YOU CANNOT IMAGINE
HOW FREEING IT IS
TO IMPERSONALIZE
YOUR (UGH!!) FEELINGS
ABOUT CERTAIN PEOPLE !!
YOU’VE WANTED TO BE ABLE
TO GLEAN THE BENEFITS
OF FORGIVING THEM,
BUT JUST CAN’T ?
IF YOU COULD SEE
WHO THE R-E-A-L ENEMY IS,
YOU’D BE SOOO RELIEVED !!
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places . Ephesians 6:12 KJV
I often ask myself what I would do if I were in Joel’s Osteen’s shoes. I don’t know how in the world he manages to take care of all the differing interests of his congregation.
If people would just open their eyes, they would see that his role should be and is that of “presenter” – presenting the gospel to the world; but he takes his role one step further, arranging smaller classes and groups to learn more, ask questions and raise issues with people trained in their topics of interest. After all, if Joel were to teach deeply on some special interest, most of the people wouldn’t be able to follow.
Week after week Joel Osteen reaches out to people all over the world. But I especially admire him for occasionally turning over the entire spotlight to his wife, Victoria, (who brilliantly represents the interests of over 50% of the congregation).
The bottom line, I believe, of the reason behind all the criticism and abuse leveled against this remarkable pastor can be summed up in one word: jealousy. Jealousy is a killer and will take down anyone in its tracks. Let’s deprive this impersonal enemy of even a pretense of credibility.
I . M . M . E . D . I . A . C . Y
WOULDN’T YOU LIKE TO APPLY BIBLE VERSES AND PROMISES TO TAKE PLACE HERE AND NOW IN YOUR LIFE ACCORDING TO JESUS’ OWN WORDS “IT IS FINISHED”? . OPEN YOUR BIBLE – FOR EXAMPLE – TO EPHESIANS 1:1 AND START READING. REMEMBER, GOD’S PART IS DONE. WE WANT TO ACCESS HIS FINISHED WORK. AFTER ALL, HE’S LIVING ON THE INSIDE OF US, RIGHT? WHEN DID YOU WANT TO RECEIVE YOUR ANSWERS? A WEEK FROM NEXT MONDAY? THEN CLOSE YOUR BIBLE AND WAIT TILL THEN !! [SORRY, I DIGRESSED.] BACK TO EPHESIANS – DOWN TO 17:
Ephesians 1:17-23 KJV
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: [18] 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, [19] And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, [20] Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places , [21] 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: [22] And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, [23] Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. ALL THAT POWER AND STRENGTH AND WISDOM AND LOVE IS MINE N-O-W LIVING ON THE INSIDE OF ME. MY POWER FAR EXCEEDS ALL PRINCIPALITIES AND RULERS OF DARKNESS. I AM HEALED RIGHT NOW. GOD IS THERE INSTEAD OF THE (YOU NAME IT – IT’S GONE !! ) . GET UP, SHAKE OFF THE HYPNOTIC HOLD THAT HELL HAD OVER YOU. IT’S GONE. KEEP READING. KEEP APPLYING. NOT FOR SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE – EVEN TEN MINUTES FROM NOW. GOD’S BLESSINGS ARE NOT ON THEIR WAY – THEY’RE HERE NOW WITHIN YOU !!!! . DON’T GO BACK TO THE LIE.
CONTINUING READING PAUL’S WORDS, I HAVE TO CHOKE BACK TEARS OF THANKFULNESS FOR HIS EXAMPLE OF BEING COMPLETELY GIVEN OVER TO GOD (AS I YEARN TO BE):
Ephesians 3:7-14, 18-19 KJV
Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. [8] Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; [9] And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: [10] To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, [11] According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: [12] In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. [13] Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. [14] For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, [18] May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; [19] And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
PAUL DIDN’T THINK ABOUT, MEDITATE ON, TALK ABOUT OR DISPLAY HIS OWN BODY: HIS FOCUS WAS SINGLE: THE LORD WAS HIS LOVE AND HIS LIFE. HE GAVE NO THOUGHT TO ALL THE GARBAGE THE WORLD WANTED TO HIT HIM WITH AT EVERY TURN. PAUL WAS A COMPLETELY CHANGED PERSON AFTER HIS CONVERSION. IMAGINE YOUR OWN LIFE, COMPLETELY GIVEN OVER TO JESUS, LIVING THROUGH . . . . . YOU !!
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.
Revelation 21:23-25
Many people perceive this as a heaven which is in the future.
There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
Revelation 22:5
Let’s look at this shall we?
the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”
Matthew 4:16
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
John 1:4
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said,
I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
John 8:12
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
John 12:46
You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
1 Thessalonians 5:5
but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
2 Timothy 1:10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9
Don’t we realize Revelation 21 and 22 are actually a fulfillment of this?
The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
Your sun will never set again,
and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow will end.
Isaiah 60:19-20
The Lord is already my light. This is because the veil of darkness has been removed from me.
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
It’s already happened. You are all children of that city. The New Jerusalem.
