In Acts 12 we are given an amazing testimony in which an angel comes to break Peter out of prison. I believe it happened exactly as the Bible says, but even still, there is so much more to this story than meets the eye.

Once Peter is in prison, we are told that there is fervent prayer (Acts 12:5) made for him to God from the church. They prayed without ceasing.

Then the impossible happens the night before Herod was going to kill him. Peter is sleeping in between two guards (get a mental picture here), and there are sentries guarding the prison. An angel appears and hits Peter saying, “get up quickly”. Then the angel basically tells him to “get dressed and follow me.” Peter, who had just woken up out of a sleep, did not think what was happening to him was for real, but instead a vision.

Then they pass through the guards and Peter is freed. He then realizes what has happened and in paraphrasing says, “now I really know I was set free by God.”

Let’s change gears a little. Allow me to show you how alive and full of power the Word of God truly is with a little life application. Out of this simple story, this is the revelation that I got:

There are times when we can feel trapped in a situation. We can’t see a way out, and we might even believe that “all things are possible with Christ”, but it doesn’t [immediately] change our situation. Peter was being led out of prison by an angel, and still didn’t realize that he was being set free! It wasn’t until his circumstance had completely changed could he finally say, “now I know I have been set free”.

We do the same thing, even if it’s not to the degree of being led out of jail by an angel. We get stuck in a hole (financial, emotional, etc), and even though God is making provisions and giving us a way out of the darkness, we can’t see the light. We can’t see the finished result of what God is doing.

Knowing that God is going to take care of us might not change the situation that we are in, but it can and should bring peace to our spirit. The goal is to not be moved, but to stay consistent with our faith no matter what tribulations we go through.

If God could use an angel to help Peter almost 2000 years ago, then I’d say He is capable of doing just about anything today. We just need to trust Him, and continue praying!

How long has it been since you have read your Bible? A few hours, days, weeks, etc? I’m not talking about browsing the internet and finding the occasional scriptures posted. I’m talking about pulling out the Great Book and letting God lead the conversation through His Word!

It had been awhile since I had opened my Bible, before last night. I don’t know why, but I just hadn’t been feeling led to read (not that we should wait for a confirmation to read our Bibles), and every time I did, I would get really tired and I wouldn’t get anything out of my reading. That started to frustrate me because the Bible is usually so exciting to me that I’m either laughing, crying, or turning the pages in suspense.

Be on the look out for this kind of sneaky attack from our enemy. A Christian that is not being fed with the Word is weak and helpless against bigger issues. Last night, I said, “God, I’m starving for Your Word. I need to be fed, and I bind any power or principality that would stop me from hearing You. Please let these words bring revelation to my spirit, and let these things take root in my spirit.”

I opened up and went to where I felt God was leading me, and I was not disappointed. I feasted on the Word of God, and I feel much better now. I’ve gotten a little skinny from starving myself so it’s going to take a few more meals to plump me up again, but the main thing is that we are all on a steady diet!

Alright, I realize that the title of this post might sound like I am discrediting the work of Jesus Christ, which I am not. It is only Jesus Christ who has saved us, but if the Jews didn’t reject Him, we might have never heard the message!

God led me to some pretty mind blowing scriptures the other day. I encourage you to read all of Romans 11. While you are at it read 10, 7, 8, 9 in that order as well. Here are some highlights from Romans 11:

“But through their false step and transgression salvation [has come] to the Gentiles, so as to arouse Israel [to see and feel what they forfeited] and so to make them jealous.”

“But if some of the branches were broken off, while you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them to share the richness [of the root and sap] of the olive tree. Do not boast over the branches and pride yourself at their expense. If you do boast and feel superior, remember it is not you that support the root, BUT THE ROOT THAT SUPPORTS YOU. You will say then, Branches were broken (pruned) off so that I might be grafted in!”

“Lest you be self-opinionated (wise in your own conceits), I do not want you to miss this hidden truth and mystery, brethren: a hardening (insensibility) has [temporarily] befallen a part of Israel [to last] until the full number of the ingathering of the Gentiles has come in.”

One of the things that I was wondering about recently was the whole “elect” and “chosen” thing. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that God would chose people to be saved, and others to perish (also knows as double predestination). Something just didn’t fit. However, I couldn’t see how the scriptures made sense with the clear use of the words “elect” and “chosen”. After reading the chapters mentioned above, I finally got it. Israel is the chosen people. They just are, and it’s not for us to figure out. However, when we believe in Jesus Christ, we are grafted in, and we become the chosen and elect. Those who don’t believe aren’t the chosen, but it doesn’t mean they can’t become the chosen if they do start believing. So, God answered my questions with these scriptures. Double predestination is wrong, and God did not create anyone to go to hell.

