The Blessing of Peace

The first time I experienced the supernatural peace of the Lord was during the process of my conversion.  My road to salvation was not an ordinary journey from an evangelical perspective.  As a child raised in a Roman Catholic family, I had faith in God and even through my teenage years, as I lost faith in religion, I did not lose faith in God.  My obedience to Him, however, did fall away through those teenage years.  It was not until the age of 20 that I began an earnest search for truth which resulted in my conversion experience.  When I began to seek out truth, because of someone witnessing to me, I would always feel like my “subconscious” knew something that my conscious mind did not.  It was the need to discover and express this inner knowing that ignited a desire in me to want to write.  I did not know at the time that it was the Spirit of God drawing me to a knowledge of the truth.  It was in this spiritual condition that I first experienced the blessing of peace.

During my pursuit for truth, I decided to retreat into the forest for contemplation.  I borrowed my brother’s canoe and had him drop me off at the Poplar River so I could follow it to Lac Ouellette.  It was not until the first night in my tent that I realized how alone I was out there in the forest, armed only with an axe and a camera.  It is surprising how loud animal sounds in the forest can be when you close your eyes and try and sleep.  I still remember my anxiety, trying to distinguish those sounds, not certain if they were caused by a squirrel or a bear.  What else could I do but pray for protection?  It came immediately.  A sense of peace covered me like a blanket.  There is no better way to describe it.  It allowed me to calm down and fall asleep.  It also caused me to wake up spiritually.  There really was a God present to answer prayer!  It was not long after that I came to a place of surrender to Christ Jesus as my Lord.

The peace of the Lord is still very real to me.  It has been the means to my hearing the voice of God.  We cannot hear the Spirit of God in our spirit if our mind is anxious.  It has also allowed me to overcome the fears that have tried to cripple me.  There would never have been any character growth in me without this peace.  Realizing its value, I have been particularly aware of the mention of it in scriptures.  Have you ever noticed for example that many of the New Testament epistles begin or end with a blessing of “grace and peace”?  Even in the Old Testament we read that the blessing Aaron was instructed to pray over the people included this peace of the Lord.  “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel.  Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”’ (Nu. 6:23-26).

In these turbulent times we need the peace of the Lord.  It is a source of health and strength because in rest you place your confidence in the Lord and your faith is activated.  “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” (Isa. 30:15).  For my wife and I, this has also been a challenging but exciting time in our lives.  We are in the process of moving to another community as we transition from full-time secular employment to more time for family and ministry.  We are very busy with these changes and we look with anticipation to all that the Lord will do.  It is this peace of the Lord that we continually go back to as we encounter one concern or another.  It is in times of stress that we either get stronger or we get defeated.  For us, this has been a time of strength because we continue to rest in the Lord.  It is not because we are something in ourselves, but because the grace of the Lord is enabling us to rest.  When we look to the Lord, we find peace (Isa. 26:3).  In peace and trust we find our strength and our help which is from the Lord.

As believers, we can be witnesses of the grace and mercy of God because of the peace of God in our lives.  Many around us are living in fear or denial.  Peace is given freely to those who have returned to the Lord, but we must learn to rest in it.  “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (Col. 3:14).  The exhortation to be thankful is related to the ability to abide in peace.  “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  (Phil. 4:6,7).  So, peace will come through trusting God.  This type of trust is nurtured by devotion.  “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”  (Isa. 26:3).

Because we love God and we place our trust in Him, we can expect to receive His protection. We know that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28).  We can meditate on His promises for deliverance.  “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.  He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” (Ps. 91:14-16).  Do not put set your eyes on circumstances that are subject to change, set your attention on the Lord.

Walking in the Spirit

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Gal. 5:25)

If walking in the Spirit through faith is the key to a victorious Christian life, then what is the key to walking in the Spirit?  Obviously, it has to do with faith, but how is this faith to be applied?  The answer lies in the first part of the verse quoted above, “if we live by the Spirit”.  This life of the Spirit only begins when we believe unto salvation.  Then it is expressed in our natural life through our soul.  The process for walking is the same as for salvation.  “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” (Col. 2:6,7).  We must be established in the death of Christ to be established in His life.  This was Paul’s main aim in establishing people in the faith.  “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.  For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1Cor. 2:1,2).  You may be familiar with all these scriptures and if you are already walking continuously in victory, then you have no need to hear them again.  But, if like most of us, you sometimes stumble, then you will benefit from what I say here.  Even if you think you are standing strong, take heed lest you fall (1Cor. 10:12).

There is always a danger for Christians to begin in faith and then fall back to human effort.  This is the problem Paul was addressing in his letter to the Galatians.  “This only I want to learn from you:  Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law of by the hearing of faith?  Are you so foolish?  Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” (Gal. 3:2-3).  In the Early Church, we saw this problem manifested in the call for the circumcision of Gentiles.  In our days, it finds expression in religious legalism.  “These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.” (Col. 2:23).  We must be careful not to confuse devotion with sacrifice, nor presumption with faith.  There is a need to bear our cross and follow the Lord, but it must not be attempted in the flesh.  It is an act of faith that begins in surrender.  I think always of the Lord’s surrender to the will of the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, before He took up His cross.  There is suffering that comes with surrender, but it is borne in grace through faith, not in human effort for grace.

