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Think about how much love God has for you to have sent two of the members of the Godhead to assist you in your daily life. If God needs the other two members of the Godhead, how much more do we need them? Through daily prayer for power and daily study and meditation in God's Word, you cannot lose. you can declare with confidence, "If God be for me, who can be against me?"
Read MoreThen Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So, the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. (Exodus 14:21,22)
The Red Sea was the first of two bodies of water the children of Israel crossed before coming into the Promised Land, Canaan. Although the people walked through both bodies of water, the two were different from each other and unique from each other.
The Red Sea is a type of the blood of Jesus, even down to its name, The RED Sea. The Israelites were taken out of Egypt, delivered from years of bondage and allowed to go free.
Israel did nothing to be delivered. God did everything. God sent the plagues, preserved Israel during them, and brought them out on dry land. His command for them was to do nothing but stand still and watch God do the work. We are saved by God's grace, not our works (Ephesians 2:8).
Israel was boxed in from the front, behind and on each side. The Red Sea stood in front of them, the Egyptian army was behind them and a mountain range was on each side. The only answer was through the Red Sea, by boat, submarine or through it, walking on dry land. The world needs to know there is no other name under heaven, given among men by which we must be saved, but through the name of Jesus (Acts 4:12). There is only one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. Man is surrounded and boxed in by religions, brotherhoods and all systems of good works. Nothing can remove the sins and curses of Adam but the Red Sea, the blood of Jesus.
Israel's enemies were destroyed permanently. The same Red Sea which opened and allowed the Jewish nation to go free, swallowed up and completely destroyed the Egyptian army, it's horses, chariots and weapons. The blood of Jesus was our deliverance and Satan's destruction.
Israel left slavery and entered life of freedom in the wilderness. Although the wilderness was not the Promised Land, it was better than Egypt. It was a necessary place to unlearn Egypt and learn to totally trust in God. It was a place to grow up and prepare to enter Canaan. It was only an eleven-day journey by foot, but it took the first generation forty years to learn it's lessons. Forty years was not God's fault, but theirs. We all have a wilderness after the new birth to begin to unlearn the world's way of looking at life and begin to understand God's way. It’s called discipleship, maturity or the place of the renewing of the mind, preparation for the land of Abundance.
The water divided in two directions. No sin past or future was left uncovered in taking the children of Israel into their new life. There is no sin you have ever committed or will commit that will remove you from the Christian life or keep you from going to heaven. Cleansing of sins in your daily Christian walk are to preserve you from Satan's plans and devices in this life and help you maintain your joy.
Those who carried the ark came to Jordan, and the feet of the priests who carried the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for Jordan overflowed all its banks at harvest time). And the waters which came from upstream stood and rose up in a heap very far back, to the city of Adam, that is beside Zaretan. And the waters which ran down toward the sea in the plain, the Dead Sea, stopped and were cut off. And the people passed over right beside Jericho. (Joshua 3:15,16)
The Red Sea was a standing wide body of deep, impassable water. The Jordan was a flowing river from one direction.
The Red Sea separated Israel from their freedom. The Jordan separated them from their blessings, their inheritance.
The Red Sea represents salvation through faith in Jesus Christ's shed blood. The Jordan represents forgiveness of sins in the daily life of a Christian. It was water in both cases, representing the blood of Jesus, which both saves us as sinners and cleanses us as saints.
Man had nothing to do with the parting of the Red Sea. But men, the priests, had to put the soles of their shoes down into the edge of the water before it moved back. In salvation, we simply believe in the finished work of Jesus. In forgiveness of sins for the believer, we must confess our sins for them to be forgiven. We approach God, no longer as a slave, but as a priest.
The water backed up a long way, to the city of Adam. Nothing, back to Adam, can stop us from obtaining our inheritance in life when we confess our sins. Confession of sins for the Christian stops Satan from hindering us through demons, sickness, financial problems. It is also a guarantee from generational curses. Nothing back to Adam is left uncovered. Our past ancestor's sins, divorce, mental illness, temper, poverty or cancer no longer have dominion over us. We have a new bloodline, the family of God, in which there are no curses. I am no longer in Adam, but in Christ.
Most of the tests which come into the life of the believer come from Satan. He comes to "kill, steal, and destroy" (John 10:10). He is "the accuser of the brethren" (Revelation 12:10). He tries to sift us "as wheat" (Luke 22:31). And he walks among believers "as a roaring lion...seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
However, not all testing comes from Satan. God also tests us - but unlike Satan who tests us with evil, God tests us with good things. In fact, every blessing of God comes with an accompanying test. With every good and perfect gift, God asks us, "Will you still seek Me and not the gift?" In everything, God wants to have the preeminence (Colossians 1:18).
Many Christians have passed Satan's tests and trials - they have overcome evil circumstances, gossip, sickness, and financial disaster - but then have failed God's test of prosperity. Sadly, these believers serve God when the circumstances are difficult, but desert Him when life is good. Once their bank account is full, their bills are paid, and their family is healthy and filled with joy, they stop reading and meditating on the Word, their church attendance drops off, and they are no longer in active Christian service.
