Everything is in the Atonement

Simply put, atonement is the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. The apostle Paul briefly describes how atonement comes about for you and me:

For God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

A great exchange has taken place. Jesus took all our sin upon Himself and nailed it to the cross. In its place, He has given us His righteousness — the righteousness of God Himself. We receive this great exchange through faith in Jesus Christ: “For 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).

Many Christians understand that forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God is part of the atonement. But they often do not realize the depth of what that entails: Everything that was lost to us in the fall when Adam rebelled against God is restored to us by cross when the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins and extended to us His righteousness. However, Jesus not only took our sins to the cross, He also took our sicknesses:

Surely he has borne our griefs [literally, sicknesses]
  And carried our sorrows [literally, pains]
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
  Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
  He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
  And by His stripes we are healed.

(Isaiah 53:4-5)

Healing, for our bodies as well as our souls, is included in the atonement. For sickness entered the world because of sin. But Jesus took both our sin and its consequences upon Himself and nailed it to the cross.

Because of the atonement, we are made the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, so that whatever belongs to the righteous now belongs to us.

What belongs to the righteous? The blessings of Deuteronomy 28:1-14 give us a very good example. (You can hear what these blessings are in this special 5 minute MP3 presentation, Choosing Life, from our Healing Scriptures and Prayers CD Vol. 2.) Psalm 112 also describes the blessings that belong to the righteous (see Living in Awe of God). All of these blessings belong now to those who have been made righteous in Jesus Christ. They are all in the atonement.

All of heaven comes to us in the atonement, for in the atonement we have all the righteousness of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus has been exalted to His throne in heaven (Ephesians 1:19-23), and we have been seated in the heavenlies in Him (Ephesians 2:6). Heaven belongs to us because of the cross, and we belong to heaven.

Even now, the kingdom of heaven is breaking into the world, even as the Lord Jesus taught us to pray, “Kingdom of God, come. Will of God, be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:33). Because of the atonement, we are now of heaven — born from above by the spirit of God (John 3:3), so that our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).

The atonement is the redemptive work of Jesus Christ at the cross on our behalf. In it, all the blessings of the righteous now belong to those who belong to Him. Everything you will ever need has already been provided for you in the atonement.

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Healing Scriptures and Prayers
by Jeff Doles

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Living in Awe of God

Holy and awesome is His name.

(Psalm 111:9)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.
A good understanding have all those who keep His commandments.

(Psalm 111:10)

The Hebrew words for “awesome” and “fear” have the same root. This fear of the LORD is double-edged: For those who are opposed to God and His ways, it is abject terror, and leads only to judgment and destruction. But for those who repent and turn to Him, the fear of the LORD is the recognition of His awesome majesty. It is to stand in awe of God, and that is the beginning of wisdom. From it follows insight, understanding and skill for living. This is seen in the next line of verse 10:

A good understanding have all those who keep His commandments.

The Hebrew word for “understanding” refers to the kind of knowledge that leads to success. The word for “keep” means to do. There are no Hebrew words behind the phrase “His commandments” in this verse; it was added by the translators to aid our understanding. The sense of this line in the Hebrew is that those who do according to the fear of the LORD have a good understanding about life.

But keeping the commandments of God is certainly an appropriate response to the awe of God. In fact, it appears in the first verse of the very next psalm:

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who delights in His commandments.

(Psalm 112:1)

Living in awe of the LORD and keeping His commandments leads to happiness and well-being, which is what the Hebrew word used here for “blessed” means. The remainder of Psalm 112 describes the kind of life that is available for all who honor the majesty of God and walk in His ways:

• His descendants will be blessed, and mighty on earth (v. 2).
• Wealth and riches will be in his house (v. 3).
• The effects of his right living will endure (v. 3).
• He will have light even in the dark times of life (v. 4).
• His heart will be gracious, and full of deep compassion and tender affection (v. 4), just as God is (Psalm 111:4).
• He will show favor and lend to those in need. He will have a soft heart, but not a soft head, because he will possess discretion and good judgment (v. 5).
• Whatever may happen, he will not be shaken out by, but will be able to remain stable (v. 6).
• He will be well-remembered by all those whose lives he touches (v. 6).
• When bad news is in the air, he will not be afraid, because he trusts in the LORD (v. 7). The word for “afraid” here is the same word for the “fear” of the LORD. When we live in awe of God, we do not have to be terrified by anything else.
• His heart shall be sustained with the peace of God, and he will not be afraid of his enemies, but will rejoice in victory over them (v. 8).
• He will have more than enough to meet all his needs, and plenty more besides for every good work (v. 9, see also 2 Corinthians 9:8-9).
• He will give generously and consistently, and it will not be wasted, but will extend his influence for righteousness (v. 9)
• His success and prosperity will confound the desires of the enemy (v. 10)

Living in awe of God is the beginning of a wise, happy and successful life.

Blessed ~ Marked With Blood

I came across a very interesting bit concerning the origin of the English word “bless.” We find it quite often, of course, in the Bible, throughout the Old and New Testaments. It has come to represent happiness and well-being, but it originally meant “to mark with blood,” and was used of things that were sacred, or made holy.

That puts a whole new spin on it for me. It sends my mind to two distinct events in the Bible, one in the Old Testament and one in the New. In the Old Testament, it takes me to that first Passover night when each Jewish household was to take an unblemished lamb, slay it and paint its blood on the doorposts of the house. Then when the LORD passed through to strike the firstborn of each Egyptian family, He would pass over the homes where the doorposts were marked with the blood of the lamb and He would not allow the destroyer to come there. Each house that was marked with blood from the lamb was thus blessed.

In the New Testament, the original meaning of “bless” takes me to the place to which the Passover points — the cross, where the Jesus the Messiah shed His blood on our behalf and in our place. Like the doorposts of those Jewish homes in the land of Egypt, it was marked with the blood of the Lamb, and that is indeed a blessing for us.

On the night Jesus was betrayed, which was at Passover, He instituted the Table of the Lord. After distributing the bread, He took up the cup, offered thanks and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:27-28).

The apostle Paul called it the cup of blessing: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16). The Greek word for “communion” is koinonia, and refers to fellowship and participation.

The apostle John speaks of the blood of the New Covenant which is presented to us by this cup.

If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin … If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:7,9)

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5-6)

The wood of the cross has been marked with the blood of the Lamb, who suffered there in our place. By that blood, through faith in Jesus Christ, we are washed and cleansed of all sin — marked by blood.

In the Table of the Lord, we call to mind the great saving event of the cross, and by faith lay hold of all its benefits and blessings.

Angels on Assignment?

He shall give His angels charge over you,
to keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.

(Psalm 91:11-12)

Jesus said, “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). “Little ones” probably refers here, not simply to children, but to all those who receive the kingdom of God in a child-like manner, that is, in full dependence upon God.

The author of Hebrews says of angels, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14).

