Purpose in Division – Part 2

Rightly dividing God’s Word is a two-fold work, beginning with study, accompanied by revelation.

Hebrew 4:12 – For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

2 Timothy 2:15 commands us to study.  It is one-word command, followed by the reason for its purpose and the result of that obedience.  The reason; to show yourself approved unto God.  The result; God’s workman who needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.  In today’s Second Miler, we’ll look at some of the key elements that need to be applied in rightly dividing God’s Word.  To do that, we must answer some basic questions.

• Who said it? – Did God say it?  Please understand that while the Scriptures were written as Holy Spirit moved upon men to write it, not every word recorded in the Scriptures were originally spoken by the Lord.  In Job, the words of Satan are recorded.  At times we can read the words of the apostles, the words of kings, priests, soldiers, and just ordinary men and women.  One must always determine who the true speaker is in any passage before attempting to establish the truth and application of what is recorded.
• To whom was it spoken? – There are certain passages in the Scripture that were not spoken as commandment or in reference to all people.  Sometimes things are spoken to only a certain group or segment of people.  To properly interpret what was spoken, one needs to know to whom it was spoken.
• Was it spoken concerning eternity, or only a certain block of time? – The Scriptures reveal a number of covenants presented to man by the Lord.  While they all reveal certain aspects of God’s person, they are different in content, extent, duration, and more.  The laws applied to physical man under the law of Moses are applied differently when they are translated into laws applying to the spiritual man in the New Covenant.
• Every word in Scripture is truly recorded, but is every word true? – Here is a question that stirs almost instant rejection.  Still, the answer to the question is “NO.”  Not every word recorded in Scripture is true.  There are many examples.  Samson lied on several occasions concerning his strength.  Job’s statement, “The Lord has given; the Lord has taken away,” was made in error believing the false information he had received from a servant who said, “Fire came down from God out of heaven…”  In every instance in which someone lied, or was misled by a misinterpretation, we are informed.  The problem arises when the person who is reading or studying a passage does not take the time to apply and answer the questions posed here.  And this is just the beginning.

Manna for Today – Hebrews 4:9-16; 2 Timothy 2:15; Genesis 1:6-7; Exodus 14:15-22; Joshua 3:5-4:18; 2 Kings 2:5-9; 2 Kings 2:12-15

Purpose in Division – Part 1

Though some won’t admit it, there is a place of division in the life of every believer.

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

If you mention the word “division” to many believers, one of the first things that comes to their mind is “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”  That is mentioned several times in Scripture, but perhaps the most revealing passage is Matthew 12:25-26.  Sadly, I think, most folks think of a “house divided against itself” as referring to Christians being against Christians, but that is not the case.  While we surely understand the need and desire for unity within the Kingdom of God, this passage is actually revealing one of the great weaknesses of the kingdom of darkness.  It is a kingdom divided.  There is no such thing as true unity in the kingdom of darkness (Satan).  It is a kingdom ruled by fear, saturated with greed and envy, with every one of its members bound by the slavish result of sin.  The kingdom of darkness WILL BE defeated.  In fact, it already has; we’re simply required to demonstrate that truth by the way we live.

It should be clear to the believer why division among the enemies of our soul would serve us well.  It means their ultimate manifest defeat.  But what is the purpose of division as it relates to the body of Christ, the kingdom of God, and the individual believers?  As one writer once put it, “Much, and in many ways.”  In this first part of our study, we will look at one of the prime Scriptures related to division.  Paul writes his spiritual son, Timothy, with these words; “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”   From one’s first steps into the kingdom of God and its working, the study of God’s Word is one of the paramount issues in which he should be constantly engaged.  And in that study, the Word of the Lord commands us to “rightly divide” the Word of Truth, that is, the Scriptures.  I will state it very clearly.  The RIGHT DIVISION of God’s Word is of absolute necessity.  And if His Word can be “rightly” divided, then it can be wrongly divided, too.  Sadly, in our present world, especially in a time when a great falling away of the church is so evident, and when Christians are largely ruled by  fear, tradition, and a gross lack of teaching in the Word of God, the right dividing of the Word of God stands out as more important than ever.  Division of the right kind needs to be addressed.

Manna for Today – Hebrews 4:9-16; 2 Timothy 2:15; Genesis 1:6-7; Exodus 14:15-22; Joshua 3:5-4:18; 2 Kings 2:5-9; 2 Kings 2:12-15

In Your Dirt – Part 4

There is no part of your life God won’t touch, including every physical aspect.

