That Old Nature

The old nature – that sin nature – has been crucified and put to death if so be that we have been born again, filled with the Spirit of God, ourselves buried together in baptism with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life. Newness of life! Old things have passed away; we are new creatures with a new nature. That old nature is dead! Sin is therefore no longer operating with dominion over us. It is only able to operate through the lusts of the flesh—our bodily members, which we continually war against. This flesh is born of corruption, but we being born-again by the Word of God are now born of an incorruptible seed—a seed that cannot be corrupted.

Do not believe the lie that there is a nature inside of you that must sin because it’s how we were born. We are BORN AGAIN – anew, brand new, by the blood of the Lamb, set free from sin and all the wages thereof! We should not be fooled that we are under the authority of a sin nature. No! The enemy—the god of this world, the powers of darkness—will have you to believe that. They will lie to you and try to enforce a FALSE authority over you and your life, only to draw you away into temptation.

The Truth stands and will destroy every lie of the wicked one. We are new creatures, no longer slaves to sin. If we sin it is because we allow our flesh to be drawn away by the lusts thereof. We must daily mortify the deeds of this body and expose the lies of the enemy to walk in the reality of who we are in Christ Jesus. Sons of God, heirs and joint-heirs with Christ Jesus, kings and priests unto God, awaiting that blessed day when this body of corruption will be done away and we will forever be with our Lord.

“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Pet 1:2-4)

Self-Deception

With all the talk/worry about being deceived by what/who is around us (often for good reason), it’s most important to examine our own selves and ensure we are not first walking in self-deception. The Bible speaks, on more than one occasion, about deceiving our own selves/our own hearts. “Follow your heart” doesn’t work if your heart is deceived. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer 17:9)

Since it’s mentioned in the scriptures, it seems we should take heed to those things that lead to self-deception.

WORLDLY WISDOM
Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. (1 Cor 3:18-20)

PRIDE
For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. (Gal 6:3) 

BEING HEARERS ONLY OF THE WORD
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (Jam 1:22) 

HAVING AN UNBRIDLED TONGUE
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. (Jam 1:26) 

THINKING WE HAVE NO NEED OF REPENTANCE
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8)

So to all who seek to walk honestly and humbly in the perfect law of liberty: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves...” (2 Cor 13:5)

Delight Thyself in the Lord...

“Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Ps 37:4

I’ve heard this scripture presented a few ways, often referring to God fulfilling our fleshly desires. That seemed great as a new Christian, until God showed me the truth a couple years ago. Delight myself in Him and He will cause my desires to be of Him and His kingdom. That really brought a whole new perspective. As 2011 came to a close, this scripture was heavy on my mind. Mostly, because I could see all the changes God has made in me. The work of the Holy Ghost has been great in my life. I am so very thankful.

The onset of 2012 is exciting and I see all the hopes and resolutions going forth. I’ve seen a lot of “This is my year,” or “This is the year of my blessing, my abundance,” and even “the year of my victory,”—and victory is great. We are sons of God and we walk victoriously, but wow, there’s a lot of me, mine, and myself going on. Don’t get me wrong, victory is something to hope for and even to be confident in. That victory, however, might not come in the way you expect it. It might not be a great job, a new house, car or money in the bank. It might be in a way you never expected. It might be in a decline of materialism so your spirit may prosper. I encourage you to not shut out God’s will by holding too tightly to your own expectations or desires. Delight yourself in the Lord and trust that He has a perfect plan according to the Spirit not the flesh.

If your trials have been many—I know 2011 has been a doozy over here!—thank God He has brought you through and know this: There are only going to be more coming your way. Maybe not the New Year’s word most want to hear, but praise God for without the trying of your faith, you cannot come forth purified as gold in the fire!

Give up your own desires and delight yourself in Jesus so He can give you the desires of your heart.

