Spiritual Maturity and Growth for 2011
I was a guest on a blog talk radio show hosted by Sarah Lee Miller tonight. In this show I shared the primary spiritual lesson God taught to me in 2011. To me, this was an essential missing piece that was inhibiting my testimony and production of spiritual fruit. God is working on us individually and promises to complete the good work HE started so long as we stay the course. I believe it may edify some of you and post it here for your listening convenience.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/saralee144/2012/01/08/golden-nuggets#.TwkkE_xpTng.email
Free To Live For Jesus
Those that are truly Born Again and who have had their hearts circumcised by the power of God have total freedom in Christ Jesus. We live in complete liberty, no longer subject to the Law of Moses with the full assurance of salvation IF we continue walking with the Lord being led by the Holy Spirit. That is an awesome promise from God and those that truly know HIM will live in reverence and obedience to the Holy Commandment which is to love everyone.
We truly are free. Free from the power of sin in our lives but also free from a heavy yoke and burden of things we must do or don’t to be saved.God has saved us, HE did it. Our salvation is a work of faith and the Scriptures tell us NO FLESH shall be justified by any work.We are no longer slaves but sons in the Kingdom, if you are walking by faith.
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed
Sure the law still stands for those outside of covenant. It is there to bring judgment for sin and transgression.But you my brethren are children of covenant if Jesus is truly your Lord and have been given His Spirit.We are therefore not under any aspects of the law but grace.Do not fall from this grace or receive it vain.We must walk it and believe.
To those of you that keep Jewish traditions on the Sabbath and the Feasts of the Lord, that is awesome if your motive is truly to spend time with God and celebrate what Jesus has already done for you. There is much apostasy however on the issues of the Sabbath and the Feasts and this whole movement that seeks to return Christians to what they call the Hebrew roots. Be careful as much of this is fraught with error and legalism which negates the gospel of faith and makes our righteousness about our performance of some vague fleshly ritual.The early church dealt with this confusion straight up and you can read about in ACTS 15.
ACTS 15:5-6 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, that it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the Law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
The answer given by God was that there was no rules and the law of Moses was no longer applicable. Peter delivers the truth settling the matter in the early church.
ACTS 15:8-11 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
We must keep the sabbath but we need to understand what the spiritual fulfillment of the sabbath truly is in the same way adultery, murder were elevated into spiritual heart based actions and deeds. The sabbath rest is fulfilled daily when we enter into and possessing the land that is in CHRIST JESUS. It is not an option, all true Christians will do this. All who have this hope in Jesus purify themselves just as Jesus is pure.
Hebrews 4:9-11 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Simply put this means to be led by the Holy Spirit. It really is that simple. Long before the law was ever given thru Moses,the promise of faith and the everlasting covenant was given to Abraham. This was the perpetual covenant that would mark and be the ONE SIGN of God’s people,the Israel of God.You can read about that in Genesis 17.
Genesis 17:7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee
The sign referred to here is the sign of circumcision.It is the circumcision of our hearts, done by God that marks out who truly are God’s people.This covenant was given hundred of years before the law of Moses. Paul even told us why the law of Moses was given, it was because of sin and was brought to show the people how sinful they were and in need of a Savior.God wanted to turn their hearts back to Him in repentance.The law was given for a time and a season to usher in the SEED of the promise given to Abraham. That seed has come and HIS name is Jesus. If you are born again, of the spiritual seed of Isaac, you are not under the Law of Moses but grace.
Romans 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Don’t be like the foolish Galatians who were deceived by teachers that were trying to combine law with faith.They are exclusive but not contrary to one another. Christ is indeed the end of the law for righteousness (Romans 10:4)
Galatians 3:4-5 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Those walking in true faith instinctively keep the law and higher standard of obedience that Jesus made clear in Matthew 5. We do not obey to be saved,we obey because we are saved and the Spirit of God that lives in us guides us into all righteousness. I hope you begin to see this truth and come out of a legalistic self righteous Christianity.Many people are bearing thorn and thistles and not the fruit of love by getting caught in this net of deception that defines the Messianic movement of today. You are free to live for Jesus and walk with a light burden and easy yoke.
