with it, to think, act and speak according to it.

Father, we need a much greater knowledge of your glory in our world. Give us wisdom and revelation by Your Holy Spirit, that we may know and experience You more and more, and so change our world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I Have Trusted, Therefore I Shall Rejoice

But I have trusted in Your mercy;
  My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
  Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

(Psalm 13:5-6)

Here is a perfect picture of faith and expectation: “I have trusted … I shall rejoice.” What is David trusting in? The mercy of God. This is the Hebrew hesed (pronounced with the guttural ch as in “chanakuh”). It is the covenant love of God, that is, the love by which He covenanted Himself to His people, the promise to always show them His kindness and mercy. It is the steadfast love of the LORD that endures forever (as seen, for instance, in Psalm 136). It is the Old Testament counterpart of the New Testament agape.

Because David has trusted in the steadfast, faithful mercy of God, he has every expectation that he will be rejoicing in its fruit. The word for “rejoice” here is gul, which literally means to spin. It is whirling and twirling with wild delight.

And what is it that David expects to rejoice in? The salvation that comes from God. This salvation is deliverance, healing, restoration, protection, prosperity — whatever is needed for a life of wholeness overflowing with goodness. The Hebrew word is Yeshua, which is the Old Testament name for Jesus.

Because I have trusted in the hesed of God, I will rejoice in His Yeshua. Or, because I have trusted in the steadfast, covenant love of God, I will whirl and twirl with delight in Jesus.

Yes, David is living in between the mercy of God and the salvation He expects to see — or as some put it, between the “Amen!” and the “There it is!” It is a time of patience filled with anticipation. David knows fulfillment is coming, and he has no doubt that soon he will be kicking up his heels with powerful emotion, with dancing and singing. In fact, he is ready now to begin celebrating, and why not? “I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” He is considering it a done deal, so let the party begin!

Are you trusting in the faithful mercy and love of God — His hesed, His agape? Then rejoice. Let your heart spin with delight, let your feet kick up in dance, let your voice bellow in joyful songs of praise, because the salvation of God is starting to unfold in your life. Jesus has all that you need, all that your truly desire, and He has come to dwell inside you. So relax into Him by faith, and let the celebration start.

Laying Hold of Prosperity

It is quite possible for a person to prosper in their soul and yet not be experiencing prosperity in all things. We see this in John’s prayer for Gaius: “I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2).

Gaius was, apparently, very prosperous in his soul. And yet, here was John praying for him to prosper in all things (that is, material blessing and success in earthly endeavors). Gaius had soul prosperity, but still needed the prosperity of health in his body. Prosperity of soul, though necessary to sustained health and prosperity in all other things, does not make them automatic. They must be appropriated. That is, we must lay hold of them.

God has provided these things — soul prosperity, bodily health and prosperity in all things—for all His people. For He is no respecter of persons. What He desired to do for Gaius, He desires to do for you and me, as well. But we must know how to receive them as our own.

But first, let’s deal with a problemof thinking that often blocks us from receiving, the question of our worthiness. Many Christians think that they are simply unworthy to receive the blessings of the Lord. But they should not feel that way at all. If they have received the Lord Jesus Christ, then they are accounted as righteous before God, not with their own righteousness, but with the righteousness of Jesus Christ Himself. This means that when God looks at us, He sees Jesus. There is no question in His mind about our worthiness before Him, for Jesus is completely worthy. So there should be no question in our mind either, not if we are trusting in Jesus.

Now, just as the salvation of our souls is a matter of faith, not of works, so it is with our prosperity. We receive it by faith. The Bible says that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. For the Word of God reveals the will of God, God’s plan and purpose for His people. As an apostle writing under divine inspiration, John, in his prayer for Gaius, reveals the heart of God for all His people — He wants us to prosper in all things and be in health. Therefore, prosperity is about what God says, and not about what we do. We do not need to somehow come up with our own prosperity. All we need to do is believe the Word of God and do what He says. Then the prosperity of God will start to show up in our lives.

Are you ready to believe God’s Word and His desire to prosper you in all things, as expressed in 3 John 2? Then begin to lay hold of that prosperity by faith. Instruct your soul, “I have the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, I am worthy of God’s blessing and prosperity. I now receive His prosperity in every area of my life.” In this way you will begin to bring your heart and mind into line with the promises of God. Then watch with expectation for you prosperity to begin to manifest.

Exercising Your Authority to Bless

We believe that God is a God of blessing, and that He has authorized us as agents of His blessing. We are learning and stretching out in this area. For instance, when we go out to eat now, we not only bless our own food, but all the food in the joint, that there might be a revelation of the goodness of God and an experience of His peace in those places.

Now, when I say, “bless the food,” I do not just mean that we ask God to bless it for us. Jesus gave us authority to bless when He taught us to pray, “Your [the Father’s] will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” So we take that authority and exercise it even when we pray at meal time — “I bless this food in Jesus’ name” — believing that the will of God will be done in that food, exactly as His will is being done in heaven. Can you imagine eating food that is charged with the power of heaven? Now go a step further and imagine charging it with the power of heaven! Every believer is an authorized agent.

