The Secret Things!

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law." (Deut. 29:29, NKJV)

[donaldcapwell]

Before the Beginning

Long before there was an Earth, before there were stars, before time itself had a starting point, there was a Sovereign God. In that place, outside of time and untouched by creation, a Father and His Son were together.

At some point, the Father spoke.

“Son, I’ve been thinking about expanding My Kingdom.”

Jesus turned His attention toward Him. “What do You mean, Father?”

“I want to create something special,” the Father said. “I want something more than the perfection we currently enjoy. I want to have relationship with a created people that willingly want to spend time with Me - not because they have to. I want them to choose for themselves, and enjoy My favor when they do.”

Jesus nodded. “What does that look like?”

The Father began to describe it. He spoke of a vast creation filled with light, water, land, and life. He described a world filled with beauty and wonder. It would be prepared in detail, where everything would function in order and purpose. There would be trees that produced fruit, each carrying its own seed. There would be animals of every kind, filling the land, the sea, and the air. There would be precious stones, gold, and silver.

Then He paused before continuing. “And I will create all this so that my next creation will have everything that it needs for abundant, fruitful life. You see, everything created to this point is for one purpose - to serve mankind, that they will be Mine, and I will be theirs.”

Jesus leaned-in. These were the moments He loved most.

“They will be different,” the Father said. “They will be made in My image - creators and rulers! They will be my sons and daughters. I will give them power, authority, and dominion over everything I have created there. They won’t just exist in that world. They will rule in it, and everything in it, together with Me.”

Jesus said “So this will be an extension of our Kingdom? It’s Yours, but You’re putting them in place to be Your representatives, and to rule in the same manner that You do?

The Father smiled. “Exactly. A place where I am with them, walk with them, talk with them, and they live under My authority. But they will have the choice to do as I do, or choose their own path. And I’ll put them in a very special place there, a beautiful garden, with rivers flowing from it, and everything they’ll ever need or want. I’ll instruct them to expand that garden so it overtakes the full Earth.”

Jesus nodded and said “That sounds amazing!”

For a moment, there was nothing to question. It was complete. It was perfect.

But then the Father continued.

“But, they’ll reject Me.”

Jesus turned to look at the Father, again, but didn’t interrupt.

“They’ll choose to go their own way. They’ll believe they don’t need Me, and when they do, they won’t just make a mistake. They will step outside of the Kingdom’s protection itself.”

Jesus’ head sank as the weight of that settled in.

“And when that happens,” the Father said, “everything will break. The world will still be there, but they will no longer live in it the way it was created to function. Life will give way to death. Clarity will turn into confusion. Freedom will become captivity.”

“But there will be a way they can fix this, right?” Jesus asked.

There was a brief silence.

“Not on their own,” the Father said, “because just like the fruit trees have seeds of their kind, everything born from them will carry the same corruption that they carry as a result of their turning from me. I will give them a Law, to show them they need Me, but they won’t be able to follow it. I’ll raise up leaders that have My heart, but they’ll reject them. I’ll raise prophets, to warn them of dangers, but they’ll move ahead with their own plans anyway.”

A longer silence, then the Father spoke again.

“I can bring them back, but I’ll need Your help - if You’re willing.”

Jesus leaned forward slightly. “Of course, but how?”

“Because mankind will choose to leave My protection… it will take a Man to them back. But not a Man of the rebellious seed - one from an un-corrupted seed. Someone to exchange a sinless life for their fallen life.”

Jesus sat quietly, listening intently.

“You would go,” the Father said. “You would live as one of them, but they won’t recognize You. You would walk where they walk and feel what they feel. You would not take advantage of who You are as My Son - You will need to lay aside Your power and live fully as one of them. But You will live in full obedience to My plan to show them it’s possible.”

Jesus nodded His head.

“I’ll be with You, and I’ll send My Spirit to be with You. As long as You are obedient, He will rest on You, and demonstrate my Grace and Power through You. But, again, only as far as You can stay submitted to my lead.

“Of course, Father,” Jesus agreed.

“They’ll try to kill You, but You’ll be on a mission, and I will protect You. Your mission will be to restore them to my original plan. They will have been tormented by the accuser for all of their lives, and You will set them free through Your obedience. You’ll follow the Law they couldn’t, and You’ll show them the path to return to Me.”

Another pause.

“And when it is finished,” the Father continued, “they will reject You. They will take everything from You. They will mock You, spit on You, and You’ll feel the emotional pain. They’ll beat You, and You’ll bleed, and feel physical anguish. They’ll rip Your flesh from Your body, and finally, they’ll try to humiliate You by nailing You to a cross for everyone to see.”

“You will give up everything that is rightfully Yours so that they can have what they rejected to begin with. Your perfect life for their broken lives. Your perfect health for their sicknesses. Your riches for their poverty. Your righteousness for their sin. Your perfection for their brokenness.”

Then the Father made the purpose clear. “This is not just about rescuing them. It is about bringing them back. Back under My authority. Back into the Kingdom they were created for.”

“And this time,” He said, “You will be their King.”

Jesus did not answer immediately. It’s not because He was uncertain, but because He fully understood what had just been placed before Him. He saw the rejection. He saw the suffering. He saw the cost in its entirety.

But He also saw the people. Those who would be broken. Those who would be captive and tormented by their own decisions, and those who would be blind to the truth. Those who would never realize what was done for them, and those who would. He saw all of them before they ever existed.

And He loved them.

Finally, Jesus spoke. “If this is what it takes to bring them back, then I’ll go.”

So the decision was made, and the cost of this mission was accepted.

A final pause… and then…

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth.”

What Followed

The earth was formed exactly as it had been described. In the Garden of Eden, the Kingdom of God was fully expressed. God was present, and Man joyfully lived under His authority. Nothing was broken, everything was perfect. No sickness, no disease, no depression - only the un-surpassing Glory of creation, and the Presence of God Himself.

But man was deceived, and he chose independence. He rebelled from the Creator’s plan, and in that moment, he stepped outside of the Kingdom.

Everything that followed was the result of that separation. Death, brokenness, confusion, anxiety, depression, and captivity were not part of the original design. They were the result of the rebellion that caused them to live outside of it.

So in the fullness of time, the Son finally arrived. He didn’t come only to “forgive sin.” He came to reintroduce the Kingdom to people that were hopelessly lost, and to set the captives free. For those that would believe this, He would be their King.

The cross was not the end of the story. It was the method by which everything was restored. Through it, the exchange was made. His life for ours. His right-standing with God for our corrupted hearts. His perfection for our brokenness.

What was lost in the beginning was made available again, to everyone that would believe. The Kingdom was opened, because of God’s unfailing Love - and that of His Son. King Jesus.

John 3:16-17 says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Revelations 13:8: “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

John 1:1-5: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

Jesus wasn’t “killed,” He willingly laid down His life to give us a pathway to return to His perfect Kingdom.

Before anything was created, He knew the cost - and He said yes. Not because He had to, but because He loves you. The Kingdom that was lost has been opened again.

Will you step back into it?

You don’t need a pastor, priest, or anyone else to lead you in prayer. You can surrender to Him right now, right where you are.

Romans 10:9: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Isaiah 61:1-2(a) : “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captive, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,

If you invited Him in today, find a bible-teaching church and fellowship of believers to grow with! According to Luke 15:7, “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”

Welcome to the Family!

[donaldcapwell]

Accessing Kingdom Storehouses

I am a student of the Kingdom of God, and am on a journey to see every promise of God for me fulfilled in my life. Why? Because John 10:10 says: 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.

Since He came to set the captives free (Isaiah 61), and I've been, and still am, a captive in far too many areas of my life, and since He promised here that abundant life isn't a possibility, it's a promise, I'm on a quest. Not that Heaven won't be amazing - but because I believe this life is a practice ground to prepare us for that one! And abundance in every area of my life - in this age - is a requirement if I'm going to be effective in Ministry and disciple as many as I can here - so they can go there with me!

If I come across the sick, I must have an abundance of authority to heal.

If I come across the emotionally bound, I must have an abundance of hope to set them free.

If I come across the grieving, I must have an abundance of grace to heal the broken hearted.

If I come across the poor, I must have an abundance of wealth to show them the Love and Heart of the Father.

If I come across the addicted, I must have an abundance of authority to drive out demons.

Here's the rub… you already HAVE a legal RIGHT to this abundance, but you haven't been told how to access it. We pray that God will give us abundance, but He doesn't know how to answer that - He's already given it. Remember what Jesus said in Mark 4:11 "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God;" but mysteries don't reveal themselves, they have to be discovered. That takes effort, and most folks are spiritually lazy. Me, too.

It should come as no surprise that I am not the only one called to this abundance thing. We all are - but far too many, the mass majority of Christians today, feel that it's somebody else's job to do the work of ministry - and I just need enough for myself and my family… well, that's pretty selfish. When we come across someone that has a need, but we only have enough for ourself, we missed the opportunity for the lack of abundance. You're not greedy for desiring abundance, your CALLED to have it - to be effective in ministry. The only Jesus most in our circles of influence will see is us.

Anyway, I say all that to say this…

Hebrews 11:1 says: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

I've spoken at length on this, but the mysteries of the Kingdom are ours… if we'll search them out! In my time with in the Lord this morning, I was prompted again to visit this scripture:

Mark 11:22-24 22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Again, something that I say a lot - especially when I teach on healing… "Speak to the mountain." Not "Pray to God about the Mountain." But I saw something different this morning I wanted to share. And it's related to another favorite, Romans 12:2… And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Ready?

