GOD'S TRUTHS BELONG TO HIS CHILDREN :
Matthew 13:11, "He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."
The Greek word translated "mystery" here, means "something that could not be known by men except by divine revelation, but that, though once hidden, has now been revealed in Christ and is to be proclaimed so that all who have ears may hear it."
God's truths are hidden for His children, not from them. God has given an open invitation to everyone to receive the spiritual rebirth which entitles them to the revelation of these mysteries of the Kingdom. But as stated in 1 Corinthians 2:14, a natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned. Therefore, whoever rejects Jesus rejects the source of all wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3), thereby reserving the deep things of God for those who receive Jesus and draw on His wisdom through the Holy Spirit. This also safeguards the laws of God, upon which all the universe is founded, from being appropriated and misused by Satan's kingdom.
In context, Jesus is speaking about those who have revelation knowledge of the mysteries of God. They will receive even more revelation and will walk in the abundant life that Jesus provided (Jn. 10:10; 2 Pet. 1:3). Those who do not receive God's revelation will lose whatever truth they do have and will go farther and farther into deception. God reveals His truths to us in stages and not all at once (Isa. 28:9-10). Therefore, as we walk in the revelation of what the Lord has already shown us, He will reveal more of His truths to us.
The truths of God are mysterious only to those who do not soften their heart by seeking God with their whole heart. As Jeremiah 29:13 says, "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."
AGREE WITH GOD’S WORD
The other day, I was in the customer service line at a store waiting to return something I had purchased. The woman in front of me was taking a really long time, and after a few minutes, I started watching more closely to see what was happening. She was standing there digging through her purse, pulling papers out, and getting more and more frustrated. One employee came over, then another. I could see that this woman was trying to return something, and she didn’t have her receipt. She was doing everything she could to get her money back, but it was no use. She ended up packing her things and walking out the door. When it was my turn, I walked up to the counter, handed the clerk my receipt, and asked for a credit on my credit card. Everything went through just fine, and I received my refund without a problem.
If we look at this scenario on a spiritual level, there’s a lot we can learn. The difference between me and the woman in front of me is that she was pleading her case and I was presenting mine. She had nothing to prove that she had purchased that item from that particular store. She had no evidence, and therefore, no entitlement to what she wanted based on the company’s policy. Now, on the other hand, I had proof of my purchase. I was operating according to the guidelines set forth by that company. I presented my case and received what I was expecting.
It works the same way when we go to God. We don’t need to beg Him for anything. We don’t need to plead with Him. He’s already set up a “policy” in His Word for us to receive from Him. Philippians 4:6 says “Don’t be anxious about anything, but by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” In other words, bring your proof; bring your evidence! It’s powerful when we come to God with something in our hands. It’s powerful when we bring God’s Word to Him.
A lot of times, we come pleading—“Oh, please God…I’m a nice person…I went to church…etc.” That’s pleading your case. But when you come with the Word of God, you are presenting your case.
If you’ve been busy pleading your case, if you’ve been telling God how unfair things are or begging for things to change, switch over today and begin to present His Word. Say, “Father, You said in Your word that no weapon formed against me shall prosper…You said You would make my enemies be at peace with me…” Declare His Word, present your case, and I believe you will see things turn around and experience His favor on every area of your life!
IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR HIM?
I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? - Jeremiah 32:27, NIV
A friend of mine has a son who got his driver’s license a while back and really wanted a car. His father said to him, “Let’s believe that God will give you a car.” The son said, “Dad, God is not going to give me a car. You can buy me a car.” He said, “No, let’s pray.”
They asked God to somehow make a way for the son to have a car. The young man had one in mind, but he would have been happy with anything. A couple of months later, this man’s employer called him in and said, “For the last two years, we’ve made a mistake on your paycheck. We’ve been underpaying you.” When they handed him the check for the back pay, it was $500 more than the car they had been hoping to buy.
The Scripture says, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” There is no telling what God will do if you’ll dare to believe Him. Why don’t you stretch your faith today? Give God something to work with. Declare His Word, meditate on His promises, and put Him first because nothing is too hard for Him!
WE NEED EACH OTHER :
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. – John 17:21
It's time we, as believers, began to enter into the oneness Jesus prayed for in John 17:21. It's time we held onto one another in good times as well as bad. It's time we realized that we need one another.
We do, you know. I need your faith as much as you need mine. Together, we can face anything and win in Jesus.
Let me show you why. In John 3:34, God says Jesus was given the Holy Spirit without measure. He was more powerful than all the demons of hell and all wicked spirits of all classes, including Satan himself. He was able to defeat their power combined.
Now consider this. We are His Body. Each of us has been given the measure of faith according to Romans 12:1-3. That measure is enough to take care of our own personal needs. However, there is more involved here than just our own personal lives.
We have a world to win! We are the end-time generation. We need all the help we can get. But, thank God, we can get all the help we need!
How? By joining together. Ephesians 4:13 says that when we all come together in the unity of the faith, we'll have "the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."
In other words, when the Body of Christ comes together and begins to function as one, we'll have the Holy Spirit without measure--just like Jesus did! We'll begin to see ministries functioning in the fullness of their callings. We'll begin to see manifestations of the Holy Spirit in full measure. We'll see Jesus in fullness as we've never seen Him before.
Then the world will know the Father sent Him.
Step into that oneness today. Start today making a daily effort to make yourself available to God to pray for others. Start your day by saying, "Holy Spirit, use me to pray for someone today. I offer You my measure of faith."
Once we truly join together in faith, all the demons of hell won't be able to overcome us. We'll march right over them in the fullness of the power of Jesus and bring the age to a glorious close!
