Compromise with the World

John 8:42-47 WEB

Therefore Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from God. For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me. [43] Why don’t you understand my speech? Because you can’t hear my word. [44] You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and its father. [45] But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me. [46] Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? [47] He who is of God hears the words of God. For this cause you don’t hear, because you are not of God.”

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Do you like to drink, smoke, live selfishly and in general always think about yourself? Do other godly people irritate you? Do you love the Father, or do you love the world? These are important questions for each of us to use to evaluate our heart condition. The one we serve is our father. Is God in heaven our Father, or is Satan of the earth our father?

We need to look out of ourselves to make these types of evaluations. Why? Jesus says when we hear Satan we become deaf to God. So, worldliness may not be easy to detect. For most of us, when we do not want to face sin we make an excuse to deal with it later. But it takes discipline and perseverance to self-check for worldliness and godliness.

However, most people change their doctrine to accommodate sin. Most of us cannot bear for our stated beliefs to be proven false. It’s called psychological dissonance. We all try to keep a balance so we do not experience dissonance. The easiest way to solve dissonance is to change our minds. We must resist this urge. When Holy Spirit starts to bring conviction, making excuses will cause your love for God to wax cold. In this place, strange perverted ideas can masquerade as godliness. For this reason, decision-makers in the Body of Christ need to be thoroughly tested and tried before they are given power over other believers. It is also why believers need to read the Bible with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

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Lord, open my ears so that I can hear you. Forgive me for partnering with the world. Please help me change to true godliness. In Jesus’ name, amen.

How Jesus Interacted with the Father

John 7:27-30 WEB

However we know where this man comes from, but when the Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from.” [28] Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, “You both know me, and know where I am from. I have not come of myself, but he who sent me is true, whom you don’t know. [29] I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” [30] They sought therefore to take him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.

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Do you believe you are from God? Jesus did. He believed he was from God (John 7:29), and he believed he knew God well enough to discern his will (John 6:4). He also believed he was sent from God (John 7:28-29). Being sent is a concept we are familiar with today. We get called by God, we get sent from God, we get sent from Church bodies. Jesus believed he was sent from God and that he was doing exactly what the Father wanted.

All practicing Christians long to be in the Father’s perfect will. These verses give me hope it is possible to know God’s will. Additionally, if I want to do the things Jesus did, I need to be familiar with the tools he used to interact with God and accomplish God’s will. Jesus developed a relationship with the Father through prayer (Luke 5:16), fasting (John 4:34), and obedience. I have access to these same tools.

I can pray for as long as I need to hear from God. I can also fast. Finally, with God’s help, I can obey the Bible and the Spirit of God. I can do what Jesus did. I can hear from God and obey. These verses give great hope to those endeavoring to be in the Father’s will. Jesus trusted himself to the Father. He trusted the Father’s motives. From this place of trust, the Lord is able to do great things for the Father.

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Lord Jesus, please give me the grace to seek a relationship with the Father. Help me pray, fast, and obey so that I can learn to discern the Father’s voice, and some can be saved. Help me release my life so that I may enter a healthy relationship with God. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

One Way the Father Speaks

John 5:31-36 WEB

“If I testify about myself, my witness is not valid. [32] It is another who testifies about me. I know that the testimony which he testifies about me is true. [33] You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. [34] But the testimony which I receive is not from man. However, I say these things that you may be saved. [35] He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. [36] But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John, for the works which the Father gave me to accomplish, the very works that I do, testify about me, that the Father has sent me.

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When I think of my works speaking, I shudder. Thank God for grace. Still, I can look back at times when the works I was doing were speaking for the Father. Times when things went wrong, so much that I began to believe the Father was telling me to stop. Other times, I have seen things go so remarkably well that I felt the Father was lighting the path as I walked. Like Jesus, I must recognize the Father to recognize when he is speaking and what he is saying.

Jesus was humble in his interpretation. He does not boast. In fact, he hedges when he says, “…the Father has sent me.” (John 5:36 WEB) It is hedging because he knew more but he keeps the scope small with a simple, “he sent me.” That is great because it is something I can do in my life. I can see where the Father is lighting my path and recognize its meaning, that I am sent. I do not have to know every detail. What is significant is that I can recognize I am on a path with the Father.

It seems Jesus expected to be judged. He tells his audience to judge the works he does, for they testify of Jesus on behalf of the Father. Jesus did not have an audible relationship with the Father while he was on earth. Like those around him, Jesus had to interpret the meaning of the signs that he was performing. His interpretation was that the miracles spoke for the Father. He believed in his own destiny because he could recognize the works of the Father.

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Lord Jesus, please give me eyes to see and ears to hear so that I will recognize the works of God in my life. Help me to interpret what you do in my life accurately. Please give me the grace to rest knowing you are with me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Anointed and Set Apart

John 1:6 WEB

There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.

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It has always been God’s way to choose a man or a woman and raise them up for his purpose (Romans 1:1, Hebrews 11:32). The Old Testament is full of heroes that were raised up in God’s timing to perform tasks and services for God. Most people know about Moses, King David, and the prophet Isaiah. All these men were raised up at a point in time to serve God’s purpose.

There are many other heroes you may not know about. For example, Rahab was a prostitute in the Old Testament who was raised up to serve God and accomplished his purpose (Joshua 2:6). In the time of Jesus, John the Baptist was raised up to serve a purpose for God (Luke 1:14-17).

In our modern era, the idea of a single person standing for God is not popular. In order to avoid favoritism, many ministries have attempted to open up space for a broad section of the laity to serve. There’s an idea that if the man of God has to leave this will prevent the ministry (or church) from collapsing. It’s an attempt to avoid losing an anointing that may rest with a single person. And, while it seems really fair and it feels really inclusive, it’s worldly. Because in the Bible, God picks a person to anoint to accomplish a purpose.

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Lord Jesus, please help me recognize when another person is anointed to serve you. Please guard my heart Lord so that I do not use the world’s means to try and discern your Spirit resting on another. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.