First, in Mark 11, Jesus said… "Have Faith in God" before He said "speak to the mountain." But Hebrews 11 says that Faith gives substance to HOPE. I've discovered, and shared, that HOPE is the precursor to Faith. Without Hope, which is the joyful expectation of good, there is nothing for Faith to give substance to. So Jesus starts with "Have Faith in God," and I believe He gives an important Spiritual Law here… and for the lack of any other known law, I'll call this the Law of Accessing Kingdom Storehouses.

The HOPE in Mark 11 is that we'll have everything we need - which stirs up a joyful expectation that we CAN have everything we ask for. Imagine that, ok? If you can ask God for ANYTHING and knew with all confidence that you would have it - wouldn't that excite you? (this is not a greed thing, obviously, but think abundance for things to flow through you, not to you. Some sticks on you, of course, but that's not the intent)…

The FAITH that has to be produced is that, when we pray, we believe that we HAVE received that thing we pray for - already. We don't see it, yet, as in Hebrews 11, but because of our joyful expectation of good (hope), we CAN believe (have faith) for it.

I heard it said this way… If Elon Musk was a close personal friend, and he told you to go to his office this Friday to get a check for a million dollars, when do you get excited? Is it when you get the check, or when he told you to come? Faith is knowing that God is not only able to make good on his promise, but WILL - and the excitement for it is when He told you, not when it was delivered.

Listen... faith by itself doesn't produce results. AUTHORITY has to be released - and that is done with the power of the tongue - you know, where the power of death and LIFE come from? SPEAK to the mountain… When we do this, we release authority. It's evidence of our faith. Speaking to a mountain before we truly believe that God can and WILL move it won't work. That's just "name it and claim it." But when we renew your minds to the promise (you can have whatever you ask for), eventually HOPE will arise. And when Hope arises, Faith appears. THEN, and only then, can you speak to the mountain with authority, and with confidence.

Renewing our mind - Romans 12:2 - is played out in Jesus' parable in Mark 4:26-29 - And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.

We put the sickle in - speak our authority - and yield the harvest, when the grain is ripe. But we have to scatter the seed, the promise, first. We don't know HOW it happens, but when our mind is renewed, and when hope arises, even little by little, we can be confident of a harvest.

Finally, and this is foundational, we have to understand that God confirms His word - with signs and wonders. Mark 16:19-20 says "So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen."

So what's the practical application?

First, expect abundance in every area. You're entitled, as a child of the Most High God. You have not because you ask not. He doesn't hold things from us - He holds this FOR us - but we have to make a draw on His account from the Storehouses of the Kingdom.

Secondly, determine what need you have in your life, OR, what need is all around you that you have a burden to see God's hand move upon? He cares about them all, and has a promise for them all, but be specific. God doesn't deal in generalities.

Thirdly, find 2 or more scriptures that correspond to that need. I've been told there are more than 7000 promises of God in His Word. Trust me, there's more than one promise for every one of your needs. Then, write these promises down. Commit them to memory. Speak them out loud (power of the tongue, again). Meditate on them day and night. Thank God for the Promises, and that He intends them for you. RENEW your mind to the reality that the promises are yours. Meditate on and speak them until it's so much a part of your thinking that it becomes a burning desire - a joyful expectation (hope) of the Good the promise holds. Scatter those seeds (promises) in the ground (your mind) until you see the harves. It might take days, weeks, months, or years. Don't stop. This is the most critical step - because until the promises produce hope, there's nothing for faith to give substance to! You'll know you're there, and that it's time to put the sickle in, when you can see the fulfillment in your mind's eye. It's become a burning desire, and you SEE yourself with it.

Finally, do like the little boy who collected flashlights did. He would save up his allowance, and his newspaper money, until he finally had enough money to buy another flashlight. When he had saved enough, he excitedly asked mom to go to the hardware store to buy another flashlight. As he studied those in stock, and selected his new prize, he joyfully goes to the register to pay. When finally in the car with his mom, he looks at her with a gleam in his eye and says "Hey, Mommy - Let's go find some dark!" When you have the hope, faith is ready to give substance to it... Put that sickle in! Speak to that mountain! Release your authority, and watch God confirm His Word.

God confirms His Word with signs and wonders. He doesn't confirm your wishes, your dreams, or your plans. He confirms His Word. So we must know His Word, because that gives Him room to work WITH us, and then He confirms that word. We are not doing OUR work, we are co-laboring with our Father.

We must realize that abundance is ours, for the PURPOSE of bringing light into the world. That's why Jesus came, and he left us the command to go and do likewise. We are doing the world around us a disservice by selfishly asking God for "just enough."

Ready? GO!

Cap

[donaldcapwell]

And The Violent Take It By Force

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12 NKJV)

I’ve been woken up by this scripture in my mind not less than 3 times in the last few weeks.  Weird, right?  I mean, for anyone that’s spent any time reading His Word, this is a pretty familiar passage.  I’ve always thought I understood it, but this morning I was convinced that I didn’t - and since I keep getting woken up with this scripture in mind, I was starting to see that the Lord was telling me to figure it out

Now, for those that don’t know me already, I feel like God speaks most clearly to me when He speaks to me like I’m a 4 year old.  No big words, no complicated concepts, lots of colors, lots of pictures, and a whole lot of repetition.  I guess that’s why He says “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”  (Matthew 18:3 NKJV).  So, when I hear Him say the same things multiple times, I know I need to sit at His feet and listen.  For those of you that are more sophisticated in Him, or mature enough to understand the Kingdom at first glance, my writings may seem overly simplified and will likely add no value to your understanding.  That’s not bad, but my goal in writing is to write in ways that even I can understand…  (grin).

This morning I was again woken with this scripture being whispered, over and over again… “and from the time of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of God suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”  It was a slow repetition, almost like the ticking of a clock.  My mental response was “I know, I know!”  But I didn’t know.  What I knew was He was telling me something, and it was clear I didn’t “know” what that was.  So I went to the Scripture and read this verse in context (Matthew 11:1-19, specifically).  

In the interest of time, and as a reminder, when John the Baptist had been in prison for some time, he sent a couple of his disciples to Jesus to ask “are you the one to come, or should we wait for another.”  Now, if ANYONE knew who Jesus was, it was John… but that is another teaching all together!  Jesus answered John by telling him what was going on… showing him a picture in his mind of the signs and wonders that were happening all around Him.  

(Side Note:  Jesus knew that John, of all people, knew the holy scriptures.  When He answered John by telling him what was happening, He was pointing John to Isaiah 35:3-6 which says “Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees.  Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness…”  Jesus was painting a picture in John’s mind of a prophecy that was being fulfilled.  I’m confident John was very encouraged, even in the “dark place” he was in.  (Are we likewise encouraged in our dark places when we see evidence of the Kingdom?).

Now, after Jesus answered John, he turned to the crowd and asked them about the significance of John’s ministry.  Who did they go out to see?  Why, when they heard the message of John, did they leave their homes and go out to the wilderness where John was?  Unlike Jesus, John didn’t go into the villages to preach to the people, he preached from the wilderness.  BUT, his message went to the people, and the people responded by going out to where the message was!  What message?  Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!  And after reassuring John, Jesus asks the people what they expected to see when they went out in response to the message?  Jesus puts an exclamation mark on the message of John (the Kingdom of God being present) by saying in verse 11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

So let’s recap, because understanding this is paramount to understanding the next.  John, being in prison (a “dark place,” maybe feeling forgotten by God and as if his ministry was ineffective) sends to find out if his time was wasted.  You’d never do that, though, right?  Jesus responds by telling him all of the signs of the Kingdom being displayed… reassuring him that his ministry did, in fact usher in the Kingdom (read prophecies concerning John in Isaiah 40:3-5, Malachi 3:1, and Malachi 4:5).  Then Jesus tells the people gathered around to consider what John’s message was, and why they responded to it… what was the significance of this man, and what were they expecting to see after hearing the word he spoke?  Finally, Jesus tells the people that, as great as John was, he who is the LEAST in the Kingdom is GREATER than John.  

Now back to what I believe God has been trying to get through to me (and perhaps to you?) in Matthew 11:12-17:

12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

16 “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying:  ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament.’

While not a “news flash,” the Bible was not written in English, but that’s the language I grew up with and am blessed to be able to read it that way!  However, whenever I have a particular challenge with a verse (or verses), I go to my trusty Strong’s Concordance to see what the words actually mean in the ORIGINAL language.  For the sake of clarity, I’m going to re-write verse 12, the scripture I have been woken up to, as I understand it after consulting this reference and a fair amount of meditation:

“From the time John the Baptist showed up on the scene until today, the Kingdom of God has been forcefully kicking in the doors of the hearts of men to announce its arrival, but only those men that are in eager pursuit of it snatch it up for themselves.”  (Matthew 11:12, according to the understanding of Don)

That sounds quite a bit different, doesn’t it?  But if you’ll allow me, let me explain why I arrived at this conclusion, and why it matters to us right NOW…

After saying this, Jesus continued in verses 13 & 14 saying “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.”  Again, like a 4 year old, I understand this to mean that from the time of the fall of man through Adam, who caused a perfect creation to be cursed and ushered in a time that mankind would suffer “painful toil and sweat” just to survive, every prophet that ever spoke the oracles of God pointed to a time that this curse would be overcome and broken with the arrival of the Messiah.  In other words, every prophet up until John spoke about the time that the perfect creation (like the relationship God had with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden) would be restored in the person of a Messiah, who we know to be Jesus.  Malachi 4 states that Elijah would be the one to announce the return of this Messiah and His Kingdom.  John’s message was “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”  Jesus was telling the people that every prophecy ever spoken before John arrived on the scene was about the restoration of His Kingdom, and he was reminding them that it was that very message that John the Baptist preached.  

