Path of Forgiveness: Loosening & Binding
Matthew 18:18 Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
These thumbnails aren’t giving me much of a selection! LOL
Tag Archives: Jesus’ sacrifice
Living in the Kingdom of God NOW
Living in the Kingdom of God
NOW
The other day as I was walking on the beach, I reflected upon on the bleakness of our times contrasted to the beautiful truth of God’s Kingdom here on earth. I thought about how many people are waiting for heaven when God has given us access to His Kingdom now – something few truly enter into. Most are sitting on the sideline waiting and missing out on an incredible journey now. The reflection took me back to that poignant moment in my walk – the realization of the realness of His Kingdom here on earth and in my life.
The Realness of the Kingdom on Earth
One morning many years ago, my husband came into the kitchen where I was sitting having my quiet time. He said, “Can I interrupt you for a moment?” “Sure!” I said. I’m always ready to hear an insight. He said (paraphrasing) from what he was reading and what the spirit was teaching the Kingdom of God in our lives is just as real as this physical life. Therefore, dwelling it affects our earthly lives now in very powerful and real ways. We are called to a different existence now. His words confirmed what I had been learning. Often God teaches us individually similar truths at similar times – it never ceases to amaze us.
We dived into an extraordinary conversation about the Kingdom. We volleyed back and forth on what God was showing us. Our study, our circumstances, and our conversation were uncovering this mind altering truth. God was unveiling the mystery of His Kingdom. That day catapulted our lives in a new direction. The Kingdom of God became real like the sand that runs through your fingers and the surf that dashes across your feet. We discern it differently than the physical world but its affect on us is more potent than what we see. The impact in our lives from dwelling in God’s Kingdom affects our health, family, marriage, work, everything. It isn’t pie in the sky; it’s pie you eat. We were transitioning from hearing the truth of the Kingdom to it becoming our home. It’s like hearing about a country verses traveling there.
What is the Kingdom of God?
The Kingdom of God is within us. It is God’s Spirit within us. It is Him conquering the territory of our soul and moving in as King and us stepping aside. It is us being reconciled back to God through Christ’s sacrifice and dwelling in the presence of God and all that He is. In His presence, His Kingdom, I’ve experienced in substantive ways His love, mercy, truth, joy, peace, rest, comfort, deliverance, healing, power, strength, protection, provision, purity, goodness, purpose, beauty, wisdom, counsel, freedom, instruction, perfection, and sovereignty – all far beyond what the world offers. And when those things fill your life your life changes dramatically. Meditating on what He has given me in each one of these is something I often do. As we seek God’s face with our heart and soul in the truth of His Word, then these treasures become apart of our lives. It’s tremendous as I’m discovering.
The Focus of Jesus’ Teaching
Luke 4:43 but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”
The Kingdom is the focus of Jesus’ teaching. It is the reason He came to earth. It is the place He opened to us with His eternal sacrifice, as His gift of righteousness opened the door. We need His righteousness because we have none and we only enter this Kingdom if we are spotless. The travesty is many are spiritually born and given this gift, but are stuck in the birth canal. If we neglect to enter in, learn, seek, and explore this new place then we abandon what Jesus brought us, abundant life. For God is life. It’s something we seek with our spiritual eyes, because it isn’t discerned with our physical eyes, but its power in our lives that dominates everything we do see.
The world functions by its wisdom and we, the children of God, by God’s. Just as we are born into the physical world, we are born into this spiritual one. For those who aren’t born into the spiritual, their lives function and are limited by the rules of the physical world. For us who have been spiritually born, we have a new set of rules that govern our lives as we live according to God’s wisdom. How we succeed, fulfill our dreams, define our purpose, make decisions, and obtain wisdom; and what brings joy, pleasure, and happiness are some of the areas where we learn and enjoy a new way of living.
The Journey into the Kingdom
Coming to understand how to live in our new life takes time. Just as we grow physically learning to function in the earthly realm, we grow spiritually. In order to do both we eat. In one we consume food, in the other the Truth, the Word. If we don’t nourish our spirits we won’t mature and will continue to live as we always have, outside His promises. How many mal-nourished Christians do you see? How many do you see feasting on the pure Word, and not man’s watered-down interpretation? If we ate more of His pure truth we would grow and live as we are called in His presence and not as mere men. 1 Corinthians 3:3 Why don’t you see the affects of the Kingdom in people’s lives? Because they aren’t eating or aren’t eating and digesting the pure Word of God.
