Set our minds on things above 2

Photo by Graurraz Vanionut. Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Hello again! Welcome back to A Good Bible Study. Our current topic is "A Passionate Love: the relationship between God and you."

We have been discovering the difference between passion that serves God, and that which serves sin (at it’s root, Satan.) We've asked, how can we express passion in a way that delights God?

Remember that in Col. 3:5, Paul described five specific examples of passion gone wrong, using the former practices of the Colossians as an example that can just as easily apply to those of us here and now. The first was fornication (read the post "Set our minds on things above 1.")

The remaining four are (clarified by various commentaries ) uncleanness; passion or inordinate affection; evil desire; and covetousness. Uh . . . what? Let's try and put this into our language.

Uncleanness doesn't mean you need to shower more often. It means behaving in a manner, thinking, and saying things that are just plain nasty, filthy, hateful, disgusting, and/or amoral, etc. It  means "impurity, or moral defilement; particularly to those impurities which he proceeds to specify in
Romans 1:26."

It's whatever made your granny wash your mouth out with soap, and then some.

Passion or inordinate affection isn't referring to the passionate love between yourself and God, or you and your spouse. That's a wonderful, life-affirming passion given by God Himself for us to enjoy! No, this actually refers to the Greek word πάθος pathos, meaning vile affections, or lust.

Lusting is passion gone haywire! It is not desire for your spouse. It is not a yearning to honor God, to help others, or to be take a God-given talent to a level of greatness that only perserverance and determination can achieve.

How can I say this? Lust involves mentally using the visual form of others for your own internal sexual gratification. What's wrong with that, you say?

God says imagining yourself sexually engaging is not only the same as physically doing so, in His eyes, it is adultery if you are married, fornication if you are not, and eventually leads to taking action. Your behavior follows your thoughts, and sin begins in the heart.

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45

If you think about it honestly, looking at another human being with lust is so disrespectful (if not abusive.) Ever felt your skin crawl and turned around to see someone mentally undressing you?

It's disrespectful to your spouse who feels humiliated  - and yes, he or she knows despite how sly and sneaky you think you are. It's also disrespectful to your future spouse, who wants to delight and scintillate you with his or her body, not compete with what you've worked up in your own mind or have come to believe through watching porn is more exciting. You think you are creating passion, but in fact pornagraphy steals passion.

Over time, you'll need more and more explicit and degrading images to attain the same level of excitement and eventually, your desire for your spouse actually decreases, not increases. Find out more here.

Finally, it's disrespectful to yourself. You deserve God's best and it's available once you focus on allowing God to transform you into a man or woman who is ready for the kind of love God can provide, if you let Him.

I know this post has been another lengthy one, but let me quickly give you the final two examples of destructive passion: evil desire, meaning all of the above and below, as well as wanting anything that harms oneself or anyone else; and covetousness, or greed, which is idolatry.

Greed means loving things, be it money, possesions, status, achievement, etc., more than God, and covetousness isn't merely liking something, or really enjoying doing an activity; it is a strong desire to take something away that rightly belongs to someone else.

In other words, you value the object more than you care about the effect your actions have on anyone else. So, in essence, you are worshipping that object or event. Your desire for it supercedes all else. It is theft, but it is more than that.

The Topical Bible Dictionary says "Its heinousness, doubtless, is accounted for by its being in a very real sense the root of so many other forms of sin, e.g. departure from the faith (1 Timothy 6:9, 10); lying (2 Kings 5:22-25); theft (Joshua 7:21); domestic trouble (Proverbs 15:27); murder (Ezekiel 22:12); indeed, it leads to "many foolish and hurtful lusts" (1 Timothy 6:9). Covetousness has always been a very serious menace to mankind, whether in the Old Testament or New Testament period. It was one of the first sins that broke out after Israel had entered into the promised land (Achan, Jos 7); and also in the early Christian church immediately after its founding (Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5); hence, so many warnings against it. A careful reading of the Old Testament will reveal the fact that a very great part of the Jewish law-such as its enactments and regulations regarding duties toward the poor, toward servants; concerning gleaning, usury, pledges, gold and silver taken during war-was introduced and intended to counteract the spirit of covetousness."

Now, contrast the preceeding with the wordly view of passion:

The media tells us that if we are passionate about something, we have an obligation to give everything we have to that interest or object, and that to neglect our relationship with God, our family, or our responsibilities is a further validation of the importance of the focus of that passion.

But the truth is that we are merely serving the passion, instead of the One who designed us with not only the passion, but a purpose and a way to express that passion or drive honorably.

God wants to direct the passionate nature He created in us to serve Him, to worship Him, to praise Him, and to honor Him. Passion is a gift, or a curse, depending on if we see it as a "god", or as a means to honor God.

Let’s pray: Lord, there are so many confusing messages in our world. Help us to set our minds on the things You value, that You are passionate about. In the name of Jesus, amen.

