Thank You God for these thoughts! Jesus said in John 3:5, "Verily, verily I say unto thee, unless a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." After Jesus was resurrected, He appeared to His disciples and told Peace to be with them. "And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" John 20:22. We can see that exactly this time, the disciples became born of the Spirit.
But when were they born of water? Was it when they were formed in their mother's womb, sustained in the "water" that breaks when she goes into labor? That would mean that the qualifying factor is to be physically born, which would make perfect sense. How could someone who was never born enter the Kingdom of God? Isn't that person already there? I can't imagine the unborn being separated from God, unless they run with the devil. But some people could argue that certain people who do heinous acts of crime are born of the devil. But in John 8:44, Jesus says to some early Jews who had believed Him, the common man, "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." The 10 Commandments show the 10 basic ways that the devil allows us to sin against God. If we do the things that the devil would want us to do, we are like his children because we obey him. If we do what God wants us to do, then we are like His children because we obey Him. There are only 2 sides on which to be. One could try to argue, Well, what if I just do nothing? All the time? Since you were a little kid? Did you ever disobey your parents or do something that could embarrass your family? If so, you've broken the 4th Commandment, which is simply Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother. You dishonor your family by bringing shame or embarrassment on them by virtue of your brilliant idea or pure stupidity. If not, then you haven't broken that Commandement, which is GREAT. Highly doubtful, but GREAT. But because God looks at our soul and our spirit, He also keeps us accountable for our thoughts. "OUR THOUGHTS?!?" you exclaim. "How can I be sinning if I'm not even physically doing anything?"
In Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus said "27You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'[Exodus 20:14] 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." How can a man look lustfully at a woman? Is it his eyes that are bulging? No, the act of mental adultery is committed when he hears himself saying what he would like to do... to... her! Or when he starts to imagine what he would like to do... to... her! The act of sin takes place first in the mind, and then can manifest themselves physically. I mean, how many lies have first been perfected in my mind, where I heard the dialogue of the lie, and also visualized how it made sense? I'm not going to start counting because I have already been forgiven.
All that being said, I didn't even get to the baptism part. There are no accounts of the disciples of Jesus being baptized the way that John baptized Jesus. The idea that came to me is that He baptized His disciples when He washed their feet as told in John 13. In verse 8, when Simon Peter was refusing to let Jesus was his feet, "Jesus answered, 'Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.'" Jesus only used water, and only on their feet. He said in verse 10 it was because "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean." People in those days wore shoes that were like sandals, and most roads were paved with the dirt of the earth, and most journeys were done on foot. Plus, there were no rules to "Curb Your Donkeys", if you were able to have one.
Finally, in verses 14-17, Jesus explains the meaning behind what He had done. "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." Jesus wants His followers to serve one another, and the way Jesus did it is He became like a sevant to His disciples by washing their feet and drying them using the towel that He tied around His waist after taking off His outer garments. You understand? He became like a servant and served His disciples. He did it because He loved them, and you can't love someone without serving them or giving yourself to them. Think about it: a mother is like a servant to her baby when she feeds, changes, bathes, and clothes the baby. She doesn't put the child down and say, "Let's get one thing straight -- I'm the one in charge. I sustained you for 9 months cuz the doctors said I had to, and now it's time for you to feed me what I like!" We serve people when we do or care for others, especially in a way that can fulfill a need or serve as an improvement. For Jesus said that which we do for the least [fortunate] of people, we do for Him.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Sunday, February 01, 2009
I am believing the Word of God
God is not moved by my need, but He is moved by my faith.
No matter how I feel or how it looks or what they say, no matter how long it has been or how long it might take, I will increase my faith in the One who will always love me, the One who always has His eye on me, and the One who wants to perfect Himself in me.
Anything against that can kick rocks. Rocks, I said!
No matter how I feel or how it looks or what they say, no matter how long it has been or how long it might take, I will increase my faith in the One who will always love me, the One who always has His eye on me, and the One who wants to perfect Himself in me.
Anything against that can kick rocks. Rocks, I said!
Conquering Your Thought Life, Part 2
(notes taken from DVD)
Why are so many Christians walking around defeated?
The devil has the ability to perpetrate lies. The devil does not have power, but it is the lies that can gain power over us.
If the devil can get us to believe a lie, he can gain control over our thoughts.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5: 3For though we live in this world, we do not wage war as the world does.
4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, as we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Base the image of myself on God's image of me (my spirit, The Holy Spirit, who abides in me)
The devil is under my feet. The only way he gets from there is through the thoughts in my head.
Ephesians 6:11-18 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
scheme, from Latin metho [etymology: method] and odas (road)
Thoughts are the roadway by which the enemy can enter and gain control over me.
12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
devil, from Latin dia [etymology: day] (put a hole in, circle) and balos [etymology: ball] (to throw at)
The devil throws accusations at me until he penetrates (makes a hole in my belief in God's Word).
In terms of active spiritual warfare, the first weapons I must know to use are the Shield of Faith and the Sword of the Spirit (Word of God). I must pick them up and use them or else I have nothing which to fight the enemy.
What are the words/thoughts (balls) that the devil is throwing at me? He will keep throwing accusations until we believe or resist. I must resist and take those thoughts captive. I must eliminate the devil's access into my thoughts.
We make decisions based on the strongholds in our lives.
When we take every thought captive, we compare it to the truth, which is stated in the Word of God. Set up a "reception desk" to question or identify each thought (or feeling!) and check the Word against it.
Depression comes in. Nehemiah 8:10: 10Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. Depression must leave. Security!
Eliminate images of lies to negate the stronghold of the lies.
I have the option of looking at myself with either of 2 sets of eyes:
physical: I see myself as compared to others (per the devil)
spiritual: I see myself as God sees me
Who will I believe?
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