Empowered by Love

To call love an emotion is to limit its power.  Emotions are fleeting and motivated by the moment.  Perhaps from the world's perspective, love might fit within such parameters, but the God-type of love never fails as Pauls says in 1 Corinthians 13:8.  It is not turned off or operational only under certain conditions.  It is in fact the power source by which we can accomplish the supernatural.

Empowered by Love to Give

Many in the church give religiously rather than as motivated by love.  As a result, they give grudgingly.  But 2 Corinthians 2:7 (amp) addresses having the appropriate attitude in giving.  It says you should be a cheerful, joyous, "prompt to do it" giver whose heart in his/her giving.  Only then can God make all grace and favor abound towards you. 

The best example of giving empowered by love is John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave . . ."  First He loved then He gave.  And the gift He gave did nothing less than restore to Man the gift of eternal life.

Empowered by Love to be a Witness

If the greatest love displayed is the sacrifice of self for your neighbor, then by the Holy Spirit, the second greatest love displayed is leading another to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. I suppose we should love someone enough to be willing to lay down life for them.  But truthfully, Jesus was purposed by birth to be a martyr so no one else would have to be.

I venture that to say that the greatest love displayed and remain alive after the fact would be to lead another to Christ.  What do you more dear than your relationship with God through Jesus Christ?  Certainly this relationship is more important than that with your spouse.

If you want to show love to your neighbor as yourself, you would offer them the opportunity of salvation.  If you want them to experience to same bond of unconditional love that you experience, then you should not keep Christ to yourself.  The God-type of love in your heart should be your motivation.

I know you have the desire to show love in a manner as described above, but discouragement or fear often overwhelms you.  If this is you, pray that love be perfected within you; " perfect love casts out all fear," 1 John 4:18 (NKJV).

A person who loves like this would be an unstoppable force in the earth for the Body of Christ.  You'll become a perfect tool for the Father empowered by love to accomplish all He requires of you.

How to Avoid Robbing God of the Offering

In Malachi 3:8, God tells Israel they had been robbing Him in both tithes and offering. That word "offering" is often overlooked in this passage. Why? Verses 10 – 12 continue to discuss the benefits of tithing strictly. Those three scriptures don't reference the offering at all.

Besides we've always been taught that in contrast to the tithe, the offering is ours to give. It's already understood by many that failing to bring the tithe is stealing. But does this apply to giving offering as well? Did God mince words in Malachi 3:8?

Well there is no empty rhetoric in the Word of God. The offering is yours to give, and the harvest you receive is proportional to it. You won't be a sinner no matter what you offering you give.

But the robbery occurs when you bring an unsuitable offering—one not fit for the King of kings. Though giving the offering is your decision, it does not automatically follow that God accepted it.

We know that God rejected Cain's offering because Cain brought God less than his best. And God told Moses that He never changes—actually He repeated this in Malachi 3 as well—a so you shouldn't think God less likely to reject your offering today. An offering rejected by God is nothing more than a charitable donation, and He's not obligated to return a harvest for it.

You increase the likelihood of robbing God of the offering when you give an offering for which you did not consult Him—for which you were not led of the Holy Spirit.

If you have $100 come offering time and give God $5, chances are you robbed Him in that moment. It's not the amount specifically so much as you gave no meditation to the gift but just gave something to traditionally/religiously participate in the offering service. In essence, you gave God what cost you nothing, specifically what King David in giving his sacrifice in 2 Samuel 24 purposed to avoid.

To avoid robbing God of the offering, consult God on the gift. The Bible does not say that your offering has to be a surprise to Him. If you get Him involved in this worship, He will tell you what to give, how much to give, and what to sow towards. With God involved in this process from the start, you ensure a harvest on the seed sown. Certainly God is always as good as His word.

The Rewards of a Servant's Heart (5 of 5): Jesus, the Greatest Servant of All

To conclude this series of blogs, we'll discuss Him who was the prototypical servant in the earth, our Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Christ.  Indeed, He knew His purpose was to serve.  He said of Himself that He "did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many," Matthew 20:28 (NKJV).

With this statement, Jesus dispels the misnomer that ministry is simply a position of honor and privilege.  At times, especially when ministry is being birthed and formulated, it can be very much a thankless occupation.  Jesus can certainly testify to this.  He went to-and-fro preaching and healing the sick among His countrymen, and needless to say many were grateful and honored Him for it.  But in the end, many of those same countrymen spat upon Him, cursed Him, and like Stephen, handed Him over to the executioners. 