John 3:16 – For God so loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only-begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish – come to destruction, be lost – but have eternal (everlasting) life.  (Amplified Bible)

Today we arrive at the flesh, that part of our being, our earth suit, that Father formed from the dust of the earth.  Oh, what divine attention He gave to the forming of His man, to take up the dust of the earth in His hands and form that which would become a living soul formed in His image.  What a marvelous destiny He planned for that which was formed in His image.  He formed us to be His children, heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ, redeemed, and righteous.  And He put us in this earth suit we call a body, shaped by His hands, breathed into with life by His breath, held in His hands, formed in His image.  He made us for this earth, and that is the reason for this body.  It enables us to live in this earth while being alive unto Him in every way.  We are spirits, we have souls, and we live in bodies.  He created the spirit and soul, and formed our body.  He put Himself into every cell, fiber, and function of our being.

The child of God should always be mindful that his body is the temple of Holy Ghost.  It is likewise the temple of his own spirit, and it is within his own spirit that Father and Son nave made their abode.  It is the fullness of the God-head that dwells in you bodily.  And just as the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem was designed, intricately assembled, and meticulously attended, Holy Spirit wants He current temple that was formed by the hands of God and intricately assembled in the care of a mother’s womb to be meticulously attended.  Remember, your body, His temple, was formed from the dust of the earth.  And because it is God’s temple, He has invested Himself fully to assist you in its care.  I could say it another way.  He has fully invested Himself in your life, in your dirt, to keep you safe and secure as long as you keep yourself available to Him.  His love for you, even in your frame of dirt, is beyond the ability to describe in words.  Even after His first man pulled away from Him, deserting Him, He made provision, sending His Own Son in the flesh (in dirt) to be tempted in all points like as we are, all the while remaining pure and holy, sin free, and becoming the sacrifice for our sin (dirt), all because He loved us.  Oh, how He loves you and me.  He gave His life; what more could He do?  Oh, how He loves you and me.

Manna for Today – John 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 3:13-29; Genesis 2:7; 1 John 1:7-9

In Your Dirt – Part 3

I am so thankful that our God is holy, incapable of being stained by any kind of dirt.

John 3:16 – For God so loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only-begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish – come to destruction, be lost – but have eternal (everlasting) life.  (Amplified Bible)

Have you ever heard an expression with the phrase “mind in the gutter” in it?  I’m sure you have, and I’m just as sure you know what it means.  It means someone’s thinking is of a corrupt, filthy, and evil nature.  It’s a soulish connection.  The Scriptures speak of evil thoughts, and of bringing “every thought” into obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.  There is a reason for that.  Any thought, regardless of its independent purity, standing alone, is always vulnerable to outside influences that can bend and twist (a word connected to witchcraft) that thought.  In reality, thoughts are the seeds of words unsown.  But in this picture, see them as young, very fresh saplings that anyone can take hold of and twist, pull from its roots, and destroy if so choosing.  Never forget that individual, stand-alone thought is extremely vulnerable.  Once again, that is why the Apostle Paul wrote that “every thought” was to be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (the Anointing/Anointed One).

In this present world, thoughts are likely flying at your mind with the speed, frequency, and ferocity of machine gun bullets.  Every sensory perception has the capacity to prompt a thought, perhaps new to you, or drawing from some memory of experience you already carry.  Most of them are likely cast aside, or so we think.  The truth is that once a thought is released into one’s mind, the next step that is very close at hand is to allow that thought to become part of the thinking process.  It is at that point the potential danger is multiplied exponentially.

It is in this potential quagmire of filth, corruption, destruction, and evil that the love of God has done some of its greatest work in the history of men.  Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, is not afraid, nor even averse to getting into man’s dirt.  He will pierce the darkness of a corrupted soul with the pure light of the Gospel of Christ.  That light has the capacity to cleanse your mind, renew it to the truth of God’s Word, strengthen you in its anointing to break every yoke Satan would attempt to lay upon you, and plant the lush garden of the mind of Christ in you for daily living.  It is the washing of the Word that will make you clean in your soul, and for that to happen, the water of the Word will indeed pierce to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit in order to make you fully clean.  Oh, how thankful we should be that the love of God for us is so great that He would get into our dirt.

Manna for Today – John 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 3:13-29; Genesis 2:7; 1 John 1:7-9

In Your Dirt – Part 2

As deep as your dirt might go, Jesus can reach you.

