Demons and Spirits Flee At The Name of Jesus

Jesus Christ died for our sins, made us sons of God, and brought to nothing every power and principality that challenges and oppresses mankind.

Upon His resurrection, God the Father raised His Son to His right hand in infinite power:

"Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

"Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:" (Ephesians 1: 20-21)

While ministering on earth, Jesus cast out demons, who trembled at his very word:

When a Caananite woman sought Jesus' power for deliverance, He healed her daughter at His word:

"Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour." (Matthew 15: 28)

In one parable, He explained how demons will leave a host then return:

"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none." (Matthew 12: 43)

The only reason a demon will return is if no one else is there:

"Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished." (v. 44)

Yet for the believer, we have Christ in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1: 27), and we can trust that no demon can ever enter us or have dominion over us:

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4: 4)

And His Word has taken up residence in us:

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3: 16)

So, Beloved, do not worry about demons and other evil spirits, for they have been defeated. The prince of this world, Satan, has been judged (16: 11), and by Christ's death and resurrection, He has made an open display of these wicked forced:

"And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2: 15)

You are more than a conqueror in Christ (Romans 8: 37), and therefore the evil forces of this world tremble when they see you:

"As He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

Take Him at His Word

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 31-32)

We can take God at His Word because He gave His own Son for us. We cannot esteem anything greater than Jesus:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16)

The greater our revelation of Christ and Him Crucified (1 Corinthians 2: 2), that He is -- right now and forever more -- the Propitiation for all our sins (1 John 2: 2), that in Him we have received all the riches, rights, and rewards which come with being an heir of God and a joint-heir in Christ (Romans 8: 15-17), then the easier it will be take Him at His Word for the "more astonishing" promises:

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13: 5)

The reason why our life can be free of "covetousness" is that:

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4: 19)

If we face any challenge, let us rely on Jesus to get through it all:

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4: 13)

God has made His word certain because He has given us the Word (John 1: 1), His Son made flesh.

Therefore, we can trust God the Father for all that He has promised:

"That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us." (Hebrews 6: 18)

Take God the Father at His Word!

See The Gospel Everywhere

"For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." (Acts 17: 28)

Paul used the notions of the Ancient Greek poets to help explain the expansive love and presence of God the Father for His creation.

Some preachers advise their parishioners not to waste their time watching movies and pondering the implications of what they see.

Yet the Good News of Jesus Christ is appealing, and the superheroes of comic books, the lyrics of long songs, and the fairy tales with happy endings all give a shadow of the glory of Jesus Christ.

Everyone is looking for a Savior who will rescue them from their sins and set right all that has gone wrong in this world.

We are called to see Jesus in every part of Scripture:

"Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he [Jesus] expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24: 26-27)

We are to see God in all creation:

"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (Hebrews 11: 3)

In fact, all of creation depends upon the Godhead of Christ Jesus:

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

"And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence." (Colossians 1: 16-18)

No matter what your circumstances, no matter what you are reading or writing, if the words, the characters, and plots, the resolutions of stories, poems, and movies remind you of Christ and Him Crucified, rejoice and thank God for His Holy Spirit within you, who will remind you of Jesus Christ:

"He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." (John 16: 14)

The Holy Spirit will also remind you of everything that Jesus has taught you:

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14: 26)

Struggling? Inquire of the Lord

"And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD." (Genesis 25: 22)

Rebekah, the chosen wife of Isaac, did not conceive until twenty years after her marriage to Abraham's child of promise.

Yet unlike his father, still growing in faith, Isaac went right to God and asked for help:

"And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived." (Genesis 25: 21)

Because Isaac knew that he was a child of promise, he knew that he only had to ask God for something.

 We have a greater standing than Isaac:

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (John 1: 12)

In Christ, we can enter boldly before the throne of grace (Hebrews 4: 16), and we can be sure that God hears us:

"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

"And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." (1 John 5: 13-15)

Now, Rebekah felt the intense struggle within her womb. God explained why:

"Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. " (Genesis 25: 23)

The two sons are types of God's grace (Jacob) and God's law (Esau). In every believer, we have the Spirit of God who leads us (Galatians 5: 16), yet there exists in us the temptations to justify ourselves by our actions, the flesh:

"For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

"But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." (Romans 7: 5-6)

Whenever we struggle, it is a sign that we are trying to what God wants to do through us. We are called to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5: 7).

If you are struggling with anything, trust in your righteous standing before God as a child of God, and ask for wisdom. The Lord will guide you in what area of your life where He wants you to cease from your own efforts and rest in His grace!

Mindful of Faith -- Free of Sickness

"And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." (Luke 17: 19)

Jesus went about healing and doing good wherever He went (Acts 10: 38)

He moved in those who had faith in Him, for without faith, we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6)

In Chapter 17 of Luke's gospel, ten lepers cried out to Jesus:

"And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." (Luke 17: 13)

They sought healing for their bodies, these ten men who had been ostracized from their countrymen and their kindred, and they believed that Jesus would heal them.