There are certainly enough angels to go around for each one of us. However, angels do not go about on their own accord, doing whatever they please, but they minister by assignment. They are sent forth to minister, and God gives them charge over us. Psalm 103:20-21 says that His angels do His Word, heed the voice of His Word and do His pleasure.

The assignment of angels does not appear to be a general appointment to a particular class, but specific to each believer. The sense of Jesus’ statement is that each “little one” has an angel in heaven who beholds the face of Father God. (Hmmm, “face time” with the Father.)

God takes a particular interest in each one of us, so it should not be surprising in the least if God has assigned a particular angel to each one of us.

Our focus, however, is always to be on God, not on His angels. God gives the angels their assignments, we don't. Nor are we ever advised in Scripture to seek out our angels and try to communicate with them. But since the angels heed the voice of God's Word, they honor the Word of God in our mouths when we speak it in faith.

The Word of God in your mouth will activate the angels God has appointed for you in their assignments.

The Measure of satan’s Power

How much power does the devil have over us? All satan has is lies and accusations. He has no real power or authority over us, and we do not have to submit to him. The only power he can have over us is if we swallow his deceit. The New Testament addresses this in a number of ways.

• Paul counsels Christians to forgive, lest we be outsmarted by the devil and his devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). When we are unwilling to forgive others, we leave ourselves open to believe his lies about God's willingness to forgive us.
• Paul also tells us not to give place to the devil, so it must be possible to give place to him in our lives (Ephesians 4:27). And if we leave him an open door, I doubt he will pass by without stepping inside to do some damage.
• Paul also tells us that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). If we are not walking in the power, love and sound mind of the Holy Spirit, we leave ourselves open to the fearful whispers of the enemy. Kenneth Copeland says that worry is nothing more than meditating on the lies of the devil.
• James tells us to resist the devil and he will flee (James 4:7). So it must also be possible for us to not resist the devil, in which case, he will not flee.
• Peter tells us to be alert and watchful, because our adversary the devil (the Greek word for “devil” means false accuser or slanderer) is walking about looking for people to devour (1 Peter 5:11). So if we are not paying attention to the promises of God, we might fall for the slanders of the enemy.
• Paul declares that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, satan no longer has any power or authority over you — except what you allow him to have.

No Footprints

Your way was in the sea,
Your path in the great waters,
And Your footsteps were not known

(Psalm 77:19)

The children of Israel were hard pressed against the Red Sea, with Pharaoh and his army bearing down on them.

And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation* of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift 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 it. And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen. (Exodus 14:13-18)

The path of God was in the sea, through the great waters. The waters opened for the children of Israel to pass through, and then closed behind them on all their former oppressors. No footprints were left behind.

That is very often the way God works in our lives. There are usually no footprints we can trace which lead up to the manifestation of His salvation, deliverance, or prosperity in our lives. Moses had led the children of Israel into what, in the natural, was an impossible situation. Who would have imagined what God was about to do? There were no indicators leading up to it. All Moses knew was that God was somehow going to come through for them.

Not only did God part the Red Sea for them, but notice how He did it — through Moses! “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it.” God didn’t lift a finger. He simply told Moses how to exercise the authority He had already placed within Moses’ hand. But it required faith:

• Moses had to tell the children of Israel to look begin going forward, heading directly into the Red Sea.
• The children of Israel had to believe and obey this crazy command which went against all their senses were telling them.
• Moses had to lift up his rod, stretch out his hand over the sea and divide it. God had already done everything He was going to do in this situation. Now it was time for Moses to act in accordance with the promise and authority of God.

When the children of Israel were safe on the other side, and their enemies were crushed beneath the waters, they could not even see the pathway by which they had crossed. There were no footprints, only the fact that they had been miraculously delivered by the power of God through the hand of Moses.

When we find ourselves in a jam, often our tendency is that we want to see exactly how we are going to get out of it. We want to know the trajectory that will lead us from our present circumstances to our deliverance. We want to see the footsteps of God leading up to it, through it and across to the other side.

But it generally does not work that way. Instead, what we receive is a word of direction. For God has already provided for what we need to solve the problem, and if we listen for His voice, He will show us how to access it. As Moses found out, the answer may already be in our hand, and all that is necessary is to respond in faith.

When you are in trouble, do not look for God’s footprints; listen for His voice.

* The Hebrew word for “salvation” is this passage is yeshuah, which is the Hebrew name for Jesus.

Finding All Things

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

Peace, prosperity, healing, success, significance, fulfillment of purpose, well-being, happiness, the meeting of all needs. These things are not found by looking for them; they are found when you cease searching for them and begin seeking the one thing that really matters — the kingdom of God and His righteousness. When you turn your heart toward that, everything else will be taken care of.

Here is how a few other translations put it:

But let your first care be for his kingdom and his righteousness; and all these other things will be given to you in addition. (Bible in Basic English)

But make His Kingdom and righteousness your chief aim, and then these things shall all be given you in addition. (Weymouth’s New Testament)

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. (The Message)

Set your heart on His kingdom and His goodness, and all these things will come to you as a matter of course. (Phillips New Testament in Modern English)

But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. (The Amplified Bible)

The kingdom of God is His rule and reign. The righteousness of God is His rightness — the way God does things, which is always appropriate and just and good. The world was created to operate according to the rule and reign of God and His righteousness, and when we line ourselves up with that, we are positioned to experience and enjoy all the blessing that naturally flows from it.

We find this same principle in operation in the Old Testament. For example, Deuteronomy 28:1-14 lists the rich blessings that come upon those who diligently obey the voice of the LORD and carefully observe all His commandments.

In the opening of Psalms, we find it expressed this way:

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;
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

(Psalm 1:1-3)

David sums it up this way:

Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

(Psalm 37:3-4)

The world desperately strives after many things, but the one thing that matters, and from which all other good flows, is the rule and reign of God and His rightness.

(See also One Thing)

The Commanding Force of Prayer

Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, “Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons; and concerning the works of My hands, you command Me.” (Isaiah 45:11)

Prayer puts God in full force into God's work. “Ask of Me things to come, concerning My sons, and concerning the work of My hands command ye Me” — God's carte blanche to prayer. (E. M. Bounds, Purpose in Prayer)

The church seems almost wholly unaware of the power God puts into her hand; this spiritual carte blanche on the infinite resources of God's wisdom and power is rarely, if ever, used. (E. M. Bounds, Purpose in Prayer)

Prayer brings God into the situation with commanding force. “Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons,” says God, “and concerning the work of My hand command ye Me.” (E. M. Bounds, Winning the Invisible War)

Our prayers are God's decrees in another shape. The prayers of God's people are but God's promises breathed out of living hearts, and those promises are the decrees, only put into another form and fashion. Do not say, “How can my prayers affect the decrees of God?” They cannot, except to the degree that your prayers are decrees, and that as they come out, every prayer that is inspired of the Holy Ghost in your soul is as omnipotent and as eternal as that decree which said, “Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). (C. H. Spurgeon, The Power of Prayer in a Believer’s Life)

Faith in God so unites to God that it passes beyond the privilege of asking to the power of commanding. This language of Christ is not that of a request, however bold, but of a fiat … And so—marvelous fact! The child of God, laying hold by faith of the Power of the Omnipotent One, issues his fiat … Obey the Law of the Power and the Power obeys you. Conform to the Laws and modes of the Spirit’s operations, and in the work of God’s hands you may command the Spirit’s Power. (A. T. Pierson, Lessons in the School of Prayer, quoted in Moving Mountains, by Paul L. King)

When we begin to know the heart of God, we begin to understand the commanding force of prayer.