On our long ride home from Columbus the other day, I was pondering the desires of my heart. Boy, how they have changed since only a couple years ago! The first time I realized how much God had changed me was when driving by a “coffee shop”—aka:  casino—and immediately I began to pray for those inside, for the bondages of sin and addiction to be broken. Kinda surprised myself…knowing full well it was only in Jesus that this prayer came forth! But more than what God has done in and through me in the past year, past month, or even yesterday, I desire more of Him and His kingdom for each new day. These are desires that are rooted deep in my heart for 2012:

--To speak more of God’s word out of the abundance of my heart and by the power of the Spirit.

--To see people REALLY come to know and experience Jesus, His love, and salvation.

--To prayer walk 7th street in downtown Parkersburg, to break every power of darkness over the strip clubs, bars and porn shops that wrench my spirit every time I drive by.

--To see people healed—I mean really healed by the power of God.

--To see deliverance from the bondages of sin and death.

--To see demons cast out.

--To be the vessel by which Jesus does these things and by which His true, pure love flows.

I am amazed at how much God has changed my heart. I can only believe these desires have been given to me by God because I could never even think too long about these things, let alone truly desire them.

So, I hope you’ll join me in more prayer today and every new day that God gives you, less self, more Jesus, and greater obedience to the will of the Father, forsaking your own desires and expectations of what's to come. Oh, and if your local and want to hook up to do some local Jesus work, let me know. It's a war and if we're not fighting, who will? :)

Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Family or Religion?

Religion or Family?

Most of us like to say “family” yet we get stuck in the ways and hindrances of religion. Heard a great message and wanted to share my notes on some of it. I highly recommend listening to the entire message (link below). It’s a great message for everyone—from the one running the church for years to the newbie in the back pew.

You can decide for yourself if you really want a family or if you are happy with the superficial religious organization that leaves us comfortable in our flesh, but spiritually drowning.

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Family in Christ and religion are quite different.

Religion lets you show up and leave and no one cares.

Religion lets you pretend you’re doing good when no one knows that you’re not.

Family means openness, honesty, accountability.

Family means walking together through good times and hard times and ugly times.

Part of being a family means learning to receive things you don’t deserve and learning to walk in things you have not earned.

There’s no going back, only forward. We have to jump in as family—family loves each other, forgives each other, and walks with each other through hard times and mistakes. We all have problems and mistakes. In religion, we learn how NOT to share those struggles. In religion, you can go to church and do great and no one will know anything about you. 

As Christians, we are not just setting a trend for prayer or hunger for God; we are setting an example of family. No one is higher than another in the kingdom of God. No calling is more important than another’s…just different. In family we don’t have to show off. We don’t have to be more important; we don’t have to be special because we’re all special. There’s a part of family that we all have to understand: you’re just as important as the preacher.

Learning how to live in family takes time and submitting to God’s Spirit. His grace allows us to grow as a family, where the ones who are struggling get swept up and caught with the ones who are strong. There are days you may do great and weeks you may struggle, but God’s love for you does not change.

It’s easier to sit under religion because then you don’t have to be mature. Becoming a family means maturity. It means dealing with yourself. It means a commitment to praying in the Holy Ghost. It means a commitment to meditating the Word, fasting and the tools we have to help us to overcome ourselves. It takes time and it takes love.

There’s so much we have to learn about family. God wants us to sit and get comfortable in His presence as a family. Being able to sit in His presence, to love our neighbor, to do no harm to our neighbor, to learn to receive from each other, and to appreciate each other is just as important as signs and wonders and miracles. If all we do is pursue miracles, we miss out on the good stuff—holiness, character, love. God doesn’t want us to self-destruct because of lack of character or holiness. He wants us to grow as a family.

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I got so much out of this message. More than I could even write down. You can listen to it here: http://www.daveroberson.org/Media/1172/GS111003B.mp3 (I recommend listening all the way to the end).

Praising the Lord!