Don’t you just want to hug a Jew and say, “thanks for missing it [the Gospel] for my sake. Now will you just believe already?”

You know, I have met a lot of Christians who say bad things about Jewish people, and it’s always kind of baffled me how one can call themselves a Christian and disrespect the Jews. Do they not realize that Christianity is Jewish? Have they forgotten that Jesus was actually a Jew? I have a deep respect for these people. After all, if they are good enough to be God’s chosen, they are certainly good enough for me!

I decided to spend some time today researching the commonly used words “anointing, anointed, and anoint”, and the first place I started was with the Bible. Often times, it’s easy to do a google search and see what other’s are saying about something, but we should always go to the Word first. If we let the Holy Spirit guide us as we read, we will be more equipped to discern our way through the many false teachings on the internet.

These are some of the questions I had started with, and I will answer them based on what I have discovered in the Word of God.

In the Old Testament, God set aside (consecrated) people to do a work for Him. Kings, priests, and prophets were all “anointed” by God to fulfill His purposes. The anointing was done with oil, and it was sometimes used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ was anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our Messiah, and to perform miracles. “Christ” actually means “The Anointed One”.

In 1 John 2:20 NIV says, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” In context we can see that everyone who abides in Christ is anointed by the Holy One. If you do not abide in Christ, you are not anointed.

Everyone has a different purpose to fulfill for God, and if they obey that calling it will be anointed. For instance, I am not called to lead praise and worship, and there would be absolutely no anointing on it if I tried to do it. This isn’t necessarily because I can’t sing, but because I would be in disobedience if I did something that I was not told to do by God.

If we are disobeying the will of God, and we are not using the gifts that He has equipped us with, then it would seem likely that He could remove His anointing at any time. This is evident in King Saul’s situation in which through his disobedience, and distant relationship with God, he lost the Lord’s anointing. Our gifts aren’t taken away, but without the anointing on them, they aren’t very affective.

One explanation is that they are fulfilling the will of God, and what He has created them for. If you are doing this, you will walk in the same level of God’s anointing. The only other reason I can think of is that God has appointed them to do a greater work. It is not by their power, but by His Spirit that they are able to do it. He decides what you are going to be and what you are supposed to be doing!

Many mistakenly use this verse in Psalm 105:15 when someone speaks against one of God’s anointed. In it’s context it actually means physical harm, not spoken words against a person. We should always be open to being corrected, and this is part of coming before God humbly. We all make mistakes, and rather than hide behind “don’t touch God’s anointed”, we should be willing to search the Word of God for the truth on all things as the Bereans did.

In conclusion, the anointing is not a mysterious power that people sense in a church service. It is the God-given ability to fulfill His will by the power of His Holy Spirit. It manifests in many ways, but it is Christ who is the Anointed One, and it is Him that we should be focused on. We should not be chasing the anointing, we should be chasing God. If you want to see the anointing, run to the kitchen and grab some olive oil, and then look in the mirror. You have been anointed by the Holy Spirit when you surrendered your life to Christ!

I had to be willing to let go of some false concepts of the anointing when I started my studies. I’ve been guilty of using the word in improper ways, but the Holy Spirit has led me into Truth as promised. I encourage everyone to study for themselves what the Word of God says about this topic. Don’t just take it from me!

I’ve always been inspired by the references to fruit in the Bible. It is an easy way to understand how our lives appear to God and to the world. Jesus said that we would be recognized by our fruits (Matthew 7:16), and that a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, just as a bad tree cannot produce good fruit (Luke 6:43).

What are some ways we can produce good fruit? In 1 Thessalonians 5:15-22 we are given some commands that, if followed, will produce good fruit.

We should always try to be kind to everyone and we should seek to do good to one another. As simple as this is, there are a multitude of people who still don’t get it. I think in our culture we are trying to find reasons to condemn people, so that we can be lifted up higher. In the end, those who have this measure of grace, will receive this measure of grace (Luke 6:38).

Have you realized how blessed you are to follow Christ? Do you not see the people who won’t accept the things of God, and their fate is sealed?

Prayer is our first line of defense, but it is also a gift that God has given us to communicate with Him. We shouldn’t just pray when things get rough; we should be praying continually for all things! Throughout the day, we spend a lot of time in our heads thinking about pointless things. Sometimes we confuse ourselves even more, and there is no fruit. I challenge you to stop talking to yourself, and to start talking to God!

This is crucial because it is the Will of God in Christ Jesus. I’m learning to thank Him regardless of how my circumstances look. Read Romans 8:28, and start believing it!

