 “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” Luke 6:45 (NLT).
God’s grace gave you a good heart and God gives you the grace to be good hearted. Having a good heart is a result of a spiritual surgery that is done by the Holy Spirit, where He implants the life of Jesus into your spirit and soul. “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” Romans 2:28-29 (NKJV). When you are born again, you are changed into a new creation in Christ and your stubborn, humanistic heart is cut away. This is done by the Holy Spirit at the time of your conversion when He baptizes you into Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4 (NKJV). If you are a believer, think about these facts. You used to be a dead sinner, alienated from God and then you became an alive saint, united with God. Your heart used to a bank vault filled with rebellion and evil things and then your heart became a treasury of good things. These facts require you to answer two questions: Am I living as an alienated sinner or as a reconciled child of God? Am I storing up treasures of goodness in my good heart or am I burying garbage in the soil of my heart? Sometimes, the way that you view yourself becomes your focus. If you view yourself as wretched, it becomes difficult to produce purity. Jesus teaches that “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 (NLT). There is a very simple Kingdom principle, which is that God has blessed each believer with a pure heart and He will bless each believer who maintains a pure heart. Both are a work of grace, but only one of them requires your participation. The gospel presents this you have it and you need to live it in many ways. For example, you are justified and you need to be sanctified. Both are given to you through God’s free grace. Justification requires no participation, only belief. Sanctification requires intentional participation. A good way to think about this is to see justification as the type of seed that is planted and sanctification as the gardening that is required to germinate and grow the type of plant from the seed. When the Holy Spirit birthed you as a new creature in Christ, what type of person were you created into? Now, answer this question: What type of person were you created to be? Who you are is already decided by Jesus. How you will live your life as that person is decided by you. You have been given the guarantee of the Holy Spirit to help you grow into the fruit tree that has already been planted. Participate in His gardening by receiving His Words, His guidance, and His strength. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns… For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation — the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ — for this will bring much glory and praise to God.” Philippians 1:6, 10-11 (NLT). Can you see the grace of God at work inside of your testimony? He began a good work inside of you (gave you a new spirit and a good heart) and He will continue His work inside of you (helping you to live authentically to your true identity) until Christ’s return. How will God do this? Through your understanding of His grace and truth which will result in you living a pure and blameless life that is filled with righteous fruit… the fruit of your being saved. You have been given an alive spirit that is connected to God. You have been given a good heart. Live in alignment with these two facts and garden a heart that produces the fruits of life. Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, Please give me an accurate view of who I am and what kind of heart you’ve given me. Please help me to accept your grace for my identity and participate in your grace for my holy lifestyle. In Jesus’s name amen.”
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 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT).
Long distance races are run with stamina and by staying hydrated. When you begin a race, you feel the difficulty and want to stop. But, as you persevere, you will find that you have the ability to finish the race. A big part of persevering is remembering why you’re running the race. Your reason for running can be a powerful reminder to have endurance and stay in the race. How do you develop stamina? There are two important ways to develop stamina, which are to grow your consistency in using the means of grace and to have the mindset of Christ. First, it is easy to have a short attention span for the means of grace, specifically for time in church, time in the word, and time in prayer. Just like an athlete has to develop muscle stamina and mental endurance, a Christian must increase in spiritual stamina and spiritual endurance. Second, you must have the mindset of Jesus Christ, who endured His race because He was looking forward to being your older Brother. Would you do anything for family? Jesus feels the same way as you do. In fact, He did the some very difficult things for His family. In preparation for the cross, Jesus was spiritually and mentally prepared to go the distance. He invested in His spiritual stamina and was ready for the ultimate trial. “That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. The whole town gathered at the door to watch. So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak. Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” Mark 1:32-35 (NLT). Do you ever feel like you’re too busy or too tired to pray? Jesus was healing and casting out demons until bed time. Then, He woke up before sunrise and went out to pray. Prayer was a means by which Jesus received spiritual strength and calibrated His will to match the Father’s. Is this how you view prayer? Make time in your day to pour out your soul before the Father’s throne of grace and receive the strength and insight that you need to live in the Father’s will. “When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.” Luke 4:16 (NLT). Jesus was in the habit of going to the synagogue to read the Scriptures, teach, and use His Spiritual powers to heal and set other free. He had a weekly routine, even going to the synagogue when He was traveling. Jesus conditioned Himself to sustain His attention and be focused when He was at the synagogue. Do you find it easy to be attentive at church or is this an area for growth? Jesus Christ also was in consistent communication with the Father and knew Scriptures by heart. He had put in the time to develop an accurate understanding of God’s Word and He could apply the Word of God instantly, as He encountered situations and conversations. As a believer, you are given the same challenge that Jesus lived out. “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT). Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you that You have given me a thirst for your Word and a desire to be in prayer. Please help me to prioritize church and to have more focus and more stamina. Please strengthen me and give me endurance to run the race that you’ve set before me. In Jesus’s name amen.”  “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity -- all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47 (NLT).