A slave of Christ

Hello again. It's good to see you in A Good Bible Study: A Passionate Love: the relationship between God and you.

Our last lesson was pretty heavy. Sometimes good medicine is hard to swallow, but good for us all the same.

Today, I wanted to simply share with you something my husband discovered. I think it will mean something to you and remind us all of something very important while we are learning about who God loves, as well as what He does not.

My husband has been reading the bible from the beginning, and at times it has been slow going. Much of the Old Testament is a history lesson, and pretty dry at that. But when you get to the New Testament, things really pick up!

He has been reading with the goal of discovering God's love in a personal way. He wants to understand it, accept it, and feel it. I can relate. Can you?

Today he read the first letter Paul wrote to his fellow believers: the book of Romans. He got as far as the first sentence, and was struck by the importance of Paul's introduction. Paul was announcing who he was and what he was about.

He said, "This letter is from Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach His Good News."

A slave of Jesus Christ. A SLAVE of Jesus Christ. Do you get the meaning of this word?

From the meeting on the road to Damascus, Paul gave himself up to Jesus Christ, to do whatever required, no matter the sacrifice, no matter the cost to himself.

What kind of love inspires a  man to willingly become another's slave?

Think about the life Paul led up to that point. He valued his financial and social position, his ability to follow the Law without error, and his skill and fervor at hunting down, imprisoning or killing, Christians.

What had he gained by all this? In comparison to his experience with meeting the Lord Jesus Christ one to one . . . nothing. It had become filthy rags to Paul. Nothing would satisfy him again but the love of God through Christ.

What would it take for you to become a slave of Christ? What does that mean to you?

Let's pray: Lord, I want to know the love that Paul knew in You, and from You. My heart is open. In the name of Jesus, amen.

A Passionate Love: the relationship between God and You - Set our minds on things above

Photo by Graurraz Vanionut,
courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Hello again. I am so glad we are discovering God's passionate love, and our passionate response to him, in A Good Bible Study. Today's topic is Setting Our Minds on Things Above.

What is the difference between passion that serves God, and that which serves sin (at it's root, Satan)? How can we express passion in a way that delights God? 

In Col. 3 Paul writes in verse 2 to set our minds on things above, not on the things of the earth. I notice God is always giving us these polar opposite choices: life, death; good, evil; blessings, curse; heavenly concerns, earthly desires; Christ, carnality. He's never wishy washy about it either, so be fore warned.

In verse 5 Paul breaks down five specific examples of passion gone wrong, using the former practices of the Colossians as an example that can just as easily apply to those of us here and now. You might not want to hear it, it is certainly not politically or socially correct in this day and age, but if you are serious about living a passionate life that delights our God, you'll be willing to prayerfully consider God's view on the behavior that results from a misuse of passion.

I ask you to remember God that loves you, and like any good parent He is willing to offend you if that's how it has to be, with an honest discussion regarding choices and behaviors which are ultimately harmful, no matter how tempting:

1. Fornication - sexual behavior with anyone other than, or in addition to, your spouse - defined as one person of the opposite sex (like it or not.) The Andrew Wommack bible commentary defines it this way 

"The English word 'fornication' comes from the Greek word PORNEIA and alludes to

any illicit sexual intercourse including adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse

with a close relative or with animals. (Lev. 18). Our English word "pornography" is derived from PORNEIA plus the Greek word GRAPHE which means a writing or picture involving unlawful intercourse. Pornography is wrong because it is looking or lusting after someone else's nakedness. The Scripture states that our own wife or husband is our nakedness (Lev. 18:8; Gen. 2:25)."

We like to pretend it's alright if we are only thinking about it, or fantasizing; that imagining the act is not bad, but really a "healthy outlet." In contrast, in Matthew 5:28 Jesus says, "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

And in Jesus Matthew 15:18-20 says, "But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, blasphemies. These are what make a man ‘unclean’ not eating with unwashed hands."

We as a society don't want to hear this. We are like children wanting to run amok in the candy store with no limits. We see only our ferocious appetites with no ability to look to the future consequences of a sick belly and exhausted body.

I've felt the sting of following my sexual whims and have suffered the consequences, as I bet so have many of you. I've learned from those mistakes, but not without cost. And I've justified my own misbehavior as a "payback" for someone else's wrong.

Even when I was given good advice, I rationalized my desire to sin by claiming that it's the best way to learn and so therefore, I wanted to learn from my own mistakes, which I think simply means "I know it's wrong but I'm going to do it anyway and I'll pay the piper later."

Honestly, I didn't learn much at all, until I gave my life to God, to live His way instead of following whatever "spiritual" teaching flattered my ego and my self-serving desires that day. 

Let me give you a comparison to ease the pain. I like to compare everything to parenting, because we've all been either parents or children, so who can't relate to that image? 

When I build a fence around my yard, both my children and I can relax and enjoy ourselves fully, because we are protected from outside elements from coming in, and my children are prevented from venturing farther than is safe.

