Pray from Christ's Finished Work

Prayer changes things. Prayer changes you and your world around you, but it doesn’t change God. Prayer doesn’t cause God to respond and give you what you want or need, he’s already done that. God doesn’t have anything else to give to you. The only thing God has left to give you is wisdom, revelation and guidance on how to live within everything he’s already given you. That’s why he gave you his spirit, so you would understand what he’s already given you.

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

What things has he freely given you?

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR A GODLY LIFE through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

He HAS GIVEN you everything you need for a godly life. Are you experiencing everything you need to live a godly life? Probably not. Does that mean he hasn’t given you some of the things you need to live a godly life? No. It just means you aren’t personally connecting to or experiencing some of the things God has already given you.

So you should pray for wisdom and revelation, so that God’s spirit within you will help you understand what he’s already given you so that you can experience those things in this life.

Prayer Insights from King David

In seeking to know how to pray from our new creation identity, considering God’s promises, and from the finished work of Christ, we can learn from David’s prayer in Psalm 103. David knew how to pray because he knew God’s character, he prayed out of a heart that was focused on who God is rather than just out of his need.

1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Praying from his soul

David started his prayer by praising God from his soul. Most of us pray from our mind rather than our soul. We want to know “why,” we want to understand, so we pray from our mind. We say, “God, I don’t understand but I’ll praise you anyway.” That fine and noble but it’s not praying from your soul. Your soul isn’t concerned with understanding, your soul wants to feel the prayer.

To pray/praise from your inmost being, your soul, is to feel the associated emotions of your prayer rather than just saying the words. Praise/prayer must engage your heart and your emotions, you must feel that what your praying is true or possible. You don’t really believe what you’re praying is possible unless it feels possible, otherwise it’s just an idea or information.

As part of the believing process, it’s important to feel that God’s promises are possible because your feelings make an impression in your heart, which is where you truly believe. All things are possible for those who believe.

Focusing on benefits

David turns his attention to all the good things God has given him, he cultivates thankfulness, he counts his blessings and he reminds himself that God gives good gifts.

Forgiveness and healing

David acknowledges that God forgives sins and heals diseases and redeems, all out of his loving kindness. David gets it, he gets that God is good, he knows his character and prays in such a way that basically just acknowledges who God is rather than what he needs. He trusts that God will be who he is for him.

Satisfies Desires

Here’s a big one, David acknowledges that God satisfies his desires with good things. God satisfies David’s desires? Traditional Christianity says you’re evil and there’s no good thing in you, why in the world would God satisfy David’s desires with good things? Isn’t David evil, incapable of godly desires? Apparently David didn’t believe so. He held a view of God that believes God will satisfy his desires. How would it change your prayer life if you were free enough to trust your desires because they’re godly?

New Covenant Fulfillments

David actually gave us a pretty good model of prayer. Check out these New Covenant fulfillments of the things that David prayed even under the Old Covenant. These are things to remember about yourself and others as you pray.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

When you’re praying for yourself or others, remember that you/they’re already forgiven. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t repent, it just means you’re not in a state of unforgiveness before God, he’s not holding your sin against you. Repentance for the believer means to change your mind, change how you’re thinking about your sin or current situation and begin to think like God thinks about it.

1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

One of the benefits of Christ’s atoning work on the cross is physical healing. There is a segment of folks who say that Peter is talking about spiritual healing, meaning salvation, but I disagree. The healing Jesus performed was physical. David acknowledged that God heals us from our diseases, he didn’t say God heals us from our spiritual darkness. In addition to forgiveness of sin and being made righteous, Jesus paid for physical healing.

Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The enemy has no power over you. Sin doesn’t give authority or rights to demons to attack or harass you. Jesus has all authority in Heaven and Earth and he’s shared it with his followers. Pray with authority when encountering demonic oppression in your life or others.

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Here we see our desires mentioned again. Christ can deliver you from your evil desires and transform you to have godly desires. He’s already transformed your spirit man, now allow him to shape your soulish man.

Again we see that through our knowledge of Jesus, we have everything we need in this life to live godly. Included with that knowledge are promises to help you experience God’s nature. This is an identity statement, you have been made one with God and can live in this life like Jesus did. He’s made us so many promises associated with our new creation identity that it causes us to live like Christ in this earth, experiencing all his benefits, just as David prayed.

Have This Mindset When You Pray

When we seek to pray for ourselves or others, we need to be aware of who God is, what he wants and how he thinks. This passage gives us insight into God’s mind. The Apostle Paul is addressing their concerns about people who have died in Christ and what the future holds. He ends with a very interesting idea that gives us great insight into the character of God and how we should pray.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” This is not difficult to catch but DEATH IS GOD’S ENEMY. Often we try to reason with death, well meaning Christians try to make us feel better by saying God is somehow using death. Uninformed believers are quick to associate death, in its various manifestations, with God’s will and teaching modalities.

Death is God’s enemy! In every shape, form and fashion, death is God’s enemy. God does not want death or anything that causes it, in your life. Jesus died to break the power of death over humans. He paid the price for sin so its effects would be rendered powerless over humans.

Am I saying God never wants you to be sick, in lack, depressed or experience death. Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. But he gave the planet to us for a period of time so, for the most part, God isn’t getting what he wants right now.

As you pray over your life and for others, remember that death is God’s enemy. You don’t have to try to understand death and lack related circumstances or somehow make room for them in your prayer life because God’s doesn’t want them in your life. There’s more to say on this idea, but I’ll end this idea with this, DEATH IS GOD’S ENEMY!

Do This When You Pray

• Ask yourself, did Jesus do anything about this?

• Ask yourself, is Jesus in me and am I in him?

• Then speak what he did and expect to see the desires of your heart

EXPECT TO EXPERIENCE THE FRUIT OF WHAT JESUS PAID FOR AND ACCOMPLISHED!!

Which Eyes Are You Using?

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““I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened...””

— The Apostle Paul (Ephesians 1:18)

You have two sets of eyes, the ones in your head and the ones in your heart. The eyes in your head see the outer world while the eyes of your heart can see God. However, the eyes of your heart can also focus on your outer world, which is not a good thing.

The obvious goal is to keep the eyes of your heart focused on God, who lives in you and is not separate from you. This is walking by faith, this is how you look not at the seen but at the unseen, this is how you set your heart on things above, this is how you have great faith, and this is how you stay in perfect peace.