It is in this context that Paul said: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20).  It is very important that we continue in Christ the same way that we received Him.  By faith, we identified with Christ in His death and submitted to His rule over our lives.  By faith and submission, we continue to identify with His death and to live in Him.  Our death in Christ is a past event: “I have been crucified with Christ”.  To walk in victory over sin, it is imperative that we believe in this fact, as Paul clearly states in the sixth chapter of Romans.  But faith is also a present reality.  Although I died with Christ, I continue to die daily (1Cor. 15:31).  This is not because my old nature keeps coming back to life, but because my death and resurrection in Christ is in stages.  It occurred for my spirit when I first believed; then for my soul as I walk with Him; and finally, for my body at His appearing.  If His resurrected life come in stages, then so must His death.

To bear our cross and follow Jesus, then, has the two-fold meaning of having been crucified and being crucified.  We must stand by faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross for victory over the power of sin.  We must also put to death the patterns of this world that still demand attention from our soul.  It is this process of daily putting to death the works of the flesh that I have described as the Process of Transformation (Rom. 12:1,2).  It is carried out by the Spirit through faith.  “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Rom. 8:13).  Have you ever wondered why some people can become so overtaken by an ungodly cause that they even give up their lives for it, yet Christians struggle with the thought of having to suffer for Christ?  The difference is in the root of our beings.  People can die physically for a cause if they do not have to give up their selfish nature.  Living for a cause invigorates that old nature.  Christians, on the other hand must die to self; they must allow the ax to be laid to the root of the tree of “self” (Lu. 3:8). 

The path to victory became clear to me when the Lord showed me that my old nature was crucified with Christ when I was born again.  There are not two natures in me.  “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him…” (Col. 3:9,10).  Why then is there still a conflict in my soul if my old man is dead?  It comes from “sin” that still dwells in my body (Rom. 7:17).  Instead of always trying to put off the old man, I resist sin.  I take a stand in faith that the power of sin was broken because my old man was crucified in Christ (Rom. 6:6).  When I deny myself, I do not deny my old nature, but I deny selfishness.  I now live by faith in Christ.  Since I died and was born again, I now set my mind on things above and put to death those behaviors that are of this world (Col. 3:1-5).  My soul still has some thoughts that need renewing, some emotions that need healing, and some decisions that need renouncing.  These are changed by the renewing of the mind as I offer my members a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1,2).  The path to victory is through surrender and faith.

By the Spirit

Walking in the Spirit by faith is the key to a life of victory.  In my last article I mentioned that our spirit is willing to serve the Lord, even though our flesh may be weak (Matt. 26:41).  We must learn to walk as spirit beings in step with the Holy Spirit.  “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:13,14).  The walk of faith is a life of continual fellowship with, and obedience to, the Spirit of God.  It is essential that we receive all the help the Holy Spirit wants to give us in this life.  This requires humility but also correct understanding of spiritual things.  The devil has worked for centuries to build up strongholds that oppose the knowledge of God, but we can tear these down with the truth of the word of God (2Cor. 10:4,5).

Whether we realize it or not, there are passages of scripture that we read and interpret by our traditions.  These are not always in opposition to God, but when they are, they hold to a form of godliness but deny the power of it (2Tim. 3:5).  Let me give you an example of a traditional interpretation that you may have accepted.  In this occurrence, the misconception may not be very harmful, but if you recognize how easy it is to get wrong understandings by tradition, you may be more willing to accept any true teachings of the Holy Spirit that may be different than what you have been taught.

Have you heard sermons about the Holy Spirit coming down on 120 disciples in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost?  Why do we say they were in the upper room?  The Bible says they were “with one accord in one place” and a sound from heaven filled “the whole house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:1,2).  This sound was heard by the multitudes who came together to see what had occurred.  Did the disciples come down from the upper room to meet the crowds in the street?  Why were the crowds near that section of Jerusalem instead of in the temple on the day of Pentecost?  Is it not more likely that the disciples, being devout Jews, were meeting in the temple on this special day, as the multitude of devout men most likely were?  Where do we get the idea that all 120 disciples were hiding away in the upper room in prayer until the day of Pentecost.  The Scriptures only mentions the apostles, the women, Mary the mother of Jesus and his brothers staying there (Acts 1:13,14).  We find out that there were 120 believers during that time, but it does not state that they were all living in the upper room.  How practical would that be?  This traditional interpretation may fit our image of a group of fearful disciples hiding away until they received the promise of the Holy Spirit, but is it scriptural?  Look how Luke describes this time in his Gospel.  “Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.  And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.  Amen.” (Lu. 24:51-53).  Luke says that they were “continually in the temple praising and blessing God”.  We have this understanding that the disciples were being sought out by the leaders of the Jews, so they had to remain in hiding but is that the case?  Having been disciples of Jesus was not a threat to the Jews until they began to preach about the resurrection.  They did not do that until the day of Pentecost.

What does all this have to do with walking in the Spirit?  There is a need in every believer’s life for the help of the Holy Spirit.  What if we hold to some religious traditions that limit that help?  I am a spirit being, with a soul, living in a physical body. I cannot walk in the Spirit without my soul and my body.  The Holy Spirit gives me the ability to walk in the spirit rather than in the flesh.  Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit; it grows in me as I walk with Him.  If the Holy Spirit has spiritual gifts to assist me in walking in the spirit, should I not seek to obtain them?  The Scriptures say: “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” (1Cor. 14:1).  In this epistle to the Corinthians, Paul is instructing the believers on the proper use of spiritual gifts for the edification of the church.  While doing that, he does not negate the use of the gifts for personal edification.  “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.  What is the conclusion then?  I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding.  I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding.” (1Cor. 14:14,15). 

