Choose Love

“We know that the fields are white and ready for harvest (John 4:35). God is imploring us as laborers to go into the field, but do we have what it takes to go?

The flesh is at war with our spirit, wanting to have its own way. It prefers to take the path of least resistance, which yields the least constructive results. How much easier it is to choose an hour of television than an hour of reading or learning or certainly an hour of prayer! But we reap what we sow, and those who sow to the flesh do not get a good harvest, much less an eternal one (Gal 6:8).

The American Heritage Dictionary defines “diligence” as marked by persevering, painstaking effort. The Latin derivative, diligere, means “to esteem”-a word combination of “to love,” and “to choose.” An interesting view! Are we choosing this kind of “love” for ourselves and for the sake of those around us? Vine's Expository Dictionary of the Bible defines “diligent” as business gains gotten by work, endeavor, pains, earnestness, and zeal. In other words, there is a mindset of determination and completion of hard work that yields the fruit of diligence. Consider scriptural admonitions to develop this character trait:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15).

The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor (Prov 12:24).

The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty (Prov 21:5).

The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing...(Prov 13:4).

Diligence is man's precious possession (Prov 12:27b).
(Another translation reads, “Substance of a diligent man is precious.” There is tangible substance in diligence!)

The Hebrew word for diligence, charuts, means “sharp, pointed, determined, and earnest.” It has the connotations of incisive; as in having sharp teeth, and determined and hardworking as in digging a trench or mining gold. No passive or unintentional action here!

Think of the fruit of revival we could bear if we apply ourselves to diligence. In light of the proverb just examined, such fruit would include rulership over enemy destruction in people's lives...natural and spiritual wealth, abundance, and wisdom. What worthy gain from applying oneself!

Combine diligence with discipline, and the results are exponential. The American Heritage Dictionary defines “discipline” as: “Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement; self-control.” Vine's Expository Dictionary declares it “an admonishing or calling to soundness of mind; self-control.”

Quite simply, the choices we make on a daily basis will determine in the long run who we are and who we become in Him. Our choices will even help determine the advantage others have in the same way. Choices toward self-control and determined effort can open up the harvest to those who might never hear or know the Lord, and bring the knowledge and sweet savor of Jesus in such a way that hastens His return. May that be our goal!

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:15-16).”

Get Out Of The Way!

We get in God’s way when we refuse to give Him His proper place in our lives.

In any survey concerning spiritual convictions, most North Americans will say that they believe in God, but the quality and integrity of that belief is shown in the degree to which they permit God to exercise His presence in their lives. There are those who call on God quickly when in a crisis situation, but the rest of the time they prefer to run their life their own way. There are those who believe in God for what they can receive from Him. Like the children of Israel, they hold on to God when things are going well, but when their weak faith does not pay off, they shake their fist in God’s face. There are also those superficial Christians who acknowledge God’s everyday attributes; His love, power, and grace, but when they are facing life’s demands they worry and fret.

Now all these have one thing in common. They do not let God have a place or action in their lives. They get in God’s way either by their ego and pride, or whimpering complaints. This all points to a major flaw in the exercise of our religious belief today. God has become something to be possessed and used for personal advantage. In this thinking we fail to see that life consists not in our possessions but in our being possessed. We flaunt our high standard of living and say, “all belongs to us” but we don’t go further and ask the question, “To what do we belong?”

To allow God to have His purpose with us involves openness of mind and heart. This begins when we seriously ask ourselves, “what purpose is my life? To what do I give the highest allegiance of my soul and will?” The Apostle Paul testifies, “I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me”, Galatians 2:20.

REVELATION : RELATIONSHIP : AUTHORITY : AUTHENTICITY : IDENTIFICATION : POWER

Before he was John the Revelator, he was John the Beloved. Before he was caught up into Heaven on the Lord’s Day, he laid his head on the Lord’s breast.

John’s power was a result of the authority he received from the Christ. His revelation was a result of his relationship with the Christ. That authentic revelation was revealed through authentic power.

There is vulnerability in the Church today caused by a lack of authenticity. We have lost the element of surprise – that is, that unique manifestation of power demonstrated by the Christ - as we attempt to establish His Kingdom in the earth. This element of surprise comes from our authenticity; our authenticity comes from knowing our true identity; our true identity comes from truly knowing our Father. In essence, we must truly become Sons of God.

Sadly, there is very little authentic power evident in the Church today. There is more emphasis on the spectacular than the supernatural. There is more concern about how many people are sitting in the seats than there is about setting those same people free from the things that bind them. This is a product of insecure leaders who build churches full of co-dependent people. These co-dependent people, in turn, feed the insecure leaders. And the cycle continues.