Romans 8:2-4 For the law of the Spirit of life (Royal Law) in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Moses Law). For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit
Keep the Sabbath if you wish.Celebrate the feast if so led but judge not any brother on these days and festivals (Rom 14:10). My prayer for you is you will actually come to know and enter into the true Sabbath rest that remains for the people of God.Do not stumble over the stumbling stone.Jesus has done it,it is finished, you just need to decide in your heart to get in on this new covenant and leave the dead letter law behind.
DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE in Jesus and what HE has already done? Many are walking in unbelief and are striving to be righteous and holy on the outside yet all the work and overcoming is a battle that takes place on this inside – IN YOUR HEART.
Please examine yourself. God will resist the proud and the true gospel will be veiled to those that are self-righteous. Get free today and let this marvelous light of the gospel shine into your heart and flow back out as a fountain of living water.Walk in love and thereby you shall fulfill the entire law.
Galatians 5:13-15 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in ONE WORD, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
Love you all.
Attributes of Pride
Pride is the very nature and the character of Satan. Pride is contrary and the very opposite of the nature of God. Pride is the opposite of God’s will. Anyone who loves pride will not do the will of God.
Prideful people are stubborn and stiff-necked and will not submit to the WORD or SPIRIT of God. Anyone who loves pride, has built a mighty fortress, a temple of idols that lives in their heart. When you hear the fruit of pride come out of someone’s mouth you can know their hearts are not pure and their motives have a root of selfish ambition.
A man who loves pride will not truly repent. Their heart will remain defiled and serving two masters. Pride is the very opposite of love. Pride is a lover of self. A lover of pride cannot see his own faults, and is always looking at the faults of others, in fact they delight to point out faults in others. Pride has everything put together and needs nothing, they have already arrived in their foolish hearts. You can’t teach pride anything.
Pride does its deeds to be be noticed by men. Pride loves the approval of men more than the approval of God. Pride builds his own image rather than the image of Jesus Christ. Pride is always right, pride cannot be wrong. Pride loves the places of fleshly honor, pride wants to be the center of attention rather than Jesus.
Pride establishes its own righteousness but will not submit to the righteousness of Christ. Pride tells people to trust in themselves that they are righteous by their external deeds. Pride views others with contempt, especially those that try to correct them.
LUKE 18:9-14 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 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. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Pride will put on forms of godliness so it will look good to others but inside will be full of dead men’s bones. Prideful people have never denied themselves despite them talking a good game of godliness.
Pride wants control, wants to look down on others. Pride wants to make a name for themselves. Prideful people are selfish, they are unloving. They have feelings of superiority; there is haughtiness and arrogance in their speech. They are driven by ego, self righteous, and are often contentious and boastful.
Pride will blind one to the true gospel of Jesus Christ. The god of this world will hold them in bondage to the nature of Satan and put a veil over their spiritual eyes. When pride uses the word of God, they will tickle ears and pervert grace and/or love to give the flesh reasons to boast.
Jesus spoke to the prideful assembly of teachers as recorded in Matthew 23. Woe unto them says the LORD.
You can tell a prideful person by the above attributes. But it is even easier to see if you simply examine the fruit. Prideful people cannot love and obey the Holy Commandment. They will say love but their love is with partiality and full of criticism and condemnation. People walking in pride are in Babylon regardless of whether they go a building called “church”.
Demon spirits love to keep people in bondage to pride and SELF. These demons become the “lovers” (see Ezekiel 16, 23 and LAM 1) that the deceived and unrepentant, love more than God. They have built a mighty fortress and a king lives in their heart and competes and shares the glory with their jesus. These demons must be cast out and cleared from the land. But until the demons are resisted and commanded to go, they will not go. These are the thieves, the robbers that have come to kill, steal and destroy.