In terms of sexuality, marriage is the safe fence. Marital commitment is a safe fence. Mutual respect and love within that marriage is a safe fence. Does that mean no one will ever hurt you if you respect these boundaries? Of course not! Anyone who is determined to sin will find a way to do so regardless of what they disingenuously promised. That fence is only as strong as the building material used.

We've got to take responsibility to choose our mates wisely, to keep God as our source of guidance and strength within our marriage, to do what we each can to ensure those boundaries stay healthy.

And, here's a difficult one for many of us. We've got to give ourselves permission to be passionate with our spouse, and let one another enjoy that passion, instead of comparing one another to photo-shopped, idealized images in books and movies. Think about that for a moment. Are you passionate with your spouse, and do you allow your spouse to be passionate with you?

Now, does this answer the question for those who feel they are born with homosexual desires or other passions that Scripture defines as sinful? I can only venture to empathize with the dilemma, and compare it to the fact that we are all born with a tendency toward a particular sin(s), even as we are all born to grow into sexual, passionate adults. Does that make our choices any easier? Not easier, but hopefully simpler. God says sexual sin is so overwhelmingly tempting that we should not even play around trying to resist it half-heartedly, but just run from it. 

 Am I the ultimate authority on this matter - absolutely not. So, I will share Who is, and what He has to say:

No matter the what, or why, or how, we have only one recourse, only one way out, only one path to our true passionate natures: to give ourselves to God daily (sometimes minute by minute) to lead us away from expressing that passion in ways that God defines as harmful to our bodies, minds, and souls. That's it. That's all. Give ourselves to Him, ask Him to lead us away from temptation and deliver us from evil. If it's up to us alone, we are lost.

I'm going to save the last 4 examples for the next post. They are definitely shorter than this, but I wanted to give this topic the time it deserves, because in one way or another, I think this is the most common struggle for us all, be it in our outer behavior or inner thought life.

Let's pray: Lord, You gave us this wonderful gift: passion. You gave us a desire and a fenced playground in which to fully enjoy it. Help us to overcome what has become of Your good gift. Help us to be the passionate lovers of life that You intend - and not settle for distorted pleasures that erode our souls in the name of sophistication. Everything You created in me is good - as created, as intended. Give me a passion that has no sin and let me enjoy it Lord! Lead us away from temptation, and deliver us from evil, for Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever, amen.

Burning with passion - for Christ

Hello! Welcome back to A Good Bible Study and today's topic in the ongoing study of our passionate relationship with God: Burning with passion - for Christ.

I looked the word “passion” in the index of my Nelson Study Bible, to see which verses contain the reference and came up with three: 1 Corinthians 7:9; Colossians 3:5; and Romans 1:26.

Passion can be a gift, or a burden, depending on how you handle it. 1 Cor. 7:9 specifically refers to hhe distraction and danger of burning with passion with no righteous outlet to satisfy or relieve your desire. 

Paul uses himself as an example, referring to the fact that he is so passionate about serving Jesus, he has no room in his life, or even desire, for marriage, and he wished we all felt that way. But Paul recognized his lack of need for marriage and physical love was a gift from God, and let's face it, not everyone is so gifted.

To try and force yourself (as an adult) to remain single (and celibate) when you truly desire marriage and the accompanying benefits, is to torture yourself and subject yourself to unnecessary temptation. Paul describes it as burning with passion.

Don’t be misled to think passion is ungodly, or something to avoid. God loves our passion, for He is a passionate God.

When you are passionate about someone or something, you are willing to put everything else aside for it. You think about it all the time, it’s importance supersedes everything else. You would die for it. You would give up whatever is necessary for it. That’s how God feels about us.

 John 3:16 "For God so love the world (meaning the people in the world) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

Jesus, being of the same substance as God, and His only begotten Son, feels the same way. If He didn't, He would not have suffered, died, and rose again for our sakes.

In John 17:19-23 Jesus says, “And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be as one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. . . that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

Can you imagine being loved by God, in the same way God loves His only begotten Son, Jesus? Think about that for a moment.

Now, can you imagine being so passionate you are willing to ask, and allow, Your Son to suffer for our sakes? Let that blow your mind for a bit.

Finally, can you imagine being so passionate about God, and about all of us, that You agree, and wholeheartedly? Jesus did.

So let there be no mistake, God is the author and giver of passion, but like anything good, it can directed in a positive manner, or misdirected to our own doom. Passion without boundaries is just chaos leading to destruction.

Satan loves to try and convince us that passion is the most important aspect of being human. “If it feels good, do it.” “Just do it.” “Go for it.” In fact, he really gets a kick out of convincing us that the most important thing we should be passionate about is money. Often, we neglect our families in the pursuit of social achievement or financial reward and call it a desire to provide for them.

Do we want to provide for our families? Of course, yes! But, I'm not talking about responsibility, I'm talking about being honest with what your goals and desires really are, and only you can answer that question.