I just gotta praise the Lord! We’ve been going through trial after trial it seems. One extended trial we’ve been stuck in for over a month now. A financial trial. I posted about it a couple weeks ago so you may have read it. Well, my husband still has not been paid. The last regular check he received was at the end of August and he’s supposed to be paid between the 3rd & 6th of each month. So here we are…beyond the sixth yet again…and still no deposit. But you know what? I am so happy right now it’s ridiculous. Sure, we have bills and a car payment and rent and so on like everybody else, but how can I worry about something that God already told me was going to happen? I mean really? Talking about it with someone earlier and the only thing I could say was, “All we can do is trust God.” That’s it. Plain & simple.

You know what the most amazing thing is? I feel like I had a glimpse of what Paul experienced – on a very small scale in comparison – but still. Knowing what was coming through the forewarning of the Spirit, saying “OK,” and making preparations. Then tonight-- after we just paid some bills that were due knowing that we have no idea when his money is coming--I was filled with so much JOY. Ha! Doesn’t that just sound like madness? I wish you could have experienced it. If I could share the feeling I totally would. I just wanted to laugh and shout and praise God because I know that it is through this trial that we are going to see God’s awesome power manifest. What a blessing! I remember praying a while back, “Lord let my life be a testimony of your goodness and power.” I saw something not long ago that said it’s the test that brings the testimony. Well…here it is! Maybe not the way we would have planned or wished upon ourselves, but nonetheless it’s here. Exactly according to His perfect will. How can I not praise Him?!?

This is what I hear today...

Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Isaiah 1:4, 9-10, 16-20

Repentance. Too Harsh a Message?

My spirit is plagued by the thought that some people think the message of repentance is to too harsh a message—for this type of ministry, for that type of ministry, for any type of ministry. Jesus worked every type of ministry, from the religious folks, to the streets, to the demon-possessed, to the working class, you name it. In fact, John the Baptist, Jesus, all 12 disciples sent out 2x2, Peter and Paul all preached repentance in their ministries.

Repentance is too harsh a message? Isn’t that just what the enemy would have us all to believe? Without repentance there is no forgiveness and cleansing of sins. Without repentance there is no walking in the power of the Spirit. Without repentance we are separated from God because of our sins.

Repentance is too harsh a message? Did Jesus think so when He told the multitude it is better to cut off your hand or foot than to sin and go to hell? (Matt 5:30, Matt 18:8) People seem to have characterized Jesus as one who just went around hugging everyone into the kingdom. Um…hello! Have we read our Bibles? Jesus went around offending the masses. It wasn’t just the religious zealots He offended, which many choose to believe. At one point, He even offended His own followers—to the point that MANY of His disciples turned away from Him and followed Him no more. They said, “This is an hard saying, who can hear it?” (John 6:60) Did Jesus worry that the truth would be too hard for some? Absolutely not. In fact, He further pointed out to those that were offended, The flesh profits nothing (Jn 6:63). Jesus didn’t worry about offending people because He knew that there were those whose hearts had been prepared to receive the truth. We need to stop thinking it is us who are “winning” souls to the kingdom. Such arrogance! No one comes to Jesus unless the Father draws him (John 6:44, 6:65). It is God alone who opens hearts to receive Him, who opens ears to hear the truth. It is not our gentle words that woo people into “accepting” Jesus. This is a flesh-pleasing, numbers-counting mentality. True converts to Jesus Christ know they are wretched sinners who must repent of their sinful ways. Oh wait, but Jesus never preached “repent or perish” (as I’ve heard countless people tell me). Really? “…except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.” So important that He said it twice…back to back (Lk 13:3, 5). What was the common message from Jesus to most of the seven churches in revelation? REPENT. Are we even reading the same Bibles?

Did Peter worry about being too harsh when he blatantly told the Jews: You killed the Prince of life, now repent? (Acts 3:16-19). Did Paul worry about being too harsh when he told the idolaters, God no longer winks at ignorance, now repent? (Acts 17:30). Why then are we a generation of Christians who fears that God’s truth is too harsh? Maybe if we’d stop worrying about making everybody feel OK about where they’re at, the rampage of sin and abomination would not be destroying this country. Maybe if we worried more about what God thought, then we would truly see families restored, bondages broken, freedom from oppression, miracles of lives TRULY changed to reflect the new creatures that we are in Christ Jesus. We would see disciples rise who know what holiness and humility are before the Lord, who know how to fight the spiritual battles with spiritual warfare, and how to stand firm in the Spirit of God until the end.