You have a part to play in what your heart is looking at. You can choose to inwardly be aware of God’s presence, his influence, his promises, and his truth, or you let your heart be overwhelmed by the world. Your new heart can’t be corrupted but it can be deceived. Meaning, in your inner man, the place you believe, you can believe lies. The way you become persuaded and influenced by lies is when the eyes of your heart are looking to the world for understanding rather than to God.

It takes humility and faith to not look at what you see and turn to God for a proper perspective. Having God’s perspective and opinion on a matter is vital for success and transformation. It takes humility because you have to lay aside your emotions and opinions to receive God’s perspective and faith because you have to trust God in the midst of the issue.

Great faith is when you can make God bigger within you than the situation is outside of you. The mystery of the kingdom is that as you behold God within you, the external world starts to align with God’s truth. The kingdom is in you to grow out of you, as you keep your inner man focused on him.

What Are You Looking At?

The basis for your heart’s gaze is your hope in Heaven. Scripture teaches us that we have a hope in Heaven, and the message of that hope is the Gospel. We’re also told that that message, that Gospel, that hope that is in Heaven is bearing fruit in the whole world.

How is our hope in Heaven bearing fruit in the world? Through the hearts of humans. The Gospel is not an abstract substance that filters into the world from God, it’s a message about a greater reality. That message is conveyed to humans, deep within our being, in our hearts. Heaven’s message, when received by a heart focused on God, will bear fruit first in itself (the human heart), then in the world around it.

It is vital for Jesus followers to allow God’s message of our hope in Heaven to bear fruit in our lives so we can distribute it to the world around us. Heaven’s fruit in you begins with righteousness, peace, and joy. Your heart’s eyes must be focused on God to allow time for that fruit to grow. We are quick to turn away and look at the condition of our lives and the world if we look away too long that fruit may wither and have to start all over again.

It doesn’t mean you’re a bad person or you’ve lost your salvation, it just means you’ve looked away from God too long.

I realize this message is convicting but some of us need that conviction. Not condemnation but a reminder of our role in discipleship. Your role is to trust God, to keep your inner eyes on him so that when he leads you, you will be familiar with what he looks like and will follow.

Try This

Try this meditative exercise. Sit quietly and think about God, whatever comes up is fine. Focus your attention on him until your awareness of him is “bigger” than anything else. Think about him until he’s the most prominent thought in your mind. Then let your thoughts shift toward that issue you’re dealing, whether it be your spouse, your job, your kids, your finances, your health, and see if you can allow God to stay “bigger” than all of those things. Acknowledge him in each and every issue, acknowledge that he has wisdom and revelation for you. Notice the smallest, most subtle idea that arises. Make not of it, make sure it’s consistent with scripture, then act on it. You hear and see God better than you think, try it and watch him lead your paths.

Does God Do Evil?

Is God evil? Does God do evil? I’m sure you would answer “no” to both questions. Now let me ask you this question… Is God in control? Your answer may change. One more question… Is God controlling everything? Your answer should be the same answer to “is God in control?”

God being in “control” means he’s controlling everything. That’s the point of this article, I want you to think through what you believe about God’s sovereignty and how he’s choosing to exercise his authority in your life and in the world.

Your Words Matter

Christians are notorious for saying things like this…

• Everything happens for a reason

• God is in control

• God works all things together for good

• God will allow you to go through things to teach you a lesson

The problem is those are not scriptures, they are conclusions that people have come to based on their circumstances, or they are misunderstandings of a seemingly related passage.

All of these phrases are typically used in an attempt to bring someone comfort who is in pain or loss, but when you think them through, actually blame the blame on God for evil.

Go All The Way

Let’s just stick with God is in control. If you say that as an explanation for anything, then I have a few questions for you. Do you mean that God has predetermined everything, and he’s controlling it as it plays itself out? Do you mean that mankind has free will, but if we trust him, it will all work out? Do you mean that he allows cancer to teach people lessons? Do you mean that everything that happens in the world has to pass through his hands? What exactly do you mean and what passages are you basing it on.

If God is controlling everything, then we have to look at someone like Jeffrey Dahmer. If God is in control, then that means God birthed desires of murder in the heart of Jeffrey. That means God gave him the plan to lure young men back to his apartment, drug them, handcuff them to his furniture, kill them, remove their heads and place them in his refrigerator, then pose their headless bodies as art as he photographed them, and finally, eat a portion of their biceps.

If God is in control, then he gave Jeffrey Dahmer all of those ideas and desires. You can’t say “God is in control” and not take it that far.

Free Will Debate

The issue is this, does mankind have free will. Does God’s foreknowledge of your choices mean that he ordained your choices, are you really choosing or do you just have the illusion of choice?

I say you actually have a choice. You are completely free because is sovereign and powerful enough to create a world where even though he may know what you’ll choose, he’s given you enough dominion to make a choice from within your own heart, independent from his foreknowledge or influence. You are free to choose life or death, as he stated.

There is a systematic approach to the Bible that believes exactly the opposite of what I just described. That system is generally called Calvinism. Calvinists like to say they just teach the text of the Bible and take it at face value. They don’t “jump around” and teach topical sermons. It’s a very sterile approach that looks at the Bible as a textbook, a divinely inspired textbook, but a textbook nonetheless. Meaning, there’s no real interaction with God’s indwelling spirit relationally. God is not speaking to us or revealing things to us, he’s already done all of that in his written Word, so if you want to know God, you understand his Word as accurately as possible.

That is not a bad thing per se, but it leads on to come up with some interesting interpretations of scripture. An academic, textbook approach leaves out application. An academic approach doesn’t reason scripture the single lens that we should reason all understanding through, which is the sacrifice of Christ, which ultimately reveals God’s heart toward mankind.

There’s a difference between knowing someone and knowing about someone, just ask Job. Once he knew God, he repented for everything he said, including “the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.”

I will not solve the debate in this article, but I might help you think some things through that you believe about God.

Circumstance Theology

Many folks attribute their repentant heart and changed lives to the difficulties they went through. That’s fine. Where it goes wrong is when they say God did those things to them with the purpose of them learning these lessons.

Here’s a list of things people have directly told me that God put them through to teach them a lesson or bring them closer to him, these are all real…

• God gave me cancer

• God put me through drug addiction

• God took my wife

• God allowed me to be in a car wreck

• God flooded my house to bring me closer to him

These all stem from the mentality that God is in control. They all attribute the issue or circumstance to his plan for their lives. Is that who God really is? I realize that there are passages that seem to allow for God to behave that way but is that who God really is?

