God’s provisions

Deuteronomy 24:19-22 (New Living Translation) 19 “When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all you do. 20 When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don’t go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. 21 When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don’t glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. 22 Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command.

Leviticus 19 (New Living Translation) 9 “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. 10 It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 23:22 (New Living Translation) 22 “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God.”

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I was studying the topic of a redeemer and read the book of Ruth to get some insight on the subject. I saw where Boaz, Ruth’s redeemer, directed his harvesters not only to leave what God instructed them to do per Deuteronomy and Leviticus but told them to leave extra grain for her to pick up. At the end of the day, she had gathered a full basket to take home to her mother-in-law Naomi.

What I see in this story in Ruth is that it is the fulfilling of the Lord’s command to leave provisions for the poor, the orphaned and the foreigner. God wants his people to share with the less fortunate and the foreigners or strangers in the land who might not have food or work.

The straight and simple is God had made provision for all of us. The provision is already there it is up to us to find it and gather it. God made provisions but each person still had to go out and gather it. They still had to do something. They had to work for it. As the saying goes: “there is no free lunch”. Many Christians are sitting around waiting for “the check in the mail” or gold to fall from the sky or to win the lottery. It is not going to happen. There may be a few cases of free money but often the person who received laid the groundwork to receive that money. They have given and paid the price that causes them to receive that “free” money. In the end, it really was not free. The rule always applies “You reap what you sow”.

All my life when I prayed for more money I usually had to work for it. The opportunity to work overtime would offer itself. A side job would be there just when I needed it. The message I want to share today is that we, Christians, will always have to earn what we need. If you lack what you need, look around, the provision is there somewhere.

I remember a story I read years ago about a priest in a small church that needed money to provide for his poor parishioners. He prayed and prayed but nothing came. He was getting desperate when the Lord finally got through to him and said, “I’ve already provided for you, look around you”. The priest got up and looked around the little plot of land on which the church stood. They built the church in an old pecan orchard and it was full of pecans that were just falling to the ground. People usually just picked up what they wanted for themselves but nobody gave thought to gathering them and selling them. The priest got some parishioners to join him and between them, they gather a number of baskets to sell in the market. Strangely, the money they received was just enough to meet their needs.

So it is with us. Nothing is actually free. That is part of the American ideal. You get to work as hard as you want, make all you want to make and keep it. God said, “If you don’t work you don’t eat”. Many people in American, Christians included, want a free ticket, a free meal or a handout from either God or the government, or a winning lottery ticket. Instead, you need to look around. Maybe you are standing in your orchard. Maybe what you have been praying for is right beneath your feet or just above your head. God has instructed the world to leave provision for His children. We still have to harvest it. Look around you; find out where God wants you so you can bring in your harvest. It is there, waiting for you.

Nubby

Learning from experience

Picture the following scenario. You are going to build a new church building from the ground up. You need to hire an architect. Cost is not a consideration so you are not looking to “go cheap”. You could choose a veteran architect with twenty plus years experience or you could choose a young architect right out school who has no experience but he has studied the latest trends and architectural theories. Whom would you pick?

Likewise, if during the construction a problem arises with a structural issue, who are you going allow to instruct your contractor as how to proceed, a young trainee right out of school or an experienced seasoned structural engineer who has solved many problems like this? Whom would you choose?

In each case, a person with reasonable common sense would choose an experience person over someone that has only studied and practiced from a book, which brings me to the place of my immediate concern. I listen to sermons and teaching downloads when my work does not require most of my attention. I listened to a recording today about gifts of the Holy Spirit, a teaching on I Corinthians 12. Before I start I want to say I have been functioning in the gifts of the Holy Spirit for more than thirty years and I am aware there are many problems with different teachings on the Gifts.

My concern today is there are many people who teach about the Gifts and the spiritual applications when they have never functioned in the supernatural operations of the Holy Spirit. Most have learned their Holy Spirit doctrines in college and have never progressed beyond those teachings. In effect, we have people who teach in churches, schools and universities, propagating the same ideas to their student, which amounts to teaching them not to use the gifts of the spirit. They are teaching their students unbelief. To teach that the gifts no longer function or to minimize the Holy Spirit gifts (teach that the gifts are just enhanced natural abilities) is to teach unbelief.

If someone says the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are not in operation today he is probable correct. They are not operational in him because he lives in unbelief. He receives what he believes. The sad part is he teaches that unbelief to others. Just as Jesus could not heal many in His hometown because of their unbelief the Holy Spirit cannot work through those who accept teachings of unbelief.

Read the four gospels. Jesus operated in the spiritual gifts. He taught his disciples how to operate in the spiritual gifts. He taught the seventy how to operate in the spiritual gifts. Then before He ascended, He told His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit, which would endow then with the supernatural power, the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He told them to teach others what He had taught them. Then the church continued to grow and operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Allow the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and truly see what the bible says. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would lead us into all truth. Let Him.