John 3:16 – For God so loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only-begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish – come to destruction, be lost – but have eternal (everlasting) life.  (Amplified Bible)

Take a moment to consider the following words found in 2 Corinthians 5.  Jesus was made to be sin so that you and I could be made to be the righteousness of God in Him.  Let’s examine that statement from the passage in which it is found, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and consider as deeply as we can, its truth.  That verse says, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”  Look closely.

• “For He ….” – the “He” at this point refers to Father God….it was God who did this transformational part of the work of making Jesus to be sin for us.
• “For He hath made Him ….” – the “Him” at this point refers to Jesus….it was Jesus Who was made to be sin for us.
• “For He hath made Him to be sin for us ….” – “to be” was inserted by the translators because they believed it added clarity….Jesus was made sin for us…. for you and me….for everyone
• “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin ….” – He never committed a single sin, though He was tempted in all points as we are….yet He NEVER sinned….BUT He became sin for us.
• “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” – Jesus becoming sin for us is the CAUSE of our being made the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.

The Word of God became flesh.  Jesus got in our dirt.  Though tempted in every point as we are, He was sinless.  Jesus got in our dirt.  He suffered and died for us, paying the complete price for our redemption.  Jesus got in our dirt.  He bore our sins in His body on the cross.  Jesus got in our dirt.  He did it so that we could be made dead to sin and live unto righteousness.  Jesus got in our dirt.  He shed His blood for our cleansing.  Jesus got in our dirt.  The spotless, blameless, sinless, perfect, holy Son of the living God bout me.  Jesus got in MY dirt.  I pray you grasp what I am writing.  But even if you don’t, I do.  JESUS GOT IN MY DIRT, TOOK MY DIRT, CLEANSED MY DIRT, REMOVED MY DIRT…….AND…….GAVE ME HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.  I AM FREE BECAUSE HE GOT IN MY DIRT!

Manna for Today – John 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 3:13-29; Genesis 2:7; 1 John 1:7-9

In Your Dirt – Part 1

“God’s mercy will get down in your dirt.” – Pastor John Wesley Jones

John 3:16 – For God so loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only-begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish – come to destruction, be lost – but have eternal (everlasting) life.  (Amplified Bible)

God made man from the dust of the earth.  When you take the time to consider that great act of love, it becomes even more amazing.  Everything that exists is a result of the creative power of God’s words coming from His lips.  Even the dust of the earth from which we are formed was created by the words from the mouth of God.  But when it came to His man, we were so special that He “formed” us.  The word “formed” in Genesis 2:7 is from the Hebrew word “yatsar” that means squeezing into shape; to mold into a form as a potter would do; to fashion, form, frame, or make from earthen material.  Just think of the greatness of the love Father exercised as He formed His man, His masterpiece, from the dust of the earth.  By the same token, just try to imagine the anguish of Father’s heart when His man, His masterpiece, turned from Him to follow after Satan.  I cannot begin to conceive the depth of that pain, hurt, and anguish that surely coursed throughout Father’s being.

Now take a moment and read our Text for Today.  I took it from the Amplified Bible.  I believe it speaks to powerfully to the dynamic, intensity, and unending compassion Father has for His children.  The price Jesus paid for us through His passion from the Garden of Gethsemane to Calvary, and from there to the grave, and from hell to heaven purchased our redemption, spirit, soul, and body.  Our spirit has been born again, our soul (mind, will, intellect, & emotions) is saved and can be renewed to the mind of Christ, our body has been healed, and our lives fully provisioned and delivered.  For that to be true, our God has shown His willingness, authority, and ability to come into every facet of our life to demonstrate His great love for us. 

That means He will deal with our dirt.  Whether we are speaking of the dust from which we are made, or the filthiness of mind and spirit from which He has delivered us, and over which He has empowered us   I am so thankful that our Lord is not only authorized, but able and willing to do all that is necessary to bring us from the filthiness of sin, the degradation of a mind seeped in darkness, and the pain of our dust frame to abundant life, eternal life, everlasting life in Him.  The words of my friend, Pastor John Wesley Jones, say so much more that they appear to say.  Listen closely.

Manna for Today – John 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 3:13-29; Genesis 2:7; 1 John 1:7-9

Turning “Led” into Gold – Part 16

In any endeavor worth engaging, focus on the main thing is keenly important.

Isaiah 1:19 – If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.