Jesus was purposed to be a martyr, and He understood this.  It was the love of God in His heart that powered Him forward while always aware of the dreadful consequences He'd ultimately suffer.  It is important to recognize here that you are also made in the image of God and purposed at creation to advance God's kingdom in the earth.  Understand as Jesus did that you may endure hardship in fulfilling purpose but your servant's reward is on the horizon.  You will truly reap the harvest if you faint not.

Apparently Jesus was Stephen's example; similarly with His last breath He begged foregiveness such that death not be returned to those deserving of it.  From Jesus, Stephen understood the creative power of forgiveness.  Stephen's forgiveness created Paul.  Jesus' forgiveness created that Body of Christ.  The reward of Jesus' servant's heart was you as a believer.

The Rewards of a Servant's Heart (4 of 5): Stephen, the Deacon Who Performed Miracles

Acts 6 talks of the selection of men "full of faith and the Holy Spirit" called upon to do what people might consider very subsurvient work.  Proof, I suppose, that position in God's kingdom is always both privilege and responsibility.

It's ironic, though, that it's by doing the tasks that no one else wants to do that you are truly set apart.  Such was true for Stephen, one of those men selected in Acts 6. 

By most interpretations, Stephen was simply a waitor or go-fer, doing whatever the church leadership required of him--tasks many people even in church might consider beneath them.  But apparently this was purpose fulfilled for Stephen for the Bible says that signs and wonders were accomplished by his hands among the people.

We also glean from Acts 6 that Stephen died a martyr's death, unfortunate, I think for the Body of Christ of that era and this one.  But standing by, holding the coats of Stephen executioners, was an astute young Jew highly-motivated to persecute Christians named Saul.  With his last breath, Stephen asked for forgiveness his executioners, Saul included. 

For his participation in Stephen's execution, Saul deserved to suffer as well.  But Stephen's request for forgiveness was an act of intercession.  And this intercession produced Paul, a.k.a. Saul, whose ministry would lead many in history to refer to him as the Father of the Modern-Day Church.  At one time in his life, Saul lived to make Christians suffer, but after Stephen's intercession, now known as Paul, his missionary trips and writings immortalized him in time and, in the present-day, still define the doctrine on which the Christian church is founded.

How 'bout that for a servant's reward.

The Rewards of a Servant's Heart (3 of 5): The Shunamite Woman

By the Holy Spirit, I tell you that the Shunamite Woman, as her story was told in 2 Kings 4, was a community leader.  Quite an ironic revelation to have, given that the world in which she lived was really more of a male-dominated society than the present day.  But in Shunam, this woman whose real name we will never know was a de facto if not de jure authority figure.  Indeed her interaction with God's man, Elisha, was a true indication of a great wisdom within her, and her community looked up to her because of it.

Well aware of her influence over her community, she decided to demonstrate how to treat the prophet of God when he comes your way.  This is why she habitually made provisions for Elisha when he visited her town, and she ultimately decided to build an extension on her home that Elisha would have a place to lay his head when he came to visit.  But I'll add as another indicator of the wisdom she possessed that even though she was on the forefront of her community, she understood that because she was married, she was not the head of her household.  In 2 Kings 4:10, you see she did not build this extension until she first had her husband's agreement.

In being a blessing to Elisha, this barren community matriarch had no hidden agenda.  Being an example to her community was her only motivation.  But in a world in which seedtime-and-harvest governs all, the blessing was certain to come to her because of the honor she had shown to Elisha.  Elisha prophecied the birth of a son as a harvest on her seed sown, and in the proper course of time, she bore a son as Elisha had spoken.

But the rewards of this servant's heart did not end there.  In years to follow, a famine in the land would force this Shunamite and her family from their home.  She and her family suffered great loss during this time.  But when she would consider to return, Gehazi, Elisha's servant spoke to the king, believed Joram at this time, on her behalf.  The king ordered that all she had lost be restored to her to include income that would have come into her home during her seven-year hiatus with the Philistines.

The reward on this woman's acts of servanthood resulted in perpetual blessing for years to come.  For yourself, emulate the servanthood that this Shunamite displayed and reap as she did years of God's perpetual favor.

The Rewards of a Servant's Heart (2 of 5)

Elisha's servant’s heart brought him the double portion of his master’s anointing. 