In some cases, Jesus touched the sick, in other cases He just spoke the word of healing. After just looking at then ten lepers, he told them to go to the priests. They were healed along the way!

But only one came back, and the Holy Spirit prompted Luke to record why:

"And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

"And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

"There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger." (Luke 17: 16-18)

As a Samaritan and a stranger to the commonwealth of Israel, this man did not know the law, nor was he under duress to break from of the plague in order to be accepted among other people. He simply believed and received.

For his faith, Jesus made him whole (v. 19)

This miracle fulfilled the following prophecy in Isaiah:

"Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant" (Isaiah 56: 6)

The covenant of faith, declared in Habakkuk 2: 4, was the standard for Father Abraham, which makes man righteous before God. For the nine others who were healed, they were most likely conscious of the law, not of God's grace:

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." (Romans 3: 20)

and

"And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them." (Galatians 3: 12)

Those conscious of the law and its requirements will neutralize God's grace in their lives:

"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

"For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith." (Galatians 5: 4-5)

Be mindful of God's grace, and you will be free not only of all sickness, but by faith in Christ, no work of yourself, He will make you whole!

Remember What Your Beloved Has Done

"David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee." (1 Samuel 17: 37)

When the Philistine garrisons aligned themselves against the troops of Israel under disgraced and rejected King Saul (1 Samuel 15: 26), they were afraid, filled with reproach because of the exiled champion Goliath. The giant of the enemies of Israel, clothed in brass (which speaks of judgment), taunted the armies of the living God for forty days and nights.

Beloved David, a picture of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, arrived to supply his older brothers. When he heard the reproaches of Goliath, David replied:

"What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17: 26)

David was not only thinking victory, but also thinking of the reward that lay in store for the man who would defeat the defiant giant. Despite the shame which his brothers heaped upon him, David continued demanding what would happen to the man who took down Goliath. The scripture writes:

"And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him." (1 Samuel 17: 31)

When you face a trial, rehearse to yourself the words of your Beloved savior Jesus Christ, in whom you are fully accepted before the Father (Ephesians 1: 6).

When David finally confronted Saul, he pledged to take down the Philistine. When the timid king of Israel questioned the ruddy youth of Bethlehem, David rehearsed all that the Lord had done for him. Whether facing a bear or a lion, David knew and believed in the love-covenant that he had with the Lord God, and therefore he knew that he would take down the Giant Goliath.

We today have a better token of God's love and favor, the surety that God is for us: Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2: 2):

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 31-32)

Look to the Cross, to the Finished Work of Jesus Christ, where every sin, every shame, every wickedness in you has been punished and put away for ever. In Christ's death and resurrection, behold God's love for you:

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)

See this love perfected in you, whom God sees as His own Beloved Son:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world."

Know and believe in His perfect love, and watch every fear dispelled from your life:

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear." (1 John 4: 18)

Remember what your heavenly Beloved has done for you, and you will be more than a conqueror (Romans 8: 37) no matter what trials you may face!

Jesus is More than Merciful -- He is Our Mercy Seat

In Luke 18, Jesus shared a parable about a Pharisee and a Publican praying in the temple. (Luke 18: 9-14)

The Pharisee thanked God that he was better than other men, that he tithed a tenth of everything, that he did not steal, that he was better than the Publican praying off the side.

Man cannot be justified for his law-keeping, no matter how exact or rigorous:

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." (Romans 3: 20)

and

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." (Galatians 2: 16)

The Publican, on the other hand, would not even look to heaven, but beat his chest, crying out, "Have mercy on me, a sinner."

Most people think that the Publican was "justified" because he pleaded and cried, because he gave a performance of contrition. On the country, the Publican was justified because he recognized that a sacrifice has been made on his behalf, taking his judgment for him.

Luke 18:13 reads:

"And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner."

Here, "be merciful" renders the original verb "hilaskomai": to be propitious, make propitiation.

"Propitiation" literally means "mercy seat", the element of the Ark of the Covenant where the high priest would sprinkle blood to atone for the sins of the people (Exodus 25: 17-22)

Jesus is now our mercy seat, now and forever:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

"To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." (Romans 3: 23-26)

The Publican's cry was not just for mercy, but for grace based on the propitiation for his sins. He sought a mediator (, one who would cancel, forgive his sins, which Jesus Christ died when dying on the Cross. In no way does the Publican's display of pity, piety, or remorse qualify him for justification. Rather, the Publican asked that God would make a way for him to be forgiven.


So, beloved, today you must understand that you are not forgiven for your sins because you are sorry for what they have done, but only because you have believed on the Finished Work of Jesus Christ:

"And he is the propitiation (lit. hilasmos,mercy seat) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

Because God has taken out His righteous wrath for our sins on our sins, John can write:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1: 9)

And you can trust in the same: Jesus' propitiation for our sin cleanses you!

Jesus -- Forever Manna, Righteous and Right Now

In yesterday's post, Jesus was presented as the Bread of Life (John 6: 51).

