STEPS TO ACQUIRING DIVINE CHARACTER

'SO THAT..."

Matthew 28:18-20 KJV

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Acts 1:7-9 KJV

⁷ And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

⁸ But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

⁹ And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Hebrews 13:5-7 NCV

⁵ Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. God has said,

“I will never leave you;
    I will never abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

⁶ So that we can boldly say,

“I will not be afraid, because the Lord is my helper.
    People can’t do anything to me.” (Psalm 118:6)

⁷ Remember your leaders who taught God’s message to you. Remember how they lived and died, and copy their faith. 
⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

We know these words of Jesus as The Great Commission.  The writer of Hebrews reminds us of  how and why we should obey Jesus’ instructions…”so that.”  We can boldly, confidently, without fear tell all those we have opportunity as we go about in the world about Jesus because His Spirit is within us to empower and help us…so that, we can tell about Him! 

Jesus said to tell them everything He has told us about Who He is, where He came from, why He came, what He did and why He left.  He also said to tell how knowing Him has changed your life and how He can do the same for them. 

Jesus came from Heaven to earth to redeem mankind from the bondage of SIN.  He ONLY could give His blood as the perfect sacrifice because He was without sin.  He did this by dying on a cross.  Then He rose from the dead 3 days later to a new life He had never known before and would be changed forever!  We are to tell the world that they are redeemed and that they can be set free from the bondage of sin by believing in what Jesus did and asking Him to give them a new life they have never known before that is changed forever! 

He promised He was preparing a place for those who believe in Him and have received His Spirit and would come back for them and take them to be with Him in the place He had prepared.  We are to tell others until He comes!  Scripture indicates that ALL things have been fulfilled and we are the last generation to tell that He is coming SOON!

So…why aren’t we doing what He said we should be doing until He comes?  Not telling is NOT preventing Him from coming, it is only preventing you from hearing “well done, good and faithful one” when He comes!

You know how to tie a gift, Lord!  You are with us in The Holy Spirit “so that” we can do Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8 – Your way for Your glory; “so that” we can give You our best; to boldly witness, teach, disciple and baptize with water and The Word “without fear…” because I have Almighty God as my Helper!

O Lord, I love You, and Your Word sustains me.  Your Word today has become my life handle and confidence.  Thank You for proving Your Presence and for pursuing a Love relationship with me full of reality.  May the passion of loving You draw others in – “so that” You will be a reality to us all!  Amen.

SEEK...KNOCK!

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

Luke 11:9

So you've come to The Lord in prayer "asking" and "believing" that you will receive; but so far you haven't received the answer you were looking for.  What's the problem?  Maybe you're not asking... seeking... knocking with the right mind; heart or motive!

A few questions:  Are you asking selfishly?  Are you asking with your whole heart?  Are you coming out of need?  Are you seeking because you haven't found on your own?  Have you given your very best?  Are you knocking at the right door?  

 ^"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up".

James 4:7-10

James says there are some conditions that need to be met if you haven't received results to your asking, seeking and knocking.

A few more questions:  Are you asking for what Jesus would ask for?  Are you seeking because you don't know the way, or you don't like your situation?  Are you coming to God's door with a purified heart and clean hands; broken and afflicted from striving to make things work?  Is there any self-pity or pride in your life?  Are you desiring to satisfy your heart...or God's?

On a personal note, I have experienced asking, seeking and knocking and left discouraged and broken-hearted because God didn't seem to be listening or caring!  God has something much greater at heart than just answering our requests, He wants to give us His Best - that which is perfectly designed to fit my created purpose.  So, He let's us exhaust ourselves until we are ready to desire and receive Him!

This is my prayer today: 

O Lord, I have experienced the knocking of an afflicted life and received cleansing.  I've experienced the knocking of an afflicted faith of self-righteousness and received revelation.  I've experienced the seeking and knocking of an afflicted spirit and received a new life and insight.  Recently I have heard You knocking for me to open the door and invite You to dine and fellowship with me. I have received sweet communion and the delightful life of abiding in Your Presence free of all affliction.  I desire nothing more.

SACRAMENT

 March 10, 2014 during My Daily Delight

“Have a Message and be One!” ~ “GOD INFLESHED”

*Dictionary definition:  Religious action or symbol in which spiritual power is believed to be transmitted through material elements or the performance of ritual. 

*Oswald Chambers states it this way:  "The natural heart will do any amount of serving, but it takes the heart broken by conviction of sin, and baptized by the Holy Ghost, and crumpled into the purpose of God before the life becomes the sacrament of its message."

*My impression:  The practices of Christ evidenced by the outward display of a changed life empowered by The Holy Spirit of Almighty God.  ("an outward sign of an inward grace gift/transformation.")   A Child of God demonstrating the Word and Presence of God as a living message and as a witness unto Him. 

Paul, who demonstrated so well said to preach the Word in Spirit and life.  Hear his words:

2 Timothy 4:1-5   I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:

 ² Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 

³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 

⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 

⁵ But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

John 1:12 “to those who believe and receive He gave the right to become children of God.”

Children of the Word that became flesh are “GOD INFLESHED”!

When we are born again in the Spirit we become a child of God…and, as the Father sent The Son, so has He sent His children!

  ~ to be a witness unto Him

  ~ to be a messenger to the world that they are redeemed from the payment of sin – by

     living proof; the message demonstrated.

  ~ to be a Child (Daughter) of God just like Jesus – in Spirit and life.

SACRAMENT (definition from Oswald Chambers statement)

 ~ the heart broken by conviction of sin

 ~ baptized by the Holy Spirit

 ~ crumpled into the purpose of God –

Then, the life becomes the sacrament of the message.

DAUGHTER ~ MESSENGER ~ WITNESS OF GOD       

Lord God, I am listening with a pounding heart and searching for clarity to what I’m hearing – “God infleshed!”  Why does that paint a different picture to me than “Spirit filled” or indwelling Spirit”?  That’s POWER!  And with it, the life is to be the Message…the power of resurrection and Pentecost living in me!?  I’m overwhelmed.

MARY & NEW BIRTH

Mary, the mother of Jesus ~ The Holy Spirit came upon her and created a new life of God in flesh.  When we are born again it is the Holy Spirit coming upon us and creating a new life of God in flesh.  We are just like Jesus when we become born again.  He was a baby having all the needs of a baby.  He needed someone to take care of him; providing his mental, emotional, spiritual, physical and social needs…until he could do for himself.  As a newborn Christian we need the same care until we learn how to love God our Father with all our heart (emotional), soul (spiritual), mind (mental), and strength (physical) and to love one another (social). 

We are given The Spirit of God to live within us to help us; but we also need others who are mature spiritually to help us learn how to live in the faith and discipline of a Child of God.

Jesus was 100% man and had all the temptations such as us, but he didn't sin.  He didn't sin because He listened to The Holy Spirit of God, His Father and said "no" to sin.  If we listen to the same Holy Spirit that lives within us, we also will not sin.

Do we truly believe that it is the same Holy Spirit of God that lived in Jesus that lives in us?  If so, what is the evidence?  Do we need some help?  Ask The Lord to bring you to someone who will nurture/mentor you.

My Prayer:  Thank You, Lord, for the new life in You – it is new with every new day.  Thank You that my sinful life is dead, and I don’t want to revisit it even in a memory. Thank You for bringing so many into my life to teach and nurture me.  I desire more intimacy with You and the joy it brings, so that I can be more like You.

February 18, 2013 My Daily Delight