The lifestyle of the believers in the first-century church was one of daily opening up the floodgates of the rivers of God’s grace, by participating in prayer, the Word, and church fellowship. It made a profound effect on their lives, causing them to have great joy and good relationships in their communities. Their lives were characterized by the abundance that Jesus promised to give through His gift of life. The had received life and now they were experiencing life! Every believer has received the rebirth into life because of God’s grace flowing over his mind and soul. “…You have been born again… through the living and abiding word of God.” 1 Peter 1:23 (ESV). The Word of God is a conduit of grace when it is empowered by the Holy Spirit, resulting in life being infused into your spirit, soul and body. The result of your spirit being born again through the word of God is that you become a being who responds to God’s avenues of grace by becoming more filled with life and godly power. He begins your journey of living in His fullness by turning on the spigot of His grace and pouring His words into your spirit. To thrive in this journey, you now have the choice to fill your soul with His words, which are infused with the Holy Spirit’s power. Do you look at reading the Bible as an opportunity to be filled with more life? Prayer is another faucet of grace that you should open the valve on daily. Prayer take you directly to the source of the grace, which results in you receiving grace for your situation and to strengthen your soul and spirit. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV). Do you use prayer as a means for getting grace for your needs and situation? Do you also use prayer as a pipeline to fuel spiritual growth and maturity? Paul’s prayer for the believers in Colossae models this concept of using the grace of prayer to access the grace of growth. For our prayer today, I’m going to write Paul’s prayer in the first person, so you can pray it for yourself. Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father ‘I pray that I may be filled with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that I may walk worthy of You fully pleasing You, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of You; strengthened with all might, according to Your glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to You, Father, who has qualified me to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in the light. You have delivered me from the power of darkness and conveyed me into the kingdom of the Son of Your love, in whom I have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.’ In Jesus’s name amen” Colossians 1:9b-14 (NKJV). Take a minute to soak in the grace of those words. What will God’s grace fill you with? What will God’s grace produce in your daily life? How has God’s grace delivered you from the power of darkness? What has Jesus Christ redeemed you from? What has Jesus redeemed you to be? You cannot earn grace, but you can participate in it by living a lifestyle of drenching yourself in the waterfalls of God’s grace: His Word, prayer, and church fellowship.  “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2 (NIV).
Worship is the context within which each believer should live his life. It is easy to compartmentalize worship into an hour every week at church, but, that is not how we are designed to live. Living a life worthy of the God who called you to be a citizen of His Kingdom of Light is a life of worship. God designed you to live in a relationship of love and service, which He considers worship. It is natural to think about your life as either spiritual or physical. For example, you time at work is physical and your daily prayer time is spiritual. But, actually, everything that you do is considered a spiritual act of worship. Adjust your mindset to view all of your life as a lifestyle of worship. From your conversations to your media to your work ethics to your family relationships, you are a holy vessel set aside for His worship. The world worships lust, self, health, happiness, and invests entire lifetimes serving those pleasures. The Christian worships Yahweh and invests in serving Him. We renew our minds to shift our worship from ourselves to Him. We shift our purpose to glorify and enjoy Him forever. “And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.” 1 Peter 2:5 (NLT). Each one of us is a holy priest who offers spiritual sacrifices through the mediation of our High Priest, Jesus Christ. Each of us is a living stone and together we are a living temple called His church. As a part of Christ’s body and part of His church, we are all priests who are dedicated to Him, living daily to worship Him. Your daily routines from quiet time to work to dinner and bedtime are all done in His temple and as His priest. “Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.” Hebrews 13:15-16 (NLT). Every day, offer a continue sacrifice of praise to God because you are a living testimony to His character and goodness. He has changed you from the inside out, from a child of darkness into a child of light. Whether you verbally praise Him or praise Him through an action, you are to continually live in an attitude of worship. Be a person of character who reflects Jesus Christ by doing good. Be a person of compassion who unselfishly shares with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God! When you became a new creation in Christ, God combined your physical life with your spiritual life, creating for you the possibility of worshipping Him in even the mundane tasks. You have been redeemed from a futile life of worshipping the world and its spirits. You have been redeemed to worship God in spirit and in truth. “Now may the God of peace - who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood - may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21 (NLT). Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, I bring you my life as a sacrifice of praise. I am a living sacrifice, redeemed to worship you with my life. Please produce in me every good thing that is pleasing to You. In Jesus’s name amen.”  “I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:1-4 (NLT).
How can the psalmist praise God in all circumstances? How can he boast only in Yahweh? What is it about our God that makes us worship Him even when the circumstances are bad? Our God is great! His character is defined by love, holiness, goodness, and justice, to name a few of His attributes. Job was in the worst trial of his life and he knew that it didn’t change God’s worthiness for worship. “The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” Job 1:26b (NLT). Job realized that God was his creator and provider, and Job chose to trust that God was also good. Have you had a tough trial where you had to choose to trust that God is good? “But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.” Psalm 86:15. (NKJV). The Trinity is compassionate to the core, and God defines Himself as patient, truthful and gracious. Have you experienced God’s grace? Has He taken away the requirement of the law and given you the empowerment of grace? “And of His (Jesus’s) fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:16-17 (NKJV). God’s perfect holy character requires each human being to perfectly obey His moral laws. This is an impossibility, so Jesus Christ Himself entered the world to perfectly obey the law of God. With His life, Jesus Christ made you righteous by fulfilling your obligation to obey the law. In His death, Jesus Christ absorbed your unrighteousness and paid your eternal legal penalty. In His resurrection, Jesus Christ gave you the ability and desire to reflect God’s holy laws in your lifestyle. When you worship God for His holiness, you can also worship God for His mercy and love. The reason why you can appreciate God’s holiness and moral laws is because of the work that Jesus did for you in His life, death and resurrection. Through belief in Jesus Christ, you are changed from a hard-hearted sinner into a soft-hearted saint. Worship for God’s holiness originates from inside of your righteous spirit because you now love holiness and can see how unique and worthy God’s holiness is. At the same time, you are experientially aware of God’s grace, mercy and love because you are living without condemnation and are on a trajectory towards being holy like God. Your appreciation for God is both from the written Word and from experiencing the benefits of the Word Personified. Jesus fulfilled the law so that you can be fulfilled by living out His character. “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” Ezekiel 36:25-27 (NLT). Jesus Christ purchased you many blessings and three of them are listed in these verses. Each of the three give you ability and perspective to worship. You are a new person who desires and appreciates holiness and your heart is willing to worship. Because of Jesus Christ, you are a holy temple where the Holy Spirit lives and gives you power to worship. You have been redeemed to worship God and His character and actions deserve your worship. “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself.” Job 19:25-27a (NLT). Prayer: “Dear Yahweh, I worship You for Your majesty and infinite worth. I worship you because You have shown me your love by coming to Earth to save me from the law and save me to live a holy life in Your presence. In Jesus’s name amen.”  “Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.” Psalm 145:3-5 (NLT).