If my spirit is willing to serve God but my flesh is weak, I want to do everything possible to let my spirit speak.  One practice I have developed is to let my spirit speak directly to God in prayer.  The ability to speak in an unknown tongue, which I received when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, makes this possible.  “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.” (1Cor. 14:2).  When I pray in the spirit, I focus my mind on the Lord so that He will inspire my spirit to pray according to the will of God.  This is very important.  Praying in the spirit is most effective when I pray in faith under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  I can be inspired by the Holy Spirit to pray with my understanding, but I can also be inspired by the Holy Spirit in my spirit.  Actually, if I pray with my spirit and focus on the Lord as I do, then as I pray with my understanding, I find that I am interpreting what my spirit is praying.  Praying by faith in an unknown tongue helps me to walk in the Spirit (See Jude 20).

The Spirit is Willing

We hear a great deal about mental illness these days because of the isolation brought about by the measures used to control the spread of the corona virus.  As a Christian counsellor I have worked with some spirit-filled believers who had been diagnosed with one form of mental illness or another.  These forms of the illness can be managed with medication and counselling, but because they are physiological in nature, they need the healing power of Christ for complete victory.

There are other forms of what the medical field calls mental illness.  These have similar symptoms, but they are spiritual, mental, or emotional in nature, not physiological.  From a Christian perspective, I do not think of them as illnesses, but rather conditions of the soul.  We are all affected, in some measure, by these types of conditions.  As humans, we are created three-part beings: spirit, soul, and body (1Thess. 5:23).  Each of these parts has its own independent nature, but each is affected by the other.  Problems of the soul are not cases of the body affecting the soul, but vice versa.  Although medications can alleviate some of the symptoms, they can also hinder a person’s recovery because they mask the problem.  For troubles of the soul, what we need is to be transformed by the renewing of the mind (Rom. 12:2).  This is the process of obeying the truth through the Spirit by faith (1Pe. 1:22).  It is a struggle that requires the “pulling down of strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2Cor. 10:4,5).

Whether the soul is being affected by the body, or the body by the soul, the way of victory is in our spirit.  When we believe unto salvation, our spirit is renewed and comes into communion with the Spirit of God.  The life of God flows from our spirit to our soul and our body.  Although our body may have weaknesses, even hereditary ones, these need not rule our natural life.  These weaknesses can be an opportunity for the life of God to be manifest in our mortal bodies (Rom. 8:10,11).  Let me give you an example in my own life.  A few years ago, I started to wake up on occasion because I would stop breathing.  I needed to sit up in bed to begin breathing again but as soon as I tried falling asleep, it would happen again.  It seemed apparent at the time that this was an allergic reaction to something in the air, so I tried using allergy medication.  It worked to prevent these episodes, but I did not like the side effects.  With the understanding that this was a physical problem, I started instead to take the medicine of the word (Prov. 4:22).  I would rebuke allergies as a curse of the law (Deut. 28:15) and look to the Lord for His peace to rule in my heart (Col. 3:15).  I have never had to take that medication again, but I still on occasion need to fight this battle.  This happens if I have been exposed to a high concentration of dust, or if I have been under a great deal of mental or emotional stress.  For either situation, the answer is still the authority and peace of Christ.  When I let the peace of Christ rule in my heart, I allow the life of God to flow from my spirit to my soul and body.

The example I have given above can apply to any physical weakness.  We can receive complete healing for our bodies, or we can stand in victory over these weaknesses by the grace of God, as we wait for healing.  Standing in victory is very beneficial to our soul.  “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast of my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2Cor. 12:9).

What about problems in our soul like anxieties or depression?  These will certainly affect our thinking and even our bodies.  The answer to our needs is still the grace of Christ, which is received by faith (Rom. 5:2).  The first step in overcoming these problems is to realize that we are walking in the flesh, not the spirit.  People do not readily want to receive that, but only the truth brings us freedom.  Examine the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians Chapter 5.  If you are not experiencing peace and joy, you are not walking in the Spirit by faith.  You may not be walking in outright sin, but you are not letting Christ be your life (Col. 3:1-3), which means you are giving in to the pride of life (self-preservation).  This may be the result of offenses or having been overcome by challenging situations in this world.  Do not give in to condemnation but rather look to Christ for salvation (deliverance, peace, and healing). 

After realizing that you are not walking in the Spirit, the next thing to realize is that your spirit is above your problems.  “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt. 26:41).  See yourself as a spirit being in Christ.  “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Col. 3:2).  Pray under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:26,27).  Be ready to obey whatever the Spirit directs you to do.  Sometimes the cause of our walking out of step with the Spirit is pride as we have just discussed, but sometimes it is unconfessed sin.  It may also be unforgiveness.  Another cause of problems in the soul are lies from the enemy.  We must use the spiritual weapons to cast down these imaginations with the Word of God in prayer, confession, and worship. (2Cor. 10:3-5).

One way the enemy tries to keep us from the grace of God is to lie to us about the character of God.  We will not draw near to Him if we do not trust Him.  Instead of believing these lies, we should meditate and believe in the love that God has for us (1Jn. 4:9-19).  Even when we were sinners, He died for us (Rom. 5:8).  Remember that your spirit is willing to trust God, so even if your flesh is weak, look to God with your spirit.  Like the psalmist said, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?  And why are you disquieted within me?  Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.” (Ps. 42:5).