He grants us life by giving us Himself, and with Him, through His Holy Spirit, we receive His infinite Kingdom:

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14: 17)

Jesus is our righteousness:

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)

Jesus is our peace:

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;" (Ephesians 2: 14)

Jesus is our joy:

"Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10: 20)

The first element of the Kingdom of Heaven, righteousness, is a gift which we are called to receive actively:

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 17)

This gift we receive throughout our day, we take in as we claim that we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5: 21)

Because His Word is also our bread (Matthew 4: 4), every time that we meditate on God' Word, taking in His promises wherever we are, we can feed on Him, the Living Word (John 1: 1).

Because we are righteous in Christ, because His Kingdom reigns evermore in us to the degree that we feed on His Word, we can therefore feed on the forever Manna of Jesus Christ right now and throughout the day, not just daily!

Jesus -- Forever Manna

While wandering in the desert, the Israelites depended on bread from heaven one day at a time:

"And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan." (Exodus 16: 35)

God gave them strict instructions on collecting the manna:

"This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.

"And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.

"And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

"And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning." (Exodus 16: 16-19)

Now, the Israelites were commanded to collect just enough for one day. Some preachers have taught that just like the children of the Old Covenant, we should depend on manna, God's Word, one day at a time, for we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord (Matthew 4: 4)

However, Jesus offers something greater:

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (John 6: 51)

No doubt, we meditate on God's Word, we read scripture to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3: 18), that we may be transformed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3: 18).

Yet we have Christ, the Bread of Life, now living in us!

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which 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)

and

"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" (Colossians 1: 27)

We do not have to depend piecemeal on receiving daily bread, for in every believer, Jesus the Bread of Life lives within us. Receive this revelation, and put no limits on His provision in your life!

Don't be Afraid to Walk in the Light

Many preachers on TV exhort their viewers to "come into the light" of God's grace.

According to the preachers on the TV, the one thing that holds people back is that people will see their sins -- will see their sinful state in full.

To combat this understandable and terrifying reticence on behalf many, teachers of God's Word will tell people that God will accept them just as they are.

Yet even I did not find that comforting. No matter how accepting God may be, I did not want Him to see my sins. No matter how forgiving He may be, I did not want my sins, my dark secrets, my great fears exposed for all to see.

As an example of how humbling the goodness of God can be to someone (Romans 2: 4), Peter had only this to say after he took up a net-breaking boat load of fishes upon Jesus' command:

"'Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.'"

"For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:" (Luke 5: 8-9)

Peter did not just confess individual sins. He confessed that he was a "sinful man", bad to the bone, rotten to the core. Yet instead of leaving him, Jesus welcomed Peter into His ministry:

"And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." (Luke 5:10)

Jesus told Peter not to be afraid, He accepted Peter as he was.

Still, I am was not comforted. Walking in the light with Christ is a serious business, I thought, and I did not want to mess that up.

Most people who exhort non-believers to come to the light are referring to a passage in 1 John:

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)

Here, the teachers on TV neglect a crucial element. The light which John refers to is Jesus Christ:

"In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

"And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:4-5)

and

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)

Jesus is not the light that exposes our sins, nor is there condemnation to fear in is warm gaze:

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:17)

and

"Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

"While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light." (John 12: 35-36)

Not only does Jesus invite us into Him, the light of the world, but He asks to believe on Him, that we may be light with him!

So -- Don't be afraid to walk in the light, for in the light the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses you of all sin, every kind, now and forever, transforming you into the righteousness of God in Christ! (cf 2 Corinthians 5:21)

God is There -- To Be Your Savior

In the Old Testament, the ministries of Elijah and Elisha serve as a stark, contrasting type of the Old and New Covenants.

Elijah ("God is"), the Tishbite came from Tesheb, a city in Naphtali, which means "struggle" in Hebrew. Elisha (God saves) Elijah's successor came from Abel-Meholah (Dance in the meadows), a city in Issachar, which means "reward" in Hebrew.

How do you see God the Father in your life? Is He a powerful God who just is, or do you see God as Savior? The writer of Hebrews clearly stated that faith means incorporating God in both was:

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11: 6)

Elijah is a picture of the Law, a man who boasted in his own efforts, slaying the prophets of Baal and ushering in a sacrifice in which the Lord God was glorified (1 Kings 18), yet at the first sign of trouble, threatened with death by the evil queen Jezebel, Elijah fled for his life, only to collapse under a tree and beg God to end his life (1 Kings 19: 4)

Right away, God supplied him for a forty day journey to Mount Horeb, the same mountain range where the Israelites received the Ten Commandments. There, Elijah declares:

"And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." (1 Kings 19: 10)

Elijah, who knew and believed that God is, still prided himself on his own efforts, claiming that he was the only one fighting for God. Yet the Lord corrected him:

"Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him." (1 Kings 19: 18)

God then commissioned Elijah to anoint two kings and his successor Elisha, but the first prophet only anointed Elisha before his departure by fiery chariot into heaven (2 Kings 2: 10)

Elisha, a type of our Lord and Savior and all who trust in Him, received a double portion of God's Holy Spirit (2 Kings 9, 12). He divided the River Jordan with the mantle of his predecessor (2 Kings 2: 14). He healed filthy water with a cruse of salt (2 Kings 2: 19-22). With one curse, Elisha summoned two she-bears to wipe out a horde of mocking children who despised his standing (2 Kings 2: 23-25)

Beloved, when you see the Lord not just as being there, but being there for you as your Savior, you will walk in the fullness of His spirit, going about and going good wherever you go and walking in victory over every enemy (Acts 10: 38; Romans 8: 37)

God is there, to be your Savior. Trust in Him, and overcome in all things!

