The Battle!

Do You know how to Think with God?

To reason is to think with God.  Reason plays a fundamental role in living a godly life in an ungodly world.

Many have had a heart change but are paying the price for not developing disciplined and effective reasoning habits.

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. …” “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path”  Matthews 13:3-4, 18-19.

Without a change we will get plundered by our foes and we will not know life to the full.

Although we have had a change of heart, when we do not use our minds to the fullest capability God has given us we get plundered (robbed) of the life God has intended for us by three foes: Our sinful nature (the flesh), the devil (Satan), and the principles of the world.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10.

The problem is we are not Thinking with God.

There are two parts to Thinking with God:

1.      Objectivity

2.      Using a Database of Doctrine

OBJECTIVITY: uninfluenced by emotion or personal prejudice.  Our fallen nature fixes our wills on what we want.  Then we use our reason to support that desire using only some of the available facts.  To Think with God we must refrain from getting attached to one conclusion over another. We must use all the facts in making a decision.  After reviewing all the available information we must make a decision in an objective manner.  We must also be willing to accept whatever God would have us do, even if it goes against our natural inclinations.

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me” 1 Corinthians 13:11.

“Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.” 1 Corinthians 14:20.

DATABASE OF DOCTRINE: a storehouse of information in our minds about who God is, what man is, and what God’s intention or plan is.  When we try to be objective in our decisions we need to have information at our disposal (which comes through daily prayer, scripture reading and study) about God and His ways.  We make decisions based on the information at our disposal.  The Holy Spirit gives us light so that we can decide based on what we know about God through our relationship with Him.  If the only input we have is from our flesh, Satan, and the World, then all our decisions will be ungodly.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” Romans 12:2. 

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthews 7:24-25.

But how does this apply to our daily situations?

Warfare!

Daily the Christian is in the middle of a fierce war.  He or she is entrenched in the midst of attack from every side.  Day and night the battle rages around him.  The sinful nature (flesh), the devil (Satan) and the principles of the World relentlessly and ruthlessly seek to gain victory.  These enemies are set and determined to achieve one and only one goal: to over throw the kingdom of God.  And you, Christian, are the object of their attack; they want to use you to achieve their goal.  You stand armed with the full power of Almighty God dwelling in you, but your situation…

DEMANDS A RESPONSE!

You have two possible responses:

Godly: You can take your position in Christ’s victory on Calvary over the sinful nature (flesh), the devil (Satan) and the principles of the World.

But how do we take our position in Christ?...

…You place your complete trust in this: On the Cross my Saviour put to death the power of my sinful nature to make me sin (Romans 6:6), put to death the power of the world to make me sin (Galatians 6:14) and put to death the power of the devil to make me sin (Revelation 12:10-11).  Confident, you walk through the raging battle, shielded by God!

Or we can make a choice that is …

Ungodly: in which you put aside your trust in the work of Jesus on the Cross and submit to the lies of the sinful nature (flesh), the devil (Satan) and the principles of the World.

There are only TWO POSSIBLE RESPONSES! Do not be DECEIVED! To do nothing is to choose the ungodly response!

What shall we conclude?

The Christian has every chance to live life to the fullest, as Jesus promised, because Jesus finished the work on the Cross for us.  The grace is at our finger tips, a gift for the taking.  But God requires that we , by our free will, learn to Think with Him.  We must look at all of our situations in light of the revealed truth according to God’s own word.

Action steps:

R  ecall the truths of God

E  xamine yourself in light of these truths

A llow God’s truth to penetrate

S  ift through information

O  bjectively come to a conclusion

N  ow respond in faith

Stay tuned for the Database of Doctrine but remember information is just information unless you have enlightenment through the Holy Spirit.  So dare to seek God and ask Him to reveal the truth personally to you or it will just remain information.

John

The real Power of the Cross

I experienced God in a way that day that changed me. I did not even want to do those things that I struggled with before and guilt no longer kept me from having a relationship with God.   

I spent over 6 hours in that room that day praising God, but it felt like 20 minutes.

Since that day I have never looked at Sin the same way.  Now before I choose to sin I think to myself, do I want to do this to you Jesus?  Do I want to hurt you?   No!   I do not want to do that to you anymore Jesus.  Forgive me for all the ways I still hurt you.

I know that I have no power to change myself.  Will power really does not change you but it suppresses it.  Before, my sin areas would cripple me in my relationship with God.  But now I see that was just pride.  I am a sinner and capable of the worst of sins.  It is only because of Jesus that I am made clean. 

So I use my free will to choose to come into the Fathers presence because I know that in his presence I am changed.  It is like standing next to an atomic bomb when it goes off you will be changed.  It is like that when I experience Gods presence.  Something about me is going to change. 

When I fell in love with Marybeth before we were married, the more time I spent with her the more I wanted to change to please her.  Not because I had to but because I wanted to.    I love her. 

That is the way it is with God.  He has cleared a way for me to know his love and have a relationship with me.  And because I love him I want to change.  But I need to stay in that place everyday.