End-time Vision – Part 4

We are living in a time that demands our attentiveness to the inner voice of the Spirit.  He is calling the Church to “Arise, shine; for your light has come!  And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.” (Isa. 60:1,2).  There is a cry for revival from God’s people which originates from the Father.  How many can see by faith the Body of Christ rising in overcoming power?  It is the vision that the evangelist Tommy Hicks saw of the Church rising upon the earth as a great giant with its arms and head in the clouds. 

“And from those clouds suddenly there came great drops of liquid light raining down upon this mighty giant, and slowly, slowly, this giant began to melt, began to sink itself in the very earth itself, and as he melted, his whole form seemed to have melted upon the face of the earth, and this great rain began to come down. Liquid drops of light began to flood the very earth itself and as I watched this giant that seemed to melt, suddenly it became millions of people over the face of the earth. As I beheld the sight before me, people stood up all over the world! They were lifting their hands and they were praising the Lord.”

Before this great end-time outpouring comes, the Church must rise out of worldliness.  Will you be part of the remnant of believers that will respond to this call?  I believe Paul saw the condition of the Church in our days when he said: “‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.’  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Eph. 5:14-16).  Waiting on the Lord for revival is not done in complacency.  It is a time of cleansing, as David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Ps. 51:10).  It is also a time to receive the Spirit by faith.  “‘He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive.” (Jn. 7:38,39).  Furthermore, it is a time for unity: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!  It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down the edge of his garments.” (Ps. 133:1,2).  The early Church was established during a time of great outpouring.  It came with repentance, faith, and unity (see Acts 2:38-47).

In my last article I mentioned the river of life that flows from the throne of God, and the fruitfulness of those who are planted on the banks of that river (Ps. 1:3).  When Ezekiel saw this river, it was flowing out from the temple wall, at first only ankle deep, but the further it flowed, the deeper it got.  In Jasper National Park, the Maligne River flows from Maligne Lake which is supplied by glacial melt.  From that lake it flows into Medicine Lake, where it goes underground and emerges in the Maligne Canyon as a small stream.  The further the stream flows down the canyon, the larger it gets because it is joined by many of the other underground streams flowing from the same source.  As you hike along this canyon, you can see an occasional stream gushing out of the canyon walls to join the river.  This is merely a natural phenomenon, but it illustrates what will happen as we individually allow the river of life to flow out of our hearts.

I long for the day when the river of God flows to the sea of humanity as a deep and wide river.  It will bring healing to the nations (Ezek. 47:8).  Currently, it is flowing through believers as small streams.  Occasionally these streams join, and they become larger and more powerful.  We can be those from whose hearts flows rivers of living water.  As we do this, we bring life to those around us.  We must not seek to hold onto this living water, to form our own lake or pond.  When the river reaches the sea, its waters are healed, but the swamps and marshes are not healed, they are given over to salt (Ezek. 47:11).  When the small streams join together, they lose their independence but not their nature (2Pe. 1:4) since they all have the same source. 

In the vision given to Tommy Hicks, the giant was not able to rise until it did so in the unity of the Spirit.  The vision he saw is of a great outpouring, but before it occurs, there must be a revival in the Church.  Out of this revival will come a restoration of authority.  When the arms and head of the giant reached into the clouds, the outpouring began.  The head represents authority.  When a united Church takes its authority to the second heaven, something dramatic occurs on the earth.  We must understand the role that the Church has in the plans and purposes of God.  As the Body of Christ, all the enemies of Christ must be brought under her feet.  “Then comes the end when He (Christ) delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.  For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.” (1Cor. 15:24,25). 

There is a major event coming to this world when the devil and his angels are cast down from the second heaven to the earth (Rev. 12:7-9).  We have a description of this type of spiritual warfare in the book of Daniel Chapters 10 to 12.  The prophet was fasting and mourning for three weeks before the angelic messenger appeared to him in a vision.  This messenger was sent from the moment Daniel began to pray, but it took twenty-one days to reach him.  How many times have we prayed but given up too soon because we fail to understand spiritual warfare?  Because of the importance of the message, the enemy opposed it greatly.  The key to the victory was Daniel’s faith and humility.  “for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.” (Dan. 10:12).  This is the kind of faith the centurion demonstrated when he believed in the authority of Christ and understood how to be humbly “in authority” while being “under authority” (Matt. 8:8,9).

Come, let us draw near to God.  Let us cleanse ourselves.  Let us humble ourselves in the sight of God that He may lift us up! (Jas. 4:8-10).  Let us drink from the living waters until they flow out of our hearts.

End-Time Vision – Part 3

There is a problem that can occur when we look in hope for something the Lord will do.  It is not hope that is the problem, it is unbelief.  In the first and second part of this series of articles I shared concerning a vision the evangelist Tommy Hicks had about a great end-time outpouring.  Many prophets have seen that day at a distance.  This will be the greatest demonstration of God’s power upon His people that has ever occurred.  It will be the last great witness to this world concerning the salvation that is available through Jesus Christ.