People walking in pride will hate the true gospel. Jesus Christ will be a stumbling stone and a rock of offense to them. They have to share the glory with God and cannot come to the place of praising God and giving HIM alone all the glory. Prideful people will feign humility and trust in their sacrifices. Pride has never heeded these words of Jesus.
Matthew 9:13 “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
God hates the proud and resists them, yet gives grace to humble people. Are you fighting against God in your pride?
Look at your life my friends. Examine yourself and your fruit. Are you walking in love with a real joy and real peace that transcends all understanding? Do not be deceived because if you are not practicing this righteousness that bears the fruit of love, you are a land not cleansed and have pride or greed or both in your heart. Repent. Humble yourself before the LORD and Jesus will lift you up and save you. Don’t be one of those walking around say peace, peace, when there is no peace. The Scriptures say that suddenly destruction will come and they will not escape. The time is nigh.
Let’s pray for those ensnared by this abomination of pride. Let’s pray that God will grant mercy and bring repentance to their hearts. The Father must draw us near but Jesus is mighty to save.
May God Bless You Richly!
PS – I have learned many things from the teachings of Milton Green who teaches right out of the Scriptures. I would be well pleased to send to any of you a series of CD and DVD teachings that will be a blessing to you if you are earnestly seeking to embrace this glorious gospel of good news. Just send me an email with your address, stating a preference for CD or DVD or both to peter.wilson@cox.net
GLORIFYING GOD
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We glorify God when we fulfill the will of the Father for our lives. We were created for the purposes of loving God. That is the only true worship acceptable to the Lord. Everything else is the works of Cain and are dead works if not combined with the love of the Father. So much religion both organized and disorganized is about glorifying themselves and not God. Love has to be the motive or else it is not really love that is motivating us.
The Lord has placed this message heavy on my heart. It was a message that was veiled to me despite all the prior blessings and understanding I was given by the Spirit of God. Having been freed from a spirit of self-righteousness I have been prepared to share this message of Godly love. Who best equipped to point out the speck of the self-righteousness, except someone who was held in bondage to it and then freed by the mercy of the Lord?
Jesus is mighty to save. He does all the saving and nobody is saved by their obedience. As has been stated, that is the fruit of salvation, not the way. The cross is the way. Jesus died for us; we die to self for Him. That is the way of salvation and how we enter into the covenant of faith. The flesh nature does not like this gospel as it can no longer boast in its pride. The cross and the true Jesus has become a stumbling stone and a rock of offense to the religious of today just as it was to the Jews that hardened their hearts to what Jesus had done for them. Why did the Jews miss it? Paul told us.
Romans 9:32-33 because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame
Those that are truly saved and in the hands of the Lord will be obeying the gospel. They will be doers of the WORD and not just hearers. This is how you know if someone is truly a disciple of Jesus Christ, they will be shining forth love into this dark world.
John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Forms of godliness devoid of love have always been the distinguishing characteristic of a Pharisee and that has not changed. Pharisees are disobedient to the commandment of Jesus Christ. We bring glory to God when we obey this foremost commandment of the Lord. This is the one word good news gospel that is the truth but those still in the flesh will hate and despise.
Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in ONE WORD, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Even John told us what Jesus did that bearing this fruit of love would be the proof text that we are His disciple and truly saved. It has nothing to do with external forms of godliness.
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
In the same way as grace has been perverted into a license to sin, the same will also pervert what love is also. So yes, don’t take the false love gospel to heart that cuts out our need to walk in holiness and not be weighed down with worldly dissipations. Yet the truth is that love, the way God defined it is how we bring glory to God and worship Him in truth and in spirit.
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
The whole law is fulfilled and all of His commandments are kept when we walk in love. The gospel is a gospel of love. Hallelujah! We need to stop the self-righteousness and repent of our pride. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life, but what that really means and what Jesus said was to walk in love.