Take the authority you have in the Lord Jesus Christ — the authority of His name, the authority of His blood, the authority of how He taught us to pray — and begin bringing forth the blessing of God’s kingdom upon the earth. The world does not need our condemnation, it needs the blessing of heaven to transform it into what He has called it to be.

Matter and Matters of the Spirit

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)

Many Christians seem to have an either/or mentality when it comes to prosperity. Either you can prosper in the world and in material things, or else you can prosper in your soul — but you cannot do both. They pit one against the other.

The apostle John, however, very conspicuously brings them both together. “I pray that you may prosper in all things … just as your soul prospers.” Expressing the heart of God, he links them together, laying one on top of the other. There is a priority, prosperity of the soul, but they both work together.

You see, there is no conflict between the material world and the Spirit, as some suppose, for the material world comes forth from the realm of the Spirit. The problem occurs when people focus exclusively on one side or the other. On one hand, there are people who believe that reality is completely and only about the material world, that which we can experience with our senses. On the other hand, there are people who think that the material world is inherently evil and that only the spiritual realm is good, or of any value.

Both views miss the mark completely — they do not represent Biblical truth. They utterly miscomprehend the purpose of God and the nature of the universe. There is no contradiction between the natural and the spiritual, or between heaven and earth. Notice how Jesus brought the two together in the Lord’s Prayer when He taught us to pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God is not out to eliminate that which pertains to the earth, to do away with the material world. Rather, He is out to bring the earth into line with the prosperity and wholeness of heaven.

God has blessed the natural world with His presence. This was the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ — the Second Person of the Godhead taking on human flesh to dwell in the material world. His purpose was not to destroy, but to redeem. In Romans 8, Paul tells us that all of creation is groaning together, waiting for the revelation of that redemption to unfold.

In the early Church, there was a group of people who taught that spirit is good, but matter is evil. These were the Gnostics, and they were roundly condemned as heretics. A similar group taught the Jesus was spirit, but did not really come in the flesh. These also were rejected by the early Church because they were not consistent with the apostolic witness.

The apostle John, in his first epistle, dealt with an early manifestation of such teachers when he wrote,

Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. (1 John 4:2-3)

So John is fully consistent with the will and purpose of God when he says, “I pray that you may prosper in all things.”

God wants you to prosper in the world as well as in your soul. He wants to bring His redemptive work into all things, and He wants to do it through you. So embrace His grace, believe His Word, and come into agreement with His wonderful plan for you, your family, your home and your business — these are your ministries.

The Life-Changing Message

While I’m thinking about it: The message does not come forth just because there is information. It comes forth because there is anointing — an impartation from God that removes burdens and destroys yokes (Isaiah 10:27). And it comes forth because there is a revelation of the heart of God. Then the message moves far beyond information to transformation.

Material, Earthly Blessing

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)

The Greek word for “prosperity,” euodoo, literally means a good journey, that is, one that goes well and successfully reaches its destination. In its general application, it means to be successful, to do well, to be fulfilled, even to abound.

Hear the words of two venerable Bible teachers from the past, on the meaning of prosperity in all things in 3 John 2:

It would apply here to any plan or purpose entertained. It would include success in business, happiness in domestic relations, or prosperity in any of the engagements and transactions in which a Christian might lawfully engage.

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Prosperity in secular affairs. That thou mayest Prosper and be in Health, even as thy Soul Prospereth. These three things, so necessary to the comfort of life, every Christian may in a certain measure expect, and for them every Christian is authorized to pray; and we should have more of all three if we devoutly prayed for them.

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible

Prosperity “in all things” refers specifically to prosperity in material things and in earthly endeavors. John does not ignore the prosperity of the inner man, the soul and the spirit. Far from it! Rather, he teaches us that prosperity of soul is the foundation for material and physical prosperity. There is no true prosperity which does not first bring the soul into line with the will of God.

Let God set your heart in order, then boldly believe Him to prosper you in all things — in your home, your family, your finances, your business. He is not a God of failure, but of success, and He will cause you to fulfill your destiny of blessing on the earth.

Prosperity in All Things

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)

John was not merely being cordial in this statement. He was the most contemplative of the Gospel writers, and did not use his words loosely. He meant exactly what he said.

Nor should we assume that John’s words have no bearing on the will of God for his people. For John was writing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Everything he wrote in his epistles accurately represents the will of God for His people.

Nor should we assume that this prosperity was intended only for Gaius, the recipient of John’s letter. John did not include this prayer in all his epistles. He opens with it here by the leading of the Holy Spirit, no doubt, and probably because this represented a particular need in Gaius’ life.

God is not respecter of persons. That is, He does not do for one what He is not willing to do for all who come to Him. If God wanted Gaius to prosper in all things, and be in health, just as his soul prospered, then that is what God desires for you and me, as well.

