Predators Are Attracted To The Spectacle

I have two themes ricocheting back and forth in my being as a pray for states in the Midwest and think of people living in the plains states. The importance of giving the word of God first place in worship and the unifying power of giving.

Seen in the light of grace both things are a mirror of grace

"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures," - 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 ESV

Not just teaching but Christ centered teaching that focuses on redemption, salvation and resurrection.

"We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord... For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." - 2 Corinthians 8:1-3, 9 ESV

Giving is such a beautiful thing... such a unifying thing. Grace giving is at least. When people decide of their own free will to give to a cause out of love. The generosity becomes a spectacle. Paul boasts about their lives of faith

These two areas, the spiritual power of transformation that comes to a group from preaching Christ and the compassionate giving that unifies a group, are also the places where we see predators rise up inside the assembly... false teachers and false givers.

"But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, 'This man is the power of God that is called Great.' And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic... saying, 'Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.' But Peter said to him, 'May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God." - Acts 8:9-11, 19-21 ESV

Simon the Sorcerer saw the power of preaching and teaching and wanted it.

"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." - 2 Timothy 3:5-7 KJV

Learning, learning, learning but not learning Jesus. Mimics parroting phrases that they heard but they themselves are stones flying through darkness into the void. They may talk about grace and the Bible but really they are trying to buy favor to fill their void with intellectualism. The thing is... you can't buy the Holy Spirit.

Then there are the false givers... Ananias and Sapphira are a perfect new testament example.

"But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.' " - Acts 5:1-4 ESV

True giving is only ever grace giving and true preaching is only grace preaching. These two things create a spectacle that can not be duplicated because the life of God is manifested in the midst of them.

We give by faith and listen to men who preach by faith but it isn't for us to get something. The teaching reveals what we already have. We have God and we have His love and uniquely manifested favor. Teaching shows us that. Giving happens as an outflow of that but it should never be legislated... encouraged but not legislated... individual giving uncorks us so that as we are emptied and God can fill us with freshness and corporate giving edifies those in need and propels the Gospel forward into dark places by providing a means for logistical grace. Logistical grace is much more than money of course but God uses money also.

There are false teachers and false givers but that does not discourage us or make us introspective. There always have been those elements circling the Church and looking for isolated members to prey upon. It has been that way from the beginning.  Genuine preaching and giving are still amazing things. We must use discernment and live in the real thing. The value or the real far outweighs anything else.

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The Flow Of Our Soul In Newness

"And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' Also he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' And he said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.' " - Revelation 21:5-6 ESV

All things new... Really? Yes, All things.

God knows we are used to paying for what we want or need but in this new economy the water of life is free.

Newness. Not tired oldness. Not what we are used to. Our old methods won't work when all things are new.

Our soul is an intermingling of mind, emotions, will, conscience and consciousness of self. We could say that as our personality becomes fixed the arrangement of our soul becomes fixed as well. Fixed like the path of a river becomes fixed... fluid but moving in certain lines or ruts. Some people make primarily emotional decisions or intellectual ones or conscience based decisions. But, In freedom our soul's configuration changes. Our living spirit receives from God and we become healthy people. The water of the Word washes our soul. The Word is built up as line upon structures providing a new framework for our soul to operate in. Our will once ironclad or willy nilly now changes from a yes-no response to a yes-amen response when presented with decisions that are made in God's eternal value system.

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:11-13 ESV

Paul's soul had become flexible within a new framework. The framework of grace made him rich even when he was poor and poor when he was rich. The water of life was free and Paul's attention was captured by Christ as situations came and went. His will rose to the top and he made decisions in spite of how he felt or what he thought. Paul had a supply from above and a purpose to function in that made him a thankful man who prayed through situations and saw God answer in redemptive ways. God didn't free him from jail but people in the house of Rome were saved one by one and books of the Bible were written there.

God did free Peter from jail (see Acts 12:5f) answering the prayers of believers praying in faith but He didn't free Paul that way. Both men were free inside. Both men had souls that functioned differently than they did before because of a growing awareness of newness.

As believers we are new creatures that inhale and exhale newness. The old things no longer work.

God, Renew our minds. Reconfigure our souls by showing us Christ today in a fresh way. Make us ambassadors of newness in the situations we face with creative methods that come from a perspective of freedom. We trust you for this. It is not by our power but by Your power. Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven in our lives today.

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Believing That Will Usher In Understanding

"What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?" - 1 Corinthians 4:7b ESV

Understanding will not cause me to believe but believing will usher in understanding. As witnesses of God's mercy we choose to receive His initiations by believing and when we do that we have a spiritual platform for understanding.

God uses the foolishness of preaching (or proclamation) that displays grace and through the channel of grace God's attributes and work are put on display. The Gospel of grace is not a meaty enough argument for the natural man. It is a simple declaration. That declaration seems foolish until a person believes and then it becomes the power of God that dominates a persons life.

The cross and Christ's work there must be our primary apologetic because it is the Spirit of God that must do the persuading that all of our carefully planned arguments would never accomplish. Of course we steer clear of irrational arguments. The message is a rational one. It just can't be received only by the mind. It must be embraced by the heart that senses the presence of a One who Is divine reaching out to them.

"Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding." - Proverbs 4:7 NKJV

When a person becomes wise enough to know where to look they can then get understanding.

"Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear." - Isaiah 65:24 ESV

God's initiation of grace precedes our asking. He has put spiritual desires in our being when He remade us and with our will we exercise the choice to ask and He answers. We don't have anything spiritual of ourselves. What we have has been given to us.

"For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." - Matthew 13:12 ESV

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5 ESV

Our faith is a gift from God. It is a fruit of the Spirit who indwells us that is now intertwined with our living human spirit.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith," - Galatians 5:22 KJV

In love God has given us faith and all the other fruits of the Spirit so that they can be exercised. We don't have the power to exercise anything. We have the authority as a child of God and when we choose to function in our authority God supplies the power.

We decide to believe based on what we have been given. We say 'Yes' to God in faith thanking Him and rejoicing in Him and then in the creativity that He supplies we keep saying 'Yes'. We thank Him for what He has done and believe Him for what He will do to redeem people and situations

"But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me." - 2 Timothy 1:12b ESV

If my believing lacks content then we will seek comfort and Earthly advantage but when we know Jesus then in wisdom we will have authority to operate in and gain understanding for those things that have a redemptive purpose. That is why we are here on the Earth... to love people and gain what has been lost.

I want to seek the understanding that will further a redemptive purpose.

God help us today. We believe you. Make us wise and give us understanding for all that we do. Understanding for marriage and parenting... understanding for business and finances... understanding for health... understanding for missions and Church life... understanding... we seek it from You our source of all wisdom. Open your book to us. Move our minds to places they have not been and give us deep intuitive insight so that we can function in Your purposes on the Earth. Thank You. We love You and Thank You.

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Only One Altar

"Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they have become to him altars for sinning. Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands, they would be regarded as a strange thing." - Hosea 8:11-12 ESV

For political reasons Ephraim set up many places for people to make sacrificial offerings but those places just became places where the people 'fell short' over and over again.

An altar is a place where religious ceremony is carried out. A sacrifice is made there. It is not a practical place for the person making the sacrifice. No food is made there, no money is made and nothing is learned. You bring something and leave it there to assuage your guilt.

"As for my sacrificial offerings, they sacrifice meat and eat it, but the LORD does not accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins; they shall return to Egypt." - Hosea 8:13 ESV

The priests however do profit from the altar. Portions of the meat brought to the altar are what fed the priesthood. More sacrifices meant more meat.

This whole thing was not pleasing to God. Because of the emotional rebellion of the priesthood bowing to politics for personal gain God would usher a return to bondage for the whole system.

The cross is our one altar and it was outside the religious system. Romans crucified Christ under pressure from the Hebrew religious system of the day who was forbidden to execute criminals. But, On a deeper level God was sending His Son to die for sin. Jesus became sin. All of the sins of the world past, present and future were placed on Him and in one very unceremonious act sins were paid for.

"But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." - Hebrews 10:12-14 ESV

Do we have many altars or just one?

Our many altars just become places where sin is multiplied. People deal with guilt in many complex ways giving and doing all kinds of things as a way to feel better about themselves but God only has one altar. It is a rough hewn wooden cross that stood unceremoniously outside of Jerusalem's walls where a Savior gave His life.

Tear down your altars if you have them. They are worthless places that just usher a return to previous bondage.

It is finished and Christ is alive. We don't get our sustenance from the meat coming off the altar we commune with the blood and body of our once and for all sacrifice. It is free from all political or economic attachments. We live guilt free among a people that live guilt free. Ten thousand subtle rules and guidelines could never produce that in our lives. One Savior on one cross setting us free is what made that happen.

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Opening The Channel Of Supply

Meditation is rehearsing, reviewing or exploring a concept we already know.

After the first bite of an apple we know what the apple tastes like the second and third bites taste much the same as the first but we turn the fruit and plan the place where we will bite next. Meditation can be like that. Chewing and planning our next bite.

Meditating on grace is like eating something Heavenly. It is a foreign thought to the natural mind that God would love us just because He Is a God of love and that He would place us in a position of untarnishable favor based on what His Son has done is beyond natural thinking.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." - Philippians 4:4-9 ESV

Do we know grace? That is a good question. At times we all can say, 'No, We don't.' because it is a Heavenly idea and we are Earth bound people that have souls that cleave to the dust.