In order to find our true identity in the Father, it must first begin with relationship. That relationship will lead to revelation, and the authority you receive and operate in will release power. The supernatural power demonstrated by those with authority will validate the authenticity of who they are and identify them rightly in the earth, as Sons of the Most High God.

The earth is waiting...

Desperately Seeking a Saviour

Psalm 24:6, "Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob."

There are a few characteristics that identify a person who is seeking after God.

A God seeker is willing to go after Jesus regardless of the cost. Throughout the Scriptures, we find people who were desperate for God and disregarded the comments and the scorn of the crowd. One such person is blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52. The people tried to shut him up, but the Bible records that he cried out even louder. It did not matter to him the price that had to be paid. He wanted a miracle.

A God Seeker will go after Jesus regardless of how painful the present circumstances may be. Perhaps you are like the woman with the issue of blood, described in Mark 5:25-34. Like her, you have exhausted all your resources. She was suffering-it is THE time to seek the Lord.

A God Seeker is willing, not only to go after Jesus, but also to obey His words. John 9:7 records the story of a blind man who came to Jesus for healing. Jesus instructed him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. He did, and received his sight. He had sought and found Jesus, but the had to follow His instructions.

A God Seeker maintains an open heart, always ready to embrace new revelation from the Lord. Read the account of Apollos as written in Acts 18:24-19:6. Apollos was learned, eloquent, and people were listening to him. Sometimes, that is a prescription for pride and arrogance, but not for Apollos. When confronted about receiving more from Jesus, he was hungry, not haughty. He was a God Seeker, not a Self-Seeker-therefore, he was open to receiving new revelation from the Lord.

A God Seeker is willing to pay the price when persecution comes. The blind man healed in John chapter nine passed one hurdle when he obeyed the Lord. But, the religious leaders of his day persecuted him and threw him out of the synagogue! The Bible teaches that everyone who lives a holy life will suffer persecution.

Friend, are you truly a God Seeker?

God's Blueprint for Redemption

Cecil B. Demille’s The Ten Commandments (1956) is one of the most successful movies ever made. At the time, it was a grand cinematic achievement. Its cinematography and special effects wowed the movie world. Everyone marveled, not only at the presentation, but also at the story itself. The story indeed isa grand one, as it recapitulates the storyline of the entire drama of redemption. The deliverance of the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt is an unforgettable story of God’s purposeful and powerful salvation of His people. The account of God redeeming Israel from Egypt foreshadowed the redemption to come in Christ. Just as God redeemed Israel from Egypt through the blood of the lambs on their doorposts, so all God’s people ultimately are redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Case in point is found in Ephesians 1:7: in Christ “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”

One of the major themes of redemption in the Bible is the idea of captivity. The idea is that someone is trapped, enslaved, kidnapped, or held captive, and thus a price must be paid or a sacrifice made in order to rescue him. When it comes to our redemption through Christ, we were in a situation similar to Israel. As Israel was enslaved in Egypt, we were enslaved to sin and death.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, they sold themselves and all their progeny into slavery — slavery to sin and death. From this captivity there is no escape by natural means. The power of sin is such that it has mastery over its subjects even to the point of death (1 Cor. 15:56). Those who admit to addictions understand this well. Yet, biblically speaking, we were all addicts at one time. Drugs, alcohol, sex, pornography, and food are controlling and addictive forces for sin. Yet they are not the only ones. Money, popularity, pride, gossip, ambition, and work can all become sinfully addictive and hold us captive to the destruction of our souls.

Thus, for our redemption it is important to see that the Bible portrays sin not just as an action, but also as a tyrannical master (Rom. 6:16). Jesus sa id in John 8:34: “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” Elsewhere, the Bible reminds us that all who are of the flesh are “sold under sin” (Rom. 7:14). Sin is a power that must be broken. It is a tyrant that must be defeated.

This is the condition that the entire world is in prior to faith in Christ. We come into the world held captive by sin. We live every day according to the edicts of our master and in accordance with our captivity. The human race is hopelessly and helplessly held captive in “nature’s dark n i g ht .” However, when faith in Christ is realized, our condition changes.