God wants us to prosper in all things. This is because everything is a spiritual issue. There is not one single thing in the universe that does not relate to the spiritual dimension. That is because everything in the world comes forth from the spirit. The heavens and the earth were created by God, who is Spirit, and they were created by the Word of His mouth.

So, prosperity in every area of life is a matter of the spirit. That’s why John said, “That you may prosper and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” If you are not prospering in your soul, the basis for prosperity in every other area of your life has not yet been established within you. First things first. Attend to the matters of the heart, your inner man, you spirit being, and then you will be prepared for prosperity in everything else.

How is your soul? Are you walking in faith, which expresses itself through love? Have you forgiven all those who have wronged you? Forgiveness is a requirement of both love and faith. Are you learning how to hear the voice of the Father and obey Him quickly? Is your heart troubled, or are you trusting God to take care of you in all things? My prayer for you today is that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Spiritual Substance

Substance is the underlying reality of a thing. Without substance, a thing does not exist. The underlying reality of the universe is spiritual in nature. God, who created the heavens and the earth, is spirit. The natural realm comes forth from the spiritual. Without the spiritual, the physical realm would cease to be. Spiritual substance is the underlying reality of everything. Understanding this helps us begin to grasp how Jesus was able to do the things He did:

• When Jesus turned water into wine, He was dealing with spiritual substance, the underlying reality of both water and wine.
• When He multiplied the loaves and the fish to feed the five thousand, He was working with the spiritual substance underlying the bread and meat.
• When He walked on water, He was walking on spiritual substance, the underlying reality of water.
• When the woman with the issue of blood touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, she was laying hold of the spiritual substance, the underlying reality of her wholeness. It manifest in the natural, for Jesus felt power go out of Him and the woman immediately experienced her healing.
  

Let’s go a little further. The spiritual substance which forms the foundation for everything is actually the Word of God. The Bible says, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3). Now we can understand more of how Jesus did what He did:

• When He commanded the waves and the wind, He was speaking the Word of God, which causes things to be.
• When He commanded the fig tree, He was speaking the Word, dealing with the spiritual substance which was the underlying reality of that tree.
• When He commanded demons to go, He was exercising the spiritual substance of the Word of God.
• When He taught the disciples to speak to the mountain, He was instructing them in how to lay hold of the spiritual substance, the underlying reality of the mountain.
  

We need to change our thinking to realize that everything that exists is spiritual at its foundation — or else it could not exist at all. Food, money, houses, cars, the human body — these may all be physical concerns, but they are also spiritually-based.

Now, we can deal with all these things in the natural, but then we are only approaching them at a superficial level. We may have a little success this way, but it is limited, because we are only dealing with symptoms.

Because these things are all spiritually-based, the most effective way to deal with them, at the foundational level, is with the Word of God, the spiritual reality which lays under everything in the universe.

What does the Word of God say about all these things? That’s the real question we need to ask, and then line ourselves up with that. Listen to the Word of God, which cause faith to come, then proclaim it to the circumstances in your life. That’s getting down to the root of things, where true change can happen. For the facts of the world must line up with the truth of the Word.

The Algebra of Casting Out Fear

Evil is the lack of Good.
Fear is the lack of Faith.
Hate is the lack of Love.

Faith works through Love.
Fear works through hate.

Faith comes by hearing the Word of Love (for God is Love).
Fear comes by hearing the word of hate (the lies of the devil).

No wonder, then, that perfected love casts out fear! (1 John 4:18)

Deal with fear by meditating on the Word of Love. Faith will come; fear will go.

Hearing the Word of Love

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)

God is Love. (1 John 4:8)

Since God is Love, and faith comes by hearing the Word of God, we may just as well say that faith comes by hearing the Word of Love. No wonder, then, that faith expresses itself through love (Galatians 5:6). Call it The Algebra of Faith. The greater your love, the greater your faith.

Faith Brings Expectation

Expectation is the sign that your faith has been activated. The Bible says that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1). The word for “hope” means to have an anticipation, a positive expectation.

Jesus also related faith to expectation. He said, “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says” (Mark 11:23).

If you get down and pray about something, then get up and have no expectation that it is going to happen, then you have not activated your faith for it. If you pray and then say, “Well, I guess we’ll see what happens,” you don’t have a living expectation, and you have not yet released your faith into the situation.

Faith is the substance, the underlying reality of the things you expect to see come to pass. Expectation is the evidence that your faith has been activated as is powerfully at work to bring it to pass.

Faith is Word-based. It comes by hearing the Word of God, and God’s Word is completely trustworthy. So when we take God at His Word, and release it into our lives by what we say, we can be confident that we will have whatever we say. That expectation is the sign of a lively and active faith at work. If you have no expectation, the answer is simple. Go back to the Word until faith comes, then turn it loose by your words.

Worthless or Faithful?