Just Keep Receiving His Kingdom

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6: 33)

When I first pondered this powerful verse, I was convinced that the Kingdom of Heaven was a realm that I had to search for. Of course, the word "search" in this translation renders the Greek word "zeteo" which also means "desire" or "inquire" as in "ask for" the Kingdom of Heaven.

This reading makes more sense within the harmony of Scripture, for Jesus said in another gospel:

"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" ("Luke 11: 13)

and

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12: 32)

and

"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17: 21) 

So, Jesus comforts us in relating time and again that the Kingdom of Heaven is something that we receive!

Paul, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, presents the complete definition of the Kingdom, realized by the Finished Work of Jesus Christ:

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14: 17)

Righteousness is the first and crucial element in the presence of the Kingdom in our lives, because without a perfectly clean, sinless, and right standing before God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5: 21), the Holy Spirit could not reside in us.

Righteousness is a gift which we receive as a result of faith in God's grace (Ephesians 2; 4, 8-10):

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 17)

In this verse, "Receive" is in the present, active participle, meaning that a more proper translation would read "they who are receiving".

God wants us to grow in grace and knowledge of Him (2 Peter 3: 18), to receive in life as often as we can, by faith, this gift of righteousness, a blessed treasure which permits the Holy Spirit to live in us, grant us His fruit, and lead us according to God's will (Galatians 5: 16; Philippians 2; 12-13)

Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven is not a place far away from us which we strive to find, but a gift that we keep receiving!

Keep receiving this gift of God's reign, love, and life!

Number One Antidote to Fear: Redemption and Identity in Christ

During a very trying time of life, when I had quit one terrible job while in search of what to do next, I distinctly heard in my spirit, "I gave Egypt for thy ransom."

I found this verse later on, one which moved me to tears then, as it does still to this day:

"But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine." (Isaiah 43: 1)

The results from this wonderful promise are unfolded for the believer in the New Testament:

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

"And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

"For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. "(Hebrews 8: 10-12)

The essential element of this new covenant is that God remembers our sins no more, for they have all be righteously judged in His Son Jesus at the Cross. In effect, we have been redeemed, and now we are His.

The Lord places no qualifications on the types of fear, for they are all blasted away with "I have redeemed thee." For the believer, it is a done deal. This redemption reveals the great love of God for us:

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5: 8)

and

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)

What does this love mean for us, besides the fact that all our sins are forgiven?

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

This love has been perfected in us! What's the result. Look at the next verse:

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4: 18)

In His perfect love, we receive redemption from all of our sins and a new identity, one based in Christ, God's beloved Son.

So, by His name, we become sons of God (John 1: 12), and therefore when God says "I have called thee by name", He is refering to the Name that we now bear: Jesus Christ, His Beloved Son!

Renew your mind to this truth, and every fear will be cast out of your life!

He Has Paid for Every Fear

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4: 18)

Let us establish at the outset: fear is sin:

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelation 21: 8)

Imagine such a fate for the world. Fear, I am certain, is one of the greatest problems plaguing mankind. Yet the believer has nothing to fear. Here's why:

We have a sure and certain source of love: God Himself:

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)

and

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." (1 John 4: 16)

Now this love is perfected in us, transforming us into children of God, like His very Son! (1 John 4: 17)

Yet believers will be tempted to fear. In come cases, we may give in to fearful imaginations. Does that mean, then, that God comes and goes in our lives depending on whether we sense fear of confidence? Not at all!:

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1: 7)

Behold, indeed, what manner of Love God the Father has given to everyone who believes on His Son (1 John 3: 1) Every fear is paid for through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 John 2: 2).

Nothing can separate us from God the Father, not even our fear! (Romans 8: 38-39)

Fear not, even if you do fear, for God has paid for every fear, for the Blood of His Son continues cleansing us from all sin!

You Are No Prodigal! (So Stop Spending Yourself!)

"And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

"I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee," (Luke 15: 17-18)

When the Prodigal Son "came to himself," when he remembered who he is, he set out to return to his father.

He must have assumed that his Father was a compassionate man, one who would tolerate his son's return and permit him to serve as a servant. Under Old Testament law, all rebellious children would be stoned to death for their impudence (Deuteronomy 12: 18-21).