Another relevant side note:  Jesus followed this statement by saying in verse 15 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” which He always said when he was saying something of such great importance that it should not be passed over.  I have long believed that this statement is the New Testament equivalent of “Selah” in the Old Testament.  I could be wrong, but that’s how I relate to it.  The “Selah” of the Old Testament is explained in a lot of ways, but I understand it in part to be a “musical pause.” Many scholars I’ve read interpret it to be meant for the reader to pause and reflect on what was just said.  Take your time, sit up, pay attention, and reflect.  It can also be interpreted as an opportunity to give praise.  So, whenever Jesus says “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” I see it as an opportunity to pause, reflect on what was said until I understand it, and give praise when the meaning is revealed.  I haven’t always taken that opportunity, though, until a recent revelation from Mark 4.  In verse 24 of that chapter, Jesus says “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.” So, with this,I invite you to sit up and take notice whenever you read Jesus referring to those that have ears to hear… the same measure, or weight, you give to what you just read will be the level of understanding you will have!  

So to catch us back up, John needed to be reassured that his ministry time wasn’t wasted, and Jesus confirmed him.  Then Jesus told the listeners to pay attention to what is happening right before their eyes!  He told them to remember John’s message, that the Kingdom of God had finally arrived, and if they were paying attention, they would see that it was a forcible entry!  There was a constant buzz in the air about “this John character” and what he said, and John wasn’t shy about what he was saying - he was even calling the “religious leaders” broods of vipers!  His message was “violently” announcing the Kingdom’s arrival.  And now, people were able to see evidence of that arrival with the signs and wonders of the Kingdom that were being performed, as never before, in the person of Jesus himself. But the next statement is both a rebuke and an invitation that we must all pay attention to.

Put yourself in Jesus’ shoes for just a minute.  He’s got this unique perspective that we need to consider.  Jesus just sent word back to his cousin, a loyal “good and faithful servant,” telling him everything He is seeing and doing - to reassure John that the Kingdom is really here, and everything John said was right.  Then Jesus looks around at “the multitudes” (vs 7) surrounding him.  What did He see?  Why were they there?  Was there hunger for the Kingdom, or did they think He was a spectacle to behold.  He just spoke about the Kingdom kicking in the door to their hearts, but was anyone responding?  He told them that only those that were eagerly pursuing it could ever lay hold of the Kingdom, but did He see any eagerness?  Was He encouraged by the crowd and their zeal to escape the painful toil of their current way of life to enter the very Kingdom He would die to bring them?  Or were they just wanting their bodies to be healed and have a nice fish dinner by the sea?  I believe the answers are found in the next verses: 

16 “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying:  ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament.’

This doesn’t really need a lot of explanation, does it?  Jesus looks upon the crowd and sees what I fear He sees in the Church (especially here in the USA) today.  A bunch of people, witnessing a spectacle, but not stopping long enough for “Selah;” to consider what is happening all around them.  I think He saw them as treating the moment as just another day, and the Kingdom of God as just “a common thing.”  But I strongly believe that this is a warning to them, and to us, to wake up!  As it says in Hebrews 10:29:  “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?”  

From the time of John the Baptist until TODAY, the Kingdom of God has broken onto the scene forcefully.  It hasn’t been hiding behind a tree, or sneaking around mysteriously for only a few to notice.  No, God’s Kingdom, His domain, spiritual reign, and all of the Power and Authority that comes with it, is present right now!  He’s been trying to kick open the doors of our hearts, but are we even paying attention?  Do we care? Pastor Bill Johnson said we OWE the people around us an encounter with the Kingdom - but have we even snatched it up enough to use it?  Proverbs 3:29 says we are to “not curse” our neighbors because we live by them “for THEIR safety!”  Our neighbors are living a cursed life, and it’s OUR FAULT if we don’t demonstrate the Kingdom to them!

We have a responsibility to our family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors, to know that there is a way out of the painful toil and sweat-based system of this Earth realm that they now live in.  They are near us for THEIR safety!  God entrusted His Kingdom to US so they will know that they don’t HAVE to suffer - but I am now fully convinced that most in the Church are unaware of the Kingdom, and the rights we have as citizens of it!  Why would our neighbors be interested in entering the same kingdom we are demonstrating to them that WE live in?  The Church is in poverty.  The Church is divorcing at the same rate, and using drugs at the same rate, and pornography at the same rate, etc, etc, etc.  Look around - for MOST, there is no discernable difference from the lives of the “believers” than from those that are “lost.”  So what’s so great, then, about the Kingdom?

“From the time John the Baptist showed up on the scene until today, the Kingdom of God has been kicking in the doors of the hearts of men to announce its arrival, and those men that are in eager pursuit of it snatch it up for themselves.”  (Matthew 11:12, according to the understanding of Don)

Our neighbors need to see the Kingdom, the TRUE Kingdom of God, demonstrated before it will ever become attractive to them.  The disciples of Christ saw SO MUCH Kingdom that, when Jesus spoke of people needing to eat His flesh and drink His blood, and many left Him, that Peter said in response to whether they would leave, too "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68).  How many of your “lost” family members or co-workers can say the same about how you live your life?  Maybe the issue is your understanding of the Kingdom, and everything that is yours because of it.

A final thought:  This is not a rebuke in the sense that so many in the Church today aren’t “saved,” but I would ask “saved to what?”  I’m starting to see that the Kingdom is like the coffee pot my daughter gave us for Christmas this past year.  Wow!  It is big, really big, and obviously very expensive.  Honestly, just putting it on the counter is wonderful - it’s an impressive sight (and oh, so shiny)!  But, this gift sat in our pantry for a few months because there are SO MANY BUTTONS!  The instructions are in super-tiny font, and written by someone that is clearly more educated than I am!  I didn’t get it, so I put it back in the box and put it in the pantry.  Well, I finally took it out, determined to try to figure it out.  It will likely come as no surprise that, once I took the time to learn it, and experiment with it, and discover what it can do, that I’m enjoying some of the best coffee of my life because of that gift.  If I can experience that with a coffee pot, how much better would life be if I would take time to learn the Kingdom of God?  Our loving Heavenly Father, who is ONLY Good, gave us a gift:  the Kingdom of God.  He gift-wrapped it in the Person of His Son, Jesus - but while many of us actually opened the gift, far too many are confused by its complexity and, while shiny and pretty, with great promises, we don’t bother to learn enough to use it, so we put it in the pantry. 

The Kingdom of God is a real place, with really powerful implications for our own lives, and those all around us… but only if we take it out of the pantry!  Until we see the potential of what the Kingdom holds for us, we will never want to “snatch it up for ourselves.”  There is a Korean card game called “Godori” that my wife, daughter and I play from time to time.  It’s kind of hard to learn, actually, but the essence of it is that it is a picture-matching game, kind of like a colorful, animal-based version of “Go Fish” here in the States.  Each player is dealt a handful of these tiny, hard-plastic cards, and each card is part of a “set” of other cards that match.  Each “set” a player collects is awarded a point value, and the winner is the one with the highest points.  Turn passes from one to the next, and when it is a player's turn, he/she slams a card down on a match, and if the “slam” is forceful enough, it emits a loud “cracking” sound (very satisfying), and the player then “snatches up” the match.  This is done with a lot of fanfare, and usually involves some taunting and laughing at everyone based on the point value of the match.  As you can imagine, the “snatching up" is done to demonstrate to everyone else that those cards are MINE.  It’s a move that demonstrates victory! 

In the same way, this describes how we are supposed to lay hold of the Kingdom of God!  Sadly, we are too timid and shy - and Jesus would say “I played the flute for you, but you didn’t dance.”  Too many altar calls are done “with all eyes closed and every head bowed.”  Why?  If you see the Kingdom, jump up, RUN to the altar, and throw yourself down before the throne of God.  Claim what is rightfully yours!  Snatch it up, and laugh at the devil while you’re at it!  And this can be said of EVERY benefit of the Kingdom.  If you don’t, then maybe you didn’t actually see the Kingdom!  

It’s time for us to learn what the Kingdom truly is, and what we have with it.  If people aren’t being healed by your shadow passing over them, you have more to learn about the Kingdom!  If you aren’t walking in your heavenly calling everyday, eagerly anticipating Monday instead of dreading it, you have more to learn about the Kingdom!  If you're broke, discouraged, depressed, need healing, or tired, you have more to learn about the Kingdom!  If the Joy of the Lord is not overflowing in your life, and signs and wonders are not constantly following you, every day, you have more to learn about the Kingdom!  And I count myself in that number!  God has made the Garden of Eden available to us, again, if we would only learn the Kingdom.  We are citizens of this Kingdom if we are called by the Name of Christ - but is there enough evidence in our lives to convict us of it if we were taken in front of the Judge today?

[donaldcapwell]

He is Still Breathing!

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 (NKJV)

I believe this verse is one of the most intimate in scripture, if not THE most intimate.  I’m not taking away from the countless other scriptures that show the Love of the Father wherein He seemingly wraps us in His loving arms, comforts us, and instills confidence at the exact moment we need Him… but this verse is packed with an intimacy that reveals His heart in a very special way.