I will sing of mercy and justice;
  To You, O LORD, I will sing praises.
I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
  Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

(Psalm 101:1-2)

Read, mark and inwardly digest, as David declares his intention and his integrity before the LORD. He will sing in praise of God’s mercy and justice. This is the hesed, the lovingkindness, the steadfast love promised by God. Justice is the trustworthy judgment of God that comes and sets things right.

He will behave wisely in a perfect way. He will walk in the wisdom of God and live in integrity and truth. He does not mean that he is without flaw, but that he will be honest in all his dealings. When he messes us, he will make it right. He is transparent — “What you see is what you get.” He will act with integrity, that is, with wholeness — he will be the same in private as he is in public.

I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
  I hate the work of those who fall away;
  It shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall depart from me;
  I will not know wickedness.

(Psalm 101:3-4)

He will set nothing wicked before his eyes. The word for “wicked,” belial, can mean that which is evil. Or it can mean that which is destructive. Or it can mean that which is simply worthless, without any redeeming value. David does not merely avoid the evil, or even just the destructive — he will not set any worthless thing before his eyes.

He will show no favor to the works of those who turn aside from rightness, truth and integrity. He will not honor those who do not honor the LORD (Psalm 1:1-4). He will live with a smoothness of heart, so that the works of the worthless will find no place to stick to him.

He will give no place in his life to those of a perverse heart. A perverse heart is one that is deceitful, false. He will not show any honor, or tolerance, to that which is evil.

Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,
  Him I will destroy;
The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
  Him I will not endure.

(Psalm 101:5)

He will not tolerate gossip or slander. Those who do will be gone from his life, cut off from fellowship with him. Nor will he allow any room for those with swelled heads and arrogant hearts.

My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land,
  That they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a perfect way,
  He shall serve me.

(Psalm 101:6)

He will set his eyes on the faithful — the faith-filled ones — and they shall have a place in his heart. The word for “faithful” is aman. It is the word for faith, and also for believe. In Genesis 15:6, where Abraham “believed” God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, the word “believed” is aman. A man who is truly full of faith will walk with integrity and transparency. He will do what is right because he believes God. Those are the ones David desires to surround himself with in his court.

Now, David did not always keep these resolutions. Far from it! But to the extent that he honored what was full of faith, he did very well. It was when he gave place in his life to worthless things that he experienced crisis in his heart, unnecessary division in his family, and painful failure that could have been avoided.

What you set before your eyes, you will tolerate in your life and eventually honor in your heart. Will you tolerate worthless things? They will lead you to destruction, or at best, mediocrity. Or will you set your eyes on those who are full of faith, who walk with integrity, trusting in the LORD? Surround yourself with them, and honor them in your heart, and they will cause you to rise above the crowd.

The Servant God

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

We were made to love and to serve. We were made in the image of God. God is love, and love gives and serves. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. The Son came, not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life for us.

Many people think that it is somehow demeaning to take the role of a servant. But the example of the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us that that is not so. He came expressly in the servant role, and even humbled Himself to the point of death on the Cross. This was not the lowest expression of His personhood, but the highest.

Being a servant does not demean us, it enlarges us. It does not bring us down into something, it lifts us up into something.

Jesus instructed His disciples, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant” (Mark 10:42-43).

By this, Jesus did not mean that we should be become servants so that one day we can be great leaders and no longer need to serve. No, the world thinks that way, and so do many Christians. But that is not what we are called to. Being a servant is not the journey to greatness — it is the destination. Taking on the role of the servant role is greatness itself, because it is in this role that we come to understand the heart of God.

We do not lose anything by being the servant of all. Rather, we come to understand greatness, and we become like our Father God, who is love.

The Algebra of Stillness

Be still and know that the LORD is God and God is love.
(Psalm 46:10; 1 John 4:8)

Don’t Let the devil Outsmart You

For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. (2 Corinthians 2:10-11 New King James Version)

Or check out how these other translations have it. Notice that the issue under consideration in these verses is forgiveness.

And when I forgive this man (for whatever is to be forgiven), I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, so that satan will not outsmart us. For we are very familiar with his evil schemes. (New Living Translation)

In order that satan might not outwit us. (New International Version)

We don’t want satan to win any victory here, and well we know his methods! (J. B. Phillips)

After all, we don’t want to unwittingly give satan an opening for yet more mischief — we’re not oblivious to his sly ways! (The Message)

So that satan would not win anything from us. (New Century Version)

To keep satan from getting the better of us. We all know what goes on in his mind. (Contemporary English Version)

That we may not be over-reached by the adversary. (Young’s Literal Translation)

Has the devil taken advantage of you? Outsmarted you? Outwitted you? Won a victory over you? Received an opening to bring more trouble into your life? Won anything over you? Over-reached you? If there is anybody in your life that you are not willing to forgive, then the devil has done all these things to you.