It's because we are created in the image of God, we are passionate, like God. But, like all good things, the gift of passion is meant to enhance our relationship with God, not distract us from Him, or from those we love.

Passion with the drive to honor God is a delight to Him (one of the definitions of passion), but passion perverted into sinful behavior or that replaces our God (or our families) in importance, becomes an abomination.

Let's pray: Lord, thank you for being passionate about me. Help me to recognize what You've made me to be passionate about - and how to use that gift to honor You. Let me be wise in my work, so that I take care of all of my family's needs, not just their financial needs. Help me to keep myself straight in who and what I am serving with passion. In the name of Jesus, amen.

In Christ, Karen

A Passionate Love: the relationship between God and you

Are you ready to begin a new Good Bible Study? I can't wait!

I just finished reading the Book of Revelation and was struck at the very end, by God's passionate love for all mankind! Not only that, but the fact that while God loves each and every one of us, He really seems to develop a special friendship with those who are passionate, as well.

Think about it: who did God call His friend - by the way, can you imagine being called God's personal friend, not His child, not His servant, not His follower, but His friend? A few passionate souls come to mind:

Moses, a man so passionate he struck an Egyptian guard down to defend his fellow Israelites. Exodus 33:11

Abraham, who was so devoted to God he was willing to sacrifice his own son at God's command, trusting that God would raise his son Isaac up to fulfill God's Word that a nation would come from Isaac's line. 2 Chronicles 20:7; James 2:23

David was called a man after God's own heart. After God's own heart! Can you stand it? 1 Samuel 13:14b

Now, David was truly a man with an appetite for life and a passion for God. When the Lord showed David that he didn't have to be afraid to have the Ark of The Covenant in David's household, he brought the Ark to the City of David with such gladness, that after the procession had only gone 6 paces, David commanded they stop and offer a sacrifice to God. Then he danced before the Lord with all his might wearing a linen ephod (a short, sleeveless garment worn by priests.) The word used as danced here actually means "whirled." Imagine the trumpets blasting, and the people shouting, and the king of the land dancing and whirling with joy before the Lord!

I know that feeling, do you? That desire just to tear off my coat and dance with my face lifted up to the Lord, with tears of joy streaming down my face, just whirling about filled with the passion of the Holy Spirit before my God!Sometimes I have to remind myself that I don't go to that kind of church and do I really want to attract that kind of attention? David didn't care and I hope one day that I don't either!

The flipside is that passion without boundaries is just chaos.

Like Moses, David showed his passionate nature gone astray when he commanded one of his officer's wives, Bathsheba, be brought to the palace, where he seduced her (he was the king after all, I doubt she had much choice in the matter.) To cover his sin when she became pregnant, he then had her husband transferred to the front lines, and abandoned to die. You don't want to tick this guy off. Don't worry, God deals with David.

Paul is one of the best examples of a passionate, godly man - prior to his meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul (known then as Saul) was passionate about one thing only: killing Christians. Paul boasted that he followed all the commandments and all the Jewish traditional laws without blame. He considered himself a holy crusader of sorts, ridding the land of the "blasphemous" Jesus-followers without mercy. He was single minded, purposeful, and would let no one sway him from his goal.

Where you and I might see Paul as a lost cause, I can imagine God looking at Paul and saying, "Now there is a man I can use. There is a passionate man." He was right. Paul served God unselfishly and loved His people without rest, until the end of his life.

Peter, who Jesus called His "rock" was also a man of great passion. When Jesus asked Peter and his brother to put down their nets and "follow me," they did so immediately. Matt. 4:18-19. Later, when Jesus asked His disciples who the people said He was, and who they said He was, it was Peter who answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Matt. 16:16

When Jesus described His coming death and resurrection, it was Peter who took Jesus aside and vehemently insisted this should not happen. But Jesus reminded Peter that he was worried about things that concern men, instead of things that concern God. Matthew 16:21-23. Good or bad, it was Peter who always spoke up, who couldn't stop himself from speaking out, or acting up, because he was filled with passion! Peter was all in.

Peter followed Jesus out of the boat and onto the water. Matt. 14:28-29.

Peter struck off the guard's ear when Jesus was arrested. Matt. 26:51.

Peter followed Jesus all the way into the courtyard for His Lord's trial, when the other disciples fled. And it was Peter who wept bitterly when he realized he had just as adamantly denied knowing Jesus, just as Jesus predicted. Matt. 26:69-75

Finally, I want to add Mary, the sister to Martha and Lazarus, to this list of passionate individuals. Jesus loved these three as dear friends. John 11:5.

When Jesus visited their town, it was to Lazarus, Martha, and Mary's home that he stayed. During one such occasion, Martha was preparing the meal, while Mary sat enraptured at Jesus' feet, listening to Him talk and teach. Martha was irritated and asked Jesus to tell Mary to get up and help. But Jesus said, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:41-42

You might not think this is a big deal, but in this time and culture, a women's place was definitely not in the living room with the men, but in the kitchen working and serving! Mary didn't care. She was passionate about Jesus and tradition be - well, you know!

You know, most of these individuals made really big mistakes, and sinned in ways you and I would condemn. But God doesn't demand perfection in behavior, but genuine love in our hearts. He knows those with huge hearts make huge mistakes - and they suffer just as greatly when they realize their error.

Moses ran off to live in the desert for 40 years, Exodus 2:15; David wept and fasted for 7 days, 2 Sam. 12:16-17; and Paul changed his entire life, giving up the wealth and prestige of his position in the Jewish culture and giving his very life to serve the cause of his Lord, Jesus Christ.

After denying Jesus three times, Peter ran off alone to weep bitterly, probably feeling like the worst Christian in the world. But as soon as Jesus was resurrected from the dead, He sent for Peter. He asked Peter three times if Peter loved him (the word for love used was "agapao", meaning a love requiring commitment.) I think Peter must have been unsure of his own ability to uphold his commitment to Jesus after failing so miserably in the courtyard, so answered first and secondly that he loved Jesus, using the word "phileo", meaning a strong warmth and friendship.

Finally, the third time, Peter asserted that he did love Jesus with commitment, or agapao, and it was only then that Jesus commanded Peter to care for His flock, His church, His believers. This time, Peter knew what was at stake, and he said "yes."

Interestingly, it seems Mary and Abraham lived their whole lives in obedience to God, and perhaps that was the reason they were each called God's friend, for Jesus says if we obey His commandment (to love one another as He has loved us), we are His friend. John 15:14-15.

I want to be called the friend of God. I want to be Jesus' friend. I want to be passionate about loving what He loves; who He loves! Are you with me? If so, we are going to passionately love God, love Jesus, and love others. That's a verb, by the way.

Join me again in A Good Bible Study as we learn to loose our passionate nature for God!

Teach Your Children in the Way they should Go . . . and "Black-out Art?"

God's Word speaks to the heart of parents when He says "Teach the young according to their way, even when they are old they will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Ted Hildebrandt, (Grace Theological Journal 9.1 (1988) 3-19) says this about the verse:
"Careful consideration of lexical and contextual factors suggests that "train up a child in the way he should go" needs to be reexamined. The verb "to train" really refers to a bestowal of status and responsibility. The noun translated "child" denotes the status of a late adolescent rather than a child. "In the way he should go" is best understood as "according to what is expected." The original intent then of this verse addresses a late adolescents' entrance into his place in adult society. This should be done with celebration and encouragement-giving him respect, status and responsibilities commensurate with his position as a young adult." Copyright © 1988 by Grace Theological Seminary

I love these cross references as well!

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 4:9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

Deuteronomy 11:19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

As a homeschooling mom, I feel a great responsibility to teach my children what I feel they will need to know as adults, as well as to celebrate who they are as individuals, created with intention and purpose by God. It's so easy to slip into business-mode and forget how much fun it is to learn by playing with my kids! They learn so much more when I teach according to their natural tendencies and gifts.

My friend JeMa, a wonderful artist, found this cool poetry technique and put her typical artist's bent to it! The kids had fun, too! :) It's called "Black-out Art" and it's created using the text of newspapers. Poetry or art is created by blacking out all but just a few words. You can see why I thought it so fascinating and why I am going to use it as I teach my children in the way they should go at JeMa's blog:
Art By JeMA: It's A Blackout: "Our Blackout Poetry One of the most satisfying parts of homeschooling my children is allowing them to be creative. To allow my children ..."

Love, Karen

Surprised by the Voice of God - are you a prophet?

Welcome to A Good Bible Study. Have you ever wondered if you are a prophet?

Prophecy is a very real gift of the Holy Spirit, and is the topic of the book Surprised by the Voice of God: How God Speaks Today Through Prophecies, Dreams, and Visions, written by Jack Deere. Deere is a former associate professor of Old Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary, now a pastor, writer, and lecturer and author of the best-selling book Surprised by the Power of the Spirit.

Deere gives a clear explanation of the ways God communicated to first-century Christians, and why God continues to speak to us using the same methods. He also explains to those of us brought up with a more "conservative" church background, how to accurately hear God speak through prophecies, dreams, visions, and other forms of divine communication.

I found the book very easy to read, as well as full of clear references back to the appropriate Scripture.

In addition to explaining the Gifts of the Spirit, Deere reminds us that just because someone is using gifts, and even using them for ministry, does not mean we should follow all of their teachings blindly. Gifts are subject to the human beings to whom given, and so can be misinterpreted or actively misused. For example, there are "psychics" who are very adept at "cold reading" subjects to get clues about who and what the person most wants to hear about.

I can think of one highly popular medium (someone who claims they are in communication with the dead) who asks multiple questions to get all the information he needs to appear "all-knowing. "I am sensing someone who's names starts with a B, anyone here have a loved one who's name starts with B . . . Is it a male figure, a father, uncle, or brother? No, then it must be a female with male energy, is she a strong personality? Was it a sudden death, no? Then did she die sooner than you expected, yes, I'm getting that . . .etc.) This isn't prophecy, this is knowing human nature and manipulating the hopes and fears of people desperate for answers.

So how do we know if someone is worth believing? A true prophet points us to God, not to ourselves, and not to the spirits of deceased loved ones, or to created things (like nature).

Who better to ask than God to reveal to you personally what you need to know to have comfort and peace? Of course He sometimes gives messages (prophecy) through others, but be careful not be taken in by someone who's true interest is in your money. Remember, much of what a psychic says can't be proved, and does not come true, anyway. But, the message of a prophet is often a confirmation of what God has already put in your own heart.

Another way prophecy and psychism differ is that a prophetic message refers to God's plan and reflects His values. Psychic readings tend to give us permission to do what we want to anyway, regardless of the effect on others.

Jesus told us to evaluate prophets, ministers, and teachers by their fruit:

A Tree and Its Fruit
15“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

and

21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:15-23
Also look up 1 Kings 13:18; Jeremiah 23:16; Matthew 24:11; Mark 13:22; Acts 13:6.

So, even people with good gifts are able to claim they are serving God, but in reality serve themselves. We don't have to look far to see examples in the media!

Just what is good fruit? What should we look for in the lives, character, teachings, and churches of our leaders?

"22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."
Galatians 5:22-26

One good way to examine fruit is to look at our spiritual leaders' lives and relationships, their business practices, the attitude of their staff, and how they treat those who differ in opinions. Deere suggests we ask these questions about prophetic ministers and teachers:

"1. Are they honoring Christ and bringing glory to Him, or are they bringing attention to themselves?
 2. Are they walking in humility, and does their ministry produce humility?
 3. Does their ministry produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit? Are they setting the example for others to encourage the Holy Spirit to grow in them, and produce fruit?
 4. Are their words accurate and do their predictions come true? Those gifted with prophecy gain authority and stature by exhibiting the character of the Lord Jesus and consistently giving accurate predictions. (As we trust and obey God, we will deliver more accuracy as we mature.)
 5. Does their teaching fall in line with Scripture? Very important! Reading and interpreting Scripture as written, and for ourselves, is vital. At times our religious traditions contradict Scripture, and some religious leaders prefer to honor man-made tradition over the very Scripture on which are traditions should be built.

Speaking of which, it is never a prophet's role to control the lives of his or her followers, i.e., as in a cult!

 A prophet never replaces the Holy Spirit in our walk with God, and certainly does not remove our accountability before God for our choices and decisions. Read  Kings 13:1-18.

In fact, quite frequently a prophetic word serves to support, confirm, or clarify a leading God has given us individually, through the Holy Spirit. 

What if you have been given the gift of prophecy?

If you feel led to share a prophecy to someone, or your church body, pray and ask permission from God to share the prophecy at this time. Some prophecies are are more of a FYI, a preparation for a coming event. Others are to gently correct, or to encourage others. Speak to your church leadership first if the message is for the body. Ask for prophetic confirmation and permission to speak. If the answer is no, go back and pray for more guidance from God.

Also, pray and ask for the correct interpretation of the prophecy. It's easy for us to get a revelation, but then interpret based on our own opinions of what someone should be doing. Too often people have been publicly humiliated over a revelation when prayer and a private discussion would have resulted in glory to God, instead of resentment over a misunderstood reason behind the prophecy. 

Prophecy is best given in a spirit of humility, without dramatic exclamations or "Thus says the Lord,"  or in loud voices. This self-aggrandizing results in fear, or self-appointed authority, when in truth, prophets are messengers acting under God's guidance and insight, not their own.

Leave the outcome of the message to God. People will either listen, or they won't. They will be blessed, or they won't. We don't know the purpose behind the prophecy sometimes, just that we need to share it. Say something like, "I feel like God wants me to share this with you, I hope it's meaningful to you."

If you are looking for praise, applause, or personal obedience you've forgotten your place. This is God's message, not ours, and we don't always know why someone needs to hear the message we've been given it.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8

Let's pray:

Lord, thank you for your good gifts. If there is anyone reading who wants what You have, who wants to bless others with Your gifts, lead them to know You and Your ways. Help us to be open to what You would have us say to encourage and lead others. Help us to be humble and remember it's Your wisdom, not our own. And help us to be willing to listen, and not just to speak. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Love, Karen

The Holy Spirit and you

What is the Holy Spirit and what is His role in every day believers' lives? The Holy Spirit comes as a comforter, helper and communicator from God. He was sent specifically by Jesus to everyone and anyone who believes in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Jesus promises the Holy Spirit will help us in specific ways:

"Jesus answered and said to him,'If anyone loves Me, he (or she) will keep My word; and my Father will love him (or her), and We will come to him (or her) and make Our home with him (or her). He (or she) who does not love Me does not keep My words. . .the word that you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.

These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring you remembrance of all things that I said to you.'" John 14:23-26

"But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of me." John 15:26

"However when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." John 16:13-14

What Jesus Christ is saying, is that if we love and worship God, accept His gift of eternal life with Him in heaven by the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, then we are given personal access to God through the Holy Spirit. What a wonderful gift!

The Holy Spirit's role for believers is to
1. teach us all things
2. remind us of everything Jesus said and taught
3. testify about Jesus to us
4. guide us into all truth
5. tell us what is to happen in the future

The Holy Spirit did all of these things for the apostles, however, He is still working in all believers today. We might call it intuition, a feeling or hunch, a remembrance of scripture or bible teaching, or at times, an audible or visual message telling us to act (or avoid something). We often say, "What a coincidence" or "I just knew I was supposed to do that."

The Holy Spirit is also our conscience, our moral compass; He brings a sense of conviction to our hearts. At the moment you felt you needed God, wanted God, and couldn't wait to spit out all of the ways you'd sinned and rejected love in the past, you met the Holy Spirit.

The more time we spend in God's word, the better we will recognize His voice, His teaching, and leading. The more time we spend not only asking in prayer, but listening and expecting His response, the more we will experience His voice. I find it's those times when I am physically active and mentally silent that I get the most clear communication, those "a-ha!" moments that can only be from the Holy Spirit because just two seconds before I was completely stumped!

The Holy Spirit comes to lead us to joy, contentment, peace, love, and harmony, not to increase our self-centeredness or self-importance. We do not need to "channel" Him, be "possessed" by Him, or lose control to Him. We do not need to burn incense, chant, or meditate to access Him.

He comes as a gift from God, a Helper, a Comforter, a Truth-Giver. The only requirement is to love God, and to choose to believe God loves you. In fact, God says He loved us first (Romans 5:8.) We don't have to do anything to earn, or get, His love. He already gave it and He doesn't take it back! We only need to admit that there's no way we can ever do enough good to deserve heaven, and just accept what Jesus did so that we can have heaven anyway.

We've only got to believe what God says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call on me, and got to pray to Me and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord . . ."

Pray with me now: Lord, I am so sorry for all the ways I've tried to get what I want while ignoring You. I can't be good enough to get to You on my own. I'm tired of trying. I've been selfish and self-centered, and wanted it all my own way. Most of the time my plans have backfired on me. Please forgive me for everything I've ever done, and ever will do to hurt You and hurt other people. I accept Jesus died for me, so I can live. I accept His gift of life. I want Your Holy Spirit to be my teacher from now on. I'll follow You now. I want what You offer: peace, love, joy, contentment, laughter, and harmony. Send your Holy Spirit to me Lord and let me be sensitive to His voice from now on. Let me never be the same again! In the name of Your Son, Jesus, amen.

Spirituality, or spirits-uality

Hello friends! I have been buried in books and prayer for the past few months and am coming up for air. God is so good. He provides exactly what we need, when we need it. I don't mean when and what we "want," but what He knows we need, in His wisdom. Let's pray:

Lord, guide my eyes so everything I read is filtered through Your Word and Your Grace; guide my ears, so that I recognize the difference between Your Truth, and spiritual confusion; guide my mind so I remember that anything that draws me into serving myself, elevating myself, or celebrating your creations over You, as Creator, actually decreases my spirituality instead of enhancing it.

And Father, keep my heart close to yours so I never believe anything, except that only Your love can satisfy the longings of my soul to be still, and know God. In the name of the Way, the Truth, and the Light, Jesus Christ, amen.

In reading The Holy Spirit and You, by Dennis and Rita Bennet, I was struck by this quote:
"If you find much emphasis on the teachings of Jesus, but little on His Person, you may be sure you are dealing with a false cult. Christianity is not founded on the teachings of Jesus, but on the Person of Jesus. It isn't what He taught, but Who He is, that matters most."

There is so much in the world today designed to confuse Christians and non-Christians alike. Satan loves to entice us with a small measure of truth, which he twists until we foggily look around, and realize we have forgotten who is the Source of all good things, and begin to worship the good things, instead.

In reading various books on "spirituality," attending some classes on healing and "gifts," I have been struck by how seductive false spirituality is, how it alludes to a relationship with God, but really points us to a "god" that asks nothing of us, and offers nothing to us other than more metaphysical knowledge and a desire for personal powers, including psychic gifts. This tempting apple is not dissimilar from that which brought down Adam and Eve, promising the knowledge of God.

I am not referring to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which some confuse with talents or even psychic ability. We all are born with genetic talents but these are not Spiritual Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Talents are an expression of our own creativity and genetics, which are certainly given by God and should be expressed and used. However, while Gifts of the Holy Spirit might complement our talents, they are given to us by God only after we have chosen to repent of our sinful thoughts and behaviors, and accept the sacrifice of Jesus that literally purchased our forgiveness.

We all want our talents to be celebrated, and we tend to search for activities that will highlight our talents. We should instead do as Helen Keller suggests, "It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks." A Holy Spirit Gift is power equal to the task.

It is imperative to understand that Spiritual Gifts point us to God, not to ourselves. Mysticism and metaphysics point us to ourselves, and to knowledge for the sake of learning, alone.

Too often people searching for proof of God, seek out spirits. Little-s spirits are nothing more than demons claiming to be ghosts, extra-terrestrial travelers, or gods (goddesses.) These spirits seek to possess and control people by seducing them with special powers. Is it any wonder that demons possess personal and private knowledge of our loved ones and even ancient peoples? They've been watching us for centuries. Demons seek to gain our trust for the purpose of opening our spirits up for their immediate or eventual possession and control.

The Holy Spirit does not possess and overtake your consciousness. He indwells our hearts, giving us direct communication with God the Father. We retain choice, personality, and we experience an increased capacity for love, mercy, kindness, forgiveness, and a desire to help others.

These Gifts are for two specific purposes: ministering to and encouraging other believers; and demonstrating the power and goodness of God to non-believers, so that they are moved to believe.

Spiritual Gifts are listed in the following scriptures. Make sure you read reputable commentaries and study bible notes on these gifts for more understanding about practical application.
Exodus 31:3; Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14; Ephesians 4:1-16; Hebrews 2:4

The Holy Spirit Gifts are not designed to elevate ourselves and they never, ever involve speaking to spirits of the dead or allowing any spirit to possess us for the purpose of "channeling" knowledge. God is very clear about this in His Word.

Question any person or doctrine that encourages you to develop supernatural gifts merely for the purpose of increasing knowledge, or even under the guise of helping others if it is by your "spiritual" power and not by the working of the Holy Spirit, and without a requirement to be guided by, put to use by, and in submission to God. I mean God the Person, not god the universal energy that requires and demands nothing from us other than we "grow and learn" here on earth for our personal improvement.

2 Timothy 3:1-7 (New International Version 1984, ©1984)


"Godlessness in the Last Days
1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.

I caution myself, and all of you who are seeking a more intense experience with God, to follow the advice our Lord gives when considering the teachings of any man, or woman, and that is:

"Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world." New Living Translation (©2007)

Examples include:

1 Kings 13:18 The old prophet answered, "I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the LORD: 'Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.'" (But he was lying to him.)
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Jeremiah 14:14 Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.
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Jeremiah 23:16 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the (false) prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.
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Jeremiah 29:8 Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Do not let your (false) prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have.
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Matthew 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
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1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 Test everything. Hold on to the good. Abstain from every form of evil.
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2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 Now, brethren, concerning of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come.
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2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.
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1 John 2:18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.
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2 John 1:7 Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
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Revelation 2:2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
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Let's pray:
Lord, thank You for Your good gifts. There are many things we do not understand in this universe of Yours. One thing we know is true is that there is one God, one Father, one sacrifice for our sins who is Jesus Christ, one Holy Spirit by whom comes all Spiritual Gifts that increase a genuine spirituality. Help us to focus on You, instead of ourselves. Help us to help others in a way that leads them to the ultimate Helper. Help us to seek eternal gifts, and not temporary talents that serve our own egos, no matter how we dress them up in a cloak of spirituality. Your Gifts include discerning of spirits, knowing which are of Truth, and which are clever lies. I pray for each of us to be truly discerning of spirits, in the name of Jesus, amen.
Love, Karen

Do other religions have anything to offer Christianity?

Hello again, welcome to A Good Bible Study. If this is your first time visiting, please begin at the first blog post.

During my reading and prayer time, I have been seeking knowledge and understanding about the supernatural spiritual world consistent with my Christian faith, and have been richly rewarded.

I wondered if any other Christian scholars had looked to the bible for context and explanation of the miraculous and spiritually supernatural events that occur around the world, including near death experiences, and also whether other religions, which may not specifically understand or recognize Jesus Christ as the ultimate Redeemer and Son of God, have yet something of value to contribute to Christian faith and spiritual growth.

In reading the words of Thomas Merton, a universally respected scholar, authority on Christian mysticism, and best-selling author, who was also a monk who lived more than 27 years in the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky (yes, Kentucky) I found encouragement to trust God to lead me to find the truths, and recognize that which is not.

So, yes, I am beginning to believe that other faiths may have much to teach Christians about spiritual inner life, just as Christians may share the true source, Jesus Christ, of all this wonderful spiritual knowledge.

". . . I think we we have now reached a stage (long overdue) of religious maturity at which it may be possible for someone to remain perfectly faithful to a Christian and Western monastic commitment, and yet learn in depth from , say, a Buddhist discipline and experience. I believe that some of us need to do this in order to improve the quality of our own monastic life and even to help in the task of monastic renewal which has been undertaken within the Western Church."  The Asian Journal of Thomas Merton (Father Louis), New Directions, New York
Love, Karen