I Kings 19 says Elisha left his father and mother to minister to Elijah.  And in II Kings 2, Elisha would not separate himself from his master even at his master’s request to do so.  And because of it, Elijah bestowed upon Elisha the double portion of his anointing in the form of his cloak as he dropped it from his chariot of fire before being swept away into Heaven.

There are not as many miracle-workers discussed in the Bible as people tend to believe.  You can certainly learn lessons from the lives of many in the Bible:  David, Solomon, Esther, Mary, Matthew, John the Baptist, and others.  Yet none of the aforementioned have any miracles attributed to them, of course, using the Bible as your only historical resource.  Not one of them healed the sick or raised the dead or anything of the kind.  Indeed the list of actual miracle-workers in the Bible is a very short list, but Elijah and Elisha are on it.  And Elisha performed many more documented miracles than his master Elijah.  In fact, the only person in the Bible with more documented miracles accredited to him than Elisha is Jesus.  

There’s even an instance in II Kings 13 after Elisha’s death where a man, dead himself, was raised from the dead by being laid on Elisha's bones.  This man's own funeral procession was cut short due to pending battle in the area.  He was laid in Elisha's tomb because it was nearby.  When this man's lifeless body touched Elisha's already decayed body, the man immediately came back to life.

Elisha's life demonstrates what I consider the most important prerequisite to having a successful ministry:  to have served faithfully in someone else's.  He experienced his name being as great in the earth as his master, Elijah.  From Elisha's life, we can glean that if we do not allow our pride to get in the way of serving another, we can also reap the greatness of him/her we served.

The Rewards of a Servant's Heart (1 of 5)

It is unfortunate that in our society we are taught that submission is weak, that pride in self should not allow an individual to submit to another.  People are concerned they will lose their identities.  They are afraid of being controlled.  

But we should recognize that we can sow the seed of servanthood, and God will return the harvest for it. He can make your position of servanthood a place refuge, even a place of promotion.  As the Bible illustrates, the benefits of a servant’s heart are numerous.  For the individuals mentioned in this series of articles, it was in their positions of servanthood that their greatness shined forth.

For the widow of Zarephath, her servant’s heart brought sustenance for herself and her son in a time of famine.  My initial impression of Elijah's visit to the widow of Zarephath in I Kings 17 was that he was just passing through.  This is incorrect, I would come to find out.  When God told Elijah He had commanded a widow woman to sustain him, God wasn’t kiddin’.  Elijah actually stayed with her and her son for an entire year.  

There was a famine in the land, and this widow and her son were on the verge of starvation when the man of God comes to visit.  In his first interaction with the widow, Elijah tells her to make him a cake that he might eat before she fed herself or her son.  She did as instructed despite not having enough meal to feed one person, let alone several.  Yet after feeding Elijah first, she realized she still had meal left over.  She fed herself and her son, and still had more.

The miracle here was that every time she looked in her barrel, she always had the same amount of meal so long as at mealtime, she fed Elijah first.  And she followed this routine everyday, perhaps several times a day for approximately a year.  

Additionally, while Elijah abode with the widow, her son fell ill and died presumably for a reason unrelated to hunger.  The man of God laid himself on top of the boy three times, and the boy’s life was restored.  Again, as a result of how earnestly his mother had served Elijah. 

There is a clear lesson to be learned from this woman whose name we will never know.  She showed submission in a moment of desperation, and it actually saved her life.  And for son, her servant's heart saved his life twice.

Leadership Traits Illustrated in the Bible

In accordance with the Holy Bible, LEADERS should . . .

1.  Be willing to DELEGATE responsibilities. In Exodus 18:19—27, Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro advises him to find “able men” and develop several tiers of leadership beneath himself to help himself judge over the numerous issues the people would bring forward. Up to this point, Moses had been the sole decision-maker and had judged all disputes for the entire nation of Israel.  Jethro advised Moses this way because upon returning Moses’ family to him—Moses separated himself from his family to go free Israel from Egypt—he witnessed Moses standing “from morning until evening” in front of the people addressing their concerns.  Jethro easily concluded this ought not be so. 

Delegation is mutually beneficial for the leader and subordinate. By delegating, the leader frees him/herself to maintain the big picture and focus on moving his/her organization forward with the vision. It relieves the leader of having to resolve minor details that may unnecessarily divert his/her attention away from higher priorities.  From the subordinate’s perspective, he/she gains a sense of necessity and worth—that he/she is contributing to accomplishing the mission. 