Failure to forgive does us no good. What is worse, when we refuse to forgive, we open ourselves up to great harm — the devil has our number. But it does not have to be that way. Paul says that we have the devil’s number. We know his ways, his thoughts, his intentions. We know what’s going on in his mind. We can turn the tables on him and do something he is not prepared to for us to do. We can learn how to forgive in the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. That takes the wind right out of the devil's sails.

Don’t let the devil outsmart you. Outsmart him instead. Get the victory over him. Get the better of him. Outwit him and shut the door to any further mischief from him. It's very simple: If you have anything against anyone — forgive!

Jesus’ Modus Operandi

And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him. (John 8:29)

Jesus always did those things that please the Father. That was the modus operandi for His entire life and ministry — everything He did! If it was not pleasing to the Father, Jesus was not doing it. Simple as that.

• He spoke only those things which He heard the Father speaking (John 8:28).
• He did only those things which He saw the Father doing (John 5:19).
• He judged only as He heard the Father judging (John 5:30).
• He willed only as the Father willed (John 5:30).
  

Everything Jesus did was totally about the Father, and that pleased God.

When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended as a dove, and the voice of the Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

On the Mount of Transfiguration, when the glory of God overshadowed, Jesus face and clothes shone with the brightest light, and the voice of the Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (Matthew 17:5)

The Gospel of Matthew records a third instance where God expressed pleasure in His Beloved, Jesus. Matthew is quoting from Isaiah 42. “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in who My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles” (Matthew 12:18).

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Since everything Jesus did pleased the Father, then everything He did must have been all about faith — taking the Father at His Word.

Pleasing the LORD is simple — it all comes down to faith. It did for Jesus, and it does for us. If the M.O. of Jesus was simply to please the Father, to do what He saw the Father doing, and say what He heard the Father saying, then what ought our M.O. be? If it is impossible to please the Father without faith, then what ought our discipleship to look like?

The Pleasure of God

What do you get for the person who has everything? That has always been a stumper. Now take it up to the nth degree — How do you please God?

It’s not hard. The Bible speaks of a number of things that please Him.

1. The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him.

He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy. (Psalm 147:10-11)

To fear the Lord means to love, honor and stand in awe of Him, to love what He loves and hate what He hates, to seek His favor above all else, and to avoid His displeasure at all cost. In the parallelism of Hebrew poetry, we see in this passage that those who fear the LORD are the ones who hope in His mercy — that is, they put their trust in Him.

The Hebrew word for “pleasure” is ratsah. To take pleasure in someone means to be satisfied with, to set one’s affection on, to delight in, enjoy, and show favor to them. The LORD is fully satisfied with those who love and trust Him. They are the object of His affection. He delights fully in them and shows them the abundance of His favor.

2. The LORD takes pleasure in His people.

For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;
He will beautify the humble with salvation. (Psalm 149:4)

God has chosen a people — all those who love and trust in Him—and He beautifies them with salvation. To beautify means to adorn, to glorify. The Hebrew word for “salvation” here is Yeshua, which the name of Jesus. Jesus is the salvation of all who come humbly in faith before God. They are adorned with the Lord Jesus Christ, to share in His glory.

3. The LORD takes pleasure in the prosperity of His people.

Let the LORD be magnified,
Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. (Psalm 35:27)

The word for “pleasure” here is chaphets, which means to desire, delight in, have pleasure in. God delights in, and greatly desires, the prosperity of His people. “Prosperity” is the word shalom, the Hebrew word for peace. It refers to complete wholeness and well-being. God desires this fullness for all His people. The apostle John expressed God’s will when he said, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2).

Let the name of the LORD be magnified, exalted and full of glory because of His great goodness toward His people.

4. The LORD is pleased to deliver His people.

Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
O LORD, make haste to help me! (Psalm 40:13)

The LORD delights to deliver all those who belong to Him, all who call on His name. He does not leave them in their predicament, but comes to snatch them away.

5. Faith pleases God.
All these things please the LORD, but not without faith.

Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Without faith, it is impossible to please Him. But with faith, it is impossible not to please Him, for faith is taking God at His Word, and God rewards that greatly. He is entirely pleased and satisfied when we believe Him, and delighted when we seek after Him.

It is very simple to please God. Just love, honor and trust Him. Take Him at His Word. He will pour out His favor and cause you to prosper. He will deliver you in time of trouble and show you His salvation — Jesus.

The Algebra of Love

God is love. Love gives and serves.
(1 John 4:8; John 3:16; Mark 10:45)

Holy and Happy

In Your presence is fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11)

Here is holiness and happiness together. The presence of the LORD is holy — always has been, always will be. When Moses stood apart to behold the burning bush, the Lord called out his name told him to take off his shoes. He was on holy ground — God was present in purpose and power.

God is holy and His presence is holy. That does not at all preclude joy, but is, in truth, the very foundation of joy. To enter into the holiness of God is to enter into pure happiness.

Many Christians fail to understand the relationship between being holy and being happy. Some are willing to do unholy things because, “God wants me to be happy.” Others believe you cannot truly be holy unless you are actually unhappy. Both ways are huge distortions and lead only to destruction.