See also “Ask Me, Command Me,” Says the LORD and Commanding the Hand of God.

Created to Have Dominion: The Glory of God

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

This may sound like bad news, but it actually reveals something very positive: You and I were created for the glory of God — to know His glory, experience His glory, walk in His glory. That is how man was originally created, clothed in the image and likeness — the glory — of God.

It was all very wonderful, until Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil:

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. (Genesis 3:7)

When Adam and Eve sinned, they disconnected from the life and power of God. The glory departed and they realized that they were suddenly naked. They were ashamed and tried to cover themselves up with fig leaves, but their was no glory at all in that.

The Hebrew word for “glory” literally means weightiness, and is used to refer to the abundance and splendor, the goodness and greatness, of God. Adam, having been created in the image and likeness of God, was meant to wear the glory of God, to shine with the goodness and the greatness of God, to rule and reign with the glory and brining all things into proper order with it. But in order to do this, he needed to stay connected to God.

Think of a light bulb. When it is connected to the power source, the light shines brightly, and what is noticed is not the bulb, but the light. Pull the plug on it, however, and the light is gone. The glory of the bulb has departed.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they rebelled against God and disconnected themselves from Him. The glory of the Lord departed from them because they unplugged themselves from the source and power of their lives. So they were naked and ashamed, and hid themselves from God.

But God immediately had a plan to redeem and restore man to his original destiny. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” the Bible says, and then adds, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

All of us have sinned, and by that sin, we have fallen far short of the glory God intended for us to share with Him. Not only that, the wages of sin is death. And that is actually good news, because it means that God was not willing to let sin continue to rob His glory from us. So sin must die. Unfortunately, that means that all who have been infected with it must die as well, for the wages of sin is death. Fortunately, there is good news that is plainly good news, for the second half of Romans 6:23 announces, “BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Give this the greatest emphasis, for it is where our salvation and restoration lies.

But how does this work and bring our redemption? Jesus, the eternal Son of God, came to earth and became a man, and took upon Himself all of our sin and its penalty. Then He took that sin and nailed it to a cross in His own body. A great exchange took place, “for God made Jesus, who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Now, through faith in Jesus Christ, we can stand before God, not in fig-leaves of our own making, that cheap imposter of glory, but in the righteousness that belongs to Jesus Christ Himself. For He is full of glory, and in Him, we also now wear that glory. In Him we receive the Spirit of God indwelling us, filling us with glory.

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

All creation, including all the nations of the earth, are waiting for the manifestation of this glory. It is for this very reason that Jesus has given us authority and power:

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20)

You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

This glory is not just for all the peoples of the earth, but also for the earth itself. As Paul says,

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)

The whole world is waiting for the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ to be revealed. You and I get to be a part of that great manifestation and share in the dominion of His glory.

Created to Have Dominion: Kings Over All the Earth

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion … 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, “… Have dominion.” (Genesis 1:26-27)

What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
For You made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet.

(Psalm 8:4-6)

God created man to have dominion over the earth. To have dominion means to rule and reign. The extent of this rule and reign was the whole of the earth and all its inhabitants—the works of God’s hands. All were to be put under the feet, or the authority, of man.

The purpose of this rule and reign was to represent the rule and reign of God, to establish the plan and purpose of God, and to manifest the glory of God on the earth. It is for this reason that man was created in the image and likeness of God—to be king over all the earth.

This kingship was broken when Adam rebelled against God and plunged the whole world under the curse. On that day, Adam died and death came upon all mankind. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

But the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to redeem us from the curse and restore what had been lost. He did this by taking on human flesh, becoming fully human while remaining fully divine, and bearing the sins of the world all the way to the cross.

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)

In Jesus Christ, we receive the abundance of grace and the righteousness required by God. In Him the curse is reversed and death can no longer hold us. The rule and reign of man over the earth has been restored to us in Jesus Christ. For though He ascended to the throne of heaven forty days after His resurrection, He has never ceased to be fully human. He is the God-Man who is King over all, forever and ever. For God raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenlies

far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:21-23)

Not only that, but Paul adds this concerning us:

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-6)

Get the picture! Jesus sits on the throne of heaven, with all things under His feet—and we have been seated there with Him! This is not future hope, but present reality in the realm of the spirit. We are seated with Jesus the God-Man in the place of ruling and reigning.

We were created to be kings over the earth, and that honor has been restored to us in Jesus Christ, who is called King of kings. “For He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).

How to Have Abiding Joy

Understand that the coming of joy into your life is actually a by-product that results from other things:

• Joy is the constant atmosphere of the presence of the LORD. “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). If you find your joy is slipping away, it is because you are slipping away from His presence, so enter back into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise (Psalm 100:4).
• Joy is a fundamental element of the kingdom of God. “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
• Joy is the fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). Keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), and there is nothing that can rob you of your joy.
• Joy is abiding in the love of God. “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abiding in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:9-12).
• Joy is knowing Jesus. “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 1:3-4).
• Joy is asking in Jesus’ name. “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:23-24).
• Joy is sharing Jesus with others. “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received form the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).
• Joy is trusting in God to keep you. “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).

In other words, joy is in Jesus.

Created to Have Dominion: Subduing the Earth

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 moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)

God blessed Adam and Eve to subdue the earth. To subdue means to bring into subjection, or under control, and so speaks of a forcefulness. Adam and Eve were to bring the earth into line with plan and purpose of God, in whose image and likeness they were created. They were given the assignment of tending and keeping the Garden, but as they subdued the earth, it would all begin to look like Eden.

How were they to subdue the earth? To answer that, consider that, when God formed Adam from the dust of the ground, He then puffed His own breath into Adam’s nostrils, and Adam became a living being (Genesis 2:7). An ancient Aramaic translation and commentary on this passage says that Adam became a “speaking spirit.” Just as God created the heavens and the earth by the Word of His mouth, for “by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God” (Hebrews 11:3), so also the earth would be subdued by the spoken word. That is why Adam’s first assignment was to name the animals. By speaking words, he was actually calling these creatures into their destiny. He was subduing them, bringing them into divine order. God did not name the animals, or even tell Adam what to name the animals; He merely observed.