Beloved, at times in our life we may feel that we have strayed far from God. Yet for us, we have a certain standing better than even the Prodigal Son:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

Not only can we claim by faith that we are like Jesus, having received our righteous standing in Him (2 Corinthians 5: 21) and the adoption of sonship through Him (Romans 8: 15; Ephesians 1: 5), but we can even face the most severe of trials, whether of our own making or a matter of circumstance:

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4: 16)

We do not have to struggle to spend ourselves to the bitter end, either, as we have already received an inexhaustible supply in Christ:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" (Ephesians 1: 3)

If you feel lost, desolate, just remember who you are, and come boldly to your Father God, who has sworn that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13: 5)

The Blood of Jesus Protects You from Fiery Darts

"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." (Ephesians 6: 16)

These darts represent the accusations of the enemy, who seeks to cripple or frustrate the grace and ministry of every believer. Peter indicted wicked people, too, who speak ill of dignities, which include you and me, royal priests in God's kingdom (1 Peter 2: 9):

"Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord." (2 Peter 2: 11)

God as our shield (Genesis 15: 1), however, does more than block the fiery darts, but in fact "quenches" them, puts them out entirely. How does this occur? Through the blood of His Son, shed for us. We read the type of God's Son, whose blood is shed for us, in the first Passover:

"And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt." (Exodus 12: 13)

When Jesus was set to be crucified, the people who called for His death inadvertently signaled what His blood would do for them:

"Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children." (Matthew 27: 25)

His blood indeed has cleansed us from all sin:

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood" (Revelation 1: 5)

In fact, His blood is still covering us, still cleansing us:

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1: 7)

This blood that cleanses you now from all sin also keeps you clear and free from the fiery attacks of the enemy, quenching any accusations, true or false, and even sending away the recrimination for entertaining such doubts and shame over our sins!

Beloved, believe in the Power of Jesus' blood, which covers you evermore and quenches the fiery darts of accusation of the Enemy!

A New Heart, Forgiven, and Forgiving

"So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." (Matthew 18: 35)

 Jesus gave the parable of the unmerciful steward before He died on the Cross, where as God in the form of a man still under law, He was bringing the Law back to its ultimate standard, one which no one could ever fulfiill. First of all, Jesus says that we must forgive everyone "from the heart", yet man before he is saved, man has only a wicked heart:

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17: 9)

Yet God promised to His people then, and to the world now, that He would give us a new heart:

"And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:" (Ezekiel 11: 19)

We receive this Spirit by faith in the Finished Work of Jesus Christ, who then writes in our hearts and mind God's laws of life and liberty:

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

"And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

"For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 8: 10-12)

Now, we are called to forgive others because we have been forgiven, not in order to be forgiven:

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4: 32)

and

"Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." (Colossians 3: 13)

Because we have received full of the Good News, let us renew our minds to the truth of eternal redemption in Christ, and thus as full forgiven in Christ, we can forgive others!

You are a Forgiven King, not an Unforgiving Prisoners

Jesus taught on how the measure of forgiveness that we receive will then enable or hinder us to forgive others:

"Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little." (Lluke 7: 47)

Of course, in the parable of this unmerciful steward (Matthew 18), the unforgiving steward did not get away with anything:

"So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

"Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

"Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

"And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

"So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." (Matthew 18: 31-35)

to the extent that we do not feel forgiven of all our sins, to that extent that will not forgive others for their trespasses against us. The result will be prison for us as much as prison for those whom we have maintained in bondage, for notice how in the parable the king did not release the second servant from bondage, but put the first servant into bondage.

So, believers, if you choose not to forgive others, it is because you have not yet received the full manifestation of God's forgiveness for you. Paul announced at the outset the immense riches we have received because of God's grace:

"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" (Ephesians 1: 6-7)

This redemption which we have received, we receive according to God's riches, not merely out of his immeasurable storehouse. We are inheritors of great wealth because we have been born again:

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8: 15-17)

We are inheritors of an immense kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven, in which we reign in life as kings. Even Paul pointed out the same to the Corinthians:

"Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you." (1 Corinthians 4: 8)

If you struggle with forgiving others, it is because you do not know or believe the immense riches, --- starting with forgiveness of all your sins past, present, and future -- which have been bestowed upon you as a child of God. Know and believe this grand wealth accorded to you, and you will grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3: 18).

Beloved, you do not have to live like a prisoner of unforgiveness. Forgive, because you have been made a king in Christ! 

Perfect Love Perfected in Us

John explained the cycle of love which we understand in greater measure through faith:

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)

That is love: more than feeling, not an action which we initiate in our own strength, not a set of ideas, a code of conduct, or a set of happy peppy positive-thinking affirmations. Love is Jesus, the Beloved Son of God, dying on the Cross to take away our sins and give us His life.

How is this loved perfected in us? John explains"

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

To the degree that we understand that God's love, through the death and resurrection of His Son, has not only paid for our sins, but has also presented us with Himself, our Eternal Life (John 3: 16; John 14: 6), then we realize also by faith that we receive Jesus' standing and blessings also in this world!