In the story of Creation, the Lord God spoke everything into existence.  He spoke LIGHT into existence four days BEFORE He even created the sun and stars (think about that for a while); He spoke plant life into existence “whose seed is within itself according to its kind” (Genesis 1:12) so that the creation was complete – never having to re-create them when they died, because He created them with seed within itself to perpetually re-create (now THAT is planning!); and He created animal life with seed within itself, and commanded them to be fruitful and multiply.  He thought of everything, and His Creation was complete, self-sustaining, lacking nothing, and beautiful, which is why He saw it and was pleased!  But when He made man, He stopped speaking and started DOING – because man was to be different.  Man wasn’t created to just be fruitful and multiply, but man was created to RELATE – man was MADE in His image (Genesis 1:36) to fellowship with Him and be in right relationship with Him!  Sorry, crickets – we humans are kind of a big deal!

Looking again at Genesis 2:7, we see the Creator Himself first “forming” man.  That word in the Hebrew means to form together, as a potter forms clay.  He physically formed man out of dirt (as Andrew Wommack says, we were like “dirtbags”), but then He did something different…  Although He Created everything (and upholds it by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3), He “breathed into (man’s) nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”  Father God took the time to physically form man, but then, looking at man’s form (and I imagine Him caressing man’s head in His hands and looking into what would be his eyes), He breathed life into him.  His Word creates, but His breath gives life!

As I pondered this intimate moment and the power of His breath, I remembered another time in scripture where God breathed on His people.  In Acts 2, on the Day of Pentecost, the Lord’s disciples were gathered together, in one accord, when a sudden “sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind” filled the house where they gathered.  This “wind” carried within itself the Holy Spirit, and mankind was then filled with God Himself in the Person of this Holy Spirit.  As most Christians know, the Greek word “Spirit” here is the word “pneuma,” which also translates as “breath.”  So when the work of Christ was finished, it pleased God to breathe again, but this time His breath fell on a united people, not on a solidary person.  A united body is what God intended from the beginning – united in Him.

When God breathed His life into man the first time, it was so man would have fellowship with Him; an intimate relationship between God and mankind.  But man disobeyed God, and sin entered the world – sin that broke the intimacy God intended.  So, after His Son walked the Earth and made a way for that intimate relationship to be restored, God needed to implant in us an insurance policy that the pain and suffering His Son endured FOR US would not be in vain.  On the Day of Pentecost, God again breathed, but this time He breathed HIMSELF into us – and sealed Himself within us (Ephesians 1:13) in the Person of the Holy Spirit (His Holy Breath) so sin would never again separate us from Him.  Sin is not powerful enough to break that seal!

I entitled this message “He is Still Breathing” because, like Paul Harvey is often quoted, there is a “rest of the story” to be told.  God provided access for us to His throne (Hebrews 4:16), and we are seated with Him ALREADY in Heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) not because we are awesome (although we are fearfully and wonderfully made), but because of His Spirit (His Breath) that He placed within us.  Contrary to what most of us have heard (and perhaps even said) we are NOT, as Christians, sinners saved by Grace, but we are completely new creations!  1 Thessalonians 5:23 reveals that we are “spirit, soul, and body.” However, when we are born again we are not new in our flesh, because temptation remains, and not in our soul, because our thoughts, feelings, and emotions can betray us, but in our SPIRIT man we are brand new.  That Spirit man came alive when He Breathed the Holy Spirit into us at our conversion, and that part of us is whole, complete, and without sin!

If this was all there is to the story, we can rejoice for all eternity – and we must!  But wait, there’s more!  Take a moment and quietly focus on your breathing.   It’s ok, I’ll wait…  Every breath we breathe in is a gift from God.  We are not promised any time beyond this breath – but every time we inhale, we must also exhale.  Sure, you can hold your breath for a while, but not forever!  The natural order of things is to breathe in, breathe out… inhale, exhale.  But do we not also understand that the Natural Order holds a parallel to Spiritual Order.  Unlike natural breathing, however, the Breath of God is in the same manner as the death Christ died for us – it is not something that comes and goes or can be repeated, but is a once-and-done deal.  Christ will not die again for us on the cross because His death was complete.  In the same way, when we were born again, God Breathed His Holy Spirit into us once for all time - then He sealed Himself within us!  Well, this is true on the inhale side of the equation – but we still MUST exhale!  And this is where the Glory of God is revealed today!

When our forefathers in scripture knew they were going to die, they did the most important thing they could for their kids – they blessed them.  Mankind still does this today!  We tell our loved ones the most important things we can before we pass, because we want them fresh in their minds to remember always.  In the same way, the last recorded words of Jesus to His disciples where in Acts 1:8 – “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

So, if we assemble all these thoughts I laid out here, and if you’ll give me some “creative interpretation,” I believe Jesus was really saying… “Hey guys, it’s been great, but my work here on Earth is done and I’m taking off now.  Everything I told you about why I came will soon happen because my Father is going to breathe His Life-giving Breath into you – and after He does this you’re are going to carry that Life-giving power within you everywhere you go.  It’s a free gift, and Father is going to seal that an unbreakable seal (so even Don can’t screw it up)!  But here’s the deal – if you stay aware of what He has done for you, the Breath He Breathes into you is so powerful that you won’t be able to contain it without spilling over onto everyone you meet!  If you steward that Breath well, and I’m commanding you to do that now, then you’ll spend the rest of your lives “exhaling” that Breath of Life onto every person you come in contact with, and being my witness everywhere you go!”

As we go about our daily lives, we must be as aware of the Holy Spirit (Breath of God) living inside of us as Jesus was when the Spirit fell upon Him in the form of a dove after He was baptized.  The Holy Spirit within us needs a physical “exhale” expression, though, to be replicated on the earth.  We hold the Breath of God in us in the person of the Holy Spirit, but just like we cannot physically hold our breath for too long, we MUST NOT hold the Spiritual Breath within us for too long, either! The last thing Jesus told his disciples was to GO after they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and had they not done so, if they would have held their breath, WE would never have heard the Gospel and believed in Him for ourselves!  The command to “be fruitful and multiply” is more important in the spiritual realm than it is in the natural, but it requires all of us that are born again to exhale! 

In Romans 1:16, Paul said he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ because “it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.”  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is GOOD NEWS – and if that Gospel has the power to save but we never tell others of what He has done for US, if we don’t exhale the Breath of God living within us, how can they be saved?  As is written in Romans 10:14:

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

As a believer, you have POWER living within you that CAN save everyone you meet!  When you share the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, the power to be saved is exhaled as you speak.  When you hold your Breath and don’t exhale, you withhold the power that lies within your testimony (the Gospel)!  And, subconsciously, you are making the decision FOR others not to believe!  Only the truth that you know can set you free (John 8:32), but once you have that Truth living within you and you choose not to exhale, you rob others of the opportunity experience that Truth and be made free themselves!

Christ is the Head of the Church, but we are the body.  Exhale!  Be fruitful and multiply!  Don’t be “preachy,” but live your life aware of the power that lies within you.  God breathed His Breath of Life into you, and as you exhale into the lives of others, it opens the avenue for Father God to Breathe into their lives, too!  Inhale, exhale… inhale, exhale…  He is still breathing today – but He chose to express that through us!

Blessings!

[donaldcapwell]

Connectivity

I really enjoy the writings of Rabbi Daniel Lapin, who has written a couple of business-centric books, one of which I am reading now called "Business Secrets from the Bible." Rabbi Daniel has said several times "it is important for everyone to have a rabbi," and this excerpt from his book is one of many examples why! I had to read it several times... and I hope you will, too. There are deeper revelations than even Rabbi Daniel points out, when considered from faith in Jesus - but his insight is so powerful, and without it, the deeper revelations of Christ may be lost on us! Enjoy!

The following is taken directly from Rabbi Daniel's Book, Business Secrets of the Bible, from Secret #4 – The Universe was Created for Connection (pages 25 – 27)

"A proper Torah scroll is generally written in 248 columns and every single column must start with the letter vav, the sixth letter in the Hebrew alphabet. This letter is imbued with special meaning because it serves as the ultimate connector letter that bridges other words and letters. Vav serves a similar function to the English conjunction “and.” Conjunctions are connector words, such as but, with, and, therefore, and other similar words. One of these conjunctions following a phrase signals that another phrase is to follow and that both will be connected in some way.

Starting every column of the Torah with a vav may sound difficult but in fact it is not. About 65 percent of all verses in the Torah begin with the vav, with the word “and.” This is to indicate the connectivity built into the book and that the Torah is of one piece. It is one long unbreakable story.

Not every section of the Tanach has the same number of verses that start with vav. The frequency of this is about 65 percent of the verses in the Five Books of Moses. Once you move onto the Prophets and the other books of the Tanach, such as Ecclesiastes, Esther, and Daniel, the proportion of verses that begin with vav (or “and” in English) drops to about 40 percent. This is because some of these books can stand alone. You can read Joshua without reading Jonah. You can read Chronicles without reading Kings. But you cannot read Genesis without reading Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

There is one conspicuous exception to this trend of decreasing appearance of the vav. The Book of Ruth has about 90 percent of its verses starting with the letter vav. Yes, 90 percent! Why does the Book of Ruth alone seem to disrupt the pattern? The clue appears when the Book of Ruth is read during synagogue. The Book of Ruth is read on Shavuot, the feast of Pentecost, 50 days after Passover. Pentecost or Shavuot falls on the sixth day of Sivan, the day on which the Torah was given to Moses on Mount Sinai. In a breathtaking display of synchronicity, the book that is read on the day of receiving the Torah best encapsulates the connectivity characteristic by starting the vast majority of verses with “and,” with the vav.