Every human being is born to worship. It is wired into our nature to appreciate beauty, celebrate genius, and elevate exceptionalism. Worship is natural for us. Think about your nation’s culture. What do people in your culture elevate to the point of personal sacrifice? In your own life, what do you prioritize above everything else? When you are made alive in your spirit, you capacity to worship God is activated. This happens for a couple of reasons. First, your spiritual connection to God changes from dead and disconnected to alive and connected. This means that you are able to recognize God’s innate worth and it causes you to worship. Second, the barrier of injustice between you and God is removed by the justification from Jesus Christ. You are no longer an enemy of God and subject to His justice. Now, you are a friend of God and welcomed into His presence. Legally, you are forgiven and acquitted. Positionally, you are righteous and good. In your actions, you are becoming more aligned with your identity as a saint. “Who may climb the mountain of Yahweh? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies.” Psalm 24:3-4 (NLT). These verses describe Jesus Christ when He was living in Israel. Jesus Christ was morally qualified to enter into God’s presence and worship. When you are converted, Jesus gives you His qualifications, so you can climb the mountain of Yahweh and stand in His holy place. He makes your heart pure, your hands clean and removes the stain of idolatry from your record. Jesus Christ redeemed you from the curse of idolatry, so you can now worship Yahweh in spirit and in truth. “Give to Yahweh, O families of the peoples, give to the Yahweh glory and strength. Give to Yahweh the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship Yahweh in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.” Psalm 96:7-9 (NKJV). There are multiple ways to worship God. Simply, worship is recognizing God’s incredible worth and expressing appreciation for that worth. You do this by praising, praying, singing, meditating and reflecting on Him, honoring His Words and listening to Him and also by obeying Him. For a Christian, many parts of the day can be worshipful. Worship is an attitude and also can be an experience. God is worth your worship, so you can worship Him by recognizing and honoring His character and attributes. “Give to Yahweh the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts.” (v.8). Worship God by bringing offerings of praise, money, time, and lifestyle choices. “Oh, worship Yahweh in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.” (v.9). We are instructed to worship God because of His beauty and holiness and respect His power, holiness and majesty. The unique thing about worshipping God is that He alone deserves the worship. Because of who He is and what He does, He qualifies to be worshipped. This can’t be said about anyone else. This is why it requires the blood of Jesus to have sanctified you and qualified you to worship Him in His holy presence. Through your identity in Christ, you have been anointed to be a worshipper and to help others worship. You are a priest and you can proclaim His praises. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV). Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, I worship You for your majesty and goodness. I worship You because You are infinite love and Your Son to be my substitute and make me holy. You called me out of darkness into Your marvelous light. Thank you! In Jesus’s name amen.”  “People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!” James 3:7-10 (NLT).