The Real Power of the Cross is to recognize the Blood covers me and choosing to come into the presence of God covered with the Blood and in His presence you are really changed.  Your flesh dies.  We come out different.  So remember you can’t change yourself.  Will power does not work very long.  Self efforts can’t make you good.  You have been given a gift and that gift is free will.  You can use that free will to spend time with God and enter into a relationship with Him.  Or you can choose to run away from Him and avoid his presence.  I try to choose to spend time with God but I have this challenge that we all face.  My flesh does not want to die.

Someone once asked me what principle in life do you live by.  After thinking about that for a long time I had all sorts of good sounding answers but when I looked deep I had only one.  I avoid death at all cost.  My flesh does not want to die so it will come up with every excuse to keep me from spending time with God and having that relationship with Him.  My flesh is not dumb, it knows when I spend time in the presence of God something has to change and it’s not God.  It will be my flesh that has to change.  We are not talking about a paint job on an old car.  We are talking about a whole new car.  If given the choice I would not stand next to that atomic bomb because when it goes off I will not be the same.  God is so much bigger than an atomic bomb to our flesh.  So just know that there is a battle going on always and it is a good thing.  Choose wisely!!

God once said to me "Unless you understand how you put Jesus on the Cross, the Cross has no power in your life to change you"

Stay tuned for more about the Battle.

John

Take Heart Son

I am no better than the Roman soldier that was right there crucifying Jesus because it was my sins that he was dying for. Yet He forgave me.

After I experienced this vision I felt like I was supposed to just opened my Bible and it fell open to Matthew 9 were Jesus heals the paralytic.  The first words I read were “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven”. 

Wow, those words went through me like water being poured onto a fire.  The pain and guilt I was feeling just stopped and a refreshing wave of joy came over me I could not believe it. 

Then as I read on, the teachers of the law said to themselves, “this man is blaspheming!”

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? ⁵ Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” ⁷ Then the man got up and went home. 

As I read this scripture it came alive as if the Holy Spirit was speaking to me directly.  I could see when Jesus said “Which is easier: to say, your sins are forgiven, or to say Get up and walk?” that this was much deeper than I ever understood before.  

He made us from the dust of the ground and can do whatever He wishes with our body.  He can heal it easier than we can breathe.  Remember he created everything and that was no big deal.  But for him to say your sins are forgiven he had to know everyone of our sins. He had to take all of my sins upon Himself.  He had to become my sin for me.  He had to die in my place.  For him to say your sins are forgiven He had to be the perfect lamb for me and die.

I realized a couple things at that moment. 

First was that it was not a symbolic event 2000 years ago when Jesus died on the Cross.  Because of who He is as God the Son and to be the true sacrifice He had to know and become our sin.  He knew every sin I have committed, and every sin I will commit for all eternity.  That is the only way that my sins could have been forgiven once and for all.   I will never look at sin the same way anymore because I know now Jesus felt the pain of my sin and I don’t want to do that to him.

Second was the power of the Blood.  Jesus was God and His Blood is perfect and His forgiveness is perfect and eternal.  There is no weakness or gap in its power.  Just one drop would have been enough to cover over all our sin but Jesus did not hold back any of it.  He shed every drop of his Blood.  His Blood is what covers us completely.  There is no point in time that it is weak or unable to cover my sin.  There is no gap in its power based on how good or bad I am.  It is perfect all the time.  When the Father looks at me he does not see my sin and wickedness.  But He sees the Blood of Jesus.  This is how he will see me for all eternity.  Did you get that?  For the rest of eternity when God looks at us He sees the Blood of Jesus and we are perfect.  That is why we can come into His presence.   It is not because of anything good in me because there is nothing good, we are all sinners.  So if I have repented of my sin and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior then His Perfect Blood does all the work to make me righteous.   Why am I so surprised or guilty when I mess up?  I am a sinner and I am capable of the worst of sins.

Here is the best part.  Because the Blood covers me I can now come into God’s presence and have a relationship with him.  This relationship is not based on my actions or goodness.  This relationship is freely given to us even when we don’t deserve it. 

Warning!!! This relationship comes with a cost.

Stay tuned for the real Power of the Cross and what it will cost us.

John

My Story

In 1983 after I gave my life to Jesus.  I had a lot of ups and downs in my relationship with God.  I struggled in some areas that I knew were wrong but I was unable to change.  I was filled with guilt which kept me from a relationship with God. 

Every time I would try to pray the guilt would rise up and a voice would say to me “your not good enough to have God the Father love you.”

I wanted so bad to know God but I had a choice to make.  I could listen to that voice and run from God, or run to Him and seek Him until I found Him.

Early in 1986 I ran into that struggle again and fell into the same pattern of sin that seemed to chew me up and spit me out like a meat grinder.  This time I was afraid.  I thought after God has done so much in my life how could I do such things? 

I went to a friend and explained my struggle to him.  He shared with me that the real sin was not when I messed up but when I decided not to start my day with prayer it opened the door to my natural tendency which of course is to sin.   