The lesson I heard today from a well-known teacher was more interested in protecting and defending his doctrine and opinions than he was searching for and finding the truth. I could sense a feeling of anger as he opposes theological straw men and their supposed "wrong" views on the Holy Spirit and the Gifts. He was more concerned with showing how right he was than understanding that God gave us the gifts of the Spirit so we could spread His love to the world.

The love chapter is sandwiched right in the middle of two chapters about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts are about love, they are the tools God gave us to show His love, the love that reveals Christ. Take the three chapters in I Corinthians (12, 13, and 14) very seriously. They are not for self-aggrandizing or self-exaltation. Through the gifts, we are able to be true ambassadors for Christ doing the same things He did.

If I were a student of the bible, I would want to hear all there is about the Holy Spirit and His Gifts and lets the Spirit Himself guide me into all truth. For one thing, I would find a teacher who has operated in the Gifts and see what he has to say. I would ask him to take all the points from the theological schoolteacher as questions and explain with scripture his viewpoint and why the difference. I would certainly want to know if the gifts and powers of the Holy Spirit are operating today as they did in the early church. Most of all if they are just available today as they were in the book of Acts, I would want somebody with experience to teach me about them so I become experienced in all that God has and use all the tools of love He made available.

Nubby

The Overall Underlying Purpose of life

I heard a sermon recently that opened my eyes to an even greater purpose of why you are here and what are you suppose to be doing.

I Cor 16:14 Let all you do be done with love.

There are many scriptures that support the idea that everything we do must be done in love. Our overall and underlying purpose in life is to be a vessel of God’s love to the world, a lost and dying world. Everything that Jesus did was to show forth God’s love to the world to the point of dying for the creation he himself created. We are now the living Christ (Christ in us) and as the body of Christ and as individuals, we, the body as a whole are to continue to show that Christ like love to the world. Picture yourself as Jesus. You are Jesus to the people living on this earth. Everything He did was based on love. Every act, every word and every thought was based on His love for each and every individual on the face of the earth. He love everyone. The sick, the feeble, the poor, the rich, the smart and the not so smart, the despised, the oppressed and the downtrodden. He loved them all. To truly fulfill your purpose you must love them too.

When I wake in the morning if I have any questions as to why am I here and what is my purpose today then there is one simple answer: I am here to love somebody as Christ loved them and to make that love known. So the greatest answer to the question of “What would Jesus do?” is: love them. Love individuals, love your neighbor, Love your God and love yourself. When I encounter the unlikable people that God puts in my path they are there to remind me that they need an encounter with the love of Christ. I am that Christ in their life and Christ would do nothing less than love them unconditionally.

When we reach that level where we have learned to love everyone as Christ did then we have achieved the fullness of being Christ like. No matter what else I accomplish in life or in ministry it amounts to nothing if I did not do it in love. I can be rich or famous, I can achieve great ministry goals and win thousands of souls for Christ, but if I did not do it in love I have failed in my true purpose in life. Whatever task I think God has called me to do, without love, it has no meaning.

Nubby

The State of the Union

The president spoke at an annual event called the State of the Union Address. He spoke partially on the economy and jobs. To stimulate the economy and create jobs he wants to spend more. Essentially he wants to spend more money than he has already wasted in the so called stimulus package. Of course this "more money" he wants to spent will have to be borrowed which in turn will take money away from private enterprise to pay on the debt's principle and interest. Therefore the only benefit that will come to anyone will have to come through Washington and the most benefit will be to those who work in Washington. We, the taxpayer, will have less to spend and thus less will be circulated among the everyday folks who actually need it most.

When the government takes our money and spends it that is only moving money from one side of the U.S. economy bucket to the other side. It does nothing to stimulate the economy. It adds nothing to create or increase productivity. Rather than me spending my money on what I want or need the government takes it and spends it what they want. I get nothing out of it.

I have heard numerous time that there is approximately two trillion dollars sitting in banks and other accounts not doing anything because the cost and uncertainties of doing business in the United States is too great. That is two trillion dollars that if invested in the United States would triple to six trillion dollars over a few years. That is the kind of stimulus we need that would not only pay off the debt but would give us the flexibility to fix medicare, social security

I have an idea. Rather than taking away our money and funneling it through the government cash register, lets find ways to stimulate the economy in the private sector. If we lowered the corporate income tax to eighteen percent or less (down from 35%) that would be a great incentive to invest all those dollars in the united states.

If we removed all the taxes on money that US companies make overseas then that money will return to create more jobs here in the US.