The Holy Spirit is alive in us and ready to help us at all times. However, we usually seem to think that we can do everything ourselves, and therefore we suppress the Holy Spirit. When you yield to Him, and surrender your ways, you will start to see His ways. Psalm 34:8,9 says, “TASTE and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who TRUSTS and takes refuge in Him.” That’s a delicious fruit!

We should not depreciate prophetic revelations or inspired instructions. This was a warning for then as much as it is now. In the last days, men and women will prophesy (Acts 2:16-17), and many will speak harsh words against them. There will also be many false prophets. So how do we know the difference?

In 1 John 4:2 we are told how to test the spirits. “Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.”

Evil comes in many forms, and most people forget that it usually doesn’t jump out and say, “I’m evil, avoid me.” With all the forms of evil, how are we to know what is good? The more time you spend in prayer and in the Word, the more you will start to recognize what is evil and what is good.

One of the things I hear frequently when I’m reading something by a cessationist is that people in the Charismatic circle defend their beliefs based on their experiences, rather than Scripture. Then they whip out of their pocket the popular phrase “interpret your experiences in light of Scripture, not Scripture in light of experiences.” This phrase actually comes from one of the basic rules of Hermeneutics (the theory of interpretation). I have a problem with this theory (when used against the Charismatic movement) for three good reasons:

1. It is a word named after the Greek god “Hermes”.
2. It limits God, and puts Him in a box. For example, is a person who has never read the Bible not allowed to have an experience with God?
3. It’s as foolish as saying, “I just had a glass of ice tea, but I have to make sure there was tea in it.”

What happened to relying on the Spirit of Truth? Instead, humans have done what they always do, and they have taken matters into their own hands. “We’re going to do it like this” they say, rather then doing it God’s way. If someone can point out how this practice is supported Scripturally, I will gladly change my views on it, but until then I’m trusting in the fact that the Holy Spirit is fully capable of interpreting what He wrote in the first place.

If my cat is sneezing, and she won’t eat her food, I can search online for these symptoms and probably come to the conclusion that she has an upper-respiratory infection. That is the natural order of operations with the majority of life’s situations. Something happens, and you search for answers.

Sometimes, I’ll ask God a question and He’ll lead me to a specific Scripture. Am I to presume that my interpretation of this Scripture is false if it ends up relating to my question, or is God truly answering me?

These are things you’ll have to decide for yourself, but my decision is to allow God to be God. Keep in mind that the Bible was meant to be understood by anyone who wants to understand it. Nothing has been hidden, and there are no secret meanings. That doesn’t mean that it can’t be misunderstood or refused to be understood by people who can’t accept it’s meaning, but for someone who is truly seeking God, it is unlikely that the Lord would lead them into deception!

I pondered this after realizing the way some people use abuse the Scriptures. I asked myself, “have I placed the Bible and its contents before my relationship with God? Have I turned the Bible into an idol?”

It was a serious question, and one that caused me to turn to my Heavenly Father for answers. I was reminded of the Pharisees who knew the Scriptures so well, but could not recognize that Jesus was the Son of God who came to fulfill the Scriptures. In today’s world, there are many (legalists, fundamentalists, etc.) who rely on the Scriptures to fight their agendas, but still do not understand the purpose of the Bible.

Consider 2 Timothy 3:14-17 which says:

Notice the part that I have emphasized does not say, “through the Holy Scriptures, you have been given salvation.” Instead, we are told that the Scriptures will make us “wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” The Scriptures are there to point to Jesus, and to tell us why we need Him. They are not there to replace Him!

So is it possible to make the Bible an idol? Yes. The bible is one of the gifts God has given us to understand Him, and to understand why we need Him as our Savior. Essentially, it is a manifestation of His will. It’s called the “written Word”, because it speaks about God. However, Jesus is the “Living Word”, and it is only through Him that we are saved. The Bible also helps us to live a life that is pleasing to God, but once we leave this earth, it is only through Jesus that we will come into His Kingdom.

Sometimes I say to God, “Heavenly Father, show yourself to me. Help me to understand your character so that I may be more like you.” Do you know that if you ask God to do that, He will answer you quickly, and with clarity?

While reading Philippians 2, I was impressed with what God began to show me. Philippians 2:3 talks about how we are not to do anything out of conceit or arrogance. Instead we are to regard others as better than us when we are talking to them. What affect does this have? Verse 4 in the Amplified Bible answers that question by saying:

We need to stop thinking about ourselves, and we need to start thinking about the needs of the people around us! A big part of our society in America has turned to the “every many for himself” and “my needs come first” mentality, and who is there to help us when we fall?

Philippians 2:5 begins the reference to having the humble mind that Jesus had, Who had come to the earth as God in human form. Being God on earth, He did not walk around saying, “I’m God, and I’m powerful so you better get out of my way!” No, instead He demonstrated humility by stripping Himself of that dignity. He became like a servant, and through obedience, He went to the cross to die. He led a perfect example of how we are to live our lives for Him. He never asks any of us to do something that He hasn’t already done Himself!