God is holy, but He is not a crank. To be holy means to be set apart. God is holy because He is set apart from everything else — there is none greater than Him. He is Lord over all. He is totally unique — holy.

God’s people are holy because they have been set apart for God’s special purposes. Holiness is not what we do, it is what we are. It is about identity and relationship, relationship with God. Performing certain acts does not make us holy. But if we enter into relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and begin to understand our identity in Him, we will begin to live in ways which are harmonious with God’s holiness.

The first question of the Westminster Catechism, an instructional guide produced for the Church in the 1600s, asks: “What is the chief end of man?” That is, what is the purpose for which we have been made?

Answer: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” John Piper, Baptist pastor and theologian, thinks we should amend that to read: The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. If we are not enjoying God well, be we are probably not glorifying Him very well either.

The Bible says that God is love, and that He is a consuming fire. Both are expressions of His holiness. As we get closer to God, His love will burn out everything that does not come from Him, everything that keeps us from fulfilling the destiny and purpose for which we were created, everything that keeps us from experiencing true joy.

Now, joy is not a quiet thing, but a very exuberant thing. Many times the Old Testament exhorts us to “shout for joy.” This is often found even behind the word “rejoice.” In the New Testament, one of the words for “rejoice,” agalliao, literally means to “jump for joy.”

Shouting and jumping—that’s God’s idea of joy!

The LORD your God in your midst,
    The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
    He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.

(Zephaniah 3:17)

When are now in the time of which this passage speaks, the days of Jesus the Messiah. God is with us by His Spirit. He has come as a powerful warrior, mighty to save, and He rejoices over us.

The first “rejoice” used here refers to expressions of mirth, gladness, gaiety and pleasure. God not only rejoices over us, but He rejoices with gladness (simcha). The KJV says He “rejoices over you with joy.” It is joy multiplied by joy. But the extent of His pleasure is even greater than that, as God pours out His love over us.

The second rejoice (gul) means to spin with powerful emotion. God whirls and twirls over us with great passion and love. Pure joy!

Holiness and happiness belong together. Be holy, and happiness will follow. If you are holy, but not happy, you’ve gotten the holiness part wrong. Look to Jesus, and give yourself completely to Him. Holiness is not about you and what you have or have not done. As in all things in the Christian life, holiness is about Jesus, and happiness follows.

God invites you to enter into the holiness of His presence, that you may dance with Him in great joy and experience His deep happiness with Him. And that is the most holy thing in all the world.

The Straight Glory

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in Truth. (John 4:24)

The word “orthodoxy” is from a Greek compound: orthos and doxa. Orthos means “straight” or “upright.” We go to the orthodontist to have our teeth straightened. Orthopedic surgeons straighten out structural deformities of the bone. Doxa means “glory.” It is a word of praise and worship. When we sing or speak a “doxology,” we are speaking a word of praise to God, a word the glorifies Him.

We were made to glorify God. The first principle of the Westminster Catechism says, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

There is an old Latin saying in the Church: Lex orendi, lex credendi, the way we pray is the way we believe. How do you glory in God? How do you pray? What is the content of your worship? These reveal what you truly believe.

The way you glory in God, is it straight, is it upright? Does it correctly portray God? Does it stand up next to what He has established? Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in Truth” (John 4:24). Do you worship in Spirit and in Truth?

Our worship must be in Spirit and in Truth. Truth is a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, “I am the Truth” (John 14:6). So our worship must be according to who Jesus is, the Son of God, the Word made flesh (John 1:14).

Worship is a spiritual activity. That is, it is an activity of the Holy Spirit at work in our spirit. The Bible says, “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3). So our worship must directed by the Holy Spirit.

The Word and the Spirit will always be in perfect agreement with what God has revealed in the Scriptures.

God is Spirit, so the worship that properly glorifies God is that which is directed by the Holy Spirit and exalts the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lending to the LORD

He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD,
And He will pay back what he has given. (Proverbs 19:17)

Did you know that you can actually lend to the LORD, and He will pay you back? That’s what this verse is saying. The word for “pity” means to be gracious, to show favor. Literally, it is to bend or to stoop down in kindness. Here again, the word for “poor” means “dangling,” and refers to someone who is very much in need.

The word for “lend” literally means to twine, or to unite. That is what borrowing and lending does, it creates a bond, even an obligation. The man who shows favor to the poor actually lends to the LORD, and that places the LORD in his debt. Oh, how that idea offends the religious spirit, but that is clearly what the Scripture implies. God allows Himself to be in our debt.

Now, the lender/debtor relationship that is implied here is not one of animosity. The lending and repaying are not done in a begrudging way. Rather, it is a delightful partnership that is being depicted. For why is showing favor to the poor understood as lending unto the LORD? Because God identifies His heart with the poor. They are of special concern to Him. The desire of His heart is to lift them up out of the ashes and bring them into His abundance. So, when we show favor to the poor, we are actually identifying with God’s heart, partnering with Him in His good pleasure. We have touched the heart of God, and there is great reward in that.