A common problem for believers is to default into negative speaking, which can create a curse on the person we’re targeting with negativity. Sarcastic joking about other people and negative statements can cause internal damage in the soul of the person being cursed. From gossip to betrayal to negative statements about a person’s abilities, the tongue causes destruction. Is there any hope for a believer’s tongue? Yes, just like every other part of your body, soul and spirit, your tongue has been redeemed by Jesus. The good news is that you can root out the negativity and eradicate the unhealthy habits of speech. When you were born again spiritually, your spirit suddenly was given the ability to use every part of your body for doing what is right and for God’s glory. “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” Romans 6:12-14 (NLT). The blood of Jesus is powerful enough to deal with your tongue. So, what’s the secret to using your tongue for godly, edifying speech? “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Luke 6:45 (NIV). Like a gardener, you must learn the difference between weeds and vegetables. Calibrate your mind to discern your sinful speech patterns. Do you preface compliments with a negative observation? Do you always have to give negative background information when talking about someone? Are your words harsh and bitter when you feel rejected or jealous? Learn how to recognize the weeds that you’ve been gardening and pluck them out. Instead, grow plants that bloom with godliness. Be like God in everything that you do, including your speech. “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.” Ephesians 5:1-4 (NLT). Crucify your sinful speech and the thought patterns behind that speech. Jesus Christ rose from the dead and you rose with Him. When you speak, speak from a resurrected heart, filled with thankfulness, truth and love. “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” Colossians 4:6 (NKJV). Have you ever eaten an unseasoned egg? It’s unpleasant. Instead of having unpleasant speech, season your conversations with grace. In a world full of darkness, speak life. The Bible says that if you love use your tongue, that you will either reap life or death from all of those many words. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” Proverbs 18:21 (ESV). When you’re gardening the fruit of your tongue, make sure to garden tasty fruit. You’ll be surprised to see how much life you can produce simply by speaking life. “Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4 (NLT). “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1 (NIV). Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you that every part of my physical body has been redeemed. Please give me discernment to hear my words that are not honoring to You. I am alive in Christ and I want to speak words of life. Please fill my soul with the roots of joy, hope, peace, and truth and fill my mouth with good fruits. In Jesus’s name amen.”  Understanding the Kingdom
The Kingdom of Jesus Christ is the centerpiece to Christian living and victorious spiritual warfare. The more you understand about the kingdom of Jesus Christ coming into your body and soul, the more you will have success in your personal holiness and spiritual defense. Also, if you understand what the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ into the world means, you will see more power in your lifestyle and boldness to do spiritual warfare on the offensive, and not just on the defensive. The defining truth of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is the epic and thorough defeat of Satan, disease, sin and death by Jesus Christ through His passion and on the cross. The Holy Spirit brings this victory of life, forgiveness, holiness, and health into the lives of individual believers. He also brings this victory into the families and communities where believers live and minister. As the kingdom of Jesus Christ is established in the hearts and lives of believers, freedom, health and victory are manifested. While 100% freedom, health and victory exist in Heaven, a significantly large percentage of healing, deliverance, and holiness can be experienced here on Earth, if the believer is willing to submit to the Holy Spirit and fight for it. We are commanded to “work out our salvation in fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12). The Kingdom of Jesus Christ is invisible and it is inside of every believer because every believer has been born again into citizenship in Heaven. The kingdom of Jesus Christ is inside of the control center where you and the Holy Spirit are. Together with the Holy Spirit, you begin a process of bringing the entire territory of your body and soul under the authority of King Jesus. This process is called sanctification. A major part of sanctification is taking control of your thoughts, desires and emotions. Another part of sanctification is to daily kill your flesh. Your flesh is in rebellion to King Jesus and your rule. By retraining your mind and emotions, you can also attack your flesh and deny its self-promotion. A minor but extremely important part of sanctification is evicting oppressive spirits that are sabotaging your rule in various areas of your mind, body and soul. This book will help you deal with those parasites. One of the purposes of this book is to teach you how to live a lifestyle of holiness, freedom and spiritual success. Defining the Kingdom The kingdom has a couple of names: Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God. In the gospels, the names can be used interchangeably. To understand the Kingdom of Heaven, you need to know that there are two aspects of the kingdom: There is the now and the not yet. First, the Kingdom of Heaven is here now and is replacing the Kingdom of Satan in people’s hearts and lives. The Kingdom of Heaven is not perfectly here and is not completely implemented over the entire Earth because now is a time of conflict between the two kingdoms. Second, the Kingdom of Heaven will arrive in perfection on Judgement Day. Now and Not Yet Now, we live in a time of tension because the Kingdom of Heaven is here and is also not yet perfectly here. Sometimes, the Bible refers to the Kingdom of God as the one that is here now. Sometimes, the Bible is talking about the Kingdom of God that will arrive in perfection on Judgement Day. To know which is being referred to, you must look at the context and the audience. For example, in a couple of passages in Luke’s gospel, Jesus speaks to the Jewish people and explains that the Kingdom of God isn’t arriving until Judgement Day. This is because the religious Jews believed that the Kingdom of God would arrive physically and replace the Roman oppressors. What actually happened was the Kingdom of God arrived spiritually and began replacing the kingdom of Satan. The Kingdom of God will arrive physically on Judgement Day and completely erase the kingdom of Satan. When I talk about the Kingdom of Heaven in this book, I’m referring to the present-day, spiritual Kingdom of Heaven. The one that is taking people out of Satan’s kingdom and making them citizens of Heaven. To learn more about the present-day Kingdom of Heaven, we need to study how the kingdom arrived. The Kingdom of Heaven came in power through Jesus Christ. When Jesus began his ministry, He ushered in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus’s ministry began with his baptism and being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven We’ll examine some passages from Luke to dig into some