But my friend had some more advice.  He suggested I had no idea what my sins really do to the Lord.  He went on to say I should spend hours on my knees begging the Lord to show me what my sins do to Him.  I was not excited about this advice and tried to put it out of my mind.  I did what I was good at which was to ignored him because I thought that is just too hard.

I felt haunted by what he said and finally on Good Friday in 1986 I ran out of excuses and decided to give it a try.  The company I worked for was closed for the day.  They had been renovating a whole floor of their building.  There were empty offices on that floor so I went into one of them and put a cross on the wall.   With nothing in the room but me, my Bible, a pad of paper and my coffee I started to pray.

I was really trying hard; the key word here was “trying”.  I went for about an hour and a half and was ready to give up thinking this is not getting me anywhere.  But I remembered what my friend said to me.  “You need to spend hours on your knees and beg the Lord to show you”.  So I hung in there and something happened after 2 hours.

God started to speak to me.  I began to remember sins I had committed since I was a little kid (even those I had completely forgotten).  They were coming to me in an orderly time line so I wrote them down.  But that was just the beginning.  As I was remembering the sins and writing them down I had a vision.  I could see as if it was really happening right in front of me. 

I saw Jesus and then I could see myself holding the whip and using it to whip Jesus with it.  I recognized the sins patterns that were causing me to do this were disobedience, laziness, and deceitfulness.  But as I watched Jesus looked at me with such pain and said John, I love you, why are you doing this to me?

Then I saw Jesus again and this time I was pushing a crown of thorns onto his head.  I could see the thorns piercing His skin and the Blood at each point were the thorns went in.  I knew the sin patterns that were causing me to do this were pride, self preservation, selfishness and not allowing the Lord to be the Lord of my life.  Again Jesus turned, looked at me and said John; I love you, why are you doing this to me.

Then the hardest part came.  I saw Jesus lay down on top of the cross which was on the ground. I was the one holding the hammer and nails. I had the nails in one hand and the hammer in the other.  I started with His left hand to hammer the nail through his hand and into the cross.  Then I nailed His right hand to the cross.  He was in agonizing pain.  I moved to His feet and this nail was much longer as I hammered it through both of his feet and into the cross.  I could see the patterns of sin that were causing this as pure rebellion.  Jesus turned to me weeping and said John, I love you, why are you doing this to me.

I didn’t realize it but I was crying uncontrollably as I watched the cross being lifted up and dropped into the hole.  I watched as Jesus kept looking at me with so much pain in his eyes I could not bear it.  Then I saw Him die.

I had been writing down these sins that I remembered and it took sheets of paper.  I cried out Jesus I am so sorry.  I put the sheets of paper with all these sins I had written down, on the floor in front of the cross and cried, I was balling like a baby.  I said Lord I see now what my sins do to You.  I don’t want to do this to You anymore.  I am so very sorry. 

Stay tuned for the rest of the story!! 

John

The Beginning

I want to give credit to a mentor in my life who first helped me understand God's Big Picture and she called it the Panorama.  Edie, I want to thank you because the foundation you built in my life led me to a direct experience and relationship with Him.

Edie is a spiritual giant in my life who shared with me her direct revelation but more than that she pointed me to the Author so that I could directly experience that relationship and revelation. My friend Jack was another who contributed to leading me to this direct relationship.  Joe and Mike were also very instrumental in this as well.  I always thank God for each of you!

When God reveals to you a glimpse of his plan it changes you.    You know when you have those guys in a white shirt and tie come to your house to share their version of religion with you, in the hopes to bring you into their faith?  Well I find that they are missing a very important key.  That key is a personal relationship with the Creator of all things and His one and only Son.  I ask them, with out any condemnation if they hear God speak to them?  Do you have a personal relationship with him?  They don't understand what I mean because they have not experienced it.

But what they do seem to understand is this example:

If 100 people read an article or book you will have 100 different interpretations of that article or book because they do not know the mind of the author. But if the author directly shows you what he is thinking when he wrote that article or book then you have the correct interpretation.  We have many religions that read the Bible or their version of the Bible and they come up with their own interpretations of what it is saying.  Even if they are using a good translation of the Bible they still fall way short of the correct interpretation because they don't know the Author.  When you experience a personal relationship with God and you can directly talk to the Author of the Bible, who is the Holy Spirit then you can stand on what He directly reveals to you as truth for you in your life.  It is not explained or taught to you by someone who passes on their interpretation as truth.  Have you experienced this direct relationship with the Author???

I feel that God has been asking me to write my story and to the best of my ability, the revelation He revealed to me in a time line that puts it in perspective of His Big Picture.

On Good Friday 1986 I experienced something that changed my life forever.  The Cross!!

Before I start to write about the Panorama as revealed to me I will write about this life changing experience on Good Friday 1986 because it has become the foundation of my relationship with Jesus.

Stay tuned for what happened on that amazing day.

John