2.  Have a written VISION. Habakkuk 2:2 instructs to write out the vision and make it plain that any reader may run with it.  A documented unambiguous vision helps the personnel maintain focus. Such a vision prevents questions among the subordinates as to why the work is necessary.  A plain and straight-forward vision is one others easily can and will carry into the future.

3.  PUT SERVICE BEFORE THEMSELVES.  Esther was a
reluctant leader.  Even being wed to the Persian king, she had rather stay in her place and not involve herself in kingdom affairs. But when her people, Israel, fell under imminent danger, her uncle, Mordecai admonished her to the duty she had to her people and that God may have put her in that place for a moment such as this one.  She ultimately went before the king on the behalf of her people even at the risk of her death. Esther did not lose her life; she found favor with the king.  We do know; however, of one leader who did lose His life to win redemption for His people, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Say AMEN to that.

4.  Be DECISIVE.  In Judges 7, Gideon leads a small band of 300 Israelite soldiers against a large force of combined armies themselves armed only with trumpets and jars.  The Bible does not specifically state the size of the opposing force but does say the enemy encamped was as thick as locusts, and numbering their camels was like to numbering the grains of sand on the seashore. Yet Gideon ordered his grossly outnumbered army to surround the encampment and release a confident shout that frightened their enemy into fleeing frenzy.  They subsequently blew their horns and broke their jars, and the enemy soldiers fled turned on themselves. 

From God’s perspective, we all are leaders ordained to accomplish a specific purpose in the earth.  As a leader you should champion that purpose and not allow yourself to be detoured. As you walk in it, God will bring others to follow you to also champion that purpose.  When they come, consciously display these and other necessary leadership traits.  Do that, and you will ensure that purpose is carried on indefinitely.

Having the God Kind of Faith

Mark 11:22 (KJV) reads "Have faith in God."  The language of this scripture is far from ambiguous, but despite the obvious implications of the scripture as written, almost every KJV footnote or column reference I've read has indicated this scripture is incorrectly intrepretted.  The statement really should read, "Have the faith of God." 

Given what I say is true, it obviously implies that God has faith.  And it should make sense to you.  If it is true that Man was created with faith-- and I'm convinced Man was--then it would obviously have to be within God beforehand.

So what does it mean to have the faith of God or the God kind of faith?  Jesus immediately gives an illustration of the God kind of faith in operation in Mark 11:23, "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says," (NKJV).  The obvious implication is that the God kind of faith speaks.

But the Bible goes much further to illustrate God's faith in operation.  Throughout Genesis 1, you see God creating strictly by use of the spoken Word.  Even in Genesis 3, after the fall of Man, God begins to speak the plan for Man's redemption into existence and prophecy the birth of our Messiah.

Proverbs 18:21 tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue.  In writing this, Solomon is conveying that life is voice-operated.  Therefore I implore to study the Word of God, and speak God's over your life.  You can exercise the God kind of faith.  And you will see this faith in operation create for you as God saw it create for Him.

God's Expectation of Your Holiness

Holiness is God’s standard for your life. It is you living your life as God directs you. The objective is not to live your life separate and apart from the world, but by the nature of a life in holiness versus a life in the world, if you live holy, you will stand out.

Many want to presume holiness will automatically follow salvation. This is in no way true. Salvation is a gift; holiness is a decision. Holiness is lived day-by-day, hour-by-hour, moment-by-moment.
 
God speaks of this expectation in both the Old and New Testaments.  In Leviticus 11:44—45, God tells Israel be holy as He is holy. And why? Well He did just deliver them from Egypt. Afterwhich, He now expects Israel to be His and live lives that honor Him. After granting freedom and fulfilling numerous promises on the behalf of Israel’s forefathers, holiness really was not too much to expect. 
 
Paul tells us in I Corinthians 6:19—20 that upon salvation, we are no longer our own but that we have been bought with a price. This is not to imply we sacrifice free will in accepting Christ as Lord and Savior. He’s just suggesting you live that day-by-day, hour-by-hour, moment-by-moment lifestyle that honors God as a result of your freedom from spiritually bondage. 
 
But the expectation is greater for us. God saved Israel from Egypt, but He saved you from eternal separation from His presence which is the wage of our sin. It should make sense that He would expect more from us who along with our redemption from the law of sin and death have a better covenant and greater and more precious promises. As He dictated the law to Israel, so He dictates to us to love our neighbor as ourselves, to draw nigh to Him so He can draw nigh to us, to study to show ourselves approved, to go into the world and make disciples of men.
 
