Mannequin Christianity!
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10).

The one thing that God wants to see above all else in me, and that He prizes above all else, is a genuine thirst for Him and His kingdom. He makes this the condition of service. Aaron was chosen as high priest for Israel because his rod “budded” (Numbers 17:8); it sprouted with blossom and fruit because God Himself had miraculously given it life. The lesson is obvious: unless I possess this type of total dedication to Him. I will be fruitless.

God’s people have institutionalized spiritual service. We call a man to be a pastor, and because his is officially a pastor, we expect him to be a mouthpiece for God. Not Necessarily. The title is not the reflection of the type of life God desires, and the office is not the fruit. God does not bless an office or a title; He blesses a person, and He blesses him because he evidences the flow of dedication and integrity in his life.

Jesus Christ was a Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:6). Why? Because Melchizedek was a priest in function, not office. He had no temple, no sanctuary, no ritual; but his life was a continuous outpouring of the life of God in his heart, which blessed others, including Abraham.

Walking in the power of the Holy Spirit is what God requires and what the world craves. Walking in the power of the Holy Spirit is walking in LOVE which fulfills the law (Romans 13:8-10). Nobody, not even an agnostic, will refuse the life and fruit that God gives through His people, but everyone will bitterly denounce the “mannequin” aspect of Christianity, form without life. If I am to serve the world I must have life, the “more abundant” life that Jesus came to offer. Men have no use for “rods” or “sticks” that are beautiful in appearance but helpless to makes things new. God is the Reviver of dry bones and the Restorer of parched deserts; He is the Giver of Life through His Holy Spirit, by whom I become gloriously, overflowingly alive (Ezekiel 37:14).

Secondhand Knowledge!
The world is unable to receive Him because it does not see Him or know Him. But you know Him because He remains with you and in you. John 14:17

I must be careful not to “know” Christ in the natural way. Paul said, “Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet we now know Him thus no longer”. (2 Cor. 5:16). What Paul was saying we do not comprehend Jesus with our head or even with our five senses (flesh). When we know about Him with head knowledge, this is called secondhand knowledge. This is the problem with secondhand knowledge it is all academic studies and not based on having a personal encounter with the almighty God. I believe we must study the Word of God but it cannot take place of the Living Christ.

To know Christ “according to the flesh” is based on sense knowledge as the disciples had before the Lord’s crucifixion and ascension to heaven. The disciples were with Jesus for more than three years, yet they did not believe Him. The disciples were not born again. There were no born-again people until the redemptive work of Christ was finished and the Day of Pentecost took place. But when the Holy Spirit descended upon them and entered them taught them all that Jesus said and did and suddenly it became amazingly alive and true.

No amount of research, or laws of reason, or history will reveal the risen Christ. We must see Him only through our (spiritual) eyes and experience of the Holy Spirit. There are too many so-called Christians who only see Christ naturally. A natural Christ will transform no one.

Also, secondhand knowledge is not living off someone else’s faith. I must not be part of the “me too” movement thinking that I can get to heaven through someone else’s faith. God has no grandchildren, only born-again sons and daughters. If I let the Holy Spirit teach me directly about Jesus through His Word of God that experience and knowledge will grow stronger and sweeter through the years. If I learn of Jesus in any other way my knowledge will decay and rot and I will be lost. Paul’s prayer, “May God give you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him” through the word of God. (Eph. 1:17).

Simple Alternatives
We will receive from Him whatever we ask if we obey Him and do the things that
please Him. I John 3:22.

A Christian once said to me, “The Christian life is the simplest in the world-only one Person to please and only one thing to do.” True!!! Moses the servant of God said so explicitly, “See, I have set before you this day life and good, or death and evil”. (Deut. 30:15). The alternatives are surprisingly clear cut; and the results are far reaching. If I choose to obey God, the result will be blessings (v19), but if I disobey God, the results will be a curse that I have brought upon myself and my children’s children. (v19).

Often, I have heard people say, the Christian life is too difficult- too hard. And I must admit on occasions I have felt that way myself. Yet Moses said, “the word is very near you in your mouth and in your heart that you may observe it.” (v14). Too often, I have an overwhelmed by the goals of the Christian life instead of being concerned about the conditions. If I simply meet the conditions, the goals will take care of themselves.

The Bible knows nothing of instant success. How long does it take to deliver the Israelites from Egypt? How long did it take to construct it, and execute the plan of salvation? There are times, when blessings seem to be immediate, and when miracles seem to happen on the spot, but the conditions that brought those things about were an operation long before the finished product.

I must concern myself with the elementary; am I willing to do God ‘s will immediately and thoroughly, without regard for the consequences? If so, God’s blessings will surely be mine; if not, I will be cursed with the fruits of my negligence and disobedience. Nothing blesses the heart of God more than my willingness to follow him. The Lord will save, He will rejoice over you with delight. He’ll be joyful over with singing (Zephaniah 3:17).

The Victorious Outcome to Suffering!
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3.