I submit that any passage that seems to indicate that God is doing evil is misinterpreted by the reader. God is not evil and does not do evil.

All Powerful Does Not Mean All Controlling

The fact that there is only one God, that he is all-powerful, that he is omniscient, that there is none like him, the supreme being, doesn’t mean he uses that power and authority in an all-controlling way.

To say that there is none like him, he does what he pleases, does not mean that it pleases him to give you cancer and cause you to face depression so you’ll suffer. If he is doing that to you, he is evil.

Sovereign simply means the one in charge, the one with the authority, the supreme ruler; it doesn’t automatically mean he controls everything.

The Potter and The Clay

This is a very big topic. My goal is not to give you a theological discourse on Arminianism and the will of man, my goal is to help you install a lens for Bible reading. That lens is God’s heart toward mankind expressed in Jesus and a little bit of logic based on his heart.

Romans 9 is a hotbed for validating Calvinism and the perspective that God is controlling everything.

Paul expresses his heart to his audience, speaking about Jews…

3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.

This remains the context of the rest of the chapter, meaning he’s talking to Jews. What you’ll learn is that he’s talking to Jews about Gentiles being saved. Keep this in mind…what if I asked you how you’d feel about worshiping God in Heaven next to Jeffrey Dahmer is he truly repented and believed? Would you have a hard time with the fact that someone so evil could be saved? You might not have trouble with that but there are plenty that do. Most of the Jews looked at the Gentiles as veil people and could not accept the idea that they could be in God’s family through Christ. Even Peter struggled with this early in his walk with Jesus.

Paul goes on to say in verse 8…

This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

The children of promise were God’s elect, meaning the offspring of Abraham that were born through his promised child, Isaac. The term “elect” is defined in TULIP Calvinism as those whom God chose before creation to be saved. When the truth is this: the elect are those Israelites who were born under Abraham’s promised child, the bloodline through which God would continue to reveal himself.

The language around the “elect” always has to do with Jews rather than which people in the general populous can be saved. He uses Jacob and Easu as an example of the model of promised child vs child of the flesh.

Again, I realize this is material that has been debated for centuries, the point is to frame God’s sovereignty properly. What Paul is doing here is building a case that God can do whatever he chooses.

What you’re about to see is that Paul’s argument for God’s free will to do as he pleases is expressed in Gentiles being saved. In other words…

God can do whatever he wants, and he wants Gentiles to be saved through Christ, too.

That is the reason Paul is giving examples of God’s sovereignty, to show that Gentiles can be saved. The examples of the unique things God did through his covenant with Israel are not to be universally applied to all of our lives today.

I put that in bold caps so you’d pay attention to it. Read that again and understand that this is the whole point of Romans 9. Keeping in context, Paul gives the example of the potter and the clay. The Israelites were questioning if the Gentiles could be saved, and Paul is saying, who are you to question God on what he can and can’t do?

Paul uses Pharaoh as another example that God does what he wants, and what he wants to do is save Gentiles. Does Paul’s example of God hardening Pharaoh’s heart mean that we are to apply to God in every situation that God is potentially hardening people’s hearts and then turning others to him?

God was bound to a covenant with Israel. They got into a situation where God had to act to keep his word. The Israelite’s position was so unique in the history of mankind that God did unique things to, through, and for them.

You might say that God never changes. And that’s true, but covenants change, the context of God’s relationship with humans changes.

Paul then says this…

19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?

While this is used to explain God's control over everything and everyone, that’s not the proper conclusion. Verse 22 is the key to understanding the potter and the clay illustration…

What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction

Here’s another way to ask Paul's question: " Why would God show patience to the vessel created for wrath?”

Let me back up a little and ask you another question. This question touches on the idea I brought up earlier about knowing about God vs knowing God.

Here’s the question, did Pharaoh have a choice? Could Pharaoh have obeyed God and released the Israelites before any of the plagues were poured out? That’s the subtle point Paul is making. You can’t say God is controlling everything and everyone, why would he bother to show Pharaoh patience and give him multiple chances to save the firstborn of Egypt?

All of the illustrations Paul gives that Calvinism says is for the purpose of defining God’s sovereignty as “in control,” those illustrations are actually to make the case that God can save Gentiles is he chooses to. He uses the instances where God makes specific decisions based on his promises to Israel as validation that God is now doing another thing he chooses, save Gentiles, and who are you to question his will to save Gentiles?

At this point, you either see it or you don’t. I admit this is a tricky selection of scripture to navigate. Some would say I’m doing exegetical gymnastics, but what I’m actually doing is holding true to God’s character, framing Paul’s arguments in light of God’s covenant with the promised children of Abraham, and concluding that all of this is in the context of making a case that Gentiles can be saved.

That’s a mouthful, I know, but if you try to understand and read Romans 9 in that light, you’ll see it’s all about convincing Jews that Gentiles can be saved. Just look at how chapter 9 ends, it’s all about making the point that Jews have a hard time with the fact the righteousness comes by faith, even for Gentiles.

30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Conclusion

Romans 9 is just one place where folks go to make the case that God is controlling everything. If that chapter can be seen in a different light, doesn’t that mean that every other passage that seems to indicate that God is allowing pain and loss into your life to teach you a lesson to be examined for proper context, making sure you’re holding true to God’s heart toward mankind revealed in Jesus.

This is one of those articles that feels like a sermon. I want to keep going until I feel complete with the idea, but I will leave you with this. God is good and only good. His definition does not somehow allow for acts of evil, like putting cancer on people, planning the murder of 68,000,000 unborn babies last year and birthing evil desires in the hearts of people.

You probably agree with that but you have friends and family members who do not. It can be intimidating to stand up for the goodness of God because some folks have spent so much time reinforcing their “God’s in control” beliefs by their twisted view of scripture and the emotions attached to their life’s circumstances that they attribute to God.

God is all-powerful, it is true that he can do what he chooses, he has done things under the old covenant that seem confusing, but in our time, under this new covenant, God is seeking to establish his kingdom in and through you. In his kingdom is no darkness, pain, sickness, depression, lack or calamity in any form, rest in the fact that God is not playing chess with your life, you can fully open your heart to him and trust him.

God's Light Exposes Everything In You

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That’s quite an idea. What’s your first response what you hear that God’s light is seeking to expose everything within you? Does that intimidate you? Scare you a little maybe? Does it encourage you? Does it make you want to draw closer to him? Or draw away from him?