When we see how God's love has transformed us from prisoners of sin and death to prisoners of hope and righteousness -- including the inexhaustible supply for all our needs, we find that we have nothing to fear
:
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1John 4: 18)

John then reminds us the source of this perfect love:

"We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4: 19)

In the original, "him" is not written there. We love God, ourselves, and everyone else because He first loved us, at the Cross!

Paul prayed that the Ephesians would also understand this enhancing and every-enriching love:

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints." (Ephesians 1: 17-18)

We are called to reign in life through God's grace, which we receive by faith in His love,

We Won't Forgive if We Don't Feel Forgiven

Consider what happened to the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18: 23-28. He sought more time to pay off an impossible debt. The indebted king released him from the debt out of compassion.
Unfortunately, this servant still believed that he could pay off the debt, and even when the kind had compassion on him and loosed him from his debt. He then right away hit up another servant, one who owed him practically nothing compared to the debt from which the king had looosed him:

"But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

"And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

"And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt." (Matthew 18: 28-30)

The second servant begged for the same mercy in the same exact manner as the first servant, yet the first servant, still conscious of paying a debt, felt justified in putting the second servant into prison.


If we choose not to forgive, we make ourselves prisoners who frustrate the grace of God in our lives (Galatians 2: 21; 5: 4), because we are convinced that we must work and strive for what we need.

God demonstrated forever forgiveness of us forevermore through His Son's death at the Cross. We have received forever forgiveness for all our sins, where God more than paid our debt, according us also His infinite riches (Ephesians 1: 3). Since we have been so blessed, since we now reign in life as kingly priests, let us behave as becomes kings in the Kingdom of Heaven, let us forgive everyone who has wronged us, knowing that we have been more than cleared and compensated for our sins.

 The more that we understand our royal standing before God, the more that we rejoiced in His restoration and promotion through the blood of His Son, and therefore we can easily forgive others!

Forgive, Because that's What Kings in Christ Do!

Now, what is the most important thing that we as kings can do in the kingdom of heaven? Forgive!
Let us look at Matthew 18 for clarity on this truth:

"Therefore is the Kingdom of Heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

"And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. " (Matthew 18: 23-24)

We are members of the Kingdom of Heaven through the Holy Spirit, and we are kings by virtue of Christ living in us. Now, what did this king do when confronted with a servant who owed him a debt beyond his capacity to pay?:

"But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

"The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

"Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt." (Matthew 18: 25-27)

This is what we are called to do and to be in the Kingdom of heaven, believers! Because God has forgiven our sin debt in full, once and for all:

"But this man [Jesus, our King and Priest], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;" (Hebrews 10: 12)

When we receive the growing revelation of all that God has done for us, that we have received in this life through the forgiveness of our sins, we reign as kings and deign to forgive all sins, all wrongdoings perpetrated against us.

Forgive, Beloved -- Because that is what blood-bought and grace-enriched kings in Christ do!

In Christ, You are a King and a Priest

Every believer in the Body of Christ has been made a king and priest by the King of Kings and our once and for all High Priest:

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:" (1 Peter 2: 9)

We are kings in Christ's kingdom, members of His heavenly realm. Jesus instructs everyone of His followers to establish their membership in His Kingdom above all else:

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6: 33)

For those in Christ, this Kingdom has been given to us:

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12: 32)

What is the evidence of the Kingdom of Heaven in our lives. Paul explains:

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14: 17)

The Holy Ghost brings the Kingdom of Heaven into our lives!

The first element is righteousness, which we receive as a gift:

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 17)

Jesus' death took away our sins (1 John 4: 10), which permits Him to live in us, our hope of glory (Colossians 1: 27)

As Christ is King and Priest, so are we in this world (1 John 4: 17).

Now, the Holy Spirit reveals to us not only that we are righteous (John 19: 6-10), in fact, we have the same righteousness as Jesus Christ Himself:

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)

Because of this gift of righteousness, we reign in life as kings, and Jesus is our King, the King of Kings!

Patience through Trials Makes His Faith Manifest in Us!

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

"Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

"But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. " (James 1:2-4)

The faith that we are called to live by, however, is not even our faith, but Jesus' faith in us!:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which 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)

The real challenge for us, Beloved, is that we still attempt in our own efforts to achieve when God wants us to rely on Him for, that through His Son we may believe and receive:

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 31-32)

Jesus faced a direct plea from one who wanted to believe:

"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

"And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." (Mark 9: 23-24)

Literally, Jesus was asking the distraught father to believe that all things are possible to him who is believing, which is Jesus! The Father literallly responded be helping my unbelief.

To the extent that we struggle to believe, God asks for us to be patient, to wait upon Him, and the faith of His Son will enter in and manifest power and provision wherever you may be lacking!

When you face a trial, do not despair if your faith is weak, or feels feeble. Have faith in God (John 14: 1), and believe that His belief will make up for any lack in your life!

Hear the Sounds of Redemption, No Matter What You Do!

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

"Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps." (Numbers 10: 1-2)

In the Bible, silver speaks of redemption.