In my final installment of this series of Second Milers, I want to make sure that our focus is the right focus.  I am sure that there are some who have read my words over the recent weeks, and their focus as been on the “gold.”  If that is the case, they have totally missed the mark.  For sixteen editions of the Second Miler, the title each day has read, Turning “Led” into Gold.  The true focus has not been on the gold, but on what MAKES the gold; that which produces the gold.  And it should be further noted that the gold about which I’ve written is not isolated in its meaning to the element on the Periodic Table represented by the symbol “Au.”  Neither is it the money or possessions that can be gained from the possession of that gold (Au).  While such things may often be part of the manifestation of God’s blessing for obedience, the gold of which I’ve written is the true gold, the true riches of the kingdom of God.

Once again I reiterate that the true focus of this series in NOT gold, but BEING LED by Holy Spirit.  My prayer for all who read these words is they will grasp what I am saying, embrace it, put it to work in their lives, and enjoy the great blessing of the Lord for doing so.  And much more than that.  I pray they will begin to realize in an even greater way the supreme joy that arises from willful obedience to the Lord in every way possible.  He leads us by His Spirit, by His Word, with dreams and visions, through the example set for us by those who have gone before us, and through the proclaimed Word of God in teaching and preaching of His Word.  When He leads us in any endeavor at any time, it is ALWAYS for good, right, blessing, and edifying.  He ALWAYS has His sheep, His people, His church at the center of His purpose.  Because He ALWAYS holds us and our good will at the center of His purpose, then our love alone should be sufficient for us to make willful obedience to Him the center of our purpose.  NEVER forget the words of Jesus in John 14:15.  There Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.”

Dear reader, it is in that loving obedience to our God that the things of which I have been writing are manifest most freely.  Open your heart.  Keep yourself in the Word of God and living the love walk through your obedience to Father.  He blesses you because He loves you, and your obedience opens a way for those blessing to flow more freely to you in a manner that honors and glorifies our God.

Manna for Today – Isaiah 1; 3 John 2; Exodus 13:18; Exodus 15:13-18; Isaiah 48:21-22; Romans 8:14; Isaiah 55:11-13; Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 4:8; 1 Peter 1:7In any endeavor worth engaging, focus on the main thing is keenly important.

Turning “Led” into Gold – Part 15

Let us learn to be led by Holy Spirit.  The blessings are immeasurable.

Isaiah 1:19 – If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.

Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.”  Take a moment and read this verse once again, slowly.  I pray you see the significance of the words.  This is the Word of God.  Are you a son of God?  Are you a good man  (or woman)?  Are you just before the Lord?  I pray your answers to all three questions are “yes.”  My intention in asking these questions, and offering my conjecture as to your answer is in no way to judge or condemn, but to draw your attention to God’s desire for you.  Your heavenly Father holds as His highest desire for you that you prosper and be in health as your soul prospers.  He truly desires that your life be so blessed and abundantly provisioned that you can leave an inheritance for your grandchildren, and that the wealth of the sinner find its way into your possession.

At this point, perhaps we should examine another Scripture that helps to define a “good man.”  Psalm 37:23 declares that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.  It should be clear that God considers a good man to be one who is obedient to Him.  This should establish the truth that obedience to the Lord, that is, being led by the Lord, puts one in a place to be blessed with abundance. 

The ore I study and meditate upon the Word of God, the more amazed I am.  The longer I live and walk in obedience to the Lord for my life, the more amazed I am.  The more I witness the divine connection between obedience to the Lord and the manifestation of His power to provision and prosper me, the more amazed I am.  Let it be known to all, far and wide, that our God is an amazing God.  He has spoken, and He will fulfill all that He has said.  God and His Word are One.  And through Jesus Christ and His work of redemption, He has made us to be one with Him and the Father.  It seems that every way you look, Father has a plan of great blessing, provision, and plenty for His people.  So, why would His people live or act in any way that could thwart His will for their life?  It makes no sense, but neither does sin, sickness, or poverty.  Oh, how glorious the knowledge that He redeemed us from all of that when He redeemed us from the curse of the law.  We are free in Jesus.  And that freedom is more precious than gold.  Oh, the joy in knowing we can enjoy that freedom AND have the abundance of provision needed to do all the work of the kingdom of God.

Manna for Today – Isaiah 1; 3 John 2; Exodus 13:18; Exodus 15:13-18; Isaiah 48:21-22; Romans 8:14; Isaiah 55:11-13; Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 4:8; 1 Peter 1:7

Turning “Led” into Gold – Part 14

Perhaps you need to set aside time to listen.

Isaiah 1:19 – If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.