This passage from John is releasing about the nature of God’s light and how people respond to it.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

God’s light is simply his presence that reveals truth. What’s interesting about the context of the condemnation that unbelievers experience is that they’re afraid they’ll be exposed. It’s not necessarily for fear of their evil deeds being exposed but what’s in them that is the root of the evil deeds.

God Is Pursuing Everyone

Some folks say that God is only calling a few select folks to be saved. The truth is, God is calling to everyone, offering everyone the opportunity to repent and believe in the authority of Christ. John tells us the reason some folks stay away from God is that they’re afraid their darkness will be exposed.

If they knew that God’s light would actually save them and deliver them from their darkness they would no longer resist his light, but the world largely still doesn’t understand God’s heart of love toward them. Toxic religion has told the world that God is holding your sins against you and is seeking to judge you. The truth is, God judged Christ for all mankind and is now pursuing everyone, to draw them into his cleansing and healing light.

Toxic Religion tells the world that God is too holy to be near your darkness so he separates himself from you until you admit you’re a sinner and ask him to forgive you. The truth is this, God has forgiven you in Christ and is seeking to invade your heart and the deepest parts of your soul with his light to deliver you from darkness, whatever that darkness may be.

If folks knew that God would gently, kindly and mercifully remove their darkness and nurture his own light within them, they would be more receptive. That’s our role, the role of the body of Christ, tell them of God’s kindheartedness toward them and create an environment in which their hearts will be receptive to his light, life, and truth.

God Is Not Threatening You with His Light

God is not threatening you with his light. The context of the condemnation unbelievers face is their unbelief, not their evil deeds. Evil deeds are the result of the unbelief. God will not condemn unbelievers for their evil deeds but for their unbelief.

So if he’s not condemning unbelievers because of their evil deeds, he’s certainly not condemning believers for their evil deeds. Yet toxic religion tells believers otherwise.

If you hear the phrase, God’s light is going to expose everything within you, and fear or shame rises up, that’s from you, not God. God wants to help deliver you from that guilt and shame. He wants to help you remove the issues that are still allowing darkness to live within you. By darkness, I mean anything ungodly, whether that be an emotion, an action, a sin or simply an irrational fear.

Toxic Religion tells believers that God may judge and eventually condemn you for too much sin. This in no way condones sin in any form of frequency, it simply contextualizes God’s treatment of people properly, by their faith.

God Offers Rest, Not Threats

Matthew 11:28-30 MSG “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Toxic religion burns you out, it causes you to always feel incomplete like you’ll never be enough. The truth is you are complete in Christ, you are fully accepted in Christ already!!

Jesus beautifully articulates God’s heart toward you in these passages. Jesus assures you that he’s not seeking to condemn you, he’s offering rest and guidance. Toxic religion says that God is allowing your life to be difficult for some grand plan. Jesus says life with him is easy and light.

My prayer for you is that you learn to get away with Jesus and allow him to refresh you. You can do so because he’s not going to condemn you, you can open your heart and be vulnerable to him. You can expose every aspect of your heart and soul to him. You can admit your faults without fear of retribution. You can trust God with your heart!

Trusting God with your heart means being honest with him. Adam and Eve hid from God in the garden because they were afraid of his judgment. Unbelievers are staying away from God for fear that their darkness will be exposed. It’s time for you to stop hiding from God and drawing away in fear. There’s nothing to be afraid of. God is kind and merciful, he’s eagerly waiting to extend mercy and empower you with his grace.

Be honest with him, tell him everything, he already knows anyway, what you’ll really be doing is finally becoming honest with yourself.

This doesn’t mean that you degrade yourself and try to tell God how dark you are, it means that you are willing to allow him to love you in the midst of your struggles. When you get honest with God and yourself, you are in a position to heal.

How to Let the Light In

Allowing God’s light to touch the deepest parts of your soul can be scary. Maybe you’re not even sure how to do it. Here’s one way to expose your heart to God and allow him to heal those broken pieces…

When you’re falling asleep at night or waking up in the morning, your brain works a little slower, you’re in the alpha state, which is the frequency of brain function.

In this state, you’re more aware of what’s in your subconscious and your heart. Think about it, what does falling asleep look like to you? Do you peacefully relax and drift off? Or do you have to create distractions, like the tv, your phone or something else?

Why do you need distractions? Because the thoughts that come into your mind otherwise are too difficult to face at times. Do you feel like your mind races when trying to fall asleep? It’s time to pick a lane and deal with each issue, one at a time.

You know what I’m talking about, those things that you don’t want to deal with or think about because they’re too overwhelming, painful, confusing or heavy in some way. In the very moment that you’re avoiding those thoughts can be the same moment, you find your greatest deliverance.

Assure yourself that God is not going to condemn you, he’s not going to draw away, you can let his light in and lift the burden. In those moments your inner man serves up to you those things you’ve stuffed down, let them bubble up and give them to God one at a time.

Admit and own each one of them. Admit that it’s an issue. Tell yourself the truth. Then ask God to help you move past the burden, whatever that looks like. If a passage comes to mind, allow it to replace the fear. If a promise comes to mind, stand on it and let the heaviness drift away.

In this powerful time of mind-renewal, you can experience profound transformation. Let his light in, be honest with yourself, and watch Jesus show you how to take a real rest!!

Toxic Religion is Destroyed through Inner Balance

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Lack is at the root of addiction. Feeling like something is missing and trying to fill that gap with toxic substances or behaviors is the engine for addiction. We see that same cycle in religion. Religion is the king of causing you to feel like something is missing. Under religion, you’re never good enough and you can never do enough to keep God happy. Most people never say it this clearly but they believe that God’s happiness is based on your behavior. This lie is the root or toxic religion.

Toxic religion is the mindset that acceptance or rejection with God is based on how good or bad you are. Religious folks would never say they’re good because of their behavior, but they might say they’re bad or unrighteous because of sinful behavior. That’s just as self-righteous and toxic as thinking you’re righteous because you kept the commandments.

The solution to breaking the addiction to toxic religion is to find a place of inner balance that’s rooted in Christ’s finished work. Your true, spiritual, eternal identity is complete already. Your standing before God doesn’t change. Only toxic religion believes otherwise, and if you believe God changes his mind about you based on your performance, it’s time to detox from religion.

Homeostasis

In the substance abuse treatment world, the goal is to help people develop homeostasis. Homeostasis is when a person has a healthy inner balance that does not react to environment or triggers with toxic behavior. The medical world realizes that freedom from addiction is a healthy inner condition of peace and control.