In this vision, the minister asked the Lord what the meaning was, and He said: “This is that which I will do in the last days.  I will restore all that the cankerworm, the palmerworm, the caterpillar—I will restore all that they have destroyed.  This, my people, in the end times will go forth.  As a mighty army shall they sweep over the face of the earth.”

If we accept something as true concerning a future event but do not act on it, we are merely acknowledging it.  While we look at our present circumstances, we see little evidence of the fulfillment of the promise, so we put it off to the future.  That is not faith.  Faith takes a hope and acts on it in the present.  Faith ushers in the fulfillment of that promise.  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1).  Do you know what happens if you do not respond in faith to a promise?  You harden your heart to it.  You become dull of hearing.  You turn your attention to other things, and when the day comes for its fulfillment, you do not receive it because the word has been choked by the cares and things of this world (Mark 4:19).  “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today’, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb. 3:12,13).

In the vision, the minister also saw something that was quite troubling.  “There were many people as He (Christ) stretched forth His hand that refused the anointing of God and the call of God. I saw men and women that I knew. People that I felt would certainly receive the call of God. But as He stretched forth His hand toward this one and toward that one, they simply bowed their heads and began to back away. And each of those that seemed to bow down and back away, seemed to go into darkness. Blackness seemed to swallow them everywhere.”  These were people the minister knew.  They were fellow ministers and church members.  He felt that they would certainly receive the call because they were already serving in ministry.  Jesus spoke of this in the parable of the wedding feast (Matt. 22:1-14).  When the time came to celebrate the wedding, some of the invited guests were not found worthy to attend.  The invitation was sent out to the highways and the byways.  Of course this parable applies to the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles after the Jews first rejected it, but it also applies to the time at the end when the remnant of the Jews once again accept it (Rom. 11:1-36).  After all the preparations were completed, many who had never heard the invitation finally heard it and the wedding hall was filled. 

How do we prepare for the end-times outpouring?  We must keep the promise alive.  A seed is planted in a time of revelation.  This is the early rain.  Then the seed must grow but it cannot do that without water.  We cannot wait for the latter rain before we grow.  We must set our roots deep into the soil to draw living water from the river which flows from the throne of God (Ezek. 47:1).   Then when the latter rain comes, we are ready for the final harvest.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.  He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” (Ps. 1:1-3)

The time to live is now.  Behold, now is the day of salvation (2Cor. 6:2).  Today you must be attentive to His voice.  Today you must believe.  Today you must obey by the Spirit through faith.  If you learn to abide in the grace of God when there is little rain, you will be a tree of life to those around you when the latter rain comes.  You see, it is not about the rain.  It is about faithfulness.

There is another parable that speaks of this time.  The parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30) refers to the reward of the Lord for His faithful servants at His Second Coming.  We must not forget that before He comes visibly to the world, He will come to His temple.  It will be a time of great grace, but also a time of refining (Mal. 3:1-3).  In this parable, before leaving to prepare a place for them in the Kingdom, the Master distributes talents to His servants.  When He returns for them, He takes the talent away from the unfaithful one and gives it to one that was faithful.  Not only did the faithful servant receive another talent to use in the present time, but he was put in charge of cities in the new kingdom (Lu. 19:17,18), which speaks of the Thousand Year Reign after the first resurrection (Rev. 20:5,6).

“Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail.  They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary.  Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.” (Ezek. 47:12)

Understanding Discipline

I hate sin. I hate how it affects my relationship with others and with God.  But even more, I hate it because of “why” it affects my relationship with God.  It makes me different than Him when I want so much to be like Him.  God is love.  All He does is light and life.  Sin hides in darkness and its fruit is death.  A very important moment in my spiritual walk came when I realized that every sin I committed brought forth destruction.  How could I continue doing things that hurt others?  God wanted me to walk in love.  It was no longer just about obtaining mercy.  It was about becoming like Him.  The problem was that I was not always aware of what my sinful habits were. And even when I realized it, I was not immediately able to change.  “O wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom. 6:24).  The answer is Jesus Christ our Lord!  I have written more about our victory over sin in previous articles.  In this one, I want to discuss our need for discipline to help us obtain that victory.

The purpose of discipline is to help develop in us the fruit of the Spirit called self-control.  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2Tim. 1:7).  The Greek word translated as “a sound mind” means “discipline” and is often translated “self-control”.  Developing this fruit is a process which occurs as we walk in the Spirit through the obedience of faith.  Until it becomes self-control, our Father trains us with His discipline, that we may partake of His holiness (Heb. 12:10).  We must submit to this discipline even though it is not pleasant.  “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Heb. 12:11).

I have made it my goal to respond quickly to God’s discipline because the longer I resist, the more unpleasant it becomes.  If I fail to recognize His rebuke in my spirit, it then comes through others or circumstances.  I prefer to discern it in my spirit, but that is not always the case.  I also want to receive it when it comes through people because Scripture says: “Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you; give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.” (Prov. 9:8b,9).  I must hear and take heed to what is good.  If I do not receive correction as quickly as I should, please forgive me and be patient with me.  When we speak a word from God to others, He continues to speak even after we stop.  God may also continue His discipline by withdrawing from me and allowing me to bear the wages of my sins.  As much as I try to resist the devil in those situations, nothing works until I submit to God in humility and repentance (Jas. 4:6-10). 