In verse 12 we are instructed to, “work out our salvation”. The goal is to live a life that resembles the life of Jesus Christ. We don’t just say a prayer, and go on living the way we always have. When God is truly in a person, you will see changes in that person. That doesn’t mean we become perfect, but by the power of God (verse 13), we will supernaturally want to attempt perfection throughout our entire life, until we die!

Philippians 2:14 says,

By being obedient to this command we can remain innocent to the world. Imagine Jesus walking around saying, “My feet hurt from walking so much. Everywhere I go, people follow me. I have no privacy. Now I have to die on a cross. I’m always suffering. My whole life is just one big suffering party. I’ll be glad when it’s over!” It’s ridiculous to even think of Him like that, isn’t it? Yet, so many Christians are living their lives like this, and wondering why people dislike Christians. We aren’t setting the example that we are called to set, and because of that the world finds fault in us!

Do you know how foolish it looks to people when one minute you are telling them, “all things are possible with Christ” and the next minute, “I don’t know what I’m going to do, it looks hopeless.” It ruins your testimony, and more importantly it makes our God look weak!

There are many characteristics of God, and Philippians chapter two only reveals a few. Humility, humbleness, and optimism are some pretty important things to consider when looking at ourselves in the mirror. Are we really seeing the reflection of Christ, or do we need to surrender ourselves a little more to the transforming power of God?

This morning my mother called me before church, and said she had been reading Matthew, and there were a couple of things that she was questioning. The chapter in particular that stumped her was Matthew 6. I turned to it and started reading, and remembered this chapter quite well, for I had once stumbled on it. I had to do some further research, because I had forgotten what it was about. I found an excellent answer in the book, An Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount by Arthur Walkington Pink, and I’m posting the simplified version here.

The verse begins with Jesus telling the multitudes not to do good works in public, in order to be seen by men, but to do them in private. Then our Father will see them and reward us in public. If we do good works in public for others viewing, then that is our reward (the effect that it has on the public). (Matthew 6:1-4)

It then goes on to talk about prayer, and this is where it gets confusing. Jesus says to not be like the hypocrites (Pharisees) because they love to pray on the corners of streets, so they may be seen by men (Matthew 6:5). At first glance, it might seem like He is saying that we shouldn’t pray in public. However, it is important to remember the first example that He spoke of. It’s not bad that they were praying in public. The problem is they prayed in public for the sake of putting on a show for those around them! In Acts 27:35, Paul gave thanks to God in front of 276 people. By this example, we know that there is nothing wrong with praying in public as long as our motive is done with good intention (in a way that God gets the Glory).

Matthew 6:7 continues on to say that we should not multiply our words as the Gentiles do. For example, “God please bless me financially. I need money really bad. Can I please have a miracle? I’m praying for finances, and I’m asking for money. Please send the money God. Please send the money.” God knows what we need, and when we ask Him, we are to believe that it will be done (if it is in His will). How many people are doing this on a daily basis?

Read 1 Kings 18:25-39 to better understand the difference of repeatedly nagging, and simply asking and believing it is done (according to the will of God).

Now, as stated in Arthur’s exposition, praying (entering into a spiritual communion with God), and pouring out your heart to God are two different things. God wants us to talk to Him about everything that is on our mind!

I believe that spiritual warfare is something completely different than praying, and it does require a little more persistence. Demonic spirits can be stubborn and unwilling to leave, but it is our job to take our authority in Christ and command them to go. If they won’t leave right away, then keep shouting at them until they flee (the charismatic way)! Or simply do what Jesus instructs in Mark 9:29.

A concluding note:

Matthew 6 does not shake the foundations of the church (hopefully), but it is a warning from Jesus to be conscious of our behavior, and how we are living as Christians.

“We do not present our requests to God in order to acquaint Him with our wants, but to render obedience unto His commandment which requireth this duty from us. We pray unto God for the purpose of honoring Him, acknowledging Him to be the Knower of our hearts and the Giver of all mercies.” - Arthur Walkington Pink

Just a few tidbits…

I love the parable that Jesus tells in Matthew 13! I read it awhile ago and then it crept up on me again tonight. It is God’s nice way of tell me that I better be comprehending all the things that I’m learning about Him! I’m trying…I promise!

Also, I’m still moved by the guy on the cross next to Jesus. I was in tears (I blame it on the Holy Spirit, but I’m really just a baby), and I loved that right at the last minute he repented and was saved. If that doesn’t explain that we are “saved by grace”, I don’t know what does!

Alright, bedtime. God bless you all!