An individual who lives holy lives his/her life from within as the Holy Spirit directs that person—from the heart. You do have to decide to follow the Holy Spirit’s instructions, but when you do, holiness is what others will see. Holiness is the behavior of a Holy Spirt-led individual.  To get to this point, you have to renew your mind in accordance with His Word. As you study His Word, you will become in-tune to His voice. And the obedience thereof will result in a life of holiness.

The Third Moment of Creation

When I say, "third moment of creation," people tend to ask, "When was there a second?"  Well, Genesis 1 & 2 respectively indicate two distinct moments of creation.  The first of which was Genesis 1:26 when God makes Man and Woman like Himself on the sixth day.  Subsequent to this does God rest which is the seventh day.  And only after "resting" does He formulate Adam from the ground as indicated in Genesis 2.  This is the second moment of creation. 

The moment Adam named the animals and the moment in which God created Eve from Adam's rib could also be considered distinct moments of creation, but given that all of these are moments in which what was was strictly spirit became also natural; I link them as all one moment, the second moment of creation.

To separate these two moments more clearly . . .

In the first moment of creation Man and Woman were created as spirit and soul.  In the second moment of creation, Man and Woman also became body.

In the first moment, God gave Man and Woman dominion over the earth.  In the second moment, God makes Man, with Adam, and Woman, with Eve, legal residents of the world He had given them dominion over.

What should be clear is that these two moments of creation were results of God's divine will.  The third moment of creation by contrast to the other two should have never occurred.  The third moment of creation is the moment Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.

Spawned in this moment were things God never intended to be true of Man and the world over which he ruled; the sin nature, sickness, poverty, and death.  As a true indication of how powerful Man is as the only creation made in God's image and likeness, Man created his own suffering and death. 

Death being a separation of the spirit and soul from the body, a separation God never intended.  In other word's, Man's creation reversed God's creation which is legal in this realm over which Man has dominion, i.e. the natural or earthly realm; and God could do nothing about it.

By sinning, Man created hurricanes, tornadoes, global warming, genocide, terrorism, starvation, war, etc., etc.  And all this, Man void of the revelation of self, has come to accept as his reality.

But the point of discussing this third moment of creation was to indicate that it was never meant to be.  And because that's true, the third moment of creation is a reality but does not have to be your reality.  You can walk in your divine authority.  You can choose not to succumb to your sin nature.  You can exist in the natural realm free of poverty and sickness.  And even with a natural death sentence, you can still achieve eternal life.

God had a plan for Man's existence.  Allow His plan to define your life.

The Reason God Never Planned to Physically Walk in the Earth

God's voice is silent, and His presense is invisible in this realm tangible to the natural senses.  This causes many to simply say He doesn't exist.  But God is ever purposeful in the decisions He makes to include why He's intagible to your natural senses.  And if you'll just spend some time with Him, He'll explain what His rationale is . . .

In Genesis 1:26, the Godhead made two statements concerning Man and Woman that would define them eternally:  (1) let Us make them in Our image and likeness, and (2) let them have dominion.  I believe the second statement was born of the first; it wouldn't be true that we're made in His image and likeness unless we had our own domain over which to rule.  God has a domain; in order to truly make us like Himself, He'd have to give us a domain.

It is unfortunate for Man to say that seeing is believing because the fact that you do NOT see Him is truly gift from Him—truly a result of His love for us.  Ask yourself, if you could see God's face or hear God's voice in this realm, would you question who actually owns this realm?  Most people would.  Some would, perhaps even humbly, relinquish control in the earth to God as the creator.  But that is specifically why He made Himself invisible to you.  Because there'd be no question in your "natural" mind that the natural realm belongs to you.

Be ever mindful that position in God's kingdom is both a privilege and a responsibility.  Having our own domain over which to rule is definitely a privileged state of existence, but we are also charged with its upkeep.  All manner of evil exists in this world.  But our mentality should be to take back what is rightfully ours instead leaving our domain over to our adversary.  You may be looking to the Heavens to solve earth's problems, but God gave us this realm over which to rule.  He also has since given us Christ's blood, the Holy Spirit, and His written Word, the Holy Bible.  This being true, when it comes to making this world the world believers truly want to live in, the Heavens actually look back at us.