of the key passages about the Kingdom. Some significant events happened to launch Jesus’s ministry and begin the Kingdom of Heaven’s spread across the planet. First, Jesus was publicly baptized and recognized as God’s Son. Second, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. Third, Jesus climbed the mountain of temptation with Satan and experienced victory. Last, Jesus announced that He was the promised Anointed One or Messiah in His hometown. Throughout the whole arrival of King Jesus, the Holy Spirit is featured as the power source for the kingdom ministry. This is very important because the Holy Spirit continues to be the power source for kingdom ministry. Today, instead of Christ physically doing the kingdom work here on Earth, He uses His body (believers) to do the kingdom ministry. (Jesus is not limited to only using believers, as His power and authority are unlimited. However, I believe His normal mode for ministry is through His body.) Jesus modeled kingdom ministry by doing the Father’s will through the power of the Holy Spirit. This remains the same today: The Father’s will for kingdom ministry is carried out by Christ’s body (believers) through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the challenge of all believers to be in step with the Holy Spirit, so that the Father’s will for kingdom ministry can be done through them. (Read through the following passages. I’ve bolded the parts I want you to notice.) “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’” Luke 3:21-22. Jesus is the anointed king of the Kingdom of Heaven. When He came to Earth and was born in Bethlehem, Jesus came as the long-prophesied Messiah and King of the Jews. He came to bring in the kingdom. Jesus Christ was and is the only one qualified to be the King of the Kingdom of Heaven. When God the Father spoke out of Heaven, I believe that He personally certified Jesus Christ as His chosen one. The Father said that Jesus pleased Him. Throughout His entire life, Jesus Christ did only the will of the Father, earning righteousness for His church and exemplifying how the kingdom life is to be lived. Also, notice that during the baptism, God the Holy Spirit descended out of Heaven. The unity of God is demonstrated here as all of the Persons of the Godhead are involved in bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth. In the next verses, notice that Jesus was filled with the Spirit. “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil.” Luke 4:1-2a. In his account of what happened after the Jesus’ baptism, Mark puts an emphasis on Jesus announcing the arrival of the kingdom of God. “Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. 14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’” Mark 1:12-15. Looking back into Luke 4: 14-21, you can see that after the temptation of Jesus, Luke focuses in on Nazareth. Luke points out that, after Jesus experienced victory over the temptations of Satan, Jesus was ministering in Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit, and then He went to Nazareth where He announced Himself as the Messiah. “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’” Luke 4:14-21. As you read through the passages from Luke and Mark, you should have seen the importance of the Holy Spirit, church, and the Scripture in Jesus’ life and ministry. Jesus was intimately familiar with the Scripture and in the habit of going to church. This, combined with His being full of the Holy Spirit, put Him right where He needed to be to do the Father’s will and launch the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth. As you seek to be successful in kingdom life and spiritual battle, you must follow Jesus’ example carefully, putting priority to being in the Word, being with the church, and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Let’s look at the prophecy from Isaiah that Jesus read aloud in Luke 4:18-19. Prophesies are your weapons in spiritual warfare because they often promise coming victories. It is important that you understand which promises belong to you, as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19. Three Kingdom Mission Objectives In this Luke passage, notice that there are three main mission objectives in the coming of King Jesus:
These mission objectives remain the same today. Some try to limit these objectives to only salvation. As a result, many believers don’t believe God’s promises for deliverance and physical healing. Because of their unbelief, they become like the citizens of Nazareth (Mark 6:5) and can limit the work of the Kingdom in their lives and ministries. My observation is that believers who theologically limit God’s mission, experience those limitations in their lives and ministries. Those who read God’s Word and expect God to do what He promised, frequently experience those promises fulfilled in their lives and in their ministries. My advice is not to read limitations into Scripture and not to tell God what He will or won’t do in His Kingdom. You’ll be surprised to see all three of the mission objectives manifested in your life and ministry. Read the following passages, looking at the activities that come with the Kingdom of Heaven. Can you see the three mission objectives? Luke 10:1-9: The sending of the seventy: “After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, ‘The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. 5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you’…17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.’” Jesus sends out the twelve: “And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease… 7And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:1 and 7-8. Luke 9:1-2, 10-11 “Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick… 10 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.” (This is when Jesus miraculously feeds the 5000.) Jesus’ example in the gospels: In the gospels, you find Jesus teaching, healing, and delivering from demons. Read through the gospels and notice what characterizes the ministry of Jesus. You will see these three mission objectives throughout the gospels. Below are a few examples of what you’ll find. 16 “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.’” Matthew 8:16-17 “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” Matthew 9:35 “Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.” Luke 5:17 The gospels are packed with Jesus ministering through teaching, healing and delivering. Notice in Luke 5:17 that the power of the Holy Spirit was healing. In Luke 11:20, Jesus says that He casts out demons by the finger of God and that the kingdom of God has come. “But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” The finger of God is synonymous with the Holy Spirit because in Matthew 12:28, Jesus says, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” The Apostle Peter summarizes Jesus’ ministry while talking to Cornelius’ household in Acts 10:38. “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” After this summary, Peter tells of the crucifixion and resurrection. The ministry of Jesus, his passion, crucifixion, and resurrection are all a package deal that you need to understand as you take your place as an ambassador of Christ for the Kingdom of God here on Earth. Notice that Peter points out that Jesus is anointed by the Father and empowered by the Holy Spirit to do specific actions: Do good and heal all who were oppressed by Satan. A significant part of your confidence and success in victorious kingdom living depends on your understanding of the intention of King Jesus to