For us to know and live in the Kingdom was and still is Christ’s passion. We don’t have to wait until heaven to experience a life with God that far exceeds what the world offers. Our response to Jesus’ gift of His life that allows us entrance into this world is seeking understanding and belief in all the promises of our new home. If we don’t take the time to discover its treasures, we never leave the airport. We stay just outside a world that would transform our lives. We remain in the wasteland of endless striving and insatiable hungers. Jesus came to give us life, life in His Kingdom. In it we find the abundant life He came to give. As His bride, it is our part to enter in and explore and we do by stirring the deep.
Verses to ponder about the treasures of God’s kingdom:
1. Blessing
Proverbs 10:22, Psalm 84:11, Psalm 115: 12-15
2. Provision
Psalm 81:10, 16, Philippians 4:19, Matthew 6:25-33
3. Healing
Matthew 10:7-8, 2 Kings 20:5b, Psalm 30:2, James 5:15-16
4. Peace with God
Philippians 4:7 , John 14:27, John 16:33, Ephesians 2:14
5. Happiness/Joy
Psalm 144:15 , Proverbs 16:20, Proverbs 3:13, Job 5:17
6. Rest
Psalm 116:7, Psalm 55:2,2 Matthew 11:28, Philippians 4:11-13
7. Protection/Safety
Psalm 50:15, Psalm 4:8, Psalm 91:9-11, Psalm 71:3
8. Freedom
John 8:32,36, 1 Corinthians 6:12, Psalm 119:45, 2 Corinthians 3:17
9. Deliverance
Isaiah 40:4, Psalm 34:17, Psalm 32:10 , Proverbs 13:15
How You Know You’re Saved
How You Know You’re “Saved”
For years I would repeat the “sinner’s prayer” over and over just in case it didn’t stick the previous times. I wanted to believe those preachers who said if I just said a prayer I was saved, but deep down I knew something was off. So, how do you know you are saved?
Saved means we are no longer simply flesh human beings but spirit as God is spirit. That spirit is eternal. It is a part of God like our flesh is a part of our parents. 2 Peter 1:4 Its life comes from being connected to God. John 15:5
The way that we are able to enter into this spirit life is through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. To abide as spirits with a holy God, we need to be pure and holy. Jesus is holy and our sacrifice. He paid the price for our sins, which is death. As our Savior AND Lord, He took our place so we can take on new eternal spirit life. Because of what He did for us, we are resurrected into new life as He was, and a life that is perfect, eternal, and holy. 1 Peter 2:24, John 10:10
I believe God saves. We didn’t choose Him. He chose us. Just as we didn’t choose to be physically born we don’t choose to be spiritually born. Someone who is spiritually dead can’t choose life. Romans 8:29-30, Ephesians 1:5, Ephesians 1:11
And when God saves us, His Spirit makes it home in ours. John 14:23 Therefore, some proof of that spirit life are the following:
Our spirits:
1. Know God as our Father
2. Long to draw near to Him in truth and love
3. Want to know Him
4. Desire to be like Him
First, our new spirits identify with God as our Father. Galatians 4:6 John 10:4 Just as a child knows his dad because he is a part of him and has a relationship with him. We connect with God in a similar way.
Second, our spirits long to draw near to Him because He will draw near to us. James 4:8 Children desire to be with their dads because they love them and want their love. We want to and do abide in His truth and His love.
Third, we want to know Him. 1 John 2:5 Children, especially when they are older, want to know their fathers. We want to spend time in His Word getting to know Him and learning of His ways. We keep His Word close to our hearts and fill our minds with His truth because it is the words of our Father.
Fourth, our spirits desire to be like Him. 1 John 2:15, John 14:24 Children want to be like their fathers, we desire to be like our Heavenly Father. When we walk outside of His will we feel convicted of that sin (anything not God’s way) and want to leave our ways (repent) and walk in His paths. There is a desire to leave our old ways and not simply because we should or have to.
A spirit born of Him is growing into these four points and it starts with a desire to draw near to Him.
The underlining factor to each of these and defining factor of whether we are saved or not is an action packed desire to be in a relationship with God. If we are cultivating a relationship with God, one-on-one like someone we love, then I think it is proof we are His. Anything else, confession, going to church, or trying to be good can be easily motivated by other things like guilt and pride. But to spend our time with no one watching to abide, to seek His face and sit at His feet with a heart to know and cultivate intimacy can only really be done from the desire of being a part of Him. Not to be a scholar, but a bride who is passionate about her bridegroom. When we are God’s, we hunger to know Him, to draw near to Him, to spend time in His Word getting to know Him as He is.
Looking back, when I said the sinner’s prayer it was out of fear not going to heaven. True Christianity is about being a loving bride not a scared rule bound convert. Christianity is living as an eternal spirit who is of God and therefore longs to be close to Him. It is about being united to God like someone we deeply love.
Living Light 