Our God is a God who repays. In Jeremiah 51:56, He is called Yahweh El Gemulah, the LORD God of Recompenses. Often in the Old Testament, the recompense is negative, i.e., God repaying the wicked for their wickedness. But His recompense also works very positively.

It’s a matter of sowing and reaping, and Yahweh is the Lord of the Harvest. We discover this principle in the New Testament:

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (Galatians 6:7-9)

So it is with our lending to the LORD. It is a seed we sow. And when we sow, we reap. If we sow well, we reap well. If we sow bountifully, we reap bountifully. If we sow sparingly, we reap sparingly.

What we give to God is a seed, what God gives to us is a harvest, and the harvest is always greater than the seed. What we sow is what we reap. Sow favor, and reap favor. Sow thorns, and you will not like your harvest.

God will “pay back.” The word used here means to reciprocate, to make complete. It is a restoration, a fulfillment. The circle is complete. But don’t stop there. Let the circle keep going by reaching out more and more to those who are in need of God’s kindness shown through you. When we show grace, He shows grace back to us. When we prosper the poor, God prospers us. God always repays, and He always repays BIG!

How to Be Blessed On the Earth

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)

To be blessed means to have heaven on your side, the favor of God to go before you, and the power and goodness of God at work on your behalf. The Hebrew word for “poor” literally refers to one who is dangling. They may be poor in finances, in health, in relationships, in wisdom — any or all of these—and “hanging by a thread.” They are thin, weak, or in lack in some way, and they need help.

To consider is to think about something in a purposeful way, with intent to act. It means to guide with wisdom and prudence, to prosper. To consider the poor is not just about sympathizing with their situation, but about extending a hand, and even acting on their behalf. When we act on their behalf, we will find that God is likewise acting on ours.

When we open our heart towards the poor, the blessing of God comes upon us. It is not that God’s heart was closed toward us before, and now He has opened it because we have considered the poor. No, His heart has always been open toward us, only our heart was not open toward Him. But when we open our heart toward the poor, we are also opening our heart toward God — because His heart is to help the poor — and now His blessing is free to flow into our lives.

Notice that David, who penned this psalm, refers to the covenant name of God — Yahweh. This is indicated by the name “LORD,” rendered all in capital letters. Yahweh is the name by which God revealed Himself in covenant with people. It is extended to us in the name of Jesus, which in the Hebrew is Yeshua, a contraction of the name Yahweh, and yasha, a word signifying “salvation.”

The blood of Jesus is our eternal covenant with God. The essence of the covenant, in the Old and New Testaments, is that we belong to God, and He belongs to us. We act on His behalf, and He acts on ours. Notice how this plays out for the one who considers the poor:

“The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.” The word for “deliver” literally means to be smooth. The LORD makes him smooth, to slip away and escape in the time of trouble.

“The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive.” To preserve means to hedge about on all sides, to watch over and protect.

“And he will be blessed on the earth.” The blessing is not for heaven, but from heaven. It is for here and now upon the earth. The blessing is the will of God being done on earth as it is in heaven, for heaven is all about blessing. Being blessed on the earth is the joining together of heaven and earth.

There’s even more to the blessing, for the psalm continues:

You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
The LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness;
You will sustain him on his sickbed. (Psalm 41:2-3)

God will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. Here, the word “deliver” means to hand over. God will not hand him over to his enemies. No, God causes him to escape the enemy in safety. The will of God prevails over the will of the enemy.

“The LORD will strengthen him on his sickbed.” When he is infirm and on a bed of sickness, God will replace weakness with strength. He will sustain him on his sickbed. The word for “sustain” means to turn, overturn, overthrow. The KJV says, “Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.” The word “all” means all. This is total restoration and healing. The whole situation will be completely turned around.

Get to know the heart of the Father by spending time with Him in the Word, in worship, and in prayer. Let Him open up your heart toward the poor, to reach your hand toward them in practical ways. You will experience the flow of God’s love working in and through you, and all the favor of heaven will be released into your life. You will be blessed on the earth.

How to Forgive By Faith

If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, “Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,” and it would obey you. (Luke 17:6)

Wait a minute — did I get the right verse for today’s topic? What do mustard seeds and mulberry trees have to do with learning how to forgive? Well, Jesus was talking about offenses and how to deal with them:

Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him: and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, “I repent,” you shall forgive him. (Luke17:3-4)

Now, people don’t generally mind rebuking a brother. In fact, it comes quite naturally (at least in our fallen human nature). But when Jesus said to rebuke, it wasn’t a license to act mean and nasty, or to be self-satisfied (which often seems to be what we take “rebuke” to mean). When someone offends us, we want to “tell them off.”

That’s not what Jesus was talking about. Yes, there are times when we must deal seriously with a matter, and we should never back down from that. But we must always be careful to do it in love, seeking the good of the other person involved.