Once the body’s dependency on the chemical substance has run its course, the substance abuse rehabilitation world seeks to help the person to develop a healthy balance of emotions and choices inwardly. This is called developing a “constant.” A constant is a healthy state of inner existence that voluntarily and involuntarily responds in a healthy way regardless of environment or triggers.

The goal is the same for the religious addict. We know that the strength of sin is the law. Humans are always seeking justice, even within ourselves, so when we encounter God’s standard, it only serves to reveal our lack. If the person agrees with what the law says they will continue the destructive, sinful behavior. They will take on the identity of a law-breaker in their heart and continue in their sin.

But if that person can admit that they’re powerless over their sin and discover a power that’s greater than sin, they can actually transcend the lure of sin and therefore break their addiction to religion as well.

Religious addiction is rooted in an erroneous belief about God and themselves. For instance, if a Christian still believes they have a sin nature they have an excuse for their sin and will allow themselves to choose sin because they simply think it’s in their nature. But a believer that’s free from the faulty belief of a dual-nature will look to God for a strength to transcend their sinful behavior.

If you believe you’re a sinner by nature, you will continue in sin. If you believe you are righteous by nature, you will choose righteousness.

Christ As Our Constant

“Christ as our constant” sounds like a nice line from an old school hymn but it’s much more than that. It’s a deep psychological statement that touches the core of our identity. The final frontier for the Christ follower is mind-renewal, specifically in the area of who we are in Him.

Consider the following passages from Colossians 2, this is a warning from Paul about a deceitful teaching that’s going around…

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.

He then gives the proper perspective to correct the error of this “deceitful” teaching…

9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form. 10 And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 11 In Him you were also circumcised in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands.

To say you’re complete, lacking nothing, already righteous, holy and sanctified is blasphemy to the toxic, religious mindset. That’s because it bases “completeness” on behavior. In now way am I permitting the continuance of sinful behavior, by the way. I’m simply placing the destiny of the believer squarely where Paul does, which is in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

The circumcision that Christ performs in you is not on your physical body, it’s at the core of your being as a human. He cuts away the spiritual death, the spiritual cancer that has you destined for eternal separation from God and casts it aside. The truth is he took upon himself that spiritual death for you, which is what actually gives him the power to remove yours.

Staying Free

Your victory over sin and death is found in Christ’s surgery on you. He performs the ultimate procedure and cuts away the very aspect of you that was at enmity with God. He changes you, at your core, forever. Christ gives you a new constant, an eternally healthy condition of homeostasis. Our role is to allow this procedure to affect the rest of our soulish and physical being. The work of Christ within us can permeate and transform those temporary aspects of our being through the spirit he places within us at the time of this spiritual surgery ensures a new identity that can forever desire what God desires unto manifestation. But it can never work the other way around.

Never let toxic religious teaching or thinking, rob you of the work of Christ within you. You can live from this place of power and never again give into the lack and depravity in the world.

Living Forward

Here is a suggested process to take ownership of the work of Christ’s hands within you:

1. Pick an issue where you struggle physically, mentally or emotionally.

2. Admit you’re powerless on your own over the issue.

3. Admit that Christ in you is powerful over the issue.

4. Ask yourself, “does Christ, who is in me, struggle with this issue?”

5. Ask, “what do I need to believe about myself to be free from this issue.?”

   1. In other words, what is it that you would believe about yourself if that issue had no power over you? For example, “I’m not afraid of anything.” Or, “I’m not the kind of person that looks at pornography.” Or, “I just never get anxious over anything.”

   2. Identity the healthy belief, as it relates to your new identity in Christ, and own it. Put it on in your mind and emotions. See yourself as the kind of person that doesn’t have that struggle.

The truth is you’re not the kind of person that struggles with sin, you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, having already been cleansed by God (sanctified) and brought to a place of holiness (purity). Who you are at your core, after the surgery of Christ within you, doesn’t have those issues. When you assume that identity, your voluntary and involuntary responses to any given environment or triggers with always consider God and apply his wisdom.

You are truly God’s masterpiece, a testament to the nature and miracle-working power of God. Own it!

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Oneness and Peace in Christ. Ephesians 2:10

Breaking Your Addiction to Self-Righteousness

Righteousness determines how God treats you. There are two kinds of righteousness, the kind that Jesus gives and the kind that religion thinks it can earn or be disqualified for through keeping and breaking laws or commandments.

Religion can become addictive. Religion for the purposes of this article is man’s attempts to be accepted by God based on deeds or rules. It feels good to do the right thing and it feels bad, for normal people, to do the wrong thing. But to think God is changing how he relates to us based on our behavior is a toxic view of God and it invalidates the right-standing with God that Jesus died for. To believe that God withholds blessing, wisdom or love based on behavior is a toxic doctrine of religion that ends up driving people away from God.

Addiction is wrapped up in a false sense of fulfillment of peace based on a substance that’s toxic for you. With addiction, a dependency is developed that might be chemical, emotional, physical or psychological. Being addicted to religion is more psychological and emotional because it’s all about toxic beliefs rather than using a substance.

You would never say self-righteous things like, “I was really good today, now God owes me a blessing.” Or, “I didn’t sin this week so now I’m more righteous.” You would never say those things because you know your righteousness isn’t a result of your behavior, it’s a gift from God through faith in the finished work of Christ.

But you might say, “I wonder what God is doing” when you have a flat tire, lose your job, have marriage problems or contract a disease. That’s still self-righteousness.

How is that self-righteousness? Because thinking God’s blessings are based on good behavior is the same as thinking God’s curses are based on bad behavior, either way it bases your standing with Him and His subsequent treatment of you on your behavior. To be clear, your standing with God (righteousness) isn’t based on performance, it’s based on God’s love for you and his willingness to be a good Father to you.

Thinking that God is allowing bad things due to your behavior is a self-righteous, toxic belief that can become addicting. The brain gets used to trying to understand God through circumstances and automatically asks “why” every time something goes wrong. That’s a mindset that the believer must detox from. You can eliminate that toxic belief by being confident that your right-standing with God is rooted in Jesus’ obedience, no matter what!

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What is Righteousness?

Here’s what we know about righteousness, it’s a free gift, it can’t be earned by self-efforts. It means; as you should be, right with God and nothing held against you.

To have right-standing with God means God is holding nothing against you, so you can’t say, “God why is this happening, what did I do,” if you’re assuming he’s allowing it for some reason. The truth is, God NEVER determines blessings or curses for you based on your performance.

Some of you never say, “God what did I do,” but many folks do. If you don't, praise God, watch the message above and be glad. If you do say or think that sometimes, keep reading.