Matthew 13:11, "He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."
The Greek word translated "mystery" here, means "something that could not be known by men except by divine revelation, but that, though once hidden, has now been revealed in Christ and is to be proclaimed so that all who have ears may hear it."
God's truths are hidden for His children, not from them. God has given an open invitation to everyone to receive the spiritual rebirth which entitles them to the revelation of these mysteries of the Kingdom. But as stated in 1 Corinthians 2:14, a natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned. Therefore, whoever rejects Jesus rejects the source of all wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3), thereby reserving the deep things of God for those who receive Jesus and draw on His wisdom through the Holy Spirit. This also safeguards the laws of God, upon which all the universe is founded, from being appropriated and misused by Satan's kingdom.
In context, Jesus is speaking about those who have revelation knowledge of the mysteries of God. They will receive even more revelation and will walk in the abundant life that Jesus provided (Jn. 10:10; 2 Pet. 1:3). Those who do not receive God's revelation will lose whatever truth they do have and will go farther and farther into deception. God reveals His truths to us in stages and not all at once (Isa. 28:9-10). Therefore, as we walk in the revelation of what the Lord has already shown us, He will reveal more of His truths to us.
The truths of God are mysterious only to those who do not soften their heart by seeking God with their whole heart. As Jeremiah 29:13 says, "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."
AGREE WITH GOD’S WORD
The other day, I was in the customer service line at a store waiting to return something I had purchased. The woman in front of me was taking a really long time, and after a few minutes, I started watching more closely to see what was happening. She was standing there digging through her purse, pulling papers out, and getting more and more frustrated. One employee came over, then another. I could see that this woman was trying to return something, and she didn’t have her receipt. She was doing everything she could to get her money back, but it was no use. She ended up packing her things and walking out the door. When it was my turn, I walked up to the counter, handed the clerk my receipt, and asked for a credit on my credit card. Everything went through just fine, and I received my refund without a problem.
If we look at this scenario on a spiritual level, there’s a lot we can learn. The difference between me and the woman in front of me is that she was pleading her case and I was presenting mine. She had nothing to prove that she had purchased that item from that particular store. She had no evidence, and therefore, no entitlement to what she wanted based on the company’s policy. Now, on the other hand, I had proof of my purchase. I was operating according to the guidelines set forth by that company. I presented my case and received what I was expecting.
It works the same way when we go to God. We don’t need to beg Him for anything. We don’t need to plead with Him. He’s already set up a “policy” in His Word for us to receive from Him. Philippians 4:6 says “Don’t be anxious about anything, but by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” In other words, bring your proof; bring your evidence! It’s powerful when we come to God with something in our hands. It’s powerful when we bring God’s Word to Him.
A lot of times, we come pleading—“Oh, please God…I’m a nice person…I went to church…etc.” That’s pleading your case. But when you come with the Word of God, you are presenting your case.
If you’ve been busy pleading your case, if you’ve been telling God how unfair things are or begging for things to change, switch over today and begin to present His Word. Say, “Father, You said in Your word that no weapon formed against me shall prosper…You said You would make my enemies be at peace with me…” Declare His Word, present your case, and I believe you will see things turn around and experience His favor on every area of your life!
IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR HIM?
I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? - Jeremiah 32:27, NIV
A friend of mine has a son who got his driver’s license a while back and really wanted a car. His father said to him, “Let’s believe that God will give you a car.” The son said, “Dad, God is not going to give me a car. You can buy me a car.” He said, “No, let’s pray.”
They asked God to somehow make a way for the son to have a car. The young man had one in mind, but he would have been happy with anything. A couple of months later, this man’s employer called him in and said, “For the last two years, we’ve made a mistake on your paycheck. We’ve been underpaying you.” When they handed him the check for the back pay, it was $500 more than the car they had been hoping to buy.
The Scripture says, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” There is no telling what God will do if you’ll dare to believe Him. Why don’t you stretch your faith today? Give God something to work with. Declare His Word, meditate on His promises, and put Him first because nothing is too hard for Him!
WE NEED EACH OTHER :
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. – John 17:21
It's time we, as believers, began to enter into the oneness Jesus prayed for in John 17:21. It's time we held onto one another in good times as well as bad. It's time we realized that we need one another.
We do, you know. I need your faith as much as you need mine. Together, we can face anything and win in Jesus.
Let me show you why. In John 3:34, God says Jesus was given the Holy Spirit without measure. He was more powerful than all the demons of hell and all wicked spirits of all classes, including Satan himself. He was able to defeat their power combined.
Now consider this. We are His Body. Each of us has been given the measure of faith according to Romans 12:1-3. That measure is enough to take care of our own personal needs. However, there is more involved here than just our own personal lives.
We have a world to win! We are the end-time generation. We need all the help we can get. But, thank God, we can get all the help we need!
How? By joining together. Ephesians 4:13 says that when we all come together in the unity of the faith, we'll have "the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."
In other words, when the Body of Christ comes together and begins to function as one, we'll have the Holy Spirit without measure--just like Jesus did! We'll begin to see ministries functioning in the fullness of their callings. We'll begin to see manifestations of the Holy Spirit in full measure. We'll see Jesus in fullness as we've never seen Him before.
Then the world will know the Father sent Him.
Step into that oneness today. Start today making a daily effort to make yourself available to God to pray for others. Start your day by saying, "Holy Spirit, use me to pray for someone today. I offer You my measure of faith."
Once we truly join together in faith, all the demons of hell won't be able to overcome us. We'll march right over them in the fullness of the power of Jesus and bring the age to a glorious close!
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