The Book of Ruth is replete with instances of spiritual connectedness. It reveals an utterly disconnected Elimelech. We do not know much at all about his father, family, or other connections. He seems not to care about those connections since he abandoned them to the famine and moved to Moab. But by the end of the book, we see many connections highlighted. Powerful father-son connections that link King David through many generations all the way back to his great-great-great-grandfather, Judah. Ruth will never abandon her mother-in-law, Naomi, come what may. Boaz does not abandon his distant relative Ruth. All of this is highlighted by the lyrical repetition of the vav – and, and, and, and…

Naturally it make sense to read the Book of Ruth, which is all about connection, on this the day that the ultimate Book of Connectivity was given to humanity. This day has become a symbol for connectedness. It might surprise you to know that the telegraph – that instrument that would beget the telephone, radio, television, and the Internet, in a long lineage of increased human interconnectedness – was introduced on May 24, 1844, when Samuel Morse turned on his new invention, the electric telegraph, and tapped a few words from the Book of Numbers (23:23), “What Hath God Wrought,” from the Capitol in Washington, DC, to Baltimore.

There is a biblical significance to this date. May 24, 1844, fell out in the Hebrew calendar exactly on the Feast of Pentecost, the sixth day of the month of Sivan, in the Hebrew year 5604, the holy day of Shavuot. Of course! When else would have made so much sense. The biggest moment in human connection would occur on the day when God gave us the book that is the key to human connection – the Torah. You could rightly say that the Torah is the Book of Connectivity and that it proves that you and I, and all children of God, were indeed created for connectivity."

(end of quote)

WOW - right? You're welcome! If you are a business professional, or even if you aren't, get this book! It is filled with little ditties like this. If YOU need a rabbi, find Rabbi Daniel on his website (wherein he writes on a number of topics that address spiritual, relational and political), his podcast, YouTube channel, and his blog

(you'll thank me later!)

[donaldcapwell]

Citizenship Matters

Citizenship is a complicated matter. Did you know that there are, at the time of this writing, 249 countries, territories, or areas of geographical interest on our planet? Of the 195 recognized nations, only 2 base citizenship on ethnicity (Liberia & Mali), 33 nations unconditionally recognize WHERE you were born as a determining factor for your citizenship (birthright citizenship), 16 issue birthright citizenship ONLY IF you petition for it, 39 base citizenship on the status of your parents or length of residency, 7 that grant citizenship only after you reach a certain age, and 4 that require both parental citizenship AND age requirements be met before one can be considered a citizen (details HERE). This list is not comprehensive, and doesn't even touch on the matters of DUAL-citizenship, but I'm sure you will agree that citizenship is, indeed, a complicated matter! But it DOES matter!

This is Kyong... My beautiful bride of over 26 years, and my partner as I walk on this Earth. Kyong was born and raised in South Korea, and according to the laws of that country, individuals automatically receive citizenship at birth if at least one parent is a South Korean national, whether they are born within the Republic of Korea or overseas. Since Kyong was born in South Korea, and both her parents were South Korean, Kyong was a South Korean citizen - and that was true, until 2002.

When my wife came to the US in early 1992, she didn't speak very much English at all. The US was a completely new world for her, with new customs, language and people - that were all SO different from what she was used to "back home." Supermarkets, wide-open spaces, everyone looked and sounded so different! We married in late 1994, and around early 2000, about the time Jake, our 3rd child was born, Kyong began mentioning that she would like to get US citizenship. I was quick to tell her no, explaining that she should be proud of her heritage, and that I would NEVER give up my citizenship, regardless of where I lived!

I must mention here that I never once thought that Kyong ever came to America "to become a citizen," as is a common thought that many have about people's motivations for US citizenship. On the contrary, Kyong had a great life, career and family that she left to come here. Even so, since the first mention of becoming a citizen, Kyong would occasionally bring it up from time to time, and I would continue to say that I didn't think it was right. Finally, in around late 2001, before our fourth-and-final child was born, Kyong brought it up again, and I asked her why it mattered so much to her. Her answer caught me off guard. She said "my husband is an American, my kids are American, I should be an American, too. I don't feel like I'm fully part of you because my legal citizenship is different!"

I was floored, and I could no longer deny her. Her motivation was not to dishonor her heritage, or walk away from everything important to her, but it was to tie herself "legally" to her family, her hopes and dreams, which were no longer in the country she was born, but in a country of her choosing. In her heart, she was already an American - not because of where she lived, but because her whole world and everything she loved was here. (And by mid 2002, she became a legal US citizen).

I've been to a handful of countries on Christian missions trips, and others for work or pleasure. I very much love to travel, and to experience new lands, new peoples, and new cultures. This said, I have never once gotten of a plane in a foreign land and said "I'm now a citizen of (fill-in-the-blank country)," simply because my feet were on that soil. No, everywhere I've been, for whatever duration I was there, I always remained an American citizen. Simply visiting a country does not change your citizenship, even if you learn the language, eat the food and wear the clothing. Citizenship is a right, and only available to those that qualify for it.

In Philippians 3:20 and Ephesians 2:19 we learn that, as Christians and members of the house of God, we are "citizens of Heaven." But how do we obtain this citizenship? Ephesians 1:5, Galatians 4:5-7, Romans 9:8, and Galatians 3:26 are but some of the verses that speak to our adoption into God's Kingdom through our faith in and obedience to His Son, Jesus Christ. So, just as the US provides "birthright citizenship," so, too, does the Kingdom of Heaven. When we are born into His family, we are citizens of Heaven, and co-heirs with Christ for all eternity! We ARE citizens of Heaven - but do we value it? Do we live FROM this place?

So if, as a Christian, I am a citizen of Heaven, but in the natural I am a US citizen, does that mean I have dual citizenship? Sadly, many of us live our life that way, but NO! 1 Peter 2:11 refers to believers as "temporary residents and foreigners" (NLT) on this planet - this is NOT our home - we are just visiting! Romans 12:2 warns us "do not conform to the patterns of this world," nevertheless we live our lives as if this is it - this is all that matters! Too many only give scant remembrances to our REAL home, and our eternal citizenship in Heaven. We go through our day-to-day lives building up for ourselves treasures in THIS world, giving very little thought, indeed, to our real home and where we will spend all of eternity.

Here's my point... we live from whatever citizenship we identify with! For my wife, although I had always identified her as "Korean," in her mind she was American - and had been for a very, very long time! She did not consider the food she ate, or language she spoke, or location on the planet as the reason for her citizenship, but her citizenship was where her heart was! She was an American because her husband was American, and her kids were American. If we had, as a family, picked up and moved to Spain, or China, or the Philippines, my wife would STILL have been American.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 says

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

If we believe in Jesus Christ, and He is our Lord, then we are NEW creations. The old has passed away! We are no longer citizens of whatever country we reside in or have naturalization, but are citizens of Heaven, and whatever we lived for before is now changed... we have a NEW purpose - one of reconciliation. We are simply ambassadors here on Earth. An ambassador is a representative of one country, living in another. Although he/she may likely speak the host countries language and practice the culture, he represents and carries the full weight and authority of the country he/she comes from! He is IN a country, but lives his life FROM another one all together!

Are you a citizen of Heaven? Then live that way! Just as my wife's heart was drawn to be with her family, so ours must be drawn to be with our Father in Heaven! We have not been called home to Heaven, yet, but we should live FROM Heaven, should we not? And, when we do so, we have access to all of the provision and authority from our home, which is the Kingdom of God. Our time on Earth is but a breath, and our life on Earth is a vapor - yet we live as if we'll be here forever. Are you friends with the world, or does it hate you? John 15:19 says "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (Does the world hate you, or are you trying to curry favor with it?)

Citizenship matters - and we have been born into a Kingdom, and adopted as sons and daughters as Kings and Priests. We can no longer live as if our Earthly citizenship is of any value - and we must invite as many people to live in our Kingdom as we possibly can! There is power in our citizenship! There is authority in our citizenship! There is peace and rest in our citizenship! Why would we want to live and be from anywhere else?

Although there is still much to say on this topic, I leave you with this quote from Paul , in Romans 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Blessings! Cap

[donaldcapwell]

Refreshments From Heaven

Jeremiah 31:25 - For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 - Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.

We have been walking through the book of Hebrews with our small group this session, and this week we were in Hebrews 7. As we went back to the arrival of Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18-20, this verse tickled my soul…

Vs 18:  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)

I considered this bringing out of bread and wine, and what significance it can have.  How does this reveal the Savior (He is, after all, the Word).  How is this relevant to my walk today?  What little nugget of truth is in this meal?

Does your mind immediately go to the Last Supper, and communion with Christ?  Mine did, too.  And I know there are many, many websites that tie this meal to that reference in scripture. But, and I'm almost embarassed to say this, I just wasn’t getting that - and although I’m not saying those revelations are not true, I’m just saying that wasn’t ringing true to ME.  Remember Deuteronomy 29:29 –

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

So, although it seems a not-too-difficult leap to get from the bread and wine of Abram’s encounter with Melchizedek to the communion we have with Christ, I have to admit that this revelation is still lost to ME – it hasn’t yet been revealed, and I will continue to meditate on this as the Spirit stirs me.