bring the reign and mission of the Kingdom of Heaven to your world. If you limit the Holy Spirit and misunderstand your responsibility as a citizen of the Kingdom, you’ll probably be limited in your mission success. You need to understand what your King’s mission is in your life and in the community around you. Back to Eden To really understand the Kingdom of God, you must go back to the time before human rebellion. In this time, Adam and Eve spent their days living out their purpose of glorifying God, enjoying fellowship with Him, and taking dominion over the world around them. Health, fellowship with God and glorifying God through their work and relationships were normal reality for Adam and Eve. They were free to enjoy God’s goodness and live in intimacy with God. This experience of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth by Adam and Eve was shattered by their rebellion. At the same time, their reflection of God’s image was shattered and their freedom was forfeited. For about 4000 years, the planet went dark, except for small flickers of light through the patriarchs and, at times, Israel. The civilizations of the world were under the rule of Satan because every single human being (except Jesus Christ) was born spiritually dead and an automatic citizen of Satan’s dark kingdom. Jesus Christ came to bring an end to the kingdom of darkness and to introduce the Kingdom of Light. The kingdom of darkness will end permanently when Christ returns in judgement at the end of this world. In the meantime, the Kingdom of Heaven has been spreading across the planet for the past 2000 years and has forgiven, freed and healed many millions from under the dark dominion of Satan. This is the history of conquest that you’ve been born again into. You were born physically into Satan’s dominion. The Holy Spirit brought you to life through good news of the gospel, rebirthing you spiritually into Christ’s dominion. Now, it is like you get to go back to the Garden of Eden and worship, reflect, and enjoy God. Since the Kingdom of Heaven exists right in the middle of almost every part of the kingdom of Satan, we also fight. We are legally free from Satan’s rule and we fight to bring others into that freedom. And, we fight to stay free ourselves. Like I said, when our King comes back physically, He will demolish sin, Satan and darkness. At this time, Jesus is already victorious and takes from the Satan as He wills. That is the part that we’re involved in, as spiritual warriors. We help Jesus supplant the kingdom of Satan through the work of the Holy Spirit and the gospel. Jesus Bought the Kingdom With His Life, Passion, and Death For the Kingdom of God to come to this planet and into your life, several critical actions needed to be done by the Anointed One, King Jesus Christ. First, Jesus Christ had to be born outside of the inherited spiritual death of Adam’s descendants, which He was through the virgin birth and the power of the Holy Spirit. Second, Jesus had to perfectly fulfill our purpose and obligation to God: He had to glorify, worship, obey and enjoy God in every aspect of His life. He had to perfectly obey the Father’s will. This step is significant because this is what we were all created to do but have failed miserably at doing. This is called the righteousness of Christ. It is half of an important legal proclamation that God gives to all of His children. God justifies every believer in Christ by imputing or crediting the perfect obedience of Jesus to his legal status and by forgiving him of every sin. (We’ll talk about forgiveness in our discussion of the third critical action of Jesus, which is His passion and death.) Jesus’ Work Prior to His Crucifixion Part of Jesus’ work before the cross was modeling for us how every citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven is to be engaged in the work of the Kingdom of Heaven. Since Jesus already did it for us, we get to follow His example. Now, as we follow His example, it is actually a fruit or product of our identity as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. We are no longer required to earn God’s acceptance because Jesus Christ earned it for us and gave us that acceptance when we believed and trusted in Him as our Lord and Savior. Since we are accepted and children of God, we naturally begin to act out the family identity, which is to obey the Father, worship and glorify God, and enjoy fellowship with Him. Children of the King are trained by the Holy Spirit and the Bible to think like and behave like children of the King in each life situation. This process is called sanctification. Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit in you. It is a process of living out your true identity as a saint. Jesus’ Work at the Cross Justification is the work of Jesus Christ for you. It is a position: Justified. Justification is a legal declaration of acquittal, which leads me to the third critical action that Jesus Christ had to take to bring His kingdom here to Earth: Jesus paid the price for His people’s sin. The Bible says that Jesus Christ was beaten beyond recognition to purchase our physical healing and our peace with God. The Bible says that Jesus Christ willingly became sin and a curse on the cross. Every person who believes in and depends on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will receive the benefits of Jesus Christ’s passion (physical, emotional, mental suffering) and death. Justification Combines Jesus’ Perfect Life and His Death Every believer immediately receives the package deal of justification, which includes a legal statement from God that he has a perfect record, is acquitted of all sin, and is forgiven for every sin past, present, and future. Jesus Christ purchased justification for every believer and is willing to give it to any nonbeliever who comes to Him for salvation. This is called the gospel or the good news: Man is born in sin, under a curse, and lives in rebellion deserving God’s holy justice and eternal sentencing to Hell and the Lake of Fire. Jesus Christ was born without sin, lived a perfect life, and died a horrific death, absorbing the justice and Hell deserved by every human being. Through true belief in Jesus Christ, which is evidenced by the fruit of repentance, a sinner becomes a saint, having all sins forgiven and being acquitted of all sin… just as if he had never sinned. Jesus’ Resurrection Proves His Success The resurrection of Jesus Christ Is key because it proves that He totally absorbed all of the wrath of God and God’s justice, as well as consumed the power of Satan. How did Jesus vanquish the power of Satan? Jesus became the Second Adam and was punished for our sins unto death. Satan’s power over us is our sin and its consequence of eternal spiritual death. Jesus broke that power. “Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.” Hebrews 2:14-15 (NLT). The consequence for sin is eternal spiritual death, which is why every natural descendant of Adam and Eve has been born spiritually dead and many of them have continued that death right into Hell. But, Jesus Christ bought the right to give out eternal life and freedom from Satan’s control through His life, passion and death. Since Jesus Christ was 100% innocent, 100% God, 100% human and 100% successful, He willed Himself to become alive again through the power of the Holy Spirit. An interesting side note is that since Jesus Christ is 100% God, He has unlimited worth and deserves unlimited worthship (worship). A normal human being is worth a finite amount and could only take the place of one other human in fulfilling a legal sentence. However, Jesus Christ is God and of infinite worth, so He could take the place of unlimited amounts of believers and could satisfy infinite justice in a limited time. This is authenticated by Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead. The information in this paragraph is the reason why all demons and Satan must submit to the name of Jesus Christ. He conquered them and took all of their legal rights away through His life, passion, and death. He rose to reign. And, Jesus Christ chooses to reign through His fellow-citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, as well as reign through His own works. (Re-read this section. Your understanding of what Jesus Christ bought with His blood will empower your warfare.) “For to this you were called (persecution), because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:21-25. Expect King Jesus to Take Action As a member of the royal family, you will fight the kingdom battles. You will be persecuted and attacked. You have to understand that any evangelism, prayer, discipleship, healing, or evicting of demons is an act of war because each is a direct hit into Satan’s kingdom. You follow the example of your oldest brother Jesus. You fight from the knowledge that Jesus Christ suffered and bore your sins, so that you can live a lifestyle of righteousness and health. The Greek word for healed in verse 24 means physical healing. (24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.) I believe it can also mean emotional and spiritual healing. One key part of spiritual warfare is knowing what Jesus purchased and hat the value of the cost was to Him. Don’t limit the value of the price Jesus Christ paid. Don’t limit the application of what He purchased. Expect Jesus Christ to give out what He rightfully owns and paid for with his own pain, shame, flesh, blood, and life. It is His prerogative to give it to whomever He desires, whenever He desires to. This is one of the first keys to spiritual warfare: Expect Jesus to give out the gifts that He paid for at a horrific cost to Himself. The timing and dispensing of gifts to God’s children are always in the will of the Father. Since you don’t always know the will of the Father for timing, you can depend on the character of God. God is a good Father, and He cares about all of humanity. Understanding the Power of a Name As the perfect man and Second Adam, Jesus Christ operated in the power of the Holy Spirit to do the Father’s will in every situation. Jesus knew God’s character, He understood the Scriptures, and He had a vibrant prayer life. He was also filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was 100% successful in doing God’s will in: every healing, raising of the dead, casting out of demons, teaching the gospel, reflecting the character of God in His daily life, and declaring truth. I believe that Jesus operated under the authority or name of His Father. In John 17:11-12, Jesus says that He kept the disciples safe through the name of the Father, and He asks the Father to continue to keep them safe through His name. When Jesus conquered Satan, sin, and death on the cross and came back to life triumphantly, the Father gave Him all authority over everything in creation, including angels, demons, sickness, death, and spiritual blindness. In Acts 2, Peter preaches for people to repent and be baptized in the name (authority) of Jesus. In Acts chapter 3, Peter radically commands a man who had been paralyzed for 40 years to get up and walk. Peter does this in the name (authority) of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. After sending Peter to jail for this miracle, the Jewish leaders gather together and ask Peter “by what power, or by what name have you done this?” (Acts 4:7). Peter replies that the man was healed by Jesus and “by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who you crucified, who God raised from the dead.” (Acts 4:10) Peter takes it further and says that there is no other name under Heaven by which we can be saved. (Acts 4:12) The Jewish leaders respond to the miracle of healing and Peter’s message by commanding Peter and John not to teach or speak in the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus is powerful. Paul uses it to ask for unity in the Corinthian church, (1 Cor. 1:10) and tells the church to use Jesus’s name to discipline an unrepentant believer who was in open sexual sin. (1 Cor. 5:4-5) King Jesus’ name is authority for you to live powerfully and conduct Kingdom of Heaven business. Thy Kingdom Come The kingdom coming in a believer’s life should be evidenced by the power of the Holy Spirit! A believer should triumph in trials, humbly use his gifts in the church, and live a lifestyle of powerful fruit. This lifestyle is living out what he already is: a saint and a king. The kingdom-coming lifestyle is a battle to think, feel, act and live a life that accurately reflects what you already are: a righteous child of God. A healthy saint lives a holy, powerful, victorious life. Paul told the believers in the Corinthian church that when he saw them in person, he would know which were healthy believers because they would be living a powerful kingdom lifestyle. The unhealthy ones would only be talking and proud. But, the evidence that Paul was looking for would evidence the power of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 4:19-20). The Father has given all authority to Jesus. God’s will is totally in sync within the Trinity. The Kingdom of Heaven is replacing the kingdom of Satan under the authority of Jesus Christ, according to the will of the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Every believer is under the authority of Jesus Christ and carries the authority of Jesus Christ. Many believers only use that authority to teach the gospel. And, many others use that authority to pray healing, cast out demons and work miracles. The key to bringing the Kingdom of Heaven into the circumstances and people around you is to understand the authority that you already have in the name of Jesus Christ. The King is the Foundation of the Kingdom of Heaven The authority of Christ’s name is unlimited! To understand the authority, you must understand the One in authority: Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the foundation and essence of everything in the Kingdom of Heaven. As was just mentioned, in Acts 3, Peter uses the name of Jesus Christ to command a paralyzed man to be completely healed. After spending a night in jail, Peter explains what happened: “Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. 11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ 12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10-12 (NLT). Jesus Christ of Nazareth is so important that everything of eternal value must be built on Him and His work. There is no kingdom without King Lord Jesus. There is no salvation without Savior Christ the Lord. Jesus Christ is the Prophet, Priest and King for His people. It is only through union with the Lord Jesus Christ, that you can be saved and live an eternally meaningful life. Jesus Christ is essential to everything you are and do as a believer: worship, good works, justification, sanctification, evangelism, discipleship, prayer, preaching, teaching, singing, loving, growing. Jesus Christ is more essential than air or water. This is Chapter 3 in Victorious Living, available free in Tagalog and English on our ereader.  “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” Romans 12:9-10 (NLT).