The light of all men lives inside you.
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
John 1:9
~ Simon Yap
The “reason” people don’t rebuke negative thoughts enough is that they only visit God briefly and sporadically rather than hanging with Him, getting to know His lingo and His great willingness to be the answer to their every need.
WHAT IF Christians were to quit focusing on whether or not their Papa (God) likes hearing them refer to themselves as wretched, and focused rather on the immensity of God’s universe, including its seemingly supernatural realms which reveal themselves first on a quantum level and then are explained logically enough so that ‘he that hath an ear’ can hear and understand!
WHERE WERE YOU WHEN AD70 HAPPENED ? . SLEEEEPING !!!!!! . LET’S ARISE OUT OF SLEEP . THE BIBLE WAS NEITHER WRITTEN FOR NOR ABOUT YOU !! .
Neither Jesus nor Paul nor a single O.T. writer was projecting thousands of years into the future to tell you that you’d be going out and looking on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against God. But this did happen in AD70 in Jerusalem.
Jesus himself quoted the Bible’s prediction of it:
Mark 9:47-48
And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where
“‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
Jesus was paraphrasing Isaiah 66:24
“And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”
THANK GOD ALL OF THIS ALREADY HAPPENED !!
Psychologically speaking, man’s tragic flaw is deciding what he must have – without which he’s a borderline basket case! Gotta have this much money, this position, this woman, this degree, this level of I don’t know what, before he can be happy. He always comes up short. And he’s always waiting for a future event, if he’s even lucky enough to have a modicum of hope!
But God (love those two words: “But God…!) never intended it to be that way. He gave us – as His image and likeness – the fullness of Himself, as far as we’re capable and willing to open our minds to. He lives on the inside of us and takes over all our shortcomings if we’ll only let Him.
In the fleshly realm – which most people believe to be the only, or the most relevant – realm, it’s extremely difficult to comprehend the magnitude of God [in Whom we live and move and have our being] but looking beyond the physical realm, we can learn to see that proofs of His ever-presence and omnipotence abound everywhere – exhibited in the most amazing miracles imaginable.
Questions about what happens after death ought to be answered spiritually, but are usually treated as material questions! In the fleeting physical realm, it’s anybody’s guess; but, stepping into the spiritual realm – where God resides – everything becomes crystal clear. It is the realm of God in which healings and miracles preponderate while the entire so-called material universe loses its fixity.
Alas for the Truth-seeker, however, who finds it astronomically difficult to trust that it is the spiritual realm – not the material – that palpitates with verve and solidity: dynamic, impermeable and free!
When we come to realize that WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST – the mind of God – WOW !! . Think about it!
Think l-o-o-o-o-ng and hard about it! . WOW !!
I HATE RELIGION. THERE !! . I SAID IT !! . MAN-MADE RULES AND REGULATIONS AS TO HOW I SHOULD WORSHIP !! . PUH-LEEZE !! . I AM SO HAPPY JUST LOVING JESUS (WHO FIRST LOVED ME) !! . I NEVER KNEW I – A MERE MORTAL – WAS CAPABLE OF LOVING SOOOOO MUCH !! . THERE’S NO PENALTY, NO UNREQUITED LOVE !! . NOPE !! . ENTERING THE SABBATH REST THAT -I-S- JESUS IS AN UNFATHOMABLE JOURNEY OF LOVE AND JOY AND LIFE AND FULFILLMENT UNSPEAKABLE.
Do you think that God is in you
And that you have to contend with
A sometimes nasty, unsympathetic world?
Think again!
God is not only in you –
You are in Him.
Acts 17:28 KJV
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.
IN HIM, AND IN OUR SPIRITUAL BODIES, WE ARE NOW PERFECT .
It has always been God’s nature to have us look up higher, out farther, and even within further to find Him. Once we recognize that all we’ve ever known about God could fit into a thimble compared to what is about to unfold, our whole world will respond by giving up its supernatural secrets.
Jesus has told us emphatically that we can and must do even greater things (miracles) than he has because he’d be rejoining our Father.
John 14:12 KJV
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Nothing is as it seems and will continue to be less and less so in the face of the true universe of God’s creating. Talk about “too good to be true news”, can you fathom “too infinite not to be true” news? There’s just no going back!
One single person, imbued with the Spirit, can start a wave of unmitigated excitement that effervesces into sheer jubilation at the spectre of discovering … a whole new world! With a combined working knowledge of quantum physics as well as the word of God, any one of us could start raising men’s consciousness to receive the fact that so many interpretations of universal descriptions can and do occur simultaneously and are inextricably entangled – one with another.
One single fully equipped and aware man or woman of God has it within their power to awaken the entire world to the everywhere presence of God’s infinite kingdom where the supernatural and the so-called natural intertwine as One.
Let us all support one another’s guidance of the Holy Spirit, drawing us and unfolding God’s kingdom. Let’s keep the reins on human hubris and recognize that yes even we can afford to listen to the least likely messenger(s) because we can know exactly how, where and when to discern Truth.