So why bring it up?  Because, as we discussed these verses in our group, my wife said this:  “You know, this all happened after Abram and his men fought a battle to free his nephew and the other people and possessions.  Isn’t it great that God had Melchizedek bring some refreshments to Abram?” And the rest, as they say, is history! For, you see, Psalm 104:14-15 says this of bread and wine:

14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth 15 and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart.

Don’t be so overwhelmed with such a great revelation, please! :)  You see, while I was trying to find this deep spiritual meaning, with great revelation to bring insight to a people desperate for the deeper things of God (hahaha), my wife saw what was right in front of us all!  Although it is true that God wants to reveal Himself and His character to us in greater and greater measure, sometimes he just wants us to have a good meal – to refresh our bodies, and gladden and strengthen our hearts!

In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, God reveals that He created us: spirit, soul and body… in that order.  We are Spirit, first, but we have a soul, and it’s all wrapped up in our body.  I often compare this to a peanut M&M (surprised for the food reference?  Don’t be!)  You see, a peanut M&M is delicious – and a perfect treat!  It is my wife’s favorite candy, and I never was a big fan until the Holy spirit made this connection for me (that’s my story, and I’m sticking too it – He speaks to us in ways only we understand!)  

Let me explain - and you may never look at the peanut M&M the same again!  The peanut is our Spirit… it’s a tough nut to crack, but it is the very essence of why this treat is desirable. It is the prize we press on to find – if this were not true, then we’d just buy and eat the regular M&M’s, right? Next up is the chocolate, representative of our soul.  The soul is our mind, feelings and emotions.  Our soul is like a pendulum that can swing from happy to sad to angry to confused all with little effort, and our thoughts are all over the place, all the time!  The soul is like the chocolate that covers the peanut, because it’s sweet, but it can melt away (like our emotions or thoughts) with very little effort. Finally, the candy coating – our flesh. The candy is the protective coating, keeping the chocolate from melting.  Likewise, our flesh is the tough façade we put on for others, and it’s colorful, attractive – but it hides the truth of what’s hidden beneath!  

Too often we are mindful only of our spirit, our soul, or our body – but we far-too-often fail to see that they are inseparable in our present state.  Have you ever tried to peel a peanut M&M, and separate the different elements?  You can do it, but it’s a painstaking task… they are better enjoyed as they were created!  Like the Trinity, all 3 elements of us, as a creation, are important. Take some time to read, and meditate, on Psalm 104 in it’s entirety.  If we see nothing else, God shows us that He cares for and takes very good care of His creation!  

Hebrews 3 & 4 speak of the Rest of God, and how it is available to all that believe.  This is a secret place, and all of the children of God have access to it. When our spirit is tired, we need to enter that Rest, and on a day called Today!  But He doesn’t separate our spirits from our soul and body… He’s concerned for every part of us, all the time!   Although Jesus taught many lessons about saving up our treasures in Heaven, not on Earth, and the importance of having our spiritual life in order and bringing every thought captive to His will, He also fed thousands upon thousands when their bodies were tired and weary (two occasions in Matthew 15).  Spirt, soul, AND body!

When Melchizedek offered Abram bread and wine in Genesis 14, I’m aware that it very well could have had a much deeper meaning than just some refreshments after a battle… but even if this were true, it shouldn’t minimize the importance of remembering that God is concerned not just of our spiritual state, but our physical state as well.  Have you been in battle?  God knows… Are you tired, or weary – not just in your spirit, but in your body as well?  He knows that, too.  Our loving Father wants to refresh you!  Have a good meal!  Better still if you have it with friends and loved ones!  Refresh your body, and remember His word:

 Ecclesiastes 9:7 - Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.

Blessings!  Cappy

[donaldcapwell]

The Nature of Angels

In Hebrews Chapter 1 we learn that Jesus is better than angels - but what are angels, truly? There are a lot of stories about angels, and depictions on TV and movies , but what does the Bible say?

I've never given much thought to angels, but neither have I doubted their existence or diminished their importance in God's Kingdom in my thoughts about them. I prefer to focus on Jesus and the areas of God's Kingdom that He has assigned me to, but I dont say that with a haughty spirit - rather, I am pretty easily distracted, so I simply need to focus my attention on Jesus, and what the Father is doing in my life. Satan is real, too, but I do as Pastor Bill Johnson does - give Satan only as much attention as is required to take aim and pull the trigger! As far as angels are concerned, I consider only what scripture has to say, and not a lot of the fantasy stuff that is out there!

Anyway, I came across this study-note in my bible during my reading this morning and thought you might enjoy. Note all the scripture references listed, if you want to do a deeper dive!

Blessings - Cappy

(Taken from the New Spirit Filled Life Bible, copyright 2002 by Thomas Nelson; note taken from Psalm 104:4)

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

A TWILIGHT LONGED FOR

“My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for (that I desired) has become a horror to me” (Is.21:4 AMP).

Twilight is a time of the day, neither dark nor light in its absolutes - a pleasant time and state of things for the natural man. No intensity of light or dark; a sentimental domain, with a lulling beauty; a between avoiding conflict of extremes. It’s a playground for the natural mind; a place for the gray. We can toy with its possibilities and entertain ourselves there.

God has nothing to do with man’s twilight nature of things. Biblically speaking, God works in the realm of light and dark, right and wrong, evil and good, heaven and hell, truth and lie, with Me or against Me… There are no in-betweens. Spiritually speaking, twilight is a deviation from the absolutes of divine truth where we begin to enter the gray (compromising realm) of human sentiment and soulish judgment; the spin zone.

Twilight is a Christianity without a Cross, without cost, without confession, death and resurrection. It has no need for conformity to His image, no concern for the lost, or loss for self to be fully found in Him. Twilight is also a time of day when most accidents occur. Twilight ends in terror when a day of fire comes. What withstands heat dissolves twilight.

In Oswald Chamber’s book, My Utmost for His Highest, he states, “Neutrality in religion is always cowardice and God will turn the cowardice of that desired neutrality into terror.”

Humor me when I say, the devil does not believe in neutrality any more than God. However, he does use our soul’s desire for neutrality, for twilight, as a viable spin zone to bring us into bondage. He provides wages for our sin, our neutrality, till we are ravaged and in death we do part. He is bent on our absolute destruction.

Considering the state-of-affairs we now find ourselves in as a nation, where the governing body advocates for lawlessness and injustice, abortion to the full, fraudulent elections, and many other evil atrocities added to our present pandemic, are we with fear and trembling? Do we recognize it as a day of fire? Is our Christianity one of neutrality?  If our twilight has been interrupted, it was meant to awaken us to our absolute need for Jesus Christ; His Truth, His Way, and His life? If God has become a mediocre matter in our life, it is because of the mediocrity we have chosen to live by toward Him.

“The eyes of your spirit allow revelation-lightto enter into your being. When your heart is open the light floods in. When your heart is hard and closed, the light cannot penetrate and darkness takes its place. Open your heart and consider my words. Watch out that you do not mistake your opinions for revelation-light! If your spirit burns with light, fully illuminated with no trace of darkness, you will be a shining lamp, reflecting rays of truth by the way you live” (Lk.11:34-36 The Passion Bible).

Graced of God, DSC

[donaldcapwell]

Psalm 37 - Do Not Fret!

1/22/21

During my quiet time with the Lord this morning I was “stuck” in Psalms 37.  Although the concept of how God treats the evil doers verses the righteous is understood on a very cursory level for us as Christians, and is especially helpful for where we are in this country at this time, I couldn’t move away from it.  As I pressed in, I felt a very keen sense of comfort in these verses (emphasis added):

 3Trust in the Lord

, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart

34 Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the    wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

40 And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.

 I feel as though the Lord wants us to know “it’s going to be ok,” and that is always the case, and not even a surprise to us that believe.  OF COURSE this is true!  And even though these truths are “self-evident” as believers, I feel like the PEACE we need in this time is conditional on our trust in Him, our patience, and our delighting ourselves in Him – ON PURPOSE.  There is a REST available to us in this time, but if we hardened our hearts, as did the Israelites after the Red Sea crossing, then we are in the sin of unbelief.  As it says in Hebrews 3:12-14:  

 12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,

 There are many things I can say about this thought alone, but I want to get to what I believe the heart of the matter is for us in this season, and what the Lord showed me today.  There is a recurrent command the Lord gives us this chapter that jumped off the page as I pressed in:

 1 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.

 I think most believers know that the thing the Lord tells us the most in scripture, over and over again, is “Do Not Fear.” When something seems out of our control and “unknown,” our default is to have fear or anxiety, and the Lover of our soul wants us to be at rest and in Peace – in the shadow of His wings.  But, in this chapter, when looking at the fates of the wicked and the righteous, there is another command:  “Do Not Fret.”  I want to emphasize that I believe this is a command – something that we can achieve, if we choose to.  But this word does not mean “worry,” or “wring the hands” as I thought - it is the word chârâh (khaw-raw') in Hebrew (Strongs H2734) and it means to be angry or to “blaze up” with anger.  And the Lord tells us not to “fret” 3 times in this chapter, because He means it!  And, in verse 8 he even says that to do so “only causes harm.”

Is there anyone today that feels ANGRY because of what has happened in this election? Is there anyone that feels wronged, and maybe even desperate or hopeless - and gets angry when thinking about it?  Well, I believe the Lord is telling us to STOP IT! Being angry over the actions of someone else does not help you, or the situation.  It only causes you harm, and here is the best news:  there is a way to avoid the harm that would befall us if we succumb to anger because of evildoers!