Now if I persist in my error, for the sake of those whom I am hurting, you should involve others to help convince me of what is right.  This process, which we call church discipline, is explained in Matthew Chapter 18.  It is a practice that has too often been applied incorrectly because of our lack of spiritual maturity.  As the Church continues to mature in these last days, we must learn to apply this as God wants us to.  Otherwise, it will be as Paul said, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1Cor. 5:6).  If you read chapter five in the first epistle to the Corinthians, you will see that the Church is required, is such situations, to judge.  Oh, how difficult it is to understand this whole subject of judging others and ourselves!  The key principle is authority.  As individuals, we are not to judge the servant of another, but Jesus has delegated some of this to the Church (Matt. 18:17-19).

If we are to understand church discipline, we must know its nature and purpose.  Jesus warns against causing any of His children to sin.  When that happens, they become like lost sheep who are so precious to Him that we should leave the hundred to find the one that is lost.  It is in this context that Jesus instructs us on how to address a sinning brother.  There are two goals involved here.  First, we are trying to save the one that is lost.  But we are also trying to protect the rest of the flock.  It is balancing these two goals that makes church discipline difficult.  It requires balance because the one who offends is also one who is lost.  Jesus included both topics in the same discourse because we must see both sides concurrently. 

Let us apply this to my situation.  If after coming before the leaders of the church, I am still choosing to walk in error, then for the sake of the flock, I should be removed from the congregation.  There is time for working with someone in error, and there is a time for judgment.  When Jesus described the sinner as a slave to sin, He said: “a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.”  Jesus gave the woman Jezebel time to repent before casting her unto a sick bed (Rev. 2:20-22).  I pray that nothing like that would ever occur to me, but if it did, I would rather suffer the destruction of the body then cause others to fall away from my Lord.  Such a drastic measure is what the Lord meant when He said if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off (Matt. 18:8).  But, before you do that, let me ask for one more thing.  Turn away from me for only a time, while you pray that God would grant me the gift of repentance (2Tim. 2:25,26).  Now if God answers your prayer and I come to my senses, please do not be like the older brother who could not receive again his repentant brother (Lu. 15:32).  There is a time to judge and a time to be merciful.

“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (Jas. 5:19,20). 

Judging Ourselves

How can we move past those personal issues which seem to always repeat themselves?  How can we stop going around in circles?  The Christian walk should not be one of occasional successes and repeated failures.  We should be able to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us” (Heb. 12:1).  As long as we live in these physical bodies we will struggle against sin, but we need not be overcome by it.  There are several keys to victory; they all lead to the death and life of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  If we understand and follow these principles, we will develop our spiritual senses to discern between good and evil and with practice come to maturity (Heb. 5:14).  In this article, I will discuss one of the habits that affects too many of us, and we know it not.

Essentially, we obtain victory over sin through repentance and faith.  As we received Christ, we continue to walk in Him (Col. 2:6,7).  Repentance puts us on the right path, and faith gives us access to grace which is the power to walk in the Way.  It is not enough to have faith.  We need to use that faith in obedience to the commandment of love, because we will all be judged by this law, which is the law of liberty (Jas. 2:12).  We need mercy and grace.  The enemy knows this so he will do whatever he can to keep us from obtaining them.  Now, before we move on in this discussion, please pray that God will show you how it could apply to you.

There are things like unforgiveness or willfully sinning that will hinder our ability to obtain mercy and grace, but that is not what this article is about.  What I am referring to is certainly a sinful pattern, but it is not normally one we are aware of committing.  To obtain victory over it, we need to get discernment.  I have often said that the missing link to victory is discernment.  We cannot repent and believe if we do not know what to repent of.  For this reason, we need to hear the truth that will set us free (Jn. 8:32).  We also need to be convinced by the Holy Spirit that this is truth (Jn. 16:8).

The issue I speak of is “judging ourselves”.  In one sense, we are encouraged to judge ourselves.  Paul said: “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.” (1Cor. 11:31).  The meaning of the word “judge” here is “to discern” or “to examine”.  We should allow God to search our hearts for any “wicked ways” (Ps. 139:23,24).  But there is another way the word “judge” is used, which has to do with passing judgment.  “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court.  In fact, I do not even judge myself.  For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.” (1Cor. 4:3,4).  For most of us, it is not “a small thing” to be judged by others.  It affects us more than we want it to.  We all know that God is our judge, not other people, so why does it still affect us?  The reason is because we judge others and we judge ourselves.  Jesus told us: “Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Matt. 7:1,2).  The measure we should use is stated in the beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. (Matt. 5:7).  We should learn not to judge others, and we should learn to not judge ourselves.

One day I overheard one of my colleagues berating himself because of some mistake he had made.  I have even caught myself doing the same thing on occasion; maybe not as intensely, but certainly more than I ought to.  We only do such things because we want to stop making mistakes.  Coaches, teachers, or parents may have used similar words to motivate us, and we may even have done the same, but we need to renew our minds in this area. Let us not forget the scripture that says the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God (Jas. 2:20).  Being angry with others, or ourselves, is a reaction that comes out of judgment.  Rather than forgiving, we try first to punish because we want to change behaviour.  When we have authority over someone, we need to apply discipline to correct wrong behaviour, but we should not do that unless it falls within our sphere of delegated authority.  And even when we must apply discipline, it should not be with the anger of man.