Excuses or Reasons?
Jesus ran into many people who followed Him only until their need was met. He saw them fall away as soon as the pressure of need was gone. They treated Him - and His Word - like a magic genie: after Jesus granted them their three wishes, they figured He would disappear and leave them alone. Once their need was met, they lost their motive for serving the Lord.
In the following parable, Jesus challenged both His disciples - and us - to keep our motives pure and our priorities focused on Him:
"Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ But they all with one accord began to make excuses." (Luke 14-18a)
This story anticipates the coming of the Church Age and the local church. Jesus knew the dedication of His disciples would one day be demonstrated by their consecration and faithfulness to their local church. The same proof of our dedication to the Lord is demanded today by our faithfulness to attend our local church and our willingness to become involved in the work of God.
In this parable, the man who made the great supper is the pastor of the local church. Each time the church doors open, the invitation goes out to call those to come and eat of the great meal which has been prepared.
The ones who were invited to this supper had always come before - but this time, they offered excuses. Now, there may be a reason why you cannot come to church, but there is no excuse. A reason is the truth, while an excuse is a lie, a facade to cover the truth. A person who makes excuses never accepts personal responsibility, but always puts the blame on someone or something else. The Bible tells us that everyone who was invited to this feast began to make excuses.
"The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’" (Luke 14:18b-20)
The first two men had financial excuses. One said he could not come because he had to inspect a piece of ground he had purchased. The other said he had to go and try out some new oxen he had bought. Let me ask you a question: What kind of idiot buys a piece of property and then looks at it? What kind of idiot buys oxen and then tries them out? Everyone knows you need to inspect and prove before you buy! These were excuses, designed to cover the truth, blame the circumstances, and deny personal responsibility.
How did these men become prosperous enough to buy the land and oxen? These blessings came from God through His Word, from the spiritual meals served by their pastor every week.
These men, apparently, came to church because of great financial problems. The Lord was gracious to meet these need, and buy better equipment. But now their priorities have changed. They are busy with their possessions and are no longer interested in the things of God. They never had a great love for the Lord. He was there to meet needs and grant desires, but never to be loved and served.
Notice, these men had to be hunted down to discover their excuses. When people leave church because of a change in their priorities, they rarely tell anyone - they just leave. When you finally see them on the street or in the mall, they give you many excuses why the church and the Lord are not so important anymore.
The third man in this story excused himself because of his new wife. While this man was single, he was very dedicated to serving the Lord and active in local church. God was his top priority - until he discovered a mate. Now, instead of being involved, coming to church early, and studying God's Word, he spends all his time with his new wife, occupied with the trivial details of life instead with the Giver of life.
There must always be a pressure in our lives, pushing us to serve God. God's desire is to see that pressure, that drive toward godliness, move from the outside to the inside, from external circumstances to internal desire. In other words, God eventually wants us to serve Him because we want to, not because we have to. This is one major reason why God meets our needs and gives us abundance: He wants to test and prove our motives.
What is our motive for serving God? Let it be a heart of gratitude and love. Let the motive of love far exceed the motive of need.
A Godly Warning
Moses warned the Israelites about the snares of prosperity before they entered Canaan. He told them of hills filled with copper, gold, and silver. He told them of rich soil which would grow large crops with little effort. He also told them of the God Who would give them the great prosperity of the land after their time of fighting was over. They would live in houses they had not built and have such wealth they would become the envy of other nations around.
But Moses knew the time for the Israelites to dedicate themselves to the Lord - and to make a strong commitment to Him - was before the prosperity came.
"Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’
“And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day." (Deuteronomy 8:11-18)
Only pride and arrogance could cause us to give ourselves credit for something God did. God's desire is for us to remain dedicated to Him, even after we are blessed. It gives God joy when we, His children, worship Him, even when we have no pressing needs.
Passing the Test
The greatest worship comes from a heart of gratitude and love, not a life of need. God wants to meet our needs, so we can become true worshipers of Him. His ultimate test for us will be to see if, when our needs are met, our love for Him will be sufficient motivation for us to remain faithful and worship Him with our whole hearts. When we do that, we will have passed hardest test in the Christian life - the prosperity test.
The believer must cease from his own deeds to enter into what God has done, divine good. Faith is the absence of human merit. This requires faith in God’s finished word and works. So how are believers to be diligent to enter in? By mixing faith with the promises of God. This diligence to enter in is a great missing ingredient in faith circles today.