We don’t mind repentance, as long as it is somebody else who is doing it. If someone offends us, and then comes back and apologizes — well, we can often just go ahead and let it go, and it makes us feel, you know, sort of magnanimous. (We have a nasty habit of making everything about us, don’t we? It’s the fallen nature again.)

But seven times in one day? That’s pushing it. I mean, how much of this treatment are we supposed to take? Plus, its one thing when they offend us, and then they repent. What about when they don’t repent? Are we still supposed to forgive?

Yes.

In another place, Jesus said, “Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25). No repentance mentioned here, not even a hint. Just forgive.

Okay, that really tests our limits now, doesn’t it? But we’re not in bad company, because it tested the disciples as well. When Jesus told them to forgive the brother seven times, the disciples suddenly became aware of a great inadequacy in themselves, particularly in their faith.

The apostles — that’s what Luke calls them at this point — said to Jesus, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). Yeah, if they were going to have to offer this kind of forgiveness, they were really going to need to reckon with their faith.

You see, like everything else in the Christian life, forgiveness is a matter of faith. For when we forgive, we are giving up something. Will God “make up the difference” for us? It takes faith to trust Him to do that.

So Jesus began talking about mustard seeds and mulberry trees: “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you” (Luke 17:6).

Faith is like a mustard seed, and like a mustard seed, it must be planted to do any good. The size of the seed is not important. What you do with it is. But how do you plant the faith “seed?”

Jesus tells us: “Say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,” and it will obey you.”

Ah, yes. You plant your faith “seed” by what you say. It is the same way with forgiveness. Forgiveness requires faith, and faith is a seed that you plant by what you say.

So the way you forgive is to say, by faith, “I forgive.” You may not feel like you have forgiven. You may even feel anger rising up again because of the offense. But you must cease from being moved by your feelings and stand with your faith: “I forgive.” As often as the offense comes to mind, and as often as feelings of anger rise up, reassert your faith: “I forgive.”

As you take your stand in faith and forgive, you will eventually find that the offense has been uprooted from your life. It is no longer chained to you — you have released it by faith. It is no longer a stumbling block for you — you have removed it by faith. It has been cast into the sea, by faith. Now you are free to move forward in your life.

Faith Partners With Patience

Imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:12)

Faith and patience go together. That is part of the nature of faith. Faith is not about what you can see right now, it is about what you cannot yet see. Remember, “Faith is the substance of things hoped [expected], the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

Faith is expecting that which you do not yet see, and so it takes some time between the believing and the seeing.

Faith is a seed. Have you ever heard of a seed that you can plant and immediately see harvest? Of course not. You plant the seed, then go about your business, letting the seed do its work in the soil. It germinates, then it sprouts, then it comes up on stem, then it puts forth its leaf, then it flowers, then it comes into fruit, and then the fruit is ready for the harvest. The rate at which this all happens varies from seed to seed, but every seed goes through this process. That takes time, and so what really we need is patience.

Hebrews 11 is often called the “Hall of Fame of Faith” because of its litany of Old Testament saints who walked by faith and saw it through to the end. But did you know that the context of this great chapter is about patience?

The author of Hebrews was writing to scattered Jewish believers who were suffering persecution because of their faith in Christ. They were severely tempted to give up and go back to their old ways. Hebrews was written to encourage them to continue in their faith. That’s why, in chapter 6, the author called for them to “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

Directly on either side of Hebrews 11, almost serving as bookends, we discover the theme of patience still at work. We find it under the term “endurance.” The Greek word is hupomone, which is elsewhere translated “perseverance” and “patience.”

Near the end of chapter 10, we find:

Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance [hupomone], so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. (Hebrews 10:35-36)

Then immediately after chapter 12, we read:

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance [hupomone] the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)

Patience is very important to the faith process. When Jesus spoke to the fig tree, in Mark 11, He immediately received what He said. For Jesus said, in that same passage, “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (v. 24). Notice that “receive” is in the present tense. The NASB says, “have received.” In any case, the receiving is not future tense.

So Jesus immediately received what He said. But He did not immediately see what He said. Seeing it would come later. So Jesus, knowing that faith requires patience, simply went on about His business, and continuing to believe what He said. It was not until the next day, when He and the disciples were passing by again, that they saw that the fig tree had indeed withered.

• When did Jesus receive what He spoke it out in faith? Immediately.
• When did Jesus see it come to pass? Not until the next day.
• In between there was patience.
  

If you believe the Word and walk by faith, exercising patience, you will eventually see the fulfillment of what you have believed. But if you walk by sight, letting circumstances and emotions dictate how you are going think and what you are going to expect, then you will probably never see what you believed for come to pass — all for lack of patience.

When you have exercised your faith in the promises of God, keep yourself focused on His Word. Don’t let anything else that you see or hear move you or trouble you in any way. Your circumstances must eventually line up with the Word of God and your faith in it, so be patient, knowing that you will see it happen.