So, what it comes down to is whether we have authority to judge ourselves or not.  Paul said that he would not judge himself because the Lord is his judge.  Maybe the best way to understand this concept is to read James’ instructions on not judging others with the emphasis on us because the underlying principle is the same.  “Do not speak evil of yourself, brethren.  He who speaks evil of himself and judges himself, speaks evil of the law and judges the law.  But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.  There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and destroy.  Who are you to judge yourself?” (Jas.4:11,12.  Italics mine.)  We should be merciful to ourselves in the same way that we should be merciful to our brothers.  That does not leave us without guilt if we have sinned, but we will not change our behaviour by punishing ourselves.  Sorrow that leads to repentance is not condemnation.  It is a healthy response to the truth that sets us free.  We come to “the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16).

If we come short of the grace of the God in this area, it is because we still think our own way is more effective.  But the practice is sinful, and it will produce a harvest of death.  It is sinful because it is rooted in pride.  We have the right to discern, but not to pass judgment.  Unless we become convinced of this, we will not give up the habit.  Is it better for us to receive mercy or punishment?  If we receive punishment every time we do something wrong, we will subconsciously avoid admitting wrong.  If, on the other hand, we give ourselves over to God as the Judge and we obtain mercy when we deserve punishment, we will yield to His goodness and it will lead us to repentance (Ro. 2:4).  There are times when He may need to discipline us, but as we come to know His love, we will find that His discipline is better than our judgment.  

Believe The Prophets

Sometimes we need to fail before we succeed, but if we refuse to acknowledge our mistakes, we are sure to repeat them.  The recent events in the States have shown us that there is still a great deal we need to learn about the prophetic.  Things did not turn out as so many declared they would.  Despite this, the essence of what I aim to say in this article is that we should not despise prophesying, but we should press on to get better at it.  Faith in God is the key to victory and prophetic words, when they are accurate, encourage our faith.  “Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” (2Chron. 20:20).  The prophet is one of the ministry gifts Christ gave to the Church.  For us to move on to maturity, we need to grow in our ability to speak and to hear accurately.  Those who speak must do so with the inspiration that God provides (1Pe. 4:11), and those who hear must do so with the inner witness of the Spirit (1Jn. 2:27).  If we have delivered or believed incorrect prophetic words, we must bear our own responsibility.  We can only change what we have control over, which is our own behaviour.

Speaking prophetically is a manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit.  In the first letter to the Corinthians Paul advised believers not to be ignorant of spiritual gifts.  These are manifestations of the Spirit for the common good (1Cor. 12:7).  We need to learn to use these gifts properly in order to be blessed and to be a blessing to others.  If we choose not to operate in the gifts, we are resisting the Spirit of God.  If we accept some of the gifts, but reject others, we are guilty of quenching the Spirit.  If we use the gifts improperly, we are grieving the Holy Spirt.  In our path to maturity, we should “pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts” (1Cor. 14:1). 

So, where could the Church have gone wrong?  It could be that the prophecies were conditional.  If that is the case, then these conditions should have been communicated.  Let’s not be too quick at drawing this conclusion; there are other possibilities.  It could also be that the interpretation of a dream or vision was wrong.  Maybe what we can learn from this is that a dream or vision should not be shared until the interpretation is known.  Let’s compare it to a message given in an unknown tongue.  It is not a prophetic word unless the interpretation is also given.  Rather than sharing these experiences, we should reserve them for our communication with God.  As we pray in response to what we think the dream or vision means, we may obtain a clearer understanding.  If we share it in order to obtain the interpretation, we must be careful to only share it with those who have the ability to interpret and judge it, as the Scriptures advise for a message in an unknown tongue (1Cor. 14:27-29).  Without the interpretation, it should never be shared with the Church in general because with social media, it can take on a life of its own.  Even with what we believe to be the interpretation, let us be careful to only speak what we “know”, not what we “think”.  Like Paul said, “we know in part and we prophesy in part” (1Cor. 13:9).  That does not mean that we should expect to be inaccurate.  No, it means that we should describe accurately only the portion of the picture we see, not add to it what we think the rest of the picture looks like.  God may show someone else another part of the picture, then together we will have confirmation and a greater understanding.

There is still another reason why we could have been wrong.  What if the source was not from God?  There are many reasons why this could be.  Sometimes we want to hear something so strongly because the problem is so great.  This opens us up to other voices, even our own imaginations.  The best time to hear the Lord is when we are at peace, focussing on Him, not on the problem.  And, sometimes our motives, even as ministers, can be wrong.  If we are in any way influenced by financial needs or public opinion, we are susceptible to the voices of evil.  The Lord is always willing to speak to His people, but His message is not always popular.  If there is any possibility that this is what happened, we must humbly allow the Lord to search our hearts and bring correction.  Even in New Testament days, some ministers went shipwreck in their faith because they forsook their consciences (1Tim. 2:19).

What is also very alarming is that multiple people got it wrong.  This indicates that there is a problem with the Church in general.  We need revival.  We need to be restored to the power and character of the New Testament Church before we can move on to our end-time purpose.  If we want the fruit of revival, we must pay the price of contrition (Ps. 51:17).  Which one of the messages to the churches in Asia would the Lord say to us today (Rev. 1:4)?  Are we those who have forgotten their first love (Rev. 2:4)?  Or, are we those who tolerate doctrines of demons (Rev. 2:14,15; 2:20)?  At the very least, we are asleep and need to wake up (Rev. 3:3)!  We are rich with knowledge but poor with good works (Rev. 3:17).  Is it any wonder that we do not see properly?  Unless we truly repent and allow the Lord to anoint our eyes, we will not see clearly (Rev. 3:18).