Read MoreGod's righteousness is first said to be unto all. The emphasis here is that we, as Gentiles, were strangers and foreigners to the covenants of God. We have now been brought to the cross by the blood of Jesus and all that is required is our faith to receive the righteousness of God. This righteousness is first of all something we become, not something simply added to our life or something accounted us. We are not sinners just saved by grace. We used to be sinners, and now we have been saved by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. And, as surely as Jesus became sin for us on the cross, we have become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Read MoreOur salvation is a free gift from God. We don’t deserve it; we can’t earn it. All we do to receive it is accept it by faith. In the same way, our spiritual life after salvation is by grace; we can never deserve or earn it by our own efforts. It, too, is a gift of God received by faith.
Read MoreIt is important for those who were wronged to forgive the one who wronged them. This releases the victim from anger and thoughts of vengeance. Although the person can never totally forget the act of wrong inflicted on them, they can leave the problem in the hands of God, knowing God will repay. But restoration is totally in the hands of the one who committed the wrong. With a contrite heart toward God and the ones hurt, the person may one day in the future assume their position in life and ministry again and even rise to new heights of responsibility.
Read MorePaul declares twice that he knows how to be at the bottom of circumstances and he knows how to be on top. He has been broke and rich. He has been hungry and full. Yet, he is not moved by his situation, financial condition or lack of food, only by what he knows from God's word. In other words, what does it matter what the situation is? "My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). God's promises do not change despite the circumstances. Yet, the circumstances will change when the Word of God is applied.
Read MoreWorry is always future. Worry says, "I know God came through for me in the past, but it is all going to fail tomorrow or next week. I have had my rent payment before, but I will be evicted by this time next month." If Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, how could He possibly fail to provide for you today or tomorrow?
Read MoreSome of us have never got it down on the inside of us that it's the fondest desire of God's heart to meet every promise that He's given in His Word. Not only is he able to give all things he wants to give them to you. It is His fondest desire to give to you.
Read MoreOur problems will not last forever; we are going to make it through because our future is in eternity! It does not matter what people say, what the doctors say, what friends and relatives say. It does not matter what your mind is saying. The same God Who prophesied that Israel would be preserved and the enemy would be destroyed is the same God who will preserve you and destroy every enemy in your life.
Read MoreWorship is being occupied with God. It is also the movement of a soul toward God that has been moved upon by God. Worship is drawing close to a God who has given us everything. Religion teaches us to work our way closer to God so God will work Himself closer to us. However, God has already worked His way to us and poured out His blessing on us. Therefore, there is nothing to do but praise, worship, and serve Him all the days of our lives. We need to draw closer to Him.
Read MoreUnlike the Old Testament where many forms of ritual surrounded the believers of Israel, the Church has only three. Since the work of the cross is over, all of the rituals which pointed to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus are now unnecessary. We have now passed the shadow and come to the substance, which is the Church Age, the Body of Christ.
Read MoreWe may have the nature of the flesh, but we also have the Holy Spirit living in us. Paul lets us in on a revelation: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death (the nature of the flesh). The flesh is our enemy, but we have a greater ally or comrade in the Holy Spirit. By trusting in the guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit, we are freed from the power and control of the flesh
Read MoreIt is important to quote the promises of God. His words need to become our words, part of our daily vocabulary. When Jesus was pressured by the circumstances and temptations that Satan brought to Him, each time He responded, “It is written. It is written. It is written.”Jesus demonstrated the importance of speaking the promises of God.
Read MoreFive times in Philippians, the Greek word koinonia is used. Usually translated fellowship, it is better translated as partnership. There are five ways the Philippians partnered with Paul and you can partner with a ministry also:
Read MoreToday, the teaching that confession of sins only applies to sinners and is unnecessary for believers has become popular. Unfortunately, this teaching has become an open door for sin. Only the Word of God will reveal the truth. Confession of sins for the believer was never given as a license to sin against God but to serve Him. Christian growth is impossible without a way to rid ourselves of sins we knowingly or unknowingly commit.
Read MoreIf you ask the average Christian, “What is the worst enemy of the Christian life?” the most common answer will be Satan. I do not want to diminish the fact that Satan is a strong adversary to the Church and the individual Christian, but he is not your greatest enemy. In these verses, Paul reveals your worst enemy. Your worst enemy is you!
Read MoreThe good news about covenants is that believers have a covenant with God! We have a better covenant (shedding of blood) than they had in the Old Testament or under the old covenant because the blood that was shed for us is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. You and I, as believers, haven’t entered into a covenant with men, we have entered into a covenant with the Father God. On the day that Jesus shed His substitutionary blood for us, the blood from our hands mingled with His. In other words, we shook hands with God. At that time, God gained all our assets and our liabilities and we gained all of God’s assets, liabilities, debts, everything. Actually, we didn’t have any assets. God owns everything anyway.
Read MoreThe perfect congregation stands before the throne of God and the perfect pastor is Jesus Himself. Only heaven has a spotless music department, youth director, and children’s minister. On earth, a church may look good at the time you walk in, but the longer you stay, the more flaws you find. That’s because God uses people, not angels. Even Jesus’ disciples had problems, fighting among themselves, and they had the perfect Pastor every day.
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