I remember a line from a popular secular song many years ago.  The words were, “people hearing without listening,” and the song was “The Sound of Silence.”  There was a time between the days of Malachi and the first advent of Jesus in which our Father was silent indeed.  But when He sent Jesus into the world, that silence ended.  Neither during His earthly ministry, His passion, or since His ascension has there been such a silence.  He has given us His Word, and He has sent Holy Ghost to teach us, remind us, and reveal to us the truth of His Word so we can live victoriously through Him. 

Yet in our world today, and I speak more precisely of the church world, it seems that for many we have entered into a time of protracted silence from the throne room of God.  The reality is that nothing could be further from the truth.  There should be no doubt in any believer concerning the truth and unalterable estate of God’s Word.  If God said it, that settles it!  And that statement is true, whether one believes it or not.  The Word of God is settled forever in heaven.  Among the great truths that need to be kept at the forefront of todays teaching and preaching in the church is that Jesus is coming again.  Father God knows when that day and hour is.  No one else does.  But knowing that Father knows should be all the impetus needed for the believer to understand that the coming of Jesus for His church is getting closer every day. 

For that to happen, the church must be made ready.  Many must awaken, trim their lamps and light them.  Many souls must come into the kingdom of God.  And we are commanded that in these days we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but to exhort one another, and the more so as we see that day approaching.  The couch may be comfortable, but the couch is not the place for the impartation of God’s power that is needful in this hour.  It is the church where our needed impartation will take place.  Covid-19, government rules and regulations, and fear in general MUST give way to faith in God.  God’s itinerary has not changed.  The church MUST arise in obedience to the call of the Lord.  The Bridegroom IS coming.  Father is waiting with abundance set in store for the “willing and obedient.” I don’t know when that day and hour is, but until then, I will work as though it is tomorrow, and plan as though it will not be in my lifetime.  I WILL BE OBEDIENT.  Join me!

Manna for Today – Isaiah 1; 3 John 2; Exodus 13:18; Exodus 15:13-18; Isaiah 48:21-22; Romans 8:14; Isaiah 55:11-13; Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 4:8; 1 Peter 1:7

Turning “Led” into Gold – Part 13

Let’s take a moment to reflect.

Isaiah 1:19 – If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.

I believe today would be a wonderful time to take a moment and reflect on our previous considerations  of “Turning ‘Led’ into Gold.”  Consider our previous writings in this series of Second Milers. 

• God’s highest desire for you is that you “prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.” 
• If you are “willing and obedient,” you will eat “the good of the land.” 
• If you will “tend your patch,” the result will be bountiful harvest, and that includes the financial and provisional arenas of life. 
• Willful, purposeful, deliberate obedience to the Lord NEVER fails to result in profitable increase in your life. 
• If you are willing to learn and grow in the anointing, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of the things of God,
• Father is not only able, but greatly desirous to see you prosper in this life as a channel of His blessings to the people about you, especially those who will receive your ministry. 
• God has invested “talents” into your life, not so they can simply be hidden and stored, but so you can use, invest, and develop in them to bring profitability to the kingdom of God.  And when you bring profitability to the His kingdom, He provides the same to you in great abundance. 
• When the Lord speaks to your heart to give, be obedient, not just in the giving, but in the “how much,” in the “where,” and in the “follow-up.” 
• Obedience is not only profitable when giving in obedience, but in any action led by the Lord.  And the benefits far exceed your personal world, enriching many around you. 
• Great abundance is often found in places (or times) of deepest despair through simple obedience to the leading of the Lord.  What the need is in your life is NEVER the issue.  Your obedience is. 
• When you obey, even nature will rise to the occasion to bring abundant blessing into your life. 
• Obedience of God is always rewarded, but in giving, you may be looking at a 10,000% return. 
• Never think that obedience will leave you empty, or without supply.  God is always waiting to fill every empty space in your life, especially when it is obedience that created the space to fill.

Every point I have cited is what I’ve already written to you.  Each one is a Biblical truth, awaiting your reflection, embracing, believing, and action.  God’s Word is true, settled forever in heaven, and will never pass away.  Though there will be a new heaven and a new earth, His Word stands forever, fixed, and unalterable.  Take hold of it, my friend, and put it to work.  Father has set it before you for your meditation for your observance and good success.  Selah!

Manna for Today – Isaiah 1; 3 John 2; Exodus 13:18; Exodus 15:13-18; Isaiah 48:21-22; Romans 8:14; Isaiah 55:11-13; Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 4:8; 1 Peter 1:7