Quit Asking Why

Quit asking God what he’s doing when things go wrong, it’s not him doing it. Paul and James say the same thing on this issue.

What you hear when you read this next passage is a good test to see how addicted to religious thinking you are…

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Did you hear “ God won’t put more on you than you can bear,” or did you hear “when trials and temptations come, God will show you a way out?”

Consider this passage as you answer…

James 1:13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Keep in mind, earlier in James chapter 1, he says to “count it all joy when you fall into different kinds of temptations” (same word used in verse 13 when James instruction us to never say that the temptation is from God. 

James teaches that when the temptation comes, your faith is tested or you’re in a trial. He instructs you to ask God for patience to endure, not for a reason why he’s allowing it. Now, you might learn a lesson as you patiently endure the temptation/test/trial, but James CLEARLY says, don’t say it’s from God!!!

Do You See It Yet?

Ok, here’s the point of this article, to see how addicted you are to religious thinking. Just so we’re on the same page I’m defining religion as “your attempt to be acceptable to God through keeping the rules.” Or “man’s set of rules to keep to be accepted by God.” Jesus called these kinds of rules Pharisaical or hypocritical.

If you heard, “God won’t put more on you than you can bear” when you read 1 Corinthians 10:13, read it again in light of James instructing you to never say the temptation is from God. What this passage is actually saying is that when you find yourself in a trial/temptation, God will show you how to get out of it.

He does this by giving you patience and wisdom. He gives you patience so you don’t take shortcuts and do something unethical or ungodly and he gives you wisdom so you don’t get hurt as you journey through.

Detoxing from Religion

I’ve said all of that to say this, there may be some things you believe about God that are actually toxic beliefs. A toxic belief is something you believe that is actually causing damage in your life. We believe all kinds of toxic things about God that aren’t true. Toxic religious beliefs sound spiritual at times but are always unscriptural.

Here are a few…

1. God is angry with me because I messed up. 
   The truth is, God promised that he would never again be angry with you after Christ’s sacrifice because he established an everlasting covenant of peace with Christ on your behalf. (Isaiah 53 and 54).
   

2. I still mess up because I’m just a sinner saved by grace. 
   To detox from that belief, you must understand your new creation identity. You are not a sinner, you are not even half of a sinner, with a dual nature. You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Which belief promotes sin and which belief promotes righteousness in your outer man?
   

3. My life is difficult sometimes because God is teaching me a lesson.
   To detox from this belief, you must understand the nature of God and how he treats people. I covered this in my section about 1 Corinthians 10:13 and James 1:13.

Becoming Confident in Righteousness

To detox your mind from a religious addiction you must be firmly rooted in faith-righteousness rather than self-righteousness.

Galatians 2:16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” 17 But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! 18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. 19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

I circle back around to the first few lines of this article, it’s improper and unbiblical to ask God what you’ve done wrong for him to allow a curse, tragedy or difficulty into your life. It denotes that God is relating to you based on your bad behavior. It actually attempts to paint God as unjust, but that’s another topic.

The next time you face tragedy, don’t ask why. The God at his word and look for the way out because God promises that when you’re tempted or tested, he’ll show you the way out of it. This does not suggest that you don’t reap what you sow, because you do. And it does not invalidate any persecution you may experience for proclaiming the Gospel, which is different than tests and trials. I’m simply suggesting you think the way God thinks, and trust him for a way of escape from temptation rather than try to understand his will through the circumstance. He’s a good father that desires to bless you, protect you, provide for you and give you his life, allow him to do so by letting him off the hook for the troubles in your life.

Revelation: How to Receive and Apply Consistent Wisdom from God

The Kingdom has Begun

I’m in the midst of a series about the Kingdom of God. In my last article I established that Daniel and Isaiah prophesied about the coming kingdom. They both confirm that this kingdom will have no end once it comes to earth. Then John verifies that Jesus is the rock that becomes the mountain that grows and consumes the whole world.

The conclusion is that the kingdom of God was brought to earth by Jesus, it began to be established through him, it’s continued to be established through us and it will never end. This raises many questions. The question I’d like to address is “how do we experience or live in this kingdom now?”

Repent and Believe

Living in God’s Kingdom starts with repentance, or changing your mind. Jesus said the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the good news that the kingdom is at hand. He went on to say several things about the kingdom.

Here’s a streamline version of what Jesus said about God’s Kingdom…

You’re going to have to change the way you think because the kingdom is now here, I am the great light that shines in Zebulun and I’m beginning the process of bringing all things in heaven and earth together in me so God’s kingdom will grow and take over all creation. This kingdom won’t come down from Heaven and it won’t be built using external, worldly constructs, it’s in you now. It is increasing and it will never stop increasing.

God places his spirit in us when we believe, that spirit will give us wisdom and revelation so we will experience his fulness in this life.

God Will Speak to You

God will speak to you and lead you to make decisions that will produce spiritual fruit. Jesus said this about how his spirit would speak to you…

John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

God’s spirit will not only tell you things, he’ll empower you to take action in those things.

Ephesians 1:16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers 17 and asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. 18 I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, 19a and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe.

I’m building up to a point, you can receive and put into practice consistent wisdom and revelation from God. It may take time to train your heart to recognize his voice. It may take time to discipline yourself to quit asking for thinks and simply acknowledge his character, but if you do, you will build a fruitful life full of righteousness, peace, joy and the fruits of the spirit.

Knowledge, Wisdom & Revelation

KNOWLEDGE in simply knowing information.

WISDOM is the practical application of knowledge.

REVELATION is when the eyes of your heart are enlightened, meaning you see a way to apply knowledge in a new way or for a specific issue.

Revelation is the Greek word apokalypsis, which means to uncover, lay bare, make naked, instruction. The idea is that something becomes clear to you along with the instruction to apply it or DO it. Grace folks need to get over their fear of the word DO, it’s a vital aspect of transformation.

Revelation is not necessarily when God decides to give you new knowledge or information, it’s when your heart sees an aspect of God and what he’s already placed in you through Christ. Revelation is when you see the finished work of Christ in a deeper way or in a more specific way that can be applied to your life. But it must be acted upon to grow in that way of life.

“Revelation is when your heart can see and apply what it could not previously see”

Revelation is not an endless pursuit of mystery, it’s an ever deepening relationship through which God glorifies himself and moves through you with your collaboration.