As a Christian we will experience many trials to our faith. Some we cause and some Satan causes. How we respond to each depends on if we overcome or fail. In examining the life of our Lord Gethsemane not only shows us how to overcome fear, but how to succeed in our Christian lives. In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed a prayer, “not my will, but thy will be done” (Luke 22:42). On Calvary, Jesus shouted “it is finished”. (John 19:30). Jesus submitting His will to the Father sowed the seeds of victory on Calvary. During our lifetimes, we will face countless hardships, but the only way we can prepare for them is to go through our own Gethsemanes. Gethsemane is a lonely place. It is a confusing place. But it is a needed experience in our lives. This special place can build character or destroy us but once again it is how we respond.

We must be Gethsemane disciples. Gethsemane was not an isolated experience for Jesus; He went there regularly; it was His custom. (Luke 22:39). Spiritually, His whole life was a Gethsemane, He was constantly facing the enemies’ alternatives, but He was determined to follow the will of the Father. The Son of God who knew no sin took on the consequences of sin. The more selfish a person is, the less he will experience Gethsemane. He has no crises, no agony, and therefore no victory. Why, because he never submits his life to Jesus. Believers who live in the atmosphere of Gethsemane fulling the Lord’s call on their lives constantly reap victory.

Gethsemane divide disciples into three groups; those who decide to ignore God’s will, those who decide to consider God’s will, and those who decide to do God’s will. Victory comes only to the one who chooses to act God’s will.

I can avoid Gethsemane if I choose to do so, but I cannot avoid Calvary. The tragedy is that if I avoid submitting my will to the Father, I will be in poor condition to face evil. The glorious sequence of Calvary is the Resurrection, and Ascension but it starts in the Gethsemane of one’s life. If I follow the Lord through the trials of life, the Lord response to me is” he who overcomes I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, even as I overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne, (Revelations 3:21).

Owning Nothing, Enjoying Everything.
For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

We need to settle once and for all concerning our rights and responsibilities. To accept Jesus as my savior means I will resign my right to justify my sin. And to accept Jesus as my Lord means I resign my right to myself – my time, my talents, my future, my all.

This is where the real difficulty comes – resigning myself. To surrender my rights to myself means giving up my rights to my reputation, my place of service, my possessions, and my rights to privacy from the needs of others. As a follower of Christ I know that my reputation will suffer. As a follower of Christ I know that He may send me to a place of service that is not of my choice. I know as a follower of Christ they will be divine interruptions in my privacy. As a follower of Christ my life belongs to Him, nothing more nothing less.

When I became a Christian, I felt a great burden taken off my shoulders because Jesus took my sin. But when I became a disciple of Christ, took away all my rights. I took on the nature of a servant fulfilling my master’s commands.

I must admit that many times I am touchy, irritable, and even selfish. And this is because I have not surrendered my all to Jesus. I have lost sight of what a disciple is. A disciple is a servant. As a disciple I own nothing but enjoy everything that the master allows me to use.

The Danger of Distraction!
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your trust be evident to all. The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7).

Lord, I must avoid at all times the danger of distraction. What I do one earth echoes throughout eternity. The lives I touch and do not touch are usually due to being distracted by other things that blur my true mission in life. The Lord God knows how easy it is for us to be sidetracked from His will in our daily lives. Sometimes my little kingdom totters, my family convulses, and my mind staggers to the edge. Then I must be still and know that God is God. He must be my only refuge, my rock, my defense, and my fortress.

I must avoid running to Egypt which symbolizes the world for help. This is what Israel did when confronted by a fearsome foe (Isaiah 30:1-2). The trouble with running to the world (Egypt) s that it is a “little help”, and a little help can become a wholesale disaster. It is better to trust the Lord fully, and be completely delivered (vv12-13). Egypt was an illusion, a paper tiger, a tree inwardly eaten by worms. She looked formidable, but her looks were deceiving. She had glamour but no strength. If Israel (or I) trust in Egypt, it will become a “shame and …confusion” to me and whoever I touch (v3 KJV).

How often in my desperation have I looked to a person of wealth, so called possessing wisdom and knowledge, maturity and experience and said, “you are my deliverer”, only to discover the wealth, wisdom, and maturity were nothing more than cold ashes. There was no help whatsoever! I was driven in humiliation back to the source of my strength and wisdom, back to God and His everlasting arms.

It is not acting in faith when we have moments of running to Egypt and is certainly a sin to rest my weight and security upon Egypt, rather relying on God. To “be still” means to “relax”, but I must relax upon the solid rock of Jesus and His word. This is not a trust upon the shifting sands of trusting Egypt. Relaxing on Jesus and His word is like Nahum stated, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him. (Nahum 1:7).

John 8:32
Steps for having a Successful Life!