Worldly relationships often are transactional, meaning that people invest in relationships expecting something in return. These expectations create a toxicity because you must use control, manipulation, anger or guilt when the other person doesn’t choose to reciprocate. The blood of Jesus redeems you from these frustrating relationships. Jesus Christ embodies agape love and you are created in His DNA, which means that you embody agape love, too. “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them… Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” When you love others with genuine affection, you are loving from a place of appreciation. Your love is others-focused and is sourced from grace. The worldly relationship requires honor, while the godly relationship gives honor. “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NLT). Think about what characterized your relationships growing up. Were you raised in the context of redeemed relationships? The precious blood of Jesus Christ has ransomed you from the cycle of emptiness. You’ve been born again into a deep, affirming, accepting, loving relationship with Yahweh. It is from this identity and resulting experience that you can extend grace to others. You can love without demanding love in return. This changes the expectations and dynamics of your close relationships. Reject the toxic qualities of your ancestors and learn to reflect the grace of your divine family. “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.” Ephesians 5:15-20 (NLT). Can you apply these verses to your relationships? What is the attitude of the believer in these verses? What type of atmosphere surrounds you when you are living with intention, following God’s principles, being filled with the Being who is love, and singing songs with others. What is the attitude of your heart if you are singing songs to Jesus in your heart? “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Ephesians 5:21 (NLT). Mutual submission within a relationship minimizes the need to look out for your own interests. If two people are trying to do what is best for the other person, then there is going to be a healthy building up of both people. This really is the key to having a successful marriage, for example. Each spouse gives to the betterment of the other, submitting to the other with a loving attitude. Mutual submission means to consider the other person’s viewpoint as valid and to give love and respect. Jesus Christ respects you and loves you, even though He is the top authority in the Universe. Don’t you respond by loving and honoring Him? Mutual submission does not negate authority and roles. Instead, mutual submission creates attitudes of honor and grace towards each other. “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3 (NLT). To redeem you from the vapid life you inherited from Adam, Jesus humbled Himself and considered you worth more than His own life. His blood has set you free to live life like He did. Jesus Christ is invested in you and laid down His life for you. The love of Christ makes it possible to live in healthy others-focused relationships. True Christian relationships focus on building each other up, resulting in a natural two-way street of relational blessings. “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT). Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, You loved me when I couldn’t love You back. Thank you. You gave Your only Son Jesus so that I can be Your child. Help me to be more focused on giving and building others up than on getting my needs met. I trust you to meet my needs, as I learn how to love like You. In Jesus’s name, amen.”  “Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.” Romans 6:13 (NLT).
The believer’s life is about doing God’s will, rather than avoiding sin. We were created to love God, love His commands and desire His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Many believers focus on not sinning and not being worldly, which are good objectives but should not be their focus. Instead, every believer has been created as God’s masterpiece for good works (Ephesians 2:10). Honestly, the old has been crucified on the cross and buried and the new has come. You are a saint who resurrected with Jesus Christ and has been created in His image (Romans 6:6-9, 2 Corinthians 5:17). Have the perspective of Jesus about your identity and purpose. You are a saint who was created and equipped to be a reflection of God’s holiness. The blood of Jesus Christ has redeemed you from futility (1 Peter 1:18) and given you a new lifestyle. This lifestyle affects every part of you, from your emotions to your worship to your relationships and it even affects your work week. “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT). As a steward in God’s Kingdom, you get to use your talents, gifts, physical and spiritual energy to do His work on Planet Earth. Most people think that work is something that they have to do. God’s people live in grace and know that work is something that they get to do. Our Master is with us and is approving of us, so let’s go out and do a great job for him! How do you view work? Do you see it as a necessary burden? How do you view your boss? Do you chafe under the stress of schedules and tasks? As a child birthed through God’s grace, you are made for the work that He’s given you to do. The perspective of grace is that you are right where you need to be to shine forth for Him through your work. If your work is at home, then manage and care for your home for Jesus. If your work is outdoors, then bring a sunny outlook to your day. If you job is managing others, manage them like Christ manages you. Equip and lead others, as the Holy Spirit equips and leads you. How does God use time management? Is He ever late? God is intentional in His use of time. In the first six days of Creation, God scheduled and prioritized his work by categories and for a purpose. Knowing that rest is an important part of having a balanced lifestyle, God scheduled an entire day of rest to finish off His work week. How is your time management? Do you reflect God by prioritizing and working through a task list each day? Do you have life-work balance and steward your rest time? God is always available for His family, despite the fact that He is governing the Universe and saving His people from Satan and Hell. You may work for a human boss, but you do have choices. You can choose to invest time with your family. It might be that you have to sacrifice time with your friends in order to be friends with your spouse and children. But, God says to prioritize His right ways of living and He will provide for you the work that you need to provide for your family (Matthew 6:33). Today, be encouraged in the work that God has created you to do. Whether you are in a season of feeling amazing, efficient and effective or in a time of testing, shift your mindset to view your work as something you’ve been specially formed to do for God. With this perspective, it is easier to “be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for making me a special creation to do work that You’ve already planned and prioritized for me to do. Guide me to serve my earthly bosses willingly and with the same heart that I serve You. Please equip me and grow me into the next season of my employment, whether that is doing what I do now or something different. In Jesus’s name amen.” |