Revelation is two-fold; it comes when you have placed attention, time and study in an area and increased your knowledge and understanding. God will use that knowledge to enlighten the eyes of your heart so you are persuaded in faith and it moves beyond just information. Then God helps you understand how to wisely apply that revelation. Revelation is when you see God’s glory, meaning you see things like he sees them.

The reason you don’t allow yourself to receive revelation is because you don’t have the intention to act on what’s being revealed, you won’t let yourself see it. When you are willing to yield to his will, the truth you need will no longer be covered.

You must have the intention to put into practice the insight and fresh revelation you perceive to build consistency. What we typically do is ask God for information or for him to move in “prayer,” then when he answers we sit back and evaluate if we believe it will work. Don’t think you do this? Think of a promise for a specific area of your life, really meditate on it and see if you really believe it. His promises are a perpetual revelation of his will for you, go ahead and receive them as such.

Applying Revelation

Try this process when praying over a specific area of your life, the goal is to hear from God a specific adjustment you need to make or a specific action you need to take. It may come in the form of scripture, a testimony you remember, a visual you perceive, a thought that seems like you own, a remembrance from a sermon, it’s endless really. The point is, once the revelation rises, ACT!

Here’s the process:

• Acknowledge God in your heart and spirit

• Connect to the emotions of general thankfulness for his presence, whether you feel it or not

• Walk through this prayer from Ephesians 3:14-21. Pause a moment after each sentence and let its reality sink in.

I bow my heart to you Father, the God of all mankind and all of creation.

You are my Lord, my God, my Father and my friend.

In this moment, you are strengthening me in my inner man out of your very own glorious and unlimited riches.

You are supplying grace deep within my heart directly from your spirit.

As your spirit strengthens me and influences me with your grace, I make room in my heart for Christ.

I do not limit the degree of influence Christ has within me.

By your spirit, Christ dwells within me, his power is in me, his righteousness is in me, his power is in me, I am alive because he lives through me.

All of this is true because you love me Father. My response is to love you back. I can feel love for you rising up in my heart as a fruit of the love you have planted in me through Christ.

I am one with you. My heart draws on your love for me.

I understand and experience the love you have for me. It is planted in me and extends in every direction from me, making me whole.

As I experience your love for me, my emotions are healed, my physical body is made whole, my mind is renewed to my identity in you.

This love never ends, you never stop pouring your love and grace through me. This love is better than information I could understand about you.

I am at peace. You are at peace with me.

I am filled with your fulness. I am filled with your spirit. I am filled with your love for me and for others. I am complete in you.

You desire good things for me, far beyond anything I can ask for or imagine. I yield to your influence within me. Shape me my lord, mold me into your image Jesus. I trust you. By your power that works in me, I am seeing your will accomplished in my life. I trust that what you want for me and want to do through me is satisfying and rewarding. I love your will for me. I get out of the way to allow you to live through me.

To you be all the glory in this temple that you are building for your glory, amen.

• Now be quiet

• Notice if your mind drifts to specific areas of your life

• Write down any passages that come to mind, or any insight at all regardless of the memory.

• Decide in your heart that you will act on this revelation

• Make a plan to take steps

• Be consistent

If you make this a consistent and disciplined way of prayer for you, you are no longer subjected to trying to decipher God’s will from your external circumstances. Making this shift in prayer places the emphasis on Christ within you and the function of his spirit to lead you in a mature and fruitful way. You will no longer be moved by what you see, you will be moved by the indwelling spirit of God, and he will always move you into life and blessings, for his glory.

This TOOL FOR TRANSFORMATION will help you consistently hear God’s instructions and apply his wisdom.

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God's Kingdom Is Increasing

What do you think about when you hear of “the Kingdom of God?” Do you think about the future, in Heaven with God forever? Or do you think about how we are connected to and operate in his kingdom now? Both maybe? It’s both for me.

Look at this progression of passages. The point of aligning them in this order is to show one simple truth, Jesus brought the kingdom with him and it’s been increasing ever since. A great light has come!

Mark 1:14 After the arrest of John, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God. 15 “The time is fulfilled,” He said, “and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!”

What Gospel? The Gospel that the kingdom of God is near. When he says repent and believe the Gospel, he’s saying, “you’re going to have to change the way you think because God’s kingdom is now in the earth. You are part of it, it’s in you and it will now begin to increase.”

The next passage from Daniel is part of Daniel’s interpretation of the king of Babylon’s dream.

Daniel 2:44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. 45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. “The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

The rock that destroys all the world’s kingdoms will be cast into the earth, and once it’s in the earth it will continue to grow into a mountain that fills the whole earth. When is that rock cast into the earth and when does God set up his increasing kingdom that will never be destroyed? Stay with me, we’ll get there.

Matthew quotes Isaiah and acknowledges that the arrival of Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy about the eternal, increasing kingdom of God.

Matthew 4:12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

What did Isaiah say? Notice the language about the timing of the kingdom.

Isaiah 9:1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan— 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

Skip to verse 6.

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

!!!IMPORTANT!!!
From that time on and forever! From the time that the people saw a great light, and forever forward, God is establishing and upholding his kingdom!

From that time on and forever

It’s important to rightly divide the Word of God regarding the initiation and the subsequent establishment of God’s kingdom. The undeniable conclusion is this, you don’t have to wait on a future arrival of God’s kingdom, you’re in it now! And it will just keep growing. Make sure it’s growing in you.

The Kingdom of God and You

After the resurrection we see Jesus acknowledge that he’s the king of God’s kingdom and he has all authority.

Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Then we see that we are “raised with him.” This phrase does not refer to being resurrected with him, this is a statement of authority. Christ gives us his authority, as ambassadors of his kingdom, fully backed by God to represent him.

Ephesians 2:6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ

Jesus acknowledges sharing his authority with us.

Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

We’re in his kingdom now.

Colossians 1:12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Put It All Together

God planted his kingdom in this earth through Christ. Jesus is the rock that will become a mountain that will fill the whole earth. He is the mustard seed that will become a tree that fills the whole earth. His kingdom has come and it’s not going anywhere.

God is in control of establishing his kingdom but we have a role. We are his church, the body of Christ, through which God’s holy temple is being built in the earth.

God is establishing his kingdom through his church and he is sharing his kingdom with his church.

Ephesians 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

How To Yield To His Kingdom

What is the nature of God’s kingdom and how do we interact with it now?

Luke 17:20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

This is incredibly challenging. There is coming a time when Christ will physically return and rule on this earth. Until then, the kingdom is IN YOU!! Yes, it’s in you! It’s in you because God has used the life/blood of Christ to cleanse you. He gave you a new heart. And he joined his spirit to you, you are one with him just as Jesus prayed in John 17.

You are currently responsible for stewarding the kingdom within you so it will grow out of you.

Luke 13:18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.” 20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds a of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

Your heart is the dough, your mind is the dough. How do you kneed the yeast of the kingdom into your heart, mind and emotions? What is it that shifts your focus and positions your heart to yield to the influence of his kingdom within you? Is it worship, is it nature, it is praying for others, is it serving people, is it listening to your children laugh…what works for you?

Many folks think of miracles, wonders and the gifts of the spirit when they speak of God’s kingdom growing through you, but it’s first and foremost righteousness, peace and joy in your own heart and soul.

If you want to experience the kingdom now, on this planet, in its current form, allow God’s righteousness to transform you, allow his peace to guard your heart so you’ll be led by him, and allow his joy to strengthen you so you’ll walk in his power.

Kingdom living has more to do with you experiencing the transformative power of his grace than outward displays of power. Outward power is a small part of kingdom living, but it’s not primary. The primary goal of God’s kingdom in you is to shape you into the image of God’s dear son. God wants to love people through you. The more you allow yourself to be shaped by him, the more you’ll experience the fruit of his indwelling kingdom and the more you will will reflect his kingdom into this earth.

I will stay on the topic for a few weeks. Stay tuned as I write more about the heart and the parable of the seed. I’ll also touch on the nature of reality and the dominion of mankind to gain more kingdom insight. I’ll use illustrations from quantum physics once we get to the parts about mankind’s dominion.

Until then, keep your eyes on Jesus and allow his kingdom, his righteousness, peace and joy to increase within you!

Dream Together with Your Spouse

Do you know how to enjoy being one flesh with your spouse? No, not that, although that's fun too. I’m talking about knowing each other's dreams and passions. Not as interesting? You may change your mind.

The Apostle Paul refers to our union with our spouse a mystery. While there are plenty of jokes that could follow, what he’s talking about is the nature of the spiritual union in marriage. He describes it as a husband and wife being glued together. He gives the example that we are one with our spouse as Christ is one with his church. He even goes so far as to say if a husband loves himself he’s loving himself. He doesn’t say it’s “like” loving yourself, he said it “IS” loving yourself.

“Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”

— Ephesians 5:28

In Genesis 2 and Ephesians 5 we’re told that a man and woman leave their parents and cleave to one another and become united as ONE FLESH. This original language indicates that they become glued together or joined together. That’s a vivid picture, it’s like his body becomes here and hers becomes his.

The union goes deeper than skin, into the soul and even spirit. We don’t fully understand the nature of the union, it’s a mystery. But we know it’s more than a legally binding contract.

Marriage is a relationship that reflects our relationship with Christ. We explored this in a previous article, but I want to explore the idea of becoming one flesh in this article.

Since it’s a mystery, let’s talk more about the practical side of becoming one flesh.

Seek To Understand

A marriage must have good communication in place. If there is to be mutual submission through love and respect, there must be an ongoing dialogue between husband and wife.

Ladies, he can’t read your mind, and men, she needs to hear what’s on yours. Tell each other what you’re thinking. There are behavioral dynamics that play into the type of communicator each spouse is, but for the most part, you need to talk to each other more.

Dream Together

Here’s a practical way to understand one another and express this mysterious union you are in, dream together.

Try this: tell each other what you’d do if money, time and health were not an issue. Describe it in detail, what you would do, where you’d live, how you’d help others, what kind of job you’d work…give as much detail as possible.

Listen to each other… Then find a way to help each other practically more toward those passions and dreams.

Life is too short to allow your marriage to grow stale. Explore each other’s hearts, dig deep and find Christ in each other. Help mine the gold from each other’s passions and dreams. You’d be surprised how much fun it can be and how fulfilling it is to have your spouse understand your deepest desires and actually help you live them.

Submit to One Another

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

— Ephesians 5:21

Marriage is a reflection of Christ’s relationship with his body. The husband is to love his wife as she responds with respect. This is the recipe for a thriving and fruitful marriage.

We really could just stop there but those of us who are married know it’s not that easy. When we look at the lengths to which Jesus went to make his bride his cherished eternal partner, we don’t see him demanding a response. We see Jesus dying for mankind and extending his love for us before we ever loved him back. So should a husband love his wife.

A marriage in proper order is not when the man has authority over his wife but when the husband is bringing unconditional love into the relationship that produces the fruit of respect from his wife.

Who’s In Charge?

I’ve heard it said that the husband being the head of his wife means he makes the important decisions. Where does it say that? Nowhere. I’ve heard it said that the husband is his wife’s covering, wrong again.

The husband being the head of the wife means he’s first and foremost tasked with loving his wife. Not just love his wife but love her perfectly, which is how Christ loves us.

So if it’s about authority then it’s about obedience, and the husband must be in perfect obedience first.

Being the head means he goes first, he starts the process, he loves first. Don’t believe me? That’s actually the exact description Paul gives in Ephesians 5 of how the husband is the head, he equates that “position” to Jesus loving us while we were dead in our sins.

The husband is not his wife’s spiritual authority, he’s her leader in love, plain and simple.

The Top 5

Here’s a practical exercise for your marriage, feel free to use it. Each of you make a list of the top 5 things that your spouse can do to show you love and respect. Then swap lists and DO THEM!

Here are some guidelines:

Conscience

Your list cannot violate your spouse’s conscience. You can not ask your spouse to do anything against the Word of God and you can not ask them to go against any healthy boundaries they have set for themselves. This includes sex.

Using your list as a weapon

The Top 5 list is not to be used as a source of division. If you do not immediately see your spouse doing the things on your list, give them time. Communicate about it and remind them in a loving way. We all have developed patterns over time, it takes time to change our behaviors and create new habits.

Unconditional

You can not say “you must not love me because you’re not doing the list,” or some version of that. Don’t wait for your spouse to “do” your list before you “do” theirs, LOVE GOES FIRST!

Be Intentional

When your spouse gives you their list, read through it and internalize it. See yourself doing the things on the list. Ask your spouse why they like those things so you understand what’s going on inside them when you do these things.

Communicate

Above all…communicate!!! I can not stress this enough, talk to each other, tell each other how you feel. Tell each other thank you. Say those kind things you’re thinking. The world recognizes that we follow Jesus by our love for one another, I pray your marriage is a testimony of your faith in Jesus by your extravagant love for one another.