Our walls are broken down; we are without protection against the approaching enemy.  The word of the Lord through Ezekiel was: “You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.” (Ezek. 22:24).  Will the Lord say of us what He said about Israel before the destruction of Jerusalem?  “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” (Ezek. 22:30).  I believe there is still a remnant, like in Sardis, who have not defiled their garments.  We must be watchful and strengthen the things that remain (Rev. 3:2-4).  We must press in to overcome by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimony (which is the spirit of prophecy), and with a crucified life (Rev. 12:11; 19:10).

Understanding God’s Judgment

Is the corona virus a judgment from God?  As I shared in my last article, a minister friend of mine stated in his newsletter that it cannot be.  This is a common belief, in some charismatic circles, which is based on John 10:10: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  It also goes along with the preaching of the Apostle Peter, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:37,38).  My friend went on to say that when a person ignores the love and redemption offered, then a door is opened to the enemy to steal, kill and destroy.  There is very little difference between what my friend is saying and what others are saying, if we go beyond the words and look at what we mean by those words.  To my friend, if you say God is sending judgment, then you are saying that Jesus came to judge rather than to save.  When others say God is sending judgment, they mean that sin must be punished so we need to repent in order to obtain mercy.  Both are looking to God for mercy. 

What difference does it make then if we are saying the same thing but using different words?  It makes a lot of difference to the hearers because people react to what they think they are hearing.  If I use words that you understand differently than what I mean, then my message is misunderstood.  Your response will be to what you understood, not to what I said.  If the Church is to come to maturity, it must come to “the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Eph. 4:13).  Unity is at the heart of what God desires for the Church.  It is something that Jesus prayed for before the end of His earthly ministry (Jn. 17:21).  It will come as the Body is edified by speaking the truth in love (Eph. 4:15).  We will not come to unity unless we discuss these differences while “endeavouring to keep the unity in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3).  It takes effort to maintain a unity of fellowship when we see things differently, but a commitment to love will see us through to maturity.

What then are these differences?  The religious view says that God is putting sickness on us to develop character, so we are instructed to accept it as “suffering for Christ”.  Faith, on the other hand, says that Christ is our healer so we should resist the enemy who tries to oppress us.  It is important to fight the enemy, but it is more important that we fight with truth.  Presumption tries to claim the promises of God without obedience.  The Scriptures say: “Submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (Jas. 4:7).  We cannot effectively resist the enemy apart from submission to God. 

What does submission to God have to do with resisting the devil, besides the fact that God in us is the power we need for resisting?  It has to do with God’s justice.  The devil is the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10).  He is the prosecuting attorney going before the Judge because we have done something wrong.  He is the jailer who will torment those who refuse to forgive others (Matt. 18:34,35).  The devil does not have free reign to do whatever he wishes against God’s people.  He is limited by God’s justice.  If there is cause for judgment, the devil will demand it; and unless we obtain mercy, because of Christ’s sacrifice, then we will receive punishment.  Not all sickness or oppression is a result of sin, but if what we are facing is, then what we need first is mercy.  Without mercy, punishment will come.  We must “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16). 

In a general sense, all sickness is the result of the fall of man.  As Paul said, “The sting of death is sin” (1Cor. 15:56).  Since our bodies are all currently subject to death, we are also subject to sickness, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Cor. 15:57).  Although sickness and other calamities are the result of sin in general, that does not mean that they are the result of individual sin.  There are all kinds of natural causes, accidents, evil acts, etc.  Regardless of the cause, however, James says that we should pray in faith for healing, and if sin is the cause, God will grant forgiveness which will allow for healing (Jas. 5:14-16).  The need for forgiveness is very important.  Even when judgment comes to a nation, Christians should, as priests of God, intercede for that nation.  We can by faith ask God to forgive the sins of the nation, because of the sacrifice of Jesus.  (See 1Jn. 5:16,17).  We have examples of that type of intercession in the prayers of Nehemiah (Neh. 1:4-11) and Daniel (Dan. 9:1-19), who confessed the sins of the nation as their own sin to obtain God’s mercy.  When you know God, you know His desire for mercy, but you also understand the universal need for justice. 

There is one more aspect of judgement that we have not yet discussed, and this is God’s discipline.  If all we must do after we sin is ask for forgiveness, then what would prevent us from committing that sin again?  If we love God, you may be thinking, we won’t do that, but what if we lack self-control?  God loves us too much to allow us to continue in sin, so He disciplines us (Prov. 3:11,12).  What does this discipline look like?  Is it only a chastening in our spirit, like a rebuke?  The Apostle Paul would not agree.  He said that this discipline may even take the form of judgment.  “For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.  For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.  But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.” (1Cor. 11:30-32).  There are many examples in Scripture where God forgave someone, but punishment was still administered.  Miriam bore the punishment of leprosy for one week (Nu. 12:9-15).  David was punished for his sin with Bathsheba (2Sam. 12:1-15).  God’s discipline, even if it involves judgment, is meant to help us overcome sin.

A final judgment is coming to this world, and it is God’s goodness that delays it (Rom. 2:3,4).  It is also God’s goodness that allows some preliminary judgments to come as warnings of the final judgment.  The way to overcome this world is to resist the enemy and draw near to God in repentance and faith (Jas. 4:8-10).