The Scriptures are full of proof texts that love is the way of salvation. God is indeed love. Yes we need to remember that God is not only love as He is Holy, Righteous, Just, Jealous, Vengeful, Merciful and is angry with the wicked every single day. But the simplicity of our calling as His disciples is to walk in true love from a pure heart with sincere motives. When we do that, we know that we are saved. It is a promise from God so long as we keep walking that way. We are kept in His garments and the hedge of protection is upon us. God will perfect, establish and strengthen us through His Holy Spirit. When we walk in love, HIS word says we can ask for anything in His name and Jesus will do it.
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son
The Pure Heart
Only those truly walking in covenant, i.e. LOVING from a pure heart will receive this promise. If our prayers are not being answered we should look at our fruit. Are we bearing a bountiful crop of the fruit of love or are we just being religious putting forth a form of godliness that bears thorns and thistles? Jesus did not give you a thousand rules of do’s and don’ts and define godliness and holiness by denying yourself joy in this life and requiring self abasement. HE TOLD YOU TO LOVE. That is His singular command.
John 15:12-15 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
We fulfill ALL the law when we obey this one commandment. All of it. Jesus said it and so did all the Apostles. Go read it in context.
Luke 10:28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live
Romans 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law
I have some very good news to those still immersed in doctrines of self-righteousness that think they have to save themselves by striving every day in their flesh. All you have to do is LOVE. Of course to love God’s way, SELF, all of it, must die. The inward things of SELF must be surrendered to Jesus at the cross. No pride, no greed, no bitterness, no jealousy, no strife, no contention — there can be NO partiality in our walk to meet God’s standard of love.
But there is bad news as the righteous judgments of God do not slumber. We either walk in love or God will destroy us. It is indeed a two-edged sword.
Colossians 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience
We either abide in love, which is abiding in Jesus or God will send the tree cutters to cut us off and throw us into the fire. That fire is right now – it is the wrath of God that will come to steal your peace and bring spiritual mourning and torment. I see this on very many faces of people who claim to know God and be in His will. Something is very wrong.
John 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned
Jesus chooses His Disciples. It is God’s sovereign choice in how Jesus builds the church. But when we are chosen, we are given an ordination to go and bear the lasting fruit of love. When we do that our prayers are always answered. Hallelujah.
John 15:16-17 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another.
This is the walk of a disciple and a true believer in Jesus Christ. Love is what springs forth from a heart cleansed of all defilement and filled with the Holy Spirit of promise.
John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water
John 4:14 But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life
My prayer is that all will be granted repentance by God and the Lord will remove the veil that blinds them to this glorious gospel. It is marvelous once you see it.
The Holy Spirit is grieved and the blood of many innocent is being shed by false teachers putting people into bondage and heaping judgment and condemnation on them. Without the mercy of the Lord, these heretics and deceivers will wish they had a millstone tied around their neck and were tossed into the sea than face the Lord on the day of judgment. The words of Ezekiel 13 apply directly to them today and they are horribly deceived.
They claim to know Jesus and take pride and boast in their knowledge of God accusing nearly all that they do not know God. The are sowers of doubt, judgment, condemnation and fear. I fear for them and their arrogance and haughty spirit in attacking this gospel of love. They bear little evidence of the fruit of love and by their false words have shown themselves to really be deceitful workers serving the god of this world. The real Jesus Christ and Messiah has become a stumbling stone to them and a rock of offense. They desire and believe they can save themselves by their righteous deeds.
1 Peter 2:7-9 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone and A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.
Oh I hope they repent of their disobedience and it will be revealed the true light that is our Messiah. It is a marvelous gospel when we come to see in all its glory. Let’s pray for heardened hearts to repent so Jesus can heal them and restore their eyesight and give them ears to hear. The end of our obedience to the LORD is the LOVE of God pouring out of our heart. This is the fountain of living water that God has planted in you. Now walk in it.
1 Timothy 1:5-6 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling
