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June 8th, 2008

Overcome Evil with Good

Posted in Religion

Overcome evil with good. A nice idea isn’t it? But what does it mean exactly? How do we apply this neat idea to our Christian walk?

The phrase comes from the 12th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans. It is found in verse 21, “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” It can be said that the book of Romans is written in three parts. In the first Paul presents the gospel, this lasts through Chapter 8, from there through Chapter 11 he outlines God’s plan for the Jews and the Gentiles. In the last third of the epistle he lays out practical lessons for the members of the church in Rome. I t is one of these lesson’s we wish to explore now.

It is interesting that in Chapter 12 Paul was speaking of evil in the context of those who were being persecuted for their faith. Paul himself was persecuted and eventually sent to death by the Romans on account of his faith in Christ.

In a broader sense this verse does not just apply to those who would persecute us for our faith. It applies to any person or group that does not treat us well for whatever reason. May times over the years I have counseled very angry Christians who had been wronged by someone in some way. Their comments are always something along the lines of “Well I’ll show them! If they’re going to do that to be me they’ll be sorry I’ll…” This reaction is perfectly human. But it is not God’s way. The whole theme of Chapter 12 is that we should not return the evil done to us with evil. This would be vengeful. Vengeance is the province of God alone. What God expects of us is to return increasing amounts of goodness and charity toward those who wrong us until it reaches a point they can no longer mistreat us. In fact in the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION this same verse reads ” Don’t let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.” God expects this of us not because it is easy, but because he knows it takes great effort on our part.

In his famous commentaries Mathew Henry has this to say “The line of our duty is clearly marked out, and if our enemies are not melted by persevering kindness, we are not to seek vengeance; they will be consumed by the fiery wrath of that God to whom vengeance belongeth.” I am particularly struck by Henry’s use of the term “persevering kindness. “We are not to react with kindness that can survive only kindness in return, but kindness that can repel the worst evil. What a spiritual weapon to have!”

When I’ve worked with people in this sort of situation what I’ve always told them is “its not about them, its about you, and the kind of person you want to be.”

The sooner you make “Overcome evil with good” a daily part of your Christian walk, the sooner you will be closer to God. Remember always vengeance belongs to God. Our weapon is the overflowing goodness that comes from our relationship with Christ. Build your sense of kindness at every opportunity, and wage war with it whenever evil strives to make you its own.

Robert A. Crutchfield is president of Kingdom Relationship Ministries. He is also Governor-General, and formerly Chaplain-General of the Virtual Order of St. Isidore of Seville. he is a minister, public speaker, and success/relationships coach. He is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, and The True Grace Ministries Gospel Minister’s Association among many other groups. Visit him at http://www.kingdomrelationships.org

April 29th, 2008

Finding True Happiness: Part Two - Four Sources of Divine Contentment

Posted in Religion

There are four sources from which we can experience true divine contentment. Contentment, as defined in part one, is a plateau of the Christian life that every believer must reach in order to be fulfilled spiritually, mentally and emotionally. That being said, let’s look at these four sources of divine contentment in which are sure to provide ways to reach a state of fulfillment.

John 14:8
Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

Source #1 - When we see God as our Father

We cannot reach a state of divine contentment until we know and understand inexplicably who our Father truly is. Not knowing who our Father is will leave us in darkness. We will not be able to discern His voice from all of the other voices that are trying to be influences in our lives. Our Father God wants us to call Him Daddy, Abba, Father. Some of us may have earthly, biological fathers, and a number of us have never met our biological fathers, nor even know where he can be found. But our Father in heaven wants us to know that He is there when we call. Our Father God wants us to commune with Him as if He were the only father that we’ve ever known. He wants to be there for us in all of our situations and circumstances. He longs for an eternal dialog with us.

John 15:10-11
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Source # 2 - Live by the Word of God

Knowing the voice of God is critical in the days that we live in because there are many false prophets, pastors and teachers that are leading God’s sheep down wrong paths. This is due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of the Word of God. We must possess logos (literal word) and the rhema (revealed word) Word of God in our inner man to be able to persevere. We must abide in God’s Word daily, consistently and with passion.

Having His commandments etched onto our hearts is what our Father God longs for. Jesus Christ is the perfect example of having God’s commandments etched onto the heart. It is through the keeping of the commandments of God that we experience the love of God and the presence of God. Abiding in God’s love is our purpose. To accomplish this, keeping the commandments of God is mandatory.

The most beautiful part about this passage is in verse 11. After keeping the commandments, and after abiding in the love of God, then, and only then, will the joy of the Holy Spirit dwell within us. Joy is the end result of our obedience and our abiding in the love of God. Joy is our reward for staying steadfast and unmovable in the things of God. Joy is our source of contentment and happiness.

Romans 8:28-29
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Source #3 - Be who we are born to be

It was no accident that we fell into the arms of our Father God and came into the knowledge of His Son. Many people struggle with their attempted relationship with God because they were not called. For those who are called to the knowledge and understanding of who God is and what Jesus Christ has already done for us, there is a divine purpose behind the call. The purpose of the call is to raise up a group of dedicated individuals who would press into the things of the kingdom of God, magnify the kingdom of God, and do the will and work of the Father. God called us from birth to be His foot soldiers on earth to establish His kingdom. God knew us before our birth, and predestinated us to be His, and His alone.

But not only has He pre-chosen us before our birth, but he wants us to be mirror images of His Son. Jesus Christ is our big brother, according to verse 29 - “…that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” We are the brethren. So if he is to be the firstborn of many brethren, that makes us His little brothers and sisters.

II Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

It is in the place of beholding the glory of the Lord that we are transformed into His image. Being in the persistent presence of God is what we should desire. We are a product of our environment. If our environment consists of violence and murder, our children will be influence by the spirit of violence and murder and there will be a good chance that they will fall into the snare of violence or murder. The same thing is the case with an environment of holiness and sanctification. If our children grow up in an environment that fears the Lord, and is clean, righteous and holy, then our children will be influenced by these things and therefore grow up to be fearful of the Lord, clean at heart and mind, righteous in the eyes of God and man - holy and separated unto God.

Being in the presence of God changes us overtime. It is the consistent purging by the water of the Word of God that cleanses, purifies our spirit, and transforms us into the likeness of God. But we must understand that this transformation is usually not something that happens overnight. Persistency and consistency is the key to being taken from glory to glory. The Spirit of the Lord purges us by stripping layers of ungodliness, one at a time. With each level of glory that we come into, a layer of ungodliness is shed. Continued pressing into the glory of God allows the stripping of our old man (flesh, sin) so that the new man (Christ) that has been supplied by the Spirit of the Lord will be able to show and do His work - being a reflection of the anointing of God, the oil of joy that he wants to pour into our lives.

Adam and Eve forgot who they were in God. They forgot that they were made in the image and likeness of God. Sin and disobedience led to the lack of knowledge of who they were in God. The same thing happens to us. Sin and disobedience places a barrier in front of our eyes. This barrier of sin blocks our vision of the image of God, and then we forget who we are in Christ and how we are to be like Christ. We must always keep God in remembrance so that His glory will continue to shine upon us and change us into His image.

Mark 8:14-21
14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.
15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
16 And they reasoned among themselves saying, it is because we have no bread.
17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? Have ye your heart yet hardened?
18 Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not remember?
19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.
21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

Source #4 - To remember what God has already done

Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is the testimony of what God has already done in our lives that will allow us to always remember that God is able in all circumstances and situations. It is in remembering how we were delivered and set free from past bondages and pitfalls that increases our faithfulness in God and our belief in His Word.

In Mark 8, Jesus fed the multitude with only two fish and five loaves of bread. This miracle was seen by the masses, including the disciples with a front row seat! And yet, only a few verses later in the same chapter, they had already forgotten what God had done for the people. A miracle, sign and wonder that was done in their presence had been forgotten in so short a period of time.

We are guilty of this also! We become so consumed with our problems that we forget about the miraculous power of our Lord, Jesus Christ! He wants us to remember what He has done for us in times past. We must always carry a testimony of how good God has been to us in the past and how he has delivered us from the snares and traps of the enemy. It is Satan that wants to erase our minds of the goodness of God. Satan longs to trap us in sin so that we are incapable of recalling our testimonies of what God has done for us. A lot of us are probably still living because of the grace of God, and His grace alone. Let us not forget who we are in Christ, and how he has set us free from the captivity and bondage of sin.

In closing, these four sources of divine contentment - 1) seeing God as our Father, 2) Living by the Word of God, 3) Being who we are born to be, and 4) remembering what God has already done, will allow us to experience the fullness of God. This fullness encompasses all that God wants us to possess in His kingdom. Joy is a possession in the kingdom of God. Happiness is a benefactor of that joy.

Lets make it a priority in our lives to strive for happiness by seeking the joy of the Lord. The joy of the Lord is the result of the kingdom of God becoming our environment. Our environment will be permanently changed by these four sources of divine contentment.

Be content in the Lord! Be happy! Be filled with joy, in Jesus name!

Maurice Perry is an up and coming author in the kingdom of God. He is currently writing his first two books on spiritual warfare in the urban community.

If you are interested in knowing more about this anointed young man of God, sign up for his Christian Newsletter today at http://www.todays-word.com/signup.html

April 14th, 2008

Sown in Weakness

Posted in Religion

1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. The hope that Jesus Raised from the dead, is the Hope that dwells within us all, who believe.
What does 1st.Co 15:42-54 really mean?
We have went from the Cross to the Grave, but the grave is not the end of all things but just the beginning. I attended many a funeral this year, all family members that went to be with the Lord, all having the hope of the resurrection within themselves.
The Cross for Jesus was two different things, 1. Giving His Life so that we might live.
2. Showing the Power of God, laying the sins of the entire world on to the shoulders of His Son.
The Cross is our symbol, not of Death, but of Life, thru the one who hung between Heaven and Hell, between Heaven and Earth, between Us and God. Jesus was, and still is, our connection with God that before was impossible.

A link of flesh and blood shed and a link of Spirits.
The Resurrection of the Dead.
1Co 15:42-54. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Sown in;
1.Corruption; Depravity; wickedness; perversion or deterioration of moral principles; loss of purity or integrity.
2. Dishonour; 1Co 15:43 -
in dishonour answering to “our vile body” (Phi_3:21); literally, “our body of humiliation”: liable to various humiliations of disease, injury, and decay at last. JFB.
3. Weakness; Want of physical strength; want of force or vigor; feebleness; as the weakness of a child; the weakness of an invalid feebleness of mind; foolishness.
4. Natural Body; This flesh that contains our spirit & Soul.
All of these things, we are, or were.

The Seed. The seed is the word of God, it is sown in many physical bodies, some believe and are saved and many more reject and are lost. The Word of God came to all by this sowing of seeds, thru a minister of God. This Depraved; wicked; perverse, the lacking of moral principles; and the loss of purity, came to us from sin and our acceptance of it. As we came to the knowledge of truth, we were weak in our bodys, accepting anything that this flesh wanted.
We were not in control of our lives and we were not in control of our spirit, for our spirit, before Christ, lusted to envy. Therefore as by the offense of Adam judgment came upon all men for by Adam we were all condemned. For if you say, you never sinned, you become a lier and the truth is far from you.

For all men have sinned and have fallen short of the Glory of God. Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
The seeds of the truth; 1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul(In the weakness of the Flesh.); the last Adam was made a quickening spirit(In the Power of God.).
As we die, so shall we be raised, dieing in corruption ,we raise in corruption, as we die in sin, we also raise in sin, for the corrupt after death cannot be saved, those that die in sin cannot be forgiven of sin.

For it is appointed unto man, once to be born, once to die and then the Judgment. There is no place after death, where men can receive forgiveness after he has rejected Christ in this life. To say or teach otherwise, is a deception and false doctrine.
1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
For only by the Cross, can this corrupt put on the incorruption, this vile put on Cleanliness, this mortal body be made in the likeness of our Lord, and this weakness put on Power.
For the resurrection of the Saints is by the Power of the Cross and the Power of The Holy Ghost. That same Spirit that Raised our Saviour from The Dead. The seeds of truth are sometimes harsh, gentile, easy to understood and sometimes hidden to only those that refeused to believe.
To some; Phi 1:15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
Phi 1:16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
Phi 1:17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.

Brns. The earnest desire and hope which Paul had was not, primarily, that he might be released; but it was that, in all circumstances, he might be able to honor the gospel, living or dying. To that he looked as a much more important matter than to save his life. Life with him was the secondary consideration; the main thing was, to stand up everywhere as the advocate of the gospel, to maintain its truth, and to exhibit its spirit.
For it is the preaching of the Gospel(Seeds.) and the living of the Commandments of Christ, that Saves, regenerates, revives and rejoins us, to Him that Died and raised, and to His Father that now accepts us into the Beloved. It is sown in Weakness; it is raised in Power: Ars.

Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries
A.R.Smith Ministries
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/
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