"And thou shalt give the money (lit. silver), wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons." (Numbers 3: 48)

and

"And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money (lit. silver) of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs." (Numbers 18: 16)


Two types of trumpets are mentioned in the Bible. The shophar indicates judgment:

"And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. "

then

"And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice." (Exodus 19: 16, 19)

In Numbers 10, "trumpets"
refers to chatsotsrah חֲצֹצְרָה
whose sounds speak of redemption and support:

"And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

"Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God." (Numbers 10: 9-10)

Beloved, whether marching into a conflict or rejoicing over any success in your life, God wants you to always hear the message within you that your sins are forgiven, that you have received redemption from all your sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. God the Father also outlined to the Israelites that He is "the Lord" their God. God wants us also to remember that through Christ, He has made a convenant with us, that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13: 5), that in Christ we cann do all things (Philippians 4: 13) and all of our needs are met (Philippians 4: 19)

Whatever trial you are facing, whether you face lack or frustration, whether you are moving into uncertain or even hostile terrain, meditate on the truth that in Christ, all your sins have been forgiven, and through Christ you will be saved in all troubles!

God's Word Refines Us and Prepares us To Receive His Promises

"He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

"Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

"Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.

"The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.

"He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:

"To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom." (Psalm 105: 17-22)

Psalm 105 outlines perfectly how God used the trials of Joseph not just to try his faith, not just to prosper this favored son of Jacob, but to save many ( Genesis 45: 7; 50: 20)

Psalm 105:19 is very revealing. Another translation provides the following insight:

"Till the time of the coming of His word The saying of Jehovah hath tried him." (Young's Literal Translation)

"The saying of Jehovah" refers to the dreams that Joseph had received as a young boy. We have greater promises through Christ:

"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1: 4)

These promises are fulfilled in Christ:

"For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." (2 Corinthians 1: 20)
Now, for us the Jesus Christ is the Word (John 1: 1), and He is with us, speaking to us through His Holy Spirit (John 14: 18). "The Word of the Lord tried (literally "refined") him," suggests that through all of his trials, Joseph was ministered to and made perfect by the Word of God.

His Word is spirit and truth (John 6: 63), and by His Word, we are made free (John 8: 32).

By the Spirit of God, through His Word, we are transformed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3: 18), refined to be more like Him..

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8: 29)

God's Word promises great things to us and we are refined by God's Word to receive these promises!

Be Forgetful to Be Fruitful

"And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.

"And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.

"And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." (Genesis 41: 50-52)

In yesterday's post, the Finished Work of Christ, who washes away our sins, forgotten forever by God the Father (Hebrews 8: 10-12), and thus we receive His Holy Spirit to be fruitful in all that we do (John 15: 4-5; Galatians 5: 22-23)

Scripture yields unending treasure, both old and new for the believer to receive and release in his life (Matthew 13: 52), and the blessings of Joseph's two sons are no exception.

God blessed Joseph with power (Genesis 41: 40), prestige (Genesis 41: 46-47)   and great provision (Genesis 41: 48-49).  

Now, the goodness of God leads to repentance (Romans 2: 4), and indeed through Christ we receive forgiveness of all our sins and great restoration for all that we have lost, plus much more (Romans 8: 31-32).

Yet we must grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord in order to be fruitful (2 Peter 3: 18). God wants us to prosper in our souls before we prosper in every other way (3 John 2), and this prosperity we enjoy to the degree that we know that we are forgiven, and therefore do we forgive others.

If we struggle with  unforgiveness, we frustrate the grace of God in our lives (Galatians 2: 21; 5: 4) because we do not believe that we are fully forgiven. Joseph was not bitter, but God has caused him to forget all that he had suffered. Just as Joseph left behind his former identity, so we must believe and receive that now we are Sons of God through Christ (John 1: 12; 1 John 3: 1; 4: 17)

When we both know and believe who we are in Christ, we can then abide in Him without struggle or frustration, and we are able to abound, even when we sin (Romans 5: 20)

If you find that you are not fruitful in your knowledge of Christ, meditate on the forgiveness of sins which you have received from Him, which in turn will empower you to forgive and forget all the pain and shame that you have suffered from others. Then you will be doubly fruitful, blessed and a blessing to others, all giving glory to God the Father and our Lord Jesus!

In Christ, We Forget the Bad and Abound in Good

"And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.

"And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.

"And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." (Genesis 41: 50-52)

Beloved Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, endured one privation and trial after another, it seemed. From jealous brothers who sold him into slavery, to a lecherous wife who betrayed him with false accusations, to a restored butler who had forgotten Joseph's kindness for interpreting his dreams, Joseph never seemed to get a break.

Yet he was never bitter, because the Lord was with him (Genesis 39: 2), and certainly he believed in the Lord and His promises to the young man, in which he foresaw that his parents and his brothers would bow down to him one day (Genesis 37: 5-8)

When in the fullness of time, when Pharaoh summoned Joseph upon the sudden remembrance of the restored butler, the well-favored son of Jacob interpreted the troubled Egypt ruler's dreams and was promoted within the hour from his prison to to the palace.