Out of the ground the LORD God formed every best of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. (Genesis 2:19)

Though the fulfillment of the divine mandate to subdue the earth was hindered by the Fall, it was never rescinded. In Jesus Christ, this authority and power is fully restored to mankind. Throughout His earthly ministry, we see Jesus subduing the earth by His words:

• Though He healed many by the touch of His hands, He also healed many by His words. For example, He healed Peter’s mother-in-law by rebuking it—speaking words to it (Luke 4:39).
• He calmed the tumult of the wind and waves by speaking to them, “Peace, be still” (Mark 4:39).
• He also rebuked the fig tree which by its leaves had promised fruit, but was actually barren. He spoke to it, saying, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again,” and the tree withered from the root up (Mark 11:14, 20).

Though He was and is fully divine, Jesus did not subdue these things out of His divinity. Rather, He did them out of His complete humanity, yielded to God and anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. This was the same anointing He promised to all His disciples when he said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8).

In the incident of the fig tree, Jesus taught His disciples how they, too, would be able to subdue things by the words of their mouths:

Have faith in God [literally, of 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)

All the earth waits for the manifestation of the people of God subduing the earth and bringing it into line with the divine plan:

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)

We were created to subdue the earth, by the faith of God at work in our hearts and through the words of our lips.

Created to Have Dominion: Filling the Earth

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 moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)

God blessed Adam and Eve with the ability and purpose of filling the earth. In the Bible, we see that the result of filling a thing is that it is influenced and controlled by that with which it is filled. We find this, for example, in the account of Ananias and Sapphira, who tried to deceive the Christian community. Peter said to them, “Why has satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?” (Acts 5:3). Satan had filled their hearts and his influence caused them to lie to God. Paul gives us a positive example of filling in his letter to the Ephesians:

Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks for all things to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. (Ephesians 5:18-21)

Being filled with the Holy Spirit brings forth the powerful results of uninhibited praise and thanks to God, and the mutual building up of believers.

God created man to fill the earth, but with what? The revelation of God! They were to fill the earth with the image and likeness of God, and the revelation of God’s purpose for the earth. They were to fill the earth with the revelation of God’s glory. The whole earth is already filled with the glory itself (Isaiah 6:3), but what is needed is for the earth to be filled with the knowledge of God’s glory (Habakkuk 2:14).

Man was created to fill the earth with the knowledge — the revelation — of the glory of God! Though that ability was lost in the Fall, it is restored to us in Jesus Christ, so that Paul could declare:

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are now bearers of that light. Just as God caused light to shine in the darkness at the creation of the world, He is now shining the light of the knowledge of His glory through the revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the true light of God, who came to shine with the glory of God for the sake of every person in the world (John 1:9).

That is why, before He ascended to His throne in heaven, Jesus commissioned His disciples to go into all the world with the Gospel, to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. That is why He promised them,

You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

They would be filled with the Holy Spirit to present powerful evidences and fill the earth with the revelation of Jesus Christ.

We were created to fill the earth with the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. That same promise, power and purpose which was given to Adam and Eve in the creation, and to the disciples in the redemption, is available also to us.

Created to Have Dominion: Fruitfulness and Multiplication

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 moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:27-28)

Having created man — male and female — in His own image and likeness, God then gave them their assignment:

• Be fruitful and multiply.
• Fill the earth and subdue it.
• Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing.

God’s way is that every living thing reproduces after its own kind—every flying thing, every creature of the sea, every land animal, all vegetation—each brings forth according to its kind.

The making of man was a very unique event in all of creation. God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” Man was created to be like God; we might call him a “god-class” of being, or a being of the “god” kind.

So the command God gave to Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply means that they were to reproduce after their kind. That is, they were to reproduce that which they were in their created nature—the image and likeness of God.

Now, God is a God of abundance, increase and multiplication. Everything operates on the principle of seedtime and harvest. A seed is sown and reproduces itself in multiplied fashion for the harvest. So God gave the blessing to Adam and Eve to reproduce the image of God and multiply His this god-likeness in great abundance.

We were created not only to be like God, but to reproduce and multiply His image and likeness over all the earth.

Created to Have Dominion: The Divine Image and Likeness

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. (Genesis 1:26-27)

You and I were created to have dominion, and that is why God created man in His own image and likeness. There is not another creature in the universe about which this has been said. Only man is said to be created in the divine image and likeness.

The Hebrew words for “image” and “likeness” are synonymous, and speak of resemblance and representation. They are used together to emphasize that man was to be very much like God.

Notice that both Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. When they looked at each other, they would portray the likeness of God to one another. And when God Himself looked at them, He would see His own image reflected back to Him. But that’s not all; they were also to present the image and likeness of God to the earth and all its creatures, so that when they beheld Adam and Eve, they would behold the image of God. For man was created to be a god-like class of being.

God created us to represent and be like Him on the earth. “Let Us make man in Our image, according to our likeness.” Then the purpose follows in the second part of the verse: “Let them have dominion … over all the earth.” We were created in the image and likeness of God — to be like God — so we could have dominion over all the earth, to rule and reign as God’s representatives.

Though this was lost to us in the Fall, when Adam rebelled against God, it is restored to us by the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, and through faith in Him. As Peter said,

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

Through Jesus Christ, we are once again enabled to partake of the divine nature, and to be God’s representatives on the earth. The rule and reign Adam lost because of sin is restored in Christ:

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who received abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (Romans 10:17)

God created man to be His image and likeness, and to have dominion over all the earth.

Forbidding and Permitting

Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven. (Matthews 18:18 Amplified Bible)

Here is an amazing statement Jesus made to His disciples; amazing because it empowers them with all the authority of heaven to act upon the earth. Read, mark and inwardly digest what this means about the coming together of heaven and earth:

• Whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven.
• Whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven.
  

Of course, in order to exercise this authority, you have to know what is going on in heaven — what is forbidden, and what is permitted. You have to be able to “see” what heaven is about. As Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). The kingdom of God is the rule and reign of God in heaven and on earth. In Matthew’s Gospel, it is also called the “kingdom of heaven.”

Unless a person is “born again,” he cannot see the kingdom of heaven. In the Greek text, the words for “born again” actually mean to be born from above. In other words, this new birth is one that takes place in the realm of heaven. It is a work of the Holy Spirit, and we receive it through faith in Jesus Christ. Without this new birth from above, we will not be able to see, understand or participate in what heaven is all about. On the other hand, when we are born of the Spirit of God, we are enabled by Him to see into the spiritual and understand what is going on in the kingdom of heaven.

Now, God’s plan is to bring everything in heaven and earth together in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:10). It is toward this end that Jesus has given us the authority to forbid on earth what is forbidden in heaven, and permit on earth what is permitted in heaven. For example:

• Sin is not permitted in heaven. So you do not have to allow it to have any dominion over you. Instead, you can allow the Lord Jesus Christ to rule and reign in your heart.
• Sickness and disease have no place in heaven. So you do not have to allow it to have any place in your body or on those you love. When you see sickness or disease in someone, you have the authority of heaven to forbid it and declare it to be improper and unlawful. You also have the authority to release the healing power and health of heaven on the earth.
• Lack and poverty are forbidden in heaven. So you can declare that it is improper and unlawful for it to be in your life and in your home. Instead, you can declare that the abundance and provision of heaven is lawful and proper, and release it to meet all your needs.
• There is no demonic oppression in heaven. So you can forbid demonic influences to have any place in your life. Instead, you can be continually filled and led by the Holy Spirit.
• God is love, and everything about heaven fully reflects that. So you can release the love of God on earth wherever it is needed.

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, you have been given great authority. Everything in heaven now belongs to you, so your life is very important upon earth. What will you do with that authority? What are you forbidding on earth? What are you permitting? Does it correspond with what is forbidden and what is permitted in heaven?

It’s All About the Relationship

Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19)

I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because id do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. (John 5:30)

Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. 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 8:28-29)

Jesus did only those things He saw the Father doing, and said only those things He heard the Father saying. The ability to see what the Father was doing and hear what the Father was saying came out of fellowship with the Father. It's all about the relationship.

How is your relationship with the Father? Are you taking the time?

(See also Taking Time)

Cynicism and the Vote

In a recent forum, an acquaintance who is a Christian expressed much dismay about voting in the upcoming election, and is currently planning to not participate. He offered a number of reasons, many of which may have a good bit of truth to them. But over all, his cast is gloomy, bitter and cynical. Here is how I responded:

Cynicism does not serve you well. It is based on how things appear in the natural realm, in the old age of this world that is passing away. But we are the people of God, people of the kingdom age that is now breaking into the world. We are people of the Spirit and of the spiritual realm. We are a colony of heaven. We are not the last remains of a mission team mournfully waiting for the Big Air Lift to come and rescue us. We are an insertion team, to establish the kingdom of God wherever we go. We have been given authority in the spiritual realm to bring forth change in the natural realm. We have been given the spiritual eyes to see what is going on in heaven and then pray, as Jesus taught us, "Kingdom of God, come! Will of God, be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). We have been given the authority to forbid on earth what has been forbidden in heaven, and to permit on earth what has been permitted in heaven (Matthew 18:18). We do not have to fall into that despair to which cynicism invariably leads; we can operate on the level of faith, bearing the authority of the kingdom of heaven on the earth.

The vote that has been given to each of us is not the end-all be-all, not from the kingdom perspective. But it is a practical way to respond in faith, instead of abdicating responsibility (although failure to vote will not make you one bit less responsible for the outcome of the elections).

You have told us what you will not be doing. But what will you be doing? How and what will you pray? Will it be full of cynicism, or faith? What are you willing to believe God to do to bring forth His kingdom and righteousness in this instance?

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, there is every reason to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and expect it to change the world — even on election day. So go out and vote.

What Song Are You Singing?

Praise the LORD!
Sing to the LORD a new song,
And His praise in the assembly of saints.

(Palm 149:1)

What song are you singing to the LORD? Are you singing the song of lack and need? Or are you singing the song of the LORD your Shepherd, who takes care of you in every way? (Psalm 23:1)

Are you singing the song of the attacking enemy? Or are you singing the song of the LORD Most High, who hides you in the secret place? (Psalm 91:1)

Are you singing the song of sickness? Or are you singing the song of the Lord your healer, who heals all your diseases? (Exodus 15:26; Psalm 103:3)

Are you singing the song of burden and care? Or are you singing the song of the Lord who takes care of things for you? (1 Peter 5:7)

Are you singing the song of rejection? Or are you singing the song of being accepted in the Beloved? (Ephesians 2:6)

Through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we now have so many wonderful songs we can sing — and they are all new, because in Jesus Christ we are made new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Search out the promises of God, because there is one for every circumstance, and start singing your new song to Him.

Don’t Be Fooled: Hold Fast the Word

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. (1 Corinthians 15:33-34)

The company you habitually keep is either going to build you up in the faith, or tear you down. The issue at hand in 1 Corinthians 15 was the resurrection of the dead:

Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. (v. 12-14)

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the keystone to the Christian faith. Paul goes on to explain the necessity and importance of the resurrection and demonstrate its truth.

But there were some among the believers at Corinth who taught that there is no resurrection, and perhaps suggesting that it was not really the message that Paul and the apostles were bringing. If that was so, Paul asked, then “why do we stand in jeopardy every hour” for the sake of the gospel (v. 30): “If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!’” (v. 31).

This false teaching, if left unchecked, would have sucked the life out of the Corinthian church, leaving them in despair. But like see many other life-sucking situations they were allowing to continue in the church, the believers allowed themselves to be lulled to sleep.

That is what happens when you hang out with a faithless crowd — they nip away at your faith until you are filled with doubt and finally sink into unbelief. Don’t be fooled, Paul says. Then he offers the antidote:

WAKE UP!!!

The Greek word for “awake” means to rouse up, as out of a deep sleep or drunken stupor.

Wake up! Sober up! Pull your head out!

“Awake to righteousness.” Return to what is right. Don’t let your faith be corrupted; eaten away by rot; rusted away by neglect. You have people among you who don’t even know God, and you are letting them influence your faith and pull you away. Don’t let them lead you astray — get out of there!

Picture Paul waving the “smelling salts” under their noses, preaching to them about the gospel, for that is how he began this section, reminding them of the truth they were in deep danger of forgetting:

Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:1-3)

Who are the people you allow to have influence in your life. Do they build you up in faith, or do they fill you up with doubt. Don’t let yourself be lulled away, but get a firm hold of the gospel of Jesus Christ (faith come by hearing the Word of God), and let yourself be renewed and strengthened.

Laying Up Treasure in Heaven

Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

This begins a section of Jesus’ sermon on the mount in which He teaches on the relationship between wealth and riches and the kingdom of God. This section includes the teaching on laying up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21), the difference between the “good” eye and the “evil” eye (Matthew 19:22-23), the teaching that you cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24), about how God will take care of all our needs (Matthew 6:25-32), and the command to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33-34). It all goes together and shares the same context.

In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus teaches us to not lay up treasure for ourselves on earth, but to lay them up for ourselves in heaven. And He gives use the key to what this means: “Where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.”

In other words, the whole question of treasuring — what we treasure, how we treasure it, and where we lay it up—is a matter of the heart. What is going on in your heart will determine what your treasure is all about.

Now, we know that there is no need, no lack, no want in heaven. Heaven is perfectly provided for in every way. Therefore, it does not need any of the treasure of earth. We do not need to try to crate up gold and jewels and earthly treasures and ship them up to heaven.

Heaven does not need the treasure of earth — but earth desperately needs the treasure of heaven. And that is why we are to seek the kingdom of God, which is the kingdom of heaven. We need it here.

That is why Jesus came, to destroy the works of the devil, redeem fallen humanity, and establish the kingdom of God on earth. When He began His ministry, He came preaching, “Repent and believe, for the kingdom of God is here.” His teaching was about the kingdom, and His works of healing and deliverance were manifestations of the kingdom. Forty days after the Resurrection, Jesus ascended to His throne in heaven, where He now rules over all, forever and ever.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, “Kingdom of God, come — and keep coming! Will of God, be done on earth as it is in heaven — and keep being done!” (that is the sense of the Greek text).

Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God.” But we are not to seek it in heaven only, but on the earth. For the kingdom of God is the rule and reign of God, and the righteousness of God is His way of doing and being right. Everything is already set right in heaven by the rule and reign of God. Where it is really needed now is upon the earth. And that is what we are to seek — for the rule and reign of God and His rightness to be established on the earth. When we do, everything else will be fully taken care of.

So the kingdom of heaven is now here, and has been ever since Jesus came. Laying up for ourselves treasure in heaven is to be understood in the context of the kingdom of God, which is the kingdom of heaven.

Heaven does not need the treasure of earth; earth needs the treasure of heaven. If we merely treasure up for ourselves treasure on earth, neither heaven or earth will benefit from it. But when we treasure up for ourselves treasure in heaven, then it can truly become a blessing on earth, manifesting the prosperity of heaven to meet every need.

We are the people of heaven. We are in the world system, but we are not of it. Our new birth by the Holy Spirit is from above, our citizenship is in heaven, and we are seated — right now — in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. We are on the earth, but we of heaven, and therefore, uniquely qualified to bring forth the blessing of heaven to the earth.

We are authorized to pray for the kingdom of God to keep coming onto the earth, to call for the bread of heaven to be distributed on earth, to bind on earth what has been bound in heaven, and to loose on earth what has been loosed in heaven. We are of heaven, and we are bringing heaven to earth, by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So we are to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven so that it can be filled with the purpose of heaven and manifest the blessing of the kingdom of heaven on the earth.

It does not mean that we are not to have wealth and riches on the earth. Rather, it means that our wealth and riches must have the purpose of heaven. And that is a matter of the heart, for where our treasure is, that is where our heart is.

It is impossible for us to have our hearts in one place and our treasure in another. As Jesus said in this same passage, we cannot serve both God and mammon. Where one is, that is where the other is.

To lay up for ourselves treasure in heaven, we first need to settle the matter of the heart. We need to line up our hearts with the heart of God and the purpose of heaven, seeking the establishment of the rule and reign of God (a.k.a. the kingdom of God) on earth, just as it is in heaven. When we do that, then we will be able to direct all our wealth and riches towards that purpose.

Discipleship: The Stunning Revelation of Jesus Christ

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have not faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” (Mark 4:39-41)

The disciples had been fearful enough about the storm that raged against them out on the sea; they thought they were about to perish. But they were even more afraid when Jesus calmed the wind and the waves by the power of His words. The Bible says they “feared exceedingly.”

“Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” Though they had already been with Jesus for some time, being instructed by Him and observing the many wonderful miracles He performed, this was a new revelation about Jesus for which they were completely unprepared.

The goodness, the greatness, and the grace of God in Jesus Christ is so stunning because our own experiences are so limited, our thoughts so restricted, and our faith so weak. There is also the awareness of the greatness of the distance between us and God, that He is so holy — so completely unlike anything else in the world, and that we are so unholy, so unlike Him.

Isaiah experienced this in his vision of the LORD in His holy temple: “I am a man of unclean lips, and I come from a people of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5).

Peter experienced this when Jesus instructed him to cast the net on the other side, and Peter hauled in an amazingly and totally unexpectedly prosperous catch of fish. He fell before the Lord Jesus and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8).

The revelation of Jesus Christ always generates controversy:

• No, God isn't really like that.
• No, He doesn't do that today.
• No, His grace is not that free.
• No, Jesus didn't really mean that.

It's too much for us. Even the Lord Jesus recognized that He couldn't unload all this revelation at one time on His disciples. He told them, “I have many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them now.” That's why He sent the Holy Spirit, to lead us into all truth. And we are still unpacking what that all means (John 16:12-13).

That is what our discipleship is about: processing the revelations of Jesus Christ. Each step stretches us past our limit, and a lot of times we don't want to go any further. Our job is to keep going further and further with Him, continually being stunned.

Don’t Be Fooled: Inheriting the Kingdom

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

This is not an exhaustive list; the apostle Paul expands on it in some of his other letters:

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:3-5)

Paul summed it all up pretty well in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The Greek word for “sin,” hamartano, and means to “miss the mark.” Think of an archery event in which you win the prize for hitting the bullseye. To sin is to miss the bullseye.

But Paul not only said that we have all missed the bullseye, but we have also fallen short — we’ve missed the target altogether! God created us to share in His glory, to experience and enjoy all the goodness that is in Him, but we have fallen far short of that.

None of the things Paul listed have any place in the kingdom of God, because the kingdom of God is all about the glory of God, all these things fall far short of that glory. God is all about life and light, but the things on Paul’s list bring only death and darkness. God is love, but the things on the list demonstrate nothing more than selfishness. They are lacking in love for God and one’s neighbor.

Bummer.

But there is a solution. No one has to remain this way. For in 1 Corinthians 6:11, Paul is quick to add, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).

• We can be washed (made clean).
• We can be sanctified (set apart to experience God’s glory).
• We can be justified (declared righteous).
  

Now, we cannot wash ourselves — but we can be washed. We cannot sanctify ourselves — but we can sanctified. We cannot justify ourselves — but we can be justified. How does this happen? Through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul addresses this in another letter:

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:3-7)

Because of what Jesus Christ has done for us, and through faith in Him, God makes us new—gives us a new birth—by the Holy Spirit. Jesus does not come short of the glory of God, and in Him, neither do we, for we are new creations in Him.

When we receive the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes into us to bring forth the same fruit He brought forth in Christ: “For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

This is what you and I were created for, to experience the life of Christ, the fruit of the Spirit, and the glory of God. This is what the kingdom of God is all about.

Don’t Be Fooled: Understanding Sowing and Reaping

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. (Galatians 6:7-8)

“God is not mocked.” Paul is speaking of an immutable principle: Whatever you sow is what you will reap. God established that at the very beginning, when He created plants and animals each to reproduce after their own kind, and told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. God also reaffirmed this same principle to Noah when He promised, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22). It is true in the natural realm; it is just as true in the spiritual realm. Do not treat it lightly!

It’s a bedrock principle: Whatever you, that is what you will reap.” In his second letter to the Corinthian believes, Paul brought out this accompanying principle: “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). Not only do you reap what you sow, but also according to how you sow. You will also reap more than you sow. Jesus said,

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measure back to you. (Luke 6:38)

“Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” will be either a blessing or a curse for you — it all depends on what you sow. There’s really only two directions you can go with this: You can sow to the flesh, or you can sow to the Spirit. Here’s how Paul lays it out:

• He who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption.
• He who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Sowing to the flesh is thinking that everything we say and do, and how we spend and invest our money is about us. It has no lasting value and results only in a harvest of corruption, decay and a ruined life.

Sowing to the Spirit, on the other hand, is realizing that everything we say and do, and how we spend and invest our money is all about God. It has eternal value and that harvest of a life that is rich and full.

Sowing to the flesh is like a thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy. Sowing to the Spirit is lining up with Jesus, the good shepherd who comes to give us life more abundantly (John 10:10).

Earlier in his letter to the Galatians, Paul made this comparison between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit:

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told in the time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we life in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:19-25)

Don’t be fooled. Everything you say and do will either bring life and light, or death and darkness into your world. Choose carefully what will you sow.

All You’ll Ever Need (Part 2)

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, God has given you everything that has to do with life and godliness. Jesus came to give us life and abundance of life (John 10:10). Not only is life to be found in Him (John 1:4), but He is life (John 14:6). It is the life of Jesus that the apostle Paul was speaking of when he wrote,

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

God has given us everything that pertains to this life as well as to the next. Jesus said,

Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time — houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions — and in the age to come, eternal life. (Mark 10:29-30)

The apostle Paul said, “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).

God has also given us everything that pertains to godliness, that is, fellowship with and devotion to Him. In Jesus Christ, we come into a life that is poised to experience the divine glory and virtue, the greatness and the goodness of God at work on our behalf.

Peter called these “exceedingly great and precious promises,” through which we not only escape the corruption of the world, but much more than that, we become partakers of the divine nature! (See Partaking of the Divine Nature).

In 1 Timothy 3:16, Paul outlined the mystery of godliness (see The Mystery of Godliness), and later on he declared, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6).

We were created to be like God, and though this was lost to us through the sin of Adam, it is restored to us through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Through faith in Him, we receive a new birth from above, a birth by the Holy Spirit of God. To partake of the divine nature, to fellowship with God and to be like Him in this life — could there ever be anything better than this? It is all you’ll ever need.

(See also All You’ll Ever Need, Part 1)

All You’ll Ever Need

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, God has blessed with you everything you’ll ever need. Every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies already belongs to you.

Now, don’t go thinking that, because it says spiritual blessing, it has nothing to do with the natural world. What goes on in the spiritual realm has everything to do with the natural realm. For this natural world was created by God, who is Spirit. What happens in the natural realm is totally dependent upon the spiritual realm. So when God blesses you with every blessing in the spiritual realm, it also affects everything in the natural realm.

Many Christians seem to think that we only receive a few spiritual blessings now, and that we will receive the rest, the greater majority, when we leave this life for the next — at least they live like that is what they think. But the truth is that, when we get to heaven, we will not receive anything there that we have not already received here.

We do not need to receive any more blessing from God. All we really need to do is learn how to live in the blessing we have already received, for it is more than enough to enable us to be and do what God has called us to be and do in this world. And that is what discipleship is about — learning how to walk in the blessing of God in such a way that it changes the world.

We are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies. In fact, that is where we are seated in Christ Jesus—in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6). We are born of heaven, our citizenship is in heaven and we live on this earth as ambassadors of heaven. Our job is to bring forth heaven on earth, just as Jesus taught us to pray: “Kingdom of God, come. Will of God, be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). We are authorized to bind on earth what has already been bound in heaven, and loose on earth what has already been loosed in heaven (Matthew 18:18). Jesus also promised that as we come into agreement with each other on earth concerning anything, it will be done for us by our Father in heaven (Matthew 18:19). In this way, the spiritual blessing we have received is able to bring forth blessing in the natural realm.

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, God has already blessed you with everything you’ll ever need. Are you learning to walk in the blessing and live the life of heaven on earth? Then you are becoming a world-changer.

(See also All You'll Ever Need, Part 2)

A Table in the Presence of My Enemies

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. (Psalm 23:5)

This morning I took of the Table of the Lord with this verse fully in mind. I took of it, very deliberately, in the presence of my enemies.

The particular enemy we are dealing with at this time is debt — mortgage, car note and unsecured debts. These are enemies because they represent lack, and Psalm 23 opens famously with line, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” To want, or be in want, is to be in lack. When the Lord is our shepherd, we do not have to be in lack. It is not God’s will for us.

Now, I confess that we have made some poor choices and foolishly gotten ourselves into some financial dfficulties. But it would be even more foolish for us to think that, since we got ourselves into trouble, we must therefore get ourselves out of trouble. It is foolish for a couple of reasons: First, though we have a great ability to get ourselves into trouble, we have little skill or capacity for getting ourselves out. But more importantly, we are in covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Savior and our Shepherd. He as already provided for what we cannot do ourselves. So we look to Him.

That is where the Table of the Lord comes in — it is a revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ and the covenant we have in Him. The bread reveals His body given for us, and the cup is the cup of the New Covenant made in His blood. In Him we have all we need, for as the apostle Paul said, “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?” (Romans 8:32).

So I took of the Table of the Lord in the presence of my enemies. But first, I took all our bills, our mortgage and car note coupons, and everything that represents debt and lack in our finances, and I set them on the coffee table. Then in between them and me, I set the bread and the cup of the Lord’s Table, and I declared, “You have prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

Then I looked at all those bills and notes, and I spoke to them: “I’m serving you notice, we are going to overcome you.” I thought of Caleb’s words, when the twelve spies reported back to Moses after spying out the promised land. Ten spies gave a sorrowful report about how, though the land was indeed a good land overflowing with milk and honey, it was also filled with giants. But Caleb said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30). He agreed with Joshua, who said, “Do not fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them” (Numbers 14:9). (See When Its All About God)

Then I thought of Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him [satan, the accuser of the brethren] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” (See The Word of Your Testimony)

The blood of the Lamb is what is revealed to us in the cup of communion. It is a cup that runs over with the blessing of the Lord. It is how we overcome all our enemies. It is a cup of salvation. The psalm writer said, “What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD” (Psalm 116:12-13).

And that’s exactly what I did. I ate the bread and drank the cup from the Table of the Lord and claimed my victory in Jesus Christ. I ate of the table He prepared for me in the presence of my enemies. For the Lord is my shepherd, my savior, my healer, my provider, and there is no enemy in the world that can stand up to Him.

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, God has a table prepared for you in the presence of you enemies. Are you partaking of it?

(See also Warring with the Bread and the Cup and A Table of Victory Prepared for You)

The Joy and Privilege of Your Kingship

The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
You have given him his heart’s desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips.

(Psalm 21:1-2)

The king originally in view here is David, the psalm writer. Ultimately, however, this psalm finds its most perfect fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is called the Son of David. After His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus ascended to His throne in heaven, where He rules and reigns over all, forever and ever.

But this psalm can also be applied to every believer in Jesus Christ. For the original mandate God gave to Adam and Eve was to subdue the earth and have dominion — to rule and reign over it. We were created to be kings on the earth. Though that dominion was forfeited when Adam rebelled against God, it has been restored to us in the Lord Jesus Christ. For God has “made us alive together with Christ … and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:5-6). We are now seated with the Lord Jesus Christ on His heavenly throne, the place of ruling and reigning. We are kings, and He is the King of Kings.

“The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD.” Nehemiah said, “The joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). But here we see that its works the other way around, too: The strength of the Lord is your joy!

The Hebrew word for “joy” here is samach, and means to be lighthearted. When you rely on the strength of the Lord, there is nothing that can weigh your heart down, because God is far greater than whatever might be a burden for you. So the Bible tells us, “Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Regardless of your circumstance, you can be lighthearted and joyful, when you roll your burden over onto the Lord.

“And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice.” The word for “rejoice” here is giyl (gheel), and literally means to spin. It is a dancing joy that whirls and twirls in delight. David certainly knew what this was all about. When he brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, he was so full of joy that he danced with great abandon, leaping and whirling before the Lord (2 Samuel 6:16).

The salvation God has for you and me is indeed something to get very excited about. The Hebrew word is yeshuah. It is not only the forgiveness of our sins, it is also freedom and deliverance from everything that binds us up, holds us back or keeps us down. It is healing for all our diseases. It is even our peace and prosperity. It is wonderful. As a proper name, this word for “salvation” is Yeshua, which is the Hebrew name for “Jesus.”

“You have given him his heart’s desire.” In another psalm, David said, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). The Bible refers to David as “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), that is, he was a man who lined up his heart with the heart of God. Even when he stumbled, he did not run away from God, but he ran to Him. He delighted in God, and so received his heart’s desire.

Again, we see this completely fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose heart was perfectly aligned with the heart of the Father:

Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. (John 5:19)

I can of Myself do nothing. As I her, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. (John 5:30)

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (John 6:38)

I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. 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 8:28-29)

When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He transforms us, aligning the desires of our hearts with His. Then He fulfills those desires.

“And have not withheld the request of his lips.” Because Jesus is all about the Father, the Father is all about Jesus, and will not deny any of His requests. Whatever the Son asks, the Father will do, because the heart of the Son is perfectly aligned with the heart of the Father.

Now, hold on to your hat, because here is how that relates to you and me in a very powerful way: The Father will not withhold the request of the Son; the Son has given us the authority to make requests in His name!

Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14)

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. (John 15:16)

And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full … In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. (John 16:23-24, 26)

Jesus has given us the authority to ask in His name, that is, to ask as He would ask. When we do, the promise is that God will not withhold the request of our lips. For the Father loves all those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ just as much as He loves the Lord Jesus Himself.

God has created you to be a king upon the earth. Because of what the Lord Jesus has done for you, you can be lighthearted in the strength of the Lord, casting every single burden of care upon Him. You can celebrate without any inhibitions because of the rich forgiveness, freedom, healing, peace and prosperity God has for you. Delight yourself in the Lord, for He wants to give you your heart’s desire. Get the perspective of what Jesus is all about and ask on the basis of His name and His authority, fully expecting to receive, and God will not withhold the request of your lips.

Invitation to a Vision

BEHOLD!

We find this word in the Bible often, but many times we don’t recognize the significance of what it means when God tells us to behold.

It is an invitation to envision — to enter into a vision — with God.

Our God is the God who sees. He is called Yahweh Yireh, the LORD Who Provides. The word yireh comes from the Hebrew root ra’ah, which means to see. Even the English words “provide” and “provision” mean to foresee with the purpose of making supply. When God sees a need, He extends Himself to supply what is needed.

Time and again, God tells us to behold something, to focus our attention and gaze intently. Often, what we are called to behold is something which has not yet manifest in the natural dimension — God is telling us to see it in the spiritual dimension.

The very fact that God tells us to behold it is the evidence that it really is true in the spiritual realm. Our job is to learn how to see it in the Spirit and lay hold of it by faith. Then, with the power of divine faith at work in our heart, we can call it forth into manifestation in the natural realm. (See Mark 11:22-24, about speaking to mountains).

Don't Be Fooled: Understanding the Source of Good

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. (James 1:16-18)

“Do not be deceived,” James says. The Greek verb for “deceived” is the same word Jesus used when He told the Sadducees, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29).

Deception is a trick of the devil played upon a willing heart. He does not want you to know the Scriptures or the power of God. He will be happy enough for you to fill your head with religious theories, but he does not want you to have a personal experience of the Word of God at work in your heart or the power of God at work in your life, for that is death to his plans and destruction to his works. So he tries to lead you astray in your thinking.

Like Jesus, James identifies how it is possible to be deceived about the power of God and the Scriptures. “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.”

This is about the manifestation of God’s power. Everything that is good, mature and complete comes from above, from our Father in heaven. God is not the source of evil, but only of good. Many Christians, however, have been deceived into thinking that God sends diseases upon people or causes bad things to happen to them — to punish them, get them to repent, teach them a lesson, humble them, etc.

But that is simply not so. Nothing evil comes from heaven. There are no diseases there waiting to be unleashed upon the earth. There are no car crashes or any other tragic accidents there. God is the Father of lights, not the Father of darkness. But we know who is the father darkness—the same one who is the father of lies — and we have been delivered from his power into the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13). Anything that is lacking, anything that is not mature and complete, anything that is not good—it does not come from our Father in heaven, but ultimately traces back to the evil one, in whom there is nothing but darkness.

Do not be mistaken. Anything the attributes evil to our Father in heaven is a deception.

James goes on is this same passage to comment upon the Word of God: “Of His own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”

God did not send His Word — neither His the Scriptures not the Living Word, Jesus Christ—into the world to condemn you, but to save you and deliver you from the works of the devil: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse here through the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:26).

In context, James has been addressing specifically the question of being tempted to do evil. His point is that such temptation does not and cannot come from God, for He is the giver of all good things.

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and entices. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. (James 1:13-15)

James makes a comparison of sources by noting what each “brings forth” (the Greek verb is apokueo). Temptation to evil “brings forth” (apokueo) death. But the Word of God is the word of truth, whose purpose is to “bring us forth” (apokueo), “that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures,” that is, reflecting the glory of His goodness.

Any idea that God is out to condemn you, destroy you or do you harm in any way is mistaken — a lie of the devil. The devil is the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus is the Good Shepherd who has come that you might have life and have it in abundance (John 10:10)