Look again at verses 3, 4, 34 & 40.  

3

Trust in the 

Lord

, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart

34 Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the    wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

40 And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him. 

 I believe the Lord is reminding us how to walk in this season more times than He warns us of how not to walk!  3 times He tells us not to be angry, but 4 times He tells us how to accomplish this!  Trust Him.  Delight in Him.  Wait on Him!  We can’t control how someone treats us, or has cheated us out of our vote (if you feel this way) – but we can control how we REACT to this!  We MUST praise the Lord, for He is GOOD – His mercies endure forever!  We Trust in Him in all our ways and lean not on our own understanding, and HE will make our paths straight!  Our salvation is not in our hands.  As it says in verse 34 of this chapter:  

34 Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

 God’s got this!  He’s told us this repeatedly, but we have a roll to play, too!  Don’t be in unbelief of His word.  Don’t be angry by things like what we are going through now – as if somehow we see something that God does not.  Our Salvation is in Him.  We cannot control what is happening – but “we know a Guy!” (said like an Italian guy from New York, right?).  God loves us very much, and is NOT happy about the way His children are being treated. HE will take care of this – so honor Him by believing that He will deliver us – and DO NOT FRET!

With love,

 Cappy

[donaldcapwell]

Hebrews 1 Study - 02/02/2021

Hebrews 1 Small Group Study - 02/02/2021

An exhortation from Hebrews 1 - CFAN Small Group "Jesus Is Better"

[donaldcapwell]

Song of Solomon - Chapter 1:  The Heart’s Desire

“17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.  18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.  19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.” (Psalm 147: 17-19, NKJV)

 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9, NKJV)

 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts.  If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.”  (1 Chronicles 28:9, NKJV)

  Chapter 1 of the Song of Solomon opens up with the Shulamite woman in pretty much the same place that YOU were in as you began your walk with the Lord!  And, considering the example of Jacob, I’m confident that most, if not all of us, start from a similar position. Our starting point with the Lord, in most cases, (as stated by my dear friend and mentor, Pastor David Cosgrove) is with a “business transaction.”

 Pastor Dave explained that Jacob’s walk with the Lord began with a “business transaction.”  In Genesis 28, after leaving his father Isaac’s household, Jacob had a “dream,” one wherein God showed up, made a promise to him that He would be with Jacob, would bless him, and would fulfill in him the promises He made to his grandfather, Abraham, to make his descendants as numerous as the dust on the Earth. God’s appearing was so “awesome,” (verse 17), that Jacob acknowledged “the LORD was in this place, and I didn’t know it!”  Here’s where Jacob, after hearing the great promises that were made to him, then entered into his “transaction” with the Lord, saying that “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God” (verses 20-21).  Can you see it?  IF God will do this for me, THEN I will give Him the honor of being my God!

 Jacob saw something of God that he didn’t see living in his father’s household.  He had a PERSONAL encounter with God, one that left him “amazed.”  Beholding the beauty of God, and wanting what was said over him, Jacob looked past his own character as a “schemer” and went after what he could get from God.

 Enter the Shulamite woman.  In verses 2-4, the woman sees the beauty of “her Beloved” and says:

 “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth - For your love is better than wine. Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, Your name is ointment poured forth; Therefore the virgins love you. Draw me away!”

 Isn’t this true also of our first real encounter with the Lord?  When our heart was ready to receive Him, it was because we saw Him, in all His beauty, for the first time.  It may not have been the first time that we heard His name, or that someone testified to us about Him, but it was the first time we truly SAW Him.  We were captivated by His beauty, as “Deep call(ed) unto deep at the noise of (His) waterfalls; All (His) waves and billows have gone over me” (Psalm 42:7). We had a TRUE encounter, and our hearts leapt!  We, too, called out “Draw me away!”

 Nevertheless, the Shulamite woman, in the presences of her Beloved’s beauty, became aware of her “faults” in verses 5-6.  She was a “dark” woman, and didn’t want her Beloved to look upon her. Even so, she seems to try to convince herself that she is still “lovely,” but also blames her dark skin on her brothers, and explains that she spent all her time caring for the vineyards of others, and had no time to take care of her own vineyard.

 In the same way, we, too, were “dark” before our encounter with the Lord. We served “other gods,” and chased after our own flesh-driven desires.  We were “defective,” and our hearts were dark, but there was just something about the radiance of the Father that drew us beyond our darkness and into His marvelous light.

 The next part, however, is perhaps the most important in this whole encounter.  After the woman acknowledges her “darkness,” her Beloved reveals His heart to her in verse 9:

 “I have compared you, my love, to my filly among Pharaoh’s chariots.”

 If there was one statement in this chapter that many Christians struggle with, no matter how long they have walked with the Lord, it is with understanding how the Lord sees them!  We see our faults, our mistakes, and our missteps.  But He sees us in a completely different light indeed!  The Pharaoh’s chariot is representative of his strength, power, authority and even his glory.  Only the very best chariot could carry the Pharaoh, and only the finest horse could lead the chariot!  So in this statement, the woman’s Beloved was saying I have placed my most beautiful object in the highest place of honor – to be ever before me, wherever I go. When people see YOU, they know I am with you!

 Why do Christians struggle in their relationship with the Lord?  Why do they always default to remembering their sins (darkness)?  Why do they struggle with walking in His power and authority, and instead walk in defeat – always trying to fight FOR victory instead of fighting FROM a place of victory?  Because they don’t see themselves as He sees them.  It is just as the Israelite spies reported back to Moses after spying out the land promised to them from God “we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:33, NKJV).  The Israelites saw themselves as defeated, even though the Lord promised them the land, and so they were afraid to take what He had already given them!  We’ve defeated ourselves because we don’t see ourselves as He sees us!  

 It is easy for us to remember our faults, and because of them we convince ourselves that we are “unworthy” or “unlovable.”  Nothing can be further from the Truth!  Our Beloved is captivated by our beauty – because He sees us not as we see ourselves, but as He created us to be!  As enamored with Him as we were at our first meeting, He was first captivated by our beauty!  Until we believe this Truth, we will never reach our true potential or realize our own identity In Christ.

 The Shulamite woman’s heart is pricked in this chapter, and she chases after her Beloved, but her heart seems only to be after what she can get from this relationship.  She wants to enter into a “business relationship” with her Beloved, to be loved by Him, protected by Him, and acknowledged by Him, but what are the true affections of her heart?  She can’t know, any more than we did when we first believed!  We had a God-sized hole in our heart, and we were attracted to Him – an infatuation.  But as is stated in 1 Chronicles 28:9, “the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts.  If you seek Him, He will be found by you.”  But, as important as being found by Him is, knowing how He sees us empowers us to walk in the fullness of His authority and reveal Him to a world that desperately needs to see His glory!

[donaldcapwell]

Salvation is of God

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,” (Ephesians 2:8)

“Because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation.” (Psalm 78:22)

Take a few minutes and read Psalm 78… This chapter takes us through a general review of God’s deliverance of His people from captivity, and man’s repeated sinfulness and provoking of the Lord’s anger to wrath even in the midst of being delivered!  If you’ve served the Lord for any period of time, it’s likely that you, too, may recognize yourself in this storyline (or maybe it’s just me!).

God loves us – and His love has no limit.  He wants us to be free from everything that binds us – to provide us a lasting salvation, that we would enter His rest and commune with Him.  Yes, that is His desire for us!  This said, I think the Psalm 78:22 just might hold the key to recognizing a root of our sinful view of God’s Love, and help us to understand that He is not trying to save us FROM something as much as He’s trying to save us FOR something.  It is not that man does not believe in God’s existence (I do believe most people recognize “intelligent design,” and “a higher power”), but they don’t understand what “salvation” looks like through the eyes of God (to clarify, I am speaking of the One TRUE God), nor do they have FAITH that His salvation will be enough to satisfy their flesh.  

 From my experience, it seems that (for man apart from Christ) “salvation” is attained when an acceptable end to a trouble or problem is realized, satisfied that the needs of the flesh have been met. It “feels” like I’ve been saved, or things turned out good for me, so “it must be God.”  Salvation, for man, isn’t considered from God’s view, but from the vantage point of the soul.  One quick example cited Psalm 78 - the Israelites had thirst, so God provided water from a rock, and He fed them with bread from heaven.  Their physical needs were being met, they were free from the oppression of the Egyptians.  Perhaps most importantly, they were literally walking with the Lord.  God had finally taken his beloved children out of captivity and was just having time with them, holding their hands as they walked along, and He was just enjoying them… They were safely in His Presence, under His care, and as a father myself, I have to believe it was a highlight of all time for Him – certainly since He walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden!  But to the Israelites, they went as far as to grumble that they would rather have remained in Egypt, under captivity, because at least there they had meat!  They didn’t trust in the Salvation of the Lord, because although they likely understood what they were being saved FROM, this salvation didn’t meet the expectations of their flesh, and they had no faith to trust God and HIS plan for salvation – a lasting and eternal, peace – and fellowship with Him!  They didn’t want to be “slaves” any longer, but they didn’t want to give up their lifestyle, either!  

 I think Psalm 78:5-7 reveals God’s plan in what is really going to be a “cycle of salvation” as we walk with Him.  God saves us to give us a testimony, and that testimony is to become a HOPE in us.  When we let the Lord save us to Himself, not to our desired end, we receive the greatest benefit – TRUE freedom and peace.  And this becomes an exciting testimony in our lives – one that I KNOW will be needed again for the future.  Satan won’t leave alone those that are walking with the Lord!  When we yield to this temptation or that one, as will happen from time to time in our walk, we will again need the Salvation of the Lord, and the testimony of prior salvation and the Wonderful works of God is what provides us Hope for the salvation that is again needed!  “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)… this well-known verse, too, was spoken by the Lord before bringing the Israelites out of 70 more years of captivity – another salvation!