During the seven years of plenty, he had two sons, both serving as types and shadows of Christ's Finished Work at the Cross.

First, God causes us to forget all our sin, pain, and hardship through the blood of His, which speaks better things than the blood of bulls, goats, and Abel, the first murder victim (Hebrews 10: 4; 12: 24)

Then God grants us His Holy Spirit (Luke 12: 32; Acts 2: 33), through whom we receive sonship in Christ (1 John 3: 1), and therefore we can ask for whatever we need in His name (John 14: 13; 16: 26).

In Christ, we receive remission of all our sins -- past, present, future (Acts 2: 38); then He causes us to be fruitful in Him (John 15: 4-5).

Let God cleanse you of all past sorrows and sins, and let Him live in you and be fruitful!

"All That He Commands" . . .He Has Done!

"And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD." (Exodus 19: 8)

Of course, this outrageous was swiftly deflated and punished, as the Israelites grew tired of waiting for Moses to return, and thus they created a Golden Calf to worship (Exodus 32)

In fact, the Law, from the Ten Commandments written on stone to the ceremonial law outlined in parchment, was never intended to make man holy:

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." (Romans 3: 20)

and

"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." (Galatians 3: 10)

Then what was the law for? Paul explains:

"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." (Romans 3: 19)

and

"But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

"But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." (Galatians 3: 23-25)

What did the law teach us? That we could never measure up to God's righteousness by our own efforts, that we would not doubt for an instant that we could work our way to holiness based on our own merits, that we could receive:

"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1: 17)

In fact, the law has been fulfilled in Christ:

"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." (Luke 24: 44)


All that God has commanded, has been fulfilled in Christ, and His righteousness has been imparted to all who believe on Him:

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

"That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8: 2-4)

All that God commanded His people at Mount Sinai, Christ has fulfilled for us at the Cross!

He Believes in Us -- We Achieve Through Him

Now, some may contend about grace and God's faith living in us, "If all I have to do is receive, then why not just sit around and do nothing?

The answer:

"For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will." (John 5:21)

and

"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)

The Holy Spirit not only quickens every believer from death into life, but this life, which is Christ Himself (cf John 14:6) then works in us and leads us to do all things as He wills:

Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the Wilderness (cf Matthew 4 and Luke 4)

Also, Paul points out that the Holy Spirit acts as our guide, leading us:

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8:14)

and

"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." (Galatians 5:18)

We obey God because we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and lead us. As we live in the righteousness, peace, and joy of the Kingdom of Heaven, we discover that we are obedient without even trying!

Well did David write:

"He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." (Psalm 23:3)

What then is our job? To believe, which is to affirm in ourselves by His word that God is carrying out His will in us (cf John 6:29).

And remember, He believes in you, both really and literally, for Paul write to the Philippians:

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13).

So as we grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord, we believe in Him more, and He achieves more through us, or we achieve because of Him!

His Faith Indicates that We Have Always Needed Him

Faith is also finding that we could never be or have or do with Christ Jesus:

"That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

"For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." (Acts 17: 27-28)

Our "Seeking" the Lord is in fact a matter of our realizing that we cannot, never have, lived without Him, and that we need only receive by faith that He is in us through the gracious work of His Son at the Cross, and let Him abide in us. This is why Jesus could say even to the wicked, self-righteous Pharisees:

"The Kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21)

So, we are not saved by our "doing" so to speak, but by our "believing", in that we come to God with our inexpressible, infinite sin debt (cf Matthew 18), to receive his saving grace, which we acknowledge by faith as having received.

Therefore, by abiding (literally, "remaining") in Jesus Christ, He is able yo bear much fruit. Without Him, we can do nothing, not one thing, not even believe! (cf John 15:5)

So, we can boldly say that not only does God believe in us, believing that we can do all things (Philippians 4:13), but He literally believes in -- within! -- us, for by His faith, through the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we come to faith and walk in obedience.

He Believes in You -- Really and Literally

Many believers boast of their faith in God.

What they do not understand, and therefore have the propensity to fall, is that the faith that leads them to receive the grace of God through Jesus Christ, is not even their faith!

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8)

"The gift of God mentioned here is the "faith" by which receive God's saving grace. We do not earn, deserve it, or even adopt a posture to merit it. God's grace is freely given, and all we "do" is receive it!

This faith is not our faith, not in the slightest:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which 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)

Many believers may read over a very important element in this passage. Paul clearly states that he lives buy the faith "of the Son of God", not "in the Son of God". Christ's faith is evident and manifested in us, which we affirm by our right believing.

Need more evidence? Consider the fruits of the Spirit listed by Paul to the Galatians:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22)

"Faith" is a fruit of the Spirit of God, something that He causes to bear in us, not something which we force out on our own.

Praise God that Jesus also underscored His complete, unaltered, and unalterable role in our lives:

"Ye in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:4-5)

We abide in Him by faith. All who believe are in Christ Jesus have received His faith.