If you are a Christian today, you have been redeemed — you have been purchased, delivered, and rescued. The Bible says sin no longer has mastery over you (Rom. 6:12, 17–18). And just as Pharaoh ceased to hold power over the children of Israel after their deliverance, so sin no longer has power over you. The blood of Christ has delivered you from captivity to sin and death. People make much of so-called deliverance ministries, and some go so far as to call themselves “deliverance churches.” True deliverance, however, is found in the blood of Christ, in the knowledge that He has delivered and redeemed us from sin. Every true church is a deliverance church if it is preaching salvation and redemption through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Consequently, the Bible teaches us that we have been purchased with a price (1 Cor. 7:3) — the precious, priceless blood of Christ. Seeing that we have such a great redemption, the Bible says we are to glorify the One who has purchased us. This is the only appropriate response. Therefore, let us sing:

Redeemed — how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child, and forever, I am.

Do you long and look forward to the final redemption, when your humble estate will give way to the glorious revelation of our Redeemer at His second coming? Do you long for the day when your faith shall be sight and the clouds be rolled back as a scroll? Then Jesus says in Luke 21:28: “Look up! Your redemption draws near!” Who is our redemption? “There is a Redeemer, Jesus God’s own Son. Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One.”

For a more in depth look at the Blood Covenant, I have uploaded a teaching series on YouTube entitled: The Blood Covenant.  I highly recommend that you take a look at it.

5 Steps to Being a Better Christian

How do you become a better Christian? By not trying to be a better Christian. Why? Our trying to become better turns into striving, which is followed by dead works. No one can add anything to the righteousness received by faith. You cannot add to the Work of the Cross. The moment a person steps into works, he departs from grace and enters into self-righteousness. 

Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (KJV). Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (KJV). Hebrews 4:10 tells us, “For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His (KJV). What do these verses have in common? God does the work; we don’t. We cannot make ourselves better. The righteousness of Jesus is our righteousness, period. 

As soon as a person attempts to become better, he begins to make up his own standards of righteousness. He gets a picture in his mind what righteousness should look like, and then attempts to become what sees. That person soon develops a list of dos and don’ts; as well as shoulds and should nots. He proceeds to wear himself out trying to do what he cannot do, much like those who try to follow the Law of Moses. When failure comes, so does guilt, and God has nothing to do with any of it. 

As a person begins to do those “super spiritual things,” whatever they may be, pride tends to set in. The next thing that happens is he begins to pat himself on the back, congratulating himself on a job well done. He compares himself to others, and measures them by his standards. He judges them worthy or unworthy in his own mind. They cannot be Christians if they do not stack up. This is self-deception in action. In the mean time, he cannot figure out why he feels distant from God, and why no one wants to be around him. Forgetting the Scripture that plainly says, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise (2 Corinthians 10:12 (KJV). 

What are some keys to being a better Christian? 

1. Stop striving
2. Surrender
3. Be a follower of Jesus Christ
4. Be His disciple
5. Stop trying to be your own

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me (KJV). When we deny ourselves, we no longer insert our selves into the equation. We let Jesus define what it means to be His disciple for us. Put away the list of “Christian duties,” and let the Holy Spirit lead you day by day. It really boils down to believing Him and loving Him. Everything else will fall into place. Consider the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to the Galatians: O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham (Galatians 3:1-9).

Your New Identity

There is a conference this weekend called 'Manifest Identity' and it is important that we know and understand our identity in Christ as new creations. Identity may be defined as the distinctive characteristic belonging to any given individual, or shared by all members of a particular social category or group.

The Bible says this in Ephesians 1:3-14

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.


9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

The wonderful fact of your salvation is that you are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. That means all the good that is due to Him comes to you. Your old identity has been removed forever and it is a blessed release. Everything that speaks of your old life is gone. You are no longer lost, living in guilt, shame, blame or condemnation. Instead you are completely surrounded by God’s grace.

Remember, you are in Christ and blessed forever. You have nothing to fear from your old life because it has been removed forever. Now you must learn your new identity and enjoy the blessings that are yours in Christ.

The more you focus on who you are in Christ the more you will live according to that identity. Never think of yourself as anything other than being in Christ. That way you can begin to become in your daily life the new person that God has made you. Remember, you are different now, and you don’t have to do what you used to do. Today, remember who you are and what you have in Christ and let that thought guide you through the day.

A prayer for you today:

Lord, thank you that I am not that person I once was. Help me to see who I really am in Christ and help me to live out the fullness of that identity day by day with joy.

The Manifest Identity Conference begins this weekend with a BBQ at 3982 Borelli Drive, Windsor, Ontario at 6pm on Friday, July 25, 2014 and continues on Saturday and Sunday at St. James Anglican Church, Roseland at 4276 Roseland Drive, Windsor, Ontario. For more information, call (519) 800-4845 or visit our Facebook event site at https://www.facebook.com/events/668063173265106/