 Ephesians 2 further reveals the heart of the Lord in this matter.  God has a “great love” for us (verse 4), and salvation is His plan, not ours – and all salvation is the same in His eyes.  I do not believe there is a separation between “salvation for eternity’s sake” that we would go to heaven, versus “salvation from earthly troubles,” which we experience in the here and now.  We are saved To Him – in this age AND in the age to come!  We have to get away from the idea that God is interested in satisfying our flesh, or interested in saving us from problem but allowing us to remain in a lifestyle that may have led to our need for salvation in the first place!  Salvation can’t be on the basis of what you want, but what you need!  “…we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath,” (verse 3), and that includes our expectations even of our own salvation!  But remember that He saves us BY grace, THROUGH faith (verse 8), and “not of works, lest anyone should boast” (verse 9).  Unless we acknowledge that salvation will only come through faith, and that by grace, we’ll be like the Israelites – blind to our own salvation, and grumbling because we’re still waiting for a completed work to happen.

 I think it’s safe to say that most of us know when we need salvation, and most will cry out to the Lord to be “saved” (although some sooner than later).  As you do, make sure you nail that flesh of yours to the cross, because if you don’t, you very well may miss it!  So many make the mistake of thinking that salvation means stopping the pain of a trouble and being “satisfied with the outcome.”  God isn’t interested in saving you FROM something, but saving you TO Himself, and in THAT salvation, you can ALWAYS trust!  

  Blessings!  Cappy

[donaldcapwell]

Being Marginalized

Daily Devotion (Genesis 41-48) - 7/12/15

Contrary to our occasional fantasies, God does not promote us into positions of authority, or put us in difficult situations because of our “awesomeness,” or our proven abilities.  Many times, He does so simply because of our willingness to uphold His standard in trying times.  In Genesis 41, Joseph is not the one that interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams – he didn’t even claim to!  But, nonetheless, Joseph was still promoted up to the second highest position in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, and given control over all of Egypt (except Pharaoh’s own household).  Joseph even told his brothers that he had become “the father to Pharaoh” (Gen 45:8).

Through the circumstance of the dreams, Pharaoh saw something of the favor of God on Joseph’s life, something he, himself, lacked – so he promoted Joseph to fill in the gap of what was needed to preserve his country.  In your case, perhaps you need to replace the word “country” with the word ministry, workplace, family, or some other word that better describes the situation that God has placed you in… but someone, somewhere, saw something in you that was lacking in himself (or herself), and they knew they needed YOU around to fill the gap.  (We know that they really need GOD, but you have become a surrogate).  To state the obvious and well understood among this group, the dreams were not in either Pharaoh’s or Joseph’s power to produce - God Himself orchestrated the promotion, and even though Pharaoh may not have understood that Joseph rightfully gave credit to God for the interpretation, he likely did not give much thought to this Godly encounter.  Joseph produced, and in so doing became valuable to Pharaoh.

As we move through the rest of the Book of Genesis, we see that Pharaoh did well to not just promote Joseph, but also to stay out of his way and let him do what was needed.  But what would have happened if the favor that Pharaoh placed on Joseph would have faded? What would the outcome have been had Pharaoh decided after 5, 6 or 7 years of prosperity that Joseph was no longer needed?  What if Joseph had been marginalized, and his positioning with God been discounted or forgotten in the eyes of Pharaoh, who “promoted” him?  We can certainly speculate, if we were of a mind to, but it just didn’t happen.  Oh, but has it happened (or is it happening now) to you?  Should you take offense, or make a loud noise?  Should you fight back against this foolish disregard by others that God has placed you in this situation, and insist – no, demand - that people recognize you and what you bring to the table?

As tempting as that all sounds, I think we’d all agree that this would be a prideful reaction, indeed.  No, instead the cross must be applied!  To pull from a sermon I heard from Dave Cosgrove, we can choose to be right, or choose to be righteous… we MUST choose righteousness!  It must be enough for us to know that the Lord knows the end from the beginning.  He holds our eternity in His hand.  Remember the words that our Father spoke to Samuel, in 1 Samuel 8, that the people were not rejecting him, but were instead rejecting God!  The same people that begged Samuel “Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines,” (1 Samuel 7:8) were clamoring for a “king to judge us like all the nations” just one chapter later!  

Are you going through a struggle right now?  Did God Himself promote you to a position in someone’s life, or in a workplace, or in a ministry, only to find yourself being marginalized, or perhaps the Lord’s anointing is being overlooked in the eyes of those that claim credit for bringing you on board?  Are you being mistreated?  Have you recognized and acknowledged the Lord’s hand on putting you where you are, but now see everything being stripped away?  I have.  I am. I totally see myself in this, and this is what the Lord has to say about it…

Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” It is so easy to collapse under the weight of our situation when we are ill-prepared for rejection (I am referring to the rejection of man).  But remember who promoted you into the position, and for what reason!  Uphold the Standard of God!  If everyone else is falling, stand!  If everyone else is compromising, stand!  When it looks like all Hell is breaking loose, stand!  When the tempest rages the loudest and your hands feel like they are tied, stand!  When you are marginalized, or ridiculed, or thrown out, stand!  You have nothing to fear, because He that is with you is greater than he that is against you!  If you are in the situation by your own might and under your own strength, then fear should drive you to the cross… but if He promoted you, then fear should drive you to the resurrected Jesus!  Remember who you are IN HIM!  Joseph’s positioning in the Lord is what positioned him for promotion, just as your positioning in Him allowed you your present situation!  Jesus is High and Lifted up, and He is still in control. Stand, as Stephen stood as he was being stoned, not afraid of what others will say or do to you as you stand for the Lord, and you will see Jesus, standing by his throne in Heaven, cheering you on!    

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[crossoverglobaloutreach]

When we read the Bible we go from one exciting God story to another. Each chapter is filled with another action-packed divine encounter. But, sometimes we forget there can be many years passing between those events, when our heroes of the faith are just living life in the every day. As they are...

[donaldcapwell]

Wonderful, Wonderful! A great word to "settle ourselves into."

[donaldcapwell]

The Fly on the Bleach Bottle - Not a Common Thing!

"For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.  Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?  For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:26-31, NKJV)

  I was spending time with the Lord this morning, considering how much "better than angels" Jesus is (Hebrews 1).  Strangely, I started to consider my own “guardian angel,” and how many times I’d been saved from myself, but by the Grace of God, and hadn’t known it.  Almost on cue, a small fly landed on a bottle of bleach on the table in front of me.  I immediately thought "Oh, my little friend, if you only knew how dangerous a place you are right now, you wouldn't have landed there!  If that cap were to be removed, the fumes would wipe you out!  You are treating that landing zone as a ‘common thing,’ and yet it is deadly!”  I had such a strong sense of the Lord in that thought, I had to share!

  True confessions – this Word is for me!  It’s as if the Lord was telling me that many times I walk through my days like Balaam in Numbers 22 (that whole “prophecy for a profit” part aside, of course).  I commit my days to Him, and do what I think is right in the eyes of the Lord.  I obey Him when I hear His direction, and try not to stray from His leading, knowing the punishment that comes if I lose sight of His Holiness and Judgment.  But even when He releases me to do this or that thing (Num 22:20-21), I sometimes fall back onto the “common thing” of what I know to do, and how I know it should be done.  I have my own plan, my own agenda, but I wrap it in a “God blanket.”  I have a form of Godliness, but as I look back, my actions and intentions had almost with an ulterior motive, and I treated God’s leading as a “common thing.”  I became the small fly that I witnessed this morning, flying about with my own agenda, landing wherever seems right to me, not mindful that I may be treading on dangerous territory!

  God is Merciful, and He loves us!  He is a patient Father, and long-suffering, but He’s also Just.  The closer we walk with Him, the less we should take His loving qualities for granted!  His love is not a common thing.  His Mercy is not a common thing.  His grace is not a common thing.  His invitation to join Him in His work is not a common thing, and all of this must stay at the fore-front of our minds, lest we become too comfortable with the Mercy He has extended us so far and we provoke His wrath or His Justice!  (Yes, his Justice may seem like wrath to us…) When He invites us into His work, it is for His Glory, and we must rightly represent Him!  Failure to do so is like treating His call as a “common thing.”

  Balaam needed to be reminded of this, too, as we continue to read in Numbers 22.  He was “obeying” God’s command to go with the men, but the Lord, who told him to go, stood in opposition to Him.  It says that the Angel of the Lord was going to kill Balaam.  Why?  It was because Balaam’s plan was perverse in the eyes of God.  Wait… what?  God told Balaam to go, and he was on his way… Wasn’t Balaam being obedient?  My best answer is simply “All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives.” (Proverbs 16:2 NASB).    

  If we treat the call of God in our lives as a ‘common thing,” at some point we will face His Judgment.  When we move out in God, we must remain humble and mindful of the One that goes before us.  I posted recently about the importance of keeping the irrevocable call and gifting of God active in our lives (here), but let us not take lightly or for granted those things that we see the Lord doing in and through us.  This is not about willful, deliberate sin – it is about the Holiness of God. 

  Because of the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, we have unprecedented access to the Holy of