#1. Love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, and strength. If you don’t do this you will not find success in your life. Mark 12:30-31.
#2. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. Fear means reverence of God. Submit all your plans to Him for approval. Proverbs 3:7.
#3. Be obedient to God’s Word. Following God is a long journey in the same direction to the cross of Calvary. 1 Samuel 15:22.
#4. Be serious about unconfessed and lack of repentance of sin in your life. Judge yourself so you won’t be judged by God. I Corinthians 11:31.
#5. Be quick to hear, to love and forgive. Be slow to speak. Think before you respond in anger because God has given you two ears and one mouth. Ephesians 4:26.
#6. The Golden Rule love your neighbor as you love yourself. This can only be accomplished with God’s love not human selfish love. Matthew 22:39.
#7. Turn your crooked life over to God and he will make your path straight. All those areas in your life that are crooked as we surrender to God and be obedient, He will turn your ashes
into blessings. Luke 3: 4-6.

Being Divisive for Christ!
If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 1 Peter 4:14.

I must remember that Jesus Christ is not only a great tension reliever, but also tension bringer. If I expect Him to relieve all my tensions, I have a vain expectancy. Merely to know and follow Jesus will create all kinds of problems for me. His mother received that word when she gave Him birth, “a sword will pierce even your own soul.” Luke 2:35

Have I felt the piercing of my soul because of my commitment to Christ? Have I lost friends, seeing families divided, or seeing increasing bitterness among acquaintances because I’m determined to make Him my all? Mary must have gone through 1000 agonies once Christ was born. There must have been tension in the home. Neither did his brothers believe in Him. John 7:5. How did Mary manage to referee between her holy son and her other natural children? How could she stand their hatred of Him, knowing all the while who He was? When Jesus later said, “a prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown”. Matt. 13:57. What is Jesus also referring to his daily snubs of his half brothers and sisters? We really don’t know.

Jesus said he did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Matt. 10:34. He came to make mothers and daughters and fathers and sons one another’s enemies. V35. I am a very poor disciple indeed, if I cannot name, one person who has been offended because I chose to follow Jesus. But I must be careful that it is for His sake that enemies are made, not for my own. When my own rights and privileges are concerned, I must be as harmless as a dove; but when His rights and privileges are concerned, I must be a militant warrior. Lord, give me the wisdom to discern when I must be a militant; then give me the assurance of Jeremiah. “The Lord is with me as a far inspiring fear, inspiring warrior. Therefore, my persecutors will stumble.” Jer. 20:11

The Bible is a Fire and a Hammer!
Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.
Psalms 119:127-128.

I must understand that the Bible is not only my source of comfort, but also my source of bruising due to our disobedience. Is not my word like fire? Declares the Lord and like a hammer with shatters a rock? Jeremiah 23:29. If I’ve never felt the scorching of the Bible ‘s heat or the shattering of the Bibles blow, I’m not making much progress as a disciple. The Bible is a sharp instrument; it pierces, divides, discerns, and reaches into the depths of my personality, down to the thoughts and motives of my nature Hebrews 4:12.

I must beware the man who preaches a sugar-coated faith. Faith in God is not an Aladdin’s lamp that grants my every wish. I must avoid as I would, the plague, the man who preaches peace, peace, peace, continually. There are times when the Bible will not give me peace; times when to comfort and assure me would be absolutely damaging to me. How can I sin and not feel the burning fire of the Word?

The false prophet is easily discovered. He is a man who offers nothing but honey, peace, joy, security, and tranquility. He does that, of course, because it is what the natural man craves; it provides him a ready audience, a guarantee of success. A counselor who offers me a rosy goal, but never mentions the painful, torturous road to it is not my friend. Jesus Christ is my true friend. He offers me a rewarding future, but with persecutions. Mark 10:29-30. He wants to deliver me safe, sound, and holy. That is why His Word must sometimes make me ache with soreness and weep with bitterness. He knows where it all is leading; to manhood and womanhood changed with glory. I respond with Mary sincere humility, “Behold the bond slave of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word” for “my soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God, my Savior. Luke 1:38,46.

The Blueprint of Life!
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9.

As far as possible, I must live the blueprint of life. Jesus Christ lives that kind of life. The Son of Man can do nothing by Himself; He can only do what he sees His Father doing, because whatever His Father does, the Son also does. John 15:19. I must not misunderstand the blueprint. Life is not rigid command, but expected obedience. Jesus Christ was free to live his own life, otherwise He would not have been fully human. But He chose to live a blueprint life because He loved the Father absolutely, and because only by blueprinting could He ever achieve all the Father wanted for Him and for others through him.

The blueprint is God’s absolute guidance of what I am to do under His guidance and by His power. So, it is not a limiting instrument, but rather, a liberating one. The illusion of freedom is “I can do it better, but the misery of freedom is “I wish I had another chance.”. The blueprint means the Almighty, all wise. God is my lover, not my dictator. Why else would He bother? His yearning heart devises all that is best for me; yet His fairness and justice allow me to reject His blueprint, if I insist.

Jesus Christ found immense satisfaction in this; “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do”. John 17:4. Jesus never rejected His blueprint; therefore, His work was “finished”. I may reject my blueprint many times, and therefore may not finish my work as Jesus did. But if I trust my Father and through His power, I will finish out my life far better than if I had no blueprint at all. My joy is in what in the psalmist assurance in Psalms 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”.