The World Responds to Us: Jesus Showed Us How

The world was created to respond to us. When Adam sinned, he brought the world under a curse. In Jesus Christ, the “Second Adam,” we have redemption. Not only us, but the whole world as well, and now all creation waits for that manifestation (Romans 8:19-22). By faith in Christ, we become new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17), and all creation responds to us.

Jesus demonstrated this, for example, when He spoke to the wind and waves and said, “Peace, be still.” The winds ceased and there was a great calm (Mark 4:39). On another occasion, Jesus spoke to the fig tree, “No one will eat fruit from you ever again,” and the tree was withered away by the next morning (Mark 11:14; 20-21).

Now, some will say that Jesus could do that because He was the Son of God and fully divine. And indeed He was. But that is not how He performed His miracles. Rather, He did them because He was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, and God was with Him (Acts 10:38). That is why He was able to teach His disciples to do the same sort of things.

In the example of the fig tree, Peter noticed that it had withered away, and he pointed it out to Jesus. Jesus answered and showed them how such things come about:

Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, 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 11:22-23)

When we do not doubt, but believe what we say, we will have whatever we say. Even nature will respond to us.

Everything Jesus did in His earthly ministry, He did by faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. He made both of these available to His disciples, to all who receive Him. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). We receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us (Acts 1:8). It is enough to change the world.

The World Responds to Us: Biblical Examples

The world was created to respond to us. When Adam fell, the world fell into chaos. When we walk in obedience to God and His Word, the world also begins to respond in obedience. We see this illustrated many times in Scripture:

• When Moses parted the Red Sea. God said, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But life up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea” (Exodus 14:15-16).
• When Moses brought forth water from the rock. The Lord said, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink” (Exodus 17:5-6).
• When God told Moses how to bring forth water again: “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water” (Numbers 20:8). Unfortunately, in anger against the people, Moses struck the rock again instead of speaking to it as he had been instructed. Nevertheless, the rock yielded water, though Moses lost the blessing because of his disobedience.
• When Joshua commanded the sun. “Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight o f Israel: 'Sun, stand still over Gibeon; and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.' So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the people had revenge upon their enemies” (Joshua 10:12-13).
• When Elijah commanded the rain. He said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1)

There are also many other cases in the Old Testament where men performed miracles and healings — even raising the dead! The natural world responded to them because they believed and obeyed God.

Now, some people might say that those were special men of God, and has nothing to do with us today. But James, the brother of the Lord Jesus, would beg to differ, as he encourages people to get serious about the life-changing, world-changing benefits of prayer:

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayer again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5:16-18)

The kind of things God did through Elijah in Old Testament times, He is willing to do through all His people today. Consider what Jesus said to His disciples and how it blows the parameters wide open for us today:

For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. (Luke 7:28)

Follow the equation: John the Baptist was greater than all the prophets and mighty men of God in the Old Testament. But even the least one in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist. Therefore, even the least one in the kingdom of God is greater than all the prophets and mighty men of God in the Old Testament.

If the natural realm responded to mighty men of old as they believed and obeyed God, how much more will it be responsive to us when we believe and obey God.

The World Was Created to Respond to Us

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-27)

God created us in His image and likeness — to be like Him — and so that we could exercise dominion over the earth and everything in it, to be stewards of His creation on in accordance with His purposes. The command He gave to Adam and Eve was to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth and subdue it. To subdue the earth means to bring it into order. God created us to be like Him so that we could bring all the earth into line with who He is and what He is like. In other words, the earth was created to be responsive to us.

We know, of course, that Adam and Eve rebelled against God, and in so doing, disconnected from the life, and even the order, of God. Chaos followed, not only for man, but also for creation. That is how close the relationship is between man and the earth. Man was formed of the dust of the ground, and when Adam sinned, the ground came under a curse.

Then to Adam He [God] said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it':

Cursed is the ground for your sake [because of you];
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return."

(Genesis 3:17-19)

We know also that God had a plan or redemption, to restore us to Himself. That's why Jesus came. This redemption is not for us only, but also for all creation:

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. (Romans 8:19-22)

Just as all creation was affected by the fall of man in Adam, it is also influenced by the restoration of man in Jesus Christ, because the world was created to respond to mankind. When we walk in rebellion, the earth responds in kind. But if we will walk in faithful obedience to God and His Word, the earth will respond to that obedience. Indeed, the world was created to respond to the Word of God, as well as to us, because it was framed by the Word of God. When we are lined up with that Word in all we say and do, how much greater will be creation's response to it.

We Were Created to Respond to the Word

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness ...” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

Just as the worlds were framed by the Word of God (Hebrews 11:3), so were we. And like the world, we were created to be responsive to the Word of God. Seeing that we were created in the image and likeness of God — that is, to be like God — how much more responsive we should be to His Word.

Certainly, we should be responsive in our spirits to God's Word. But even our bodies, being made of the natural substance of the world, respond to it:

Fools, because of their transgression,
And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
Their soul abhorred all manner of food.
And they drew near to the gates of death.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
He sent His Word and healed them,
And delivered them from their destructions.

(Psalm 107:17-20)

The Roman centurion understood the authority of the divine word, that even our bodies respond it. He came to Jesus, asking Him to heal his servant. Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed” (Matthew 8:8). Jesus' response to him shows how important it is to understand this concept: “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel ... Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you” (Matthew 8:10, 13).

The Lord Jesus Himself is so closely identified with the Word of God that He is actually called The Word — the source of the world and everything in it:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made though Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5)

He is our creator, and we were created not only to respond to Him, but to enjoy fellowship with Him.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life — the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us — that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. (1 John 1:1-4)

You were created to be responsive to the Word of God and to fellowship with Him. 

Created to Respond to the Word of God

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)

The world was created by the Word of God. They are also upheld and sustained by the Word of God, the “Word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). Therefore the world will always respond to the Word of God, which is its source.

The prophet Isaiah understood this, for He recorded these words from the Lord:

For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth;
And make it bring forth and bud,
That is may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

(Isaiah 55:10-11)

The natural elements of snow and rain fall from the heavens and do not return to return to heaven without accomplishing their intended purpose on earth. The Word of God is the same: It will aways do what God desires for it to do; it will always be fulfilled. The earth will always respond to it.

The apostle Paul also understood that the world responds to the Word of God. He gives the example of Abraham, who staked his destiny on that fact.

Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed — God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” (Romans 4:16-18)

Though Abraham had no children, and he and his wife were long past childbearing years, God spoke the promise, Abraham believed it , then the old, fruitless bodies of Abraham and Sarah responded to the Word, and their son Isaac was born to them, who became the father of many nations. That is how the Word of God works — it is creative! God calls those things that do not yet exist as though they did, and they come into existence. The whole world responds to His Word.

Everything consists of the Word of God and must always respond to it.

Arise God! Enemies Be Scattered!

Let God arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those also who hate His name flee before Him.

(Psalm 68:1)

When God arises, His enemies are scattered. When we are in covenant with God, His enemies become our enemies, and our enemies become His enemies. That is what happened at the Cross. Jesus went up on our behalf and destroyed our enemies. Three days later, God raised Him from the dead, making His victory complete. Then He went up to heaven, where He ever makes intercession for us before the Father.

• For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)
• Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:14-15)
• Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15)
• What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ... Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come nor height nor death, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39)
• You are of god, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
• For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4-5)
• Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

God has arisen on your behalf to scatter and destroy your enemies. And this is how we enter into the victory — through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Ability of God in Us

Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4)

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient [able] as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:6)

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (Ephesians 6:11-16)

When we are accountable to God as His servant, He is able to keep us from falling and to cause us to stand. For it is He who makes us able ministers of the new covenant made in Jesus' blood, to minister the life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ to others. He has made every provision for us so that we can stand against the schemes and devices of the devil, to stand strong even in the midst of evil, and to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one — everything the enemy throws against us — with the shield of faith.

All of these are the ability of God at work in us, because He is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power [His power] that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20).

The Abilities of God's Word

So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32)

But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:14-15)

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)

The Word of God brings us to salvation. It is called “the incorruptible seed” ( 1 Peter1:23). It is the truth about Jesus that washes us and makes us holy before the Lord (Ephesians 5:25; John 17:17). When we let God plant this word in our hearts it brings forth faith (Romans 10:17). It is “living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Because it is given by inspiration of God (literally, God-breathed), it is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The Word of God is able to make us wise for salvation, to save and sanctify us, and to build us up and give us an inheritance through faith in Jesus Christ. Let the incorruptible seed of the Word of God be implanted in your heart and receive all the riches of this wonderful inheritance God has for you. It begins by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. 

The Abilities of God

He [Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. (Romans 4:20-21)

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (Philippians 3:20-21)

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. (2 Timothy 1:12)

For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:18)

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. (Hebrews 11:19)

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy; to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24-25)

When the Bible says that God is able to do something, it is not merely theoretical, but indicates God's willingness to do those things for whoever will come to Him, to all who call on His name. If you are ready to believe it, He is ready to do it.

Prosperous Days, Peaceful Nights

The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me —
A prayer to the God of my life.

(Psalm 42:8)

The “lovingkindness” of the Lord is His mercy and steadfast love. The Hebrew word is hesed, and refers to the love by which He has covenanted Himself to His people. God appoints, gives charge to His covenant love over us every day, to keep us, guide us, and prosper us.

In the nighttime, when the darkness closes in, He gives us a song to sing. It is a song of peace that turns our attention toward Him. It is a prayer to God, whom the psalm writer calls The God of My Life. For He is the one who gives us life, and He is well able to sustain us, to bless in the daytime and preserve us in the night.

Believe the lovingkindness of the Lord and look to Him to prosper you every day. Do not the fear the darkness of night, but listen for the song He will give you, and sing it to Him, and so let Him surround you with His peace. For it is the song of His love and tender mercies, and it will carry you through till dawn, and the manifestation of His prosperity in your life.

Sweet, Peaceful, Restful Sleep

If you have trouble sleeping, here are some verses to contemplate. For those who put their trust in the Lord:

I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.

(Psalm 3:5-6)

Be angry, and do not sin.
Meditate within your heart on your bed, ad be still.
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in the Lord.
There are many who say,
“Who will show us any good?”
Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
You have put gladness in my heart,
More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

(Psalm 4:4-8)

For those whose source is in God:

Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.

(Psalm 127:1-2)

For those who keep godly wisdom and discretion (Proverbs 3:21):

When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.

(Proverbs 3:24)

For those who seek first the kingdom of God:

The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day. (Mark 4:26)

Even while you sleep, His kingdom is at work, and everything is being taken care of on your behalf (Matthew 6:33).

Put your trust in the Lord. Do not anxious, do not be angry, do not let your heart be filled with business. Meditate on Him and let His love be perfected in you to drive out all fear. Seek His kingdom, and He will watch over all that pertains to you. So shall your sleep be sweet, peaceful and full of rest.

Life is God's Dream

A man in my Tuesday morning Bible study group told how, when he was little, his father went out and carved these words on a tree: Life is a dream. “And you know what?” my friend said, “Life really is a dream. It's God's dream.”

I agree.

I remember reading a book, a few years back, that was called Between the Dreaming and the Coming True: The Road Home to God by Robert Benson. God has a dream, and we are living in the time between when He first dreamed it and when it fully comes to pass.

Since God is sovereign, another word for “dream” in this context is “will.” That is, God's dream is God's will; God's will is God's dream. It is His desire, His plan, His passion.

The amazing thing is that you and I get to be a part of that dream. That's why Jesus came to bring us back to the Father, so we could share the dream with Him. Jesus' preaching was all about God's dream — He called it the “kingdom of heaven.” It is God's kingdom, God's dream.

Not only do we get to be a part of God's dream, we also get to be part of bringing it into manifestation. In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom, come. Your will, be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We may just as well say, “Your dream come true on earth as it is in heaven.” God's dream has been fulfilled in heaven, and His plan is for it to be revealed on earth in the same way.

God has a dream for you and me. It is not a nightmare, but a manifestation of heaven on earth. We enter into that dream by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Riches Stored in Secret Places

I will give you the treasures of darkness
Riches stored in secret places,
So that you may know that I am the Lord,
The God of Israel, who summons you by name.

(Isaiah 45:3 NIV)

God has hidden depositories and secret storehouses filled with riches, and He wants to give them to His anointed. Who are His anointed? Those He has established to do His will.

• The Lord Jesus is His anointed, for He is the “Christ,” which means “Anointed One.”
• Every believer in Jesus Christ is anointed. He is our Shepherd who prepares a table before us and anoints us with oil (Psalm 23:5).
• Sometimes God even anoints people who do not know Him to do something that benefits His kingdom. Isaiah 45 presents us with such an example: Cyrus was a Persian king, but God anointed him for a purpose that helped His people.

Here is what the Lord will do for His anointed:

I will go before you
And make the crooked places straight;
I will break in pieces the gates of bronze
And cut the bars of iron.
I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden riches in secret places.

(Isaiah 45:2-3)

To “make the crooked places straight” means to bring down the mountains, to “level the playing field.” Jesus taught the disciples how to move mountains out of the way: “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, 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 11:22-23).

God will also break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, the plates that cover the gates. These are all completely destroyed. In Cyrus' case, this described the gates of Babylon, which he would destroy. For us, Jesus has promised that the gates of hell cannot prevail against His Church (Matthew 16:18). They cannot withstand His purposes. Jesus also taught us to ask, and it shall be given to us, to seek and we shall find, to knock and the door shall be opened unto us (Luke 11:9).

The way to hidden treasure and riches stored in secret places has been opened up to us in Jesus Christ. All that remains is for them to be revealed. Wisdom and revelation is given to us by the Holy Spirit, so that we may know the joyful anticipation of our calling, the riches of the glory of the inheritance God has for us, and the greatness of His power on behalf of those who believe (Ephesians 1:17-19). James said that if we need wisdom, all we have to do is ask God and He will give it to us, without rebuke, if we ask in faith (James 1:5-6).

God has given us the keys for moving mountains, opening doors and revealing riches in secret places. Ask Him for wisdom and revelation of where those treasures are stored, which mountains need to be removed, which gates need to be destroyed and which doors need to be opened.

Whose is the Earth?

The earth is the Lord's and all its fullness.
The world and those who dwell therein.

(Psalm 24:1)

The earth belongs to the Lord because He created it. In Genesis 14:22, He is called, “The Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of Heaven and Earth.”

The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's,
But the earth He has given to the children of men.

(Psalm 115:16)

As Possessor of Heaven and Earth, the Lord has given the earth to the children of men. This is a stewardship. For when God created man, He said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Genesis 1:26). God created man to have rule and reign over the earth, but it was not an authority that could rightly be exercised apart from God.

We know, of course, that Adam rebelled against the authority of God and spiritually disconnected from Him. The earth was cursed because of Adam's treason. Because man was no longer in proper relationship with God, he became vulnerable to the schemes and deceits of the devil. Since then, satan has held powerful influence over man, and has blinded his eyes to the Creator (2 Corinthians 4:3-6).

God gave man the right to rule over the earth, but satan cheated man out of it. We find something very interesting concerning this when Jesus was in the wilderness and satan tried to tempt Him:

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if you will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.” (Matthew 4:8-10)

Notice that Jesus did not dispute satan's right to give Him the kingdom's of the world and all that belonged to them. But He was not about to yield worship to satan, for God alone is to be worshiped. For the works of the devil were about to be destroyed. The Bible says, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise share in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15).

Jesus went to the cross, taking all our sin and bondage upon Himself, and destroyed them there. Then God raised Him from the dead. Forty days later, He ascended to His throne in heaven, at the right hand of the Father, where He rules and reigns forever. But before He ascended, He came to His disciples and declared: “All authority has been given to me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). Then He commissioned His disciples to make disciples of all the nations — the same nations and kingdoms that satan offered to give Him if He would simply transfer His allegiance!

These are the nations the Father promised the Son when He said, “Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession” (Psalm 2:8). “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of the God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool” (Hebrews 10:9-10).

The Lord God of Hosts has always been the Possessor of Heaven and Earth. Though He gave stewardship of the earth to the children of men, He has always been the owner. And though Adam lost this inheritance because of the trickery of satan, Jesus, the “Second Adam” has come to destroy the works of the devil. Now the Lord Jesus is receiving the nations unto Himself through the preaching of His Gospel in all the world. We are now in the time of the outworking of His rule and reign in all the earth.

Positively Positioned and Empowered to Prosper

He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

(Psalm 1:3)

If you want to know how to come into the place of prosperity in every area of your life, study this man closely:

• He is like a tree that has been planted (even transplanted) beside the rivers of water. He did not get there by himself, but was set there by God. He has a good foundation; his roots are well-watered. He is established, supplied and cultivated.
• He brings forth fruit in season. The life of this tree is nourished by the rivers of water and the nutrients of the soil. It drinks in the sunlight and is faithfully tended by the grove-keeper. It goes patiently through its seasons — the season for resting and recreating, the season for germinating, the season for budding and blooming, the season for fruit-bearing, and the season for harvest. In the season of harvest, this man is not found wanting, but is very fruitful. He has much to give, and he shares generously of his bounty.
• His leaf shall not wither. This man stays connected to his source, so he does not fall away or faint in the time of drought, or when the heat is on. He tends to the things that need to be tended, when they need to be tended, and does not leave the important details undone, so that even the tiniest of his leaves are full of life.
• Whatever he does shall prosper. The psalm writer now moves from the metaphor of the well-watered tree and speaks plainly: Everything this man does increases his prosperity. He finds success and increase at every turn. Even when he makes mistakes, or experiences failures or adversities, he learns from them, adapts his strategies and perseveres until he sees his prosperity come forth. Not only is he himself blessed by his prosperity, but many around him also benefit from his success.

So, who is this man, and what is the secret of his prosperity? First, take a look at who he isn't:

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful.

(Psalm 1:1)

This is not a man who takes his cues from the world system, from those who have no regard for God in their lives and do not care whether the things they do are morally right or wrong. He does not share the same pathway with these men, because it will eventually lead to destruction. He does not sit under their influence, because they treat everything — God, good, honor, truth, right, integrity, everything! — as a joke.

Now take a look at who this man is, and what he does do:

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law, he meditates day and night.

(Psalm 1:2)

There it is — the secret of his success! He delights in the law of the Lord. He takes great pleasure in the ways of God. He craves them, and looks forward to them as a lip-smacking delicacy. His fills his heart, his mind, even his mouth with the Word of God, letting it forge his will, shape his emotions, correct his thoughts and empower the very words that roll off his own tongue. So he is established in a fertile place beside life-giving streams, and so he prospers, because he has found his source in God.

Heirs of the World

For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. (Romans 4:13)

We often think of Abraham as one through whom the inheritance came. But Paul called him the heir of the world. An heir is one who receives an inheritance. Here we see that the inheritance Abraham was given is the world itself. When God called Abraham to leave his father's house and his country, He gave him this promise:

I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

(Genesis 12:2-3)

Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” (Genesis 15:5)

Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger; all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession, and I will be their God. (Genesis 17:3-9)

The blessing for all the families of the earth comes through Abraham. He is the father of numberless descendants, the father of multitudes, the father of nations and kings. This is the inheritance Abraham received from God, and it is the inheritance he passes on to all those who are heir to him.

How does this happen, and who are the heirs of Abraham. The point Paul makes in Romans 4 is that it is not a matter of law, or of works such as circumcision. It is not even a matter of being a Jew (for Abraham was neither a Jew, nor circumcised when the promise was first made). Rather, it is a matter of God's grace and is received by faith:

For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. (Romans 4:13-15)

From beginning to end, it is all about faith — believing God. As it was for Abraham, so it is for us:

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord form the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. (Romans 4:20-25)

Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are not only made right with God, but we also become the heirs of what God promised Abraham. Because of Jesus, through faith in Him, we are made heirs to the world. That is why, as Paul later said,

The earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (Romans 8:19-21)

Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are made heirs to the world, along with faithful Abraham, and all of creation waits for the full manifestation of this inheritance.

The Mysteries of the Kingdom

And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given; for whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing the do not hear, nor do they understand … But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.” (Matthew 13:10-13, 16; see also Mark 4:10-12)

There are those who are ready to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God; and there are others who are not. What is the difference? In another place, Jesus put it this way:

If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. (John 7:17)

If you are willing to do the Father’s will, you are ready to know the mysteries of His kingdom. If you are not willing to do His will, you will not understand His kingdom because it is about His rule and reign, and His righteousness — His way of doing and being right. That is why Jesus preached, in His foundational Sermon on the Mount, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Parables reveal who is willing to do the will of the Father, and therefore who is ready to know the secrets of His kingdom. Those who are ready will understand the parables; those who are not willing to obey are not ready to know and therefore will not understand.

If you are willing to the Father’s will, you are ready to know the secrets of His kingdom, and the parables of Jesus are for you.

To Keep You in ALL Your Ways

For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.

(Psalm 91:11)

Angels are the messengers of God. That is what the Hebrew and Greek words translated as “angel” mean. They are messengers, acting on God’s behalf, not their own. God gives them assignments, and they carry them out.

Here we see that He gives His angels charge over His people. That is, He gives them commands concerning us. He instructs them, appoints them for our benefit. Their assignment: To keep us in all our ways.

The Hebrew word for “keep” means to guard, protect, hedge about. This is where the idea of guardian angels comes from. God sets His angels over us to guard us in all our ways. Our ways are not just the roads and paths we travel, but everything we do. God instructs His angels to guard and protect us everywhere we go and in everything we do.

Notice that God sends His angels to keep us in all our ways. That covers everything, every area of life, all our assets, everything we set our hands to. It covers our homes, our businesses, our ministries. There is a lot of concern over identity theft these days, but God’s angels are able to guard even our identities, our bank accounts, our credit information, our medical information. Angels are hack-proof, because Almighty God has given the assignment.

Now, like everything else in the Christian life, this angelic protection is not automatic, it must be appropriated by faith. Faith is believing the promises of God. Everything God does for us is a gift of His grace, and the way to receive a gift is to say “Thank You,” then begin to use it, treating it as your own, because now it belongs to you.

All who know the Lord Jesus Christ, you are entitled to angelic protection, 24-7, in everything that pertains to you. I give thanks to God everyday for His angels watching over me and my family:

Father, I thank you that you give your angels assignment over me and my wife and my children, to keep us in all our ways, to bear us up in their hands so that we do not even dash our foot against a stone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Diligence: The Parable of the Talents

Jesus told this parable concerning the kingdom of God. It demonstrates the importance of being diligent with whatever God has place in our hands.

A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, “Do business till I come.” … And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

Then came the first, saying, “Master, your mina has earned ten minas.” And he said to him, “Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.”

And the second came, saying, “Master, your mina has earned five minas.” Likewise he said to him, “You also be over five cities.”

Then another came, saying, “Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.”

And he said to him, “Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?”

And he said to those who stood by, “Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas … For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” (Luke 19:12-26)

God has given each of us resources and opportunities, and He expects us to make good use of them, to “do business” for Him until He comes. For Jesus has been given a kingdom, and when He returns, He will be looking for increase. To those who are diligent with what has been placed in their hands, even more will be given. But to those who make excuses, even what little they have will be taken away from them and given to those who will use it faithfully. For all who obey God, He will command the blessing on all they set their hands to. What are you setting your hand to? Are you doing business for Him?

The Power to Create Wealth: Diligence

The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 28:8)

In addition to commanding the blessing on us in our storehouses, God also promises to bless us in all we set our hands to, when we are obedient to Him.

Just as the Lord cannot command the blessing on your storehouse if you don’t have a storehouse, He also cannot command the blessing on all you set you hand to if you never set your hand to anything. This calls for diligence.

He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

(Proverbs 10:4)

The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.

(Proverbs 12:24)

The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting,
But diligence is man’s precious possession.

(Proverbs 12:27)

The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

(Proverbs 13:4)

The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty,
But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.

(Proverbs 21:5)

Do you see a man who excels in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before unknown men.

(Proverbs 22:29)

Be diligent to know the state of your flocks,
And attend to your herds;
For riches are not forever,
Nor does a crown endure to all generations.

(Proverbs 27:23-24)

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.

(Ecclesiastes 9:10)

In the morning sow your seed,
And in the evening do not withhold your hand;
For you do not know which will prosper,
Either this or that,
Or whether both alike will be good.

(Ecclesiastes 11:6)

The Hebrew word translated as “diligent” generally means to be incisive or sharp. We might say “on the ball.” It is active, it is timely, it is decisive. It is quick to act, but not without due consideration, to take care of the things that ought to be taken care of. Another word means to be skillful, to excel. Such excellence requires that one be ready and steady in their effort. The word for “diligent” in Proverbs 27:23 is actually the word for “know” used twice, reflecting a Hebrew idiom for emphatic action. The idea in this verse is to do all you can to keep up with what’s going on in your affairs, or your prosperity can easily slip away.

God wants to bless the work of your hand, so set your hand to work.