You know that repentance/repent is preached/written 42x in the New Testament. Why did Jesus come? Not why do we think He came, but why does HE say He came? To call the sinners to repentance (Matt 9:13, Mk 2:17, Lk 5:32). What does Jesus say should be preached to all nations? Repentance and remission of sins (Lk 24:47).

Some will tell you that addressing sin or pointing out the need for repentance is judgment or condemnation. That is foolishness. Don’t believe such a lie nor allow it to direct your path. If that is so, then Jesus judged and condemned everyone He preached to, for the Word tells us that from the start of His ministry, He preached repentance (Matt 4:17). This is love. That people can hear the truth and the truth can set them free.

People are going to be offended. That is the nature of the gospel. Jesus was killed for it; the disciples were beaten, cast away from society, murdered for it. Christians today are mocked, humiliated, tortured, and murdered for it. Either you are a true follower of Jesus Christ and accept that our place is not in accordance with this world or you are not. We don’t get to choose what truth is OK (or gentle enough to preach) and what isn’t. God’s word is God’s word.

So, the next time you go to share Jesus with someone and hesitate when the thought of repentance comes, remember exactly what it is you are denying: the very essence of the gospel message.

Israel's Blindness = Our Salvation

Take heed Christians. Has God cast away His children Israel? God forbid. Their fall, their blindness, has come in part that WE might be saved—so the world could obtain salvation through Jesus Christ and know the riches of His glory.

If we were grafted in to the family of God through Jesus Christ, how much more shall he receive back the natural branches? There is a remnant prepared to enter in according to the election of grace. Their time is not yet, but until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. Then shall their eyes be opened and behold the glory of their Savior! Hallelujah!

Boast not against the children of Israel, for if God spared not them—the natural branches—He should also not spare us. He is no respecter of persons and will reward every man accordingly. In the days that we now live and the events that are unfolding, we must know where we stand. Choose not to stand against God’s people or His perfect plan. Let your heart not be lifted up against any, for a haughty spirit certainly comes before a fall and pride before destruction. You don’t have to know the politics of it, just know that God’s ways are perfect and His word is true (Romans Ch 10 & 11).

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” Rom 11:33-36

God's Best, Satan's Worst

A lot of you may have heard this saying before, but I heard it for the first time the other day and I can’t stop thinking about it:

You’re not going to get God’s best without first getting through the enemy’s worst.

This is a constant reminder of the spiritual battle that we face every single day! The more I strive to draw closer to the Lord, the more I am reminded of how much the enemy hates me, yes HATES, and wants nothing more than to see me suffer destruction by his own hands. We know this because his pride caused his own downfall. Well, I’ve made up my mind that I’m not having it. My God, the Spirit of glory that lives and breathes in me, is bigger, greater, stronger, and more wise than any enemy I may face (even myself at times!).

Satan is always roaming about seeking whom he may devour. If it weren’t so, God would not have told us. Don’t forget this! In your churches, in your Bible studies, in your homes and in your friendships—Satan wants to divide and conquer. That is his only plan for the children of God. He wants to create discord, doubt and division. Do not entertain the flesh when the devil plants these seeds and do not give place to the enemy. The moment you speak in tune with the doubt and discord, envy or strife the enemy has planted, you have given him place. Turn instead to the words of Christ to love your enemy (as your enemies will be that of your own household at times), bless those that curse you (even in your thoughts), and pray for those that despitefully use you. Rebuke that seed of bitterness or confusion the enemy wants to grow in you. Most importantly, when you see someone overtaken in a fault, restore him with MEEKNESS. Not pride!

Take back what the enemy has stolen and continually tries to steal—our unity in Christ. We all love, we all anger, we all fall, we all soar, and we all live this life in this flesh. When our eyes are stuck on each other, they are not on the Lord and they are not seeing souls come to the cross. Let us live in Christ, always endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.