Grace is received from God. That is the only way it is obtained. Once given it is never taken away again. God puts an ironclad commitment around every divine decree. God gave grace when He gave His Son. We got grace when we received His Son. So simple. Then God Is right there with us supplying us moment by moment. He doesn't ever stop.

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age," - Titus 2:11-12 ESV

We meditate on what we know and God trains us in things we do not yet know. Grace opens the lines of supply because it makes the Bible alive, gives us access to God's throne day or night and shows us a new identity that is interacting in Trinitarian purposes because it is hidden in Christ.

"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!" - Psalm 34:8 ESV

Yes. We take a taste and then another again and again until our heart is established in grace. In time the basis of our functioning becomes grace.

That process is going to take time. We can afford to be patient with ourselves and with others. People grow at different rates and they have complex issues. If we have words of grace that we are chewing on we can give words of grace for other people to chew on and those words will open a supply for them that will transform them in time. That line upon line investment of the Spirit will grow into a beautiful structure that glorifies God.

So... We take bite after bite and chew a little longer instead of just swallowing in a rushed way and God does something invisible in us because of His invisible unending supply.

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Let The Loud Things Wait

The urgent matters of the flesh can wait. The weighty matters of the Spirit can wait but should not be kept waiting.

Lust should be made to wait. It can wait forever as far as we are concerned. It can grow old and die waiting. But, It demands attention. It's need is urgent. Let's just leave lust in the waiting room until it dies of starvation.

"For lack of wood the fire goes out." - Proverbs 26:20a ESV

When we speak of the flesh we aren't speaking of the physical body. Our body has needs and we should attend to them but our body is linked to our soul and we understand that correct desires have been influenced and twisted by the fall and wrong desire can be created by chains of bad decisions.

"For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." - Romans 8:13-14 ESV

The natural method of avoiding bad things is to do good things instead but that also has it's pitfalls.

"I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me." - Romans 7:21 KJV

This is a verse that is used as a building block in the argument for the depravity of man but it also exposes the flaws of mankind's effort based methods that put would put wood on the fire of lust.

Trying to good is the problem because when we try intrinsic evil is right there with us.

The quiet weighty matters of the Spirit are the answer. A life occupied with God's light and God's purposes will function in love.

"Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." - Romans 13:10 ESV

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." - John 9:5 ESV

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16 ESV

Worship is a weighty matter of the Spirit. Caring for souls is weighty. Meditating on grace is. Believing in Jesus' character and finished work on Calvary and knowing we are justified and made holy by God apart from our effort or performance is a quiet truth that does not scream for our attention but it has so much value that if we are wise we will make it our focus again and again.

We do what we do to the glory (revealing) of God. We know that how we are affects people's capacity to hear our words and we want to reveal Christ to people. We want to reveal Him to people that are lost and also to ones who already know Him. We are lights revealing the Gospel of Grace just like Jesus was a light revealing His Father's character and will.

In our weakness and in our strength we live in excellence not perfection or goodness. Why? Because God is excellent. Rebound (bouncing back after defeat or failure) reveals God. Love reveals God. Being unashamed of our Savior is excellent. We do all that we do and use all our might and creativity basking in God's light and God uses us as a light to lead people to Himself.

All the while lust can sit out there forgotten rereading old magazines for all I care.

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The Face Of Grace

"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance." - Psalm 42:5 KJV

What a great verse. The last part is very interesting in Hebrew. It could be loosely translated.

'I will thank Him because His facial expressions save me.'

Ever have a friend who jokes with you and just lightens the heavy situation by their humor. That is what I think of. A person giving you a hand to get up when you fall and laughing with you about it because they are one with you. Perhaps it is a face of tenderness instead or humor but it is never a face of disdain or anger. All of God's anger at sin was poured out already on the cross.

Grace shows us God's friendly compassionate even humorous face.

Paniym (Strong's H6440) is the word for face or countenance in the Hebrew and it is a plural word because a face is not frozen is moves and changes. All of God's many faces save us.

We have been ushered into the family of God because of what Jesus did on our behalf. We get the face from the Father that Jesus gets from the Father. Those faces save us again and again.

Funny isn't it. God is invisible to us. We don't see Him like we do our friends or family. We see His face through the scripture and at times through Spirit filled people that know God.

Jesus had the Father's face. Now we can have a reflection of that face also as the light of God's love shines through us. We can smile as we give someone a hand and even joke with them. We can make light of things and be serious about others as we fellowship in the Spirit.

God, Give us a face only evil wants to hide from. A face that reflects your glory and points people to You.

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