If we removed all the unnecessary regulations, excluding safety and health, that would free business to do more creative development and expand the system through innovation.

Finally we can set minimum guidelines (not laws) for wages, retirement and benefits so there would be no need for unions to promote and get above average agreements on contracts and everyone else have to pay for them when they are earning less. The public sector and union employees can get wages and benefits at the same level the rest of us do.

Nubby

Jesus and the gifts of the Holy Spirit

Acts 10:37,38 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. Matthew 3:11-17 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Mark 1:4-13 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. Luke: 15-22 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them. ........ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” John 1:29-34 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and REMAIN is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” NIV

Who and what Jesus had to be

If you ask most Christian how Jesus accomplished all of his miracles, the casting out of demons and healing the sick they would respond “because he was God”. But is this the right answer?

In the Old Testament plan of redemption it was required that a person could only be redeemed by a blood kinsman. This lays the foundation that the redeemer of all mankind had to be another human. In Philippians it tells us that Jesus laid aside his Godly nature and became a servant, a man, a human to pay the price required to redeem us. That price was death on a cross. That was the price of redemption.

So Jesus came as a man, he was still God but he had to lay his God self aside to be 100% man and function as a man. If he operated as God in any way then he would have not been fully human but a God/Man hybrid. A God/Man hybrid would not qualify as our blood kinsman and therefore could not redeem us. Jesus had to be a 100% man, live as a man and operate as a man.

I was listening to a Jewish teacher on the radio the other day and he was saying that Jewish belief was that the messiah would be a man only. Not God or a son of God, just a man. So much of the Old Testament scripture points to the Messiah being a man. Their problem was in not realizing that Jesus was 100% man and 100% God. Jesus had to put his 100% God nature aside so he could fulfill his purpose as a man.

Now back to the question, how did Jesus do all those things if he didn’t use his God nature? Acts 10:37-38 tells us. God the Father anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with Power. In all four gospels it refers to Jesus as the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. But first he is baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit descended like a dove and remained on him just as the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples like tongues of fire and remained on them. That was a baptism of Holy Spirit power. After his baptism he was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted. After his baptism he began operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus did no miracles until after his baptism.

This is the part that is so hard to grasp for many people. Jesus had to be a man. He was to be our example. His example to us is that he operated in the gifts of the Holy Spirit with unlimited ability. We can operate the same way if we can get past our unbelief (like the disciples had with the demon possessed son), our fears and doubts. If you go through the four gospels you can see where everything Jesus did can be attributed to one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. The working of miracles when feeding the 5000, calming the storm, etc.). The gift of the word of knowledge when he would perceive what others were thinking. The word of wisdom when he was foretelling how the end would come. The spirit of discernment when casting out demons. The gifts of healing and so forth. Jesus did these things so we would know how to do them also. He said “greater works would you do because I go to my father”. He told his disciples and all that were witness to his ascension: GO in His authority and power and teach them all the things I have taught you. What did he teach? He taught them how to use the power and authority of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He told them to wait until they were to receive power from on high, to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. So they could be like him.

The gift of the Holy Spirit was given to the Church, the body of Christ. God does not repent of his gifts. Peter said at Pentecost the gift of the Holy Spirit, the promise was given to all that the Lord shall call. Not some, not just the disciples, not just the early Church, but all, from the day of Pentecost till now, whoever the Lord called could receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit and learn to operate in the spiritual gifts.

Some people will argue that they receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit when they got saved or gave their life to Christ. Then the question remains, are you operating in the same supernatural gifts that Jesus did? Are you receiving supernatural revelations, praying for the sick and seeing them healed, casting out demons and delivering people like Jesus did? If not then you are not doing all that Jesus instructed you to do.

Some people argue that the gift are just heighten natural abilities, like being smarter, wiser, more intuitive than other people. But that is not what the scriptures reveal. Jesus came and operated supernaturally. He taught his disciples to operate supernaturally. The early church, in the book of Acts, operated supernaturally. To fulfill God’s purposes and do everything we are required to do we need to be operating supernaturally. Jesus changed the world. The disciples changed their world. The early church changed their world. When Christians begin to operate supernaturally they change their world. That is the measuring stick. Are we supernaturally changing our world? Are we conquering everywhere our feet will tread or are we treading in place? Are we the overcomers or the overcomed? Are we the victorious army of Christ or POWs in a secular world? Are we all we can be or are we just being enough to get by?

The end time is near. It is time to quit playing religious game, fighting over petty doctrines and start fulfilling the calling of God. The time for lukewarm Christianity is over. The end time’s revival will come only through Christians who are operating supernaturally in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Nothing less will be acceptable to God. God cannot use people who do not use the tools and do not follow what God has instructed them to do. The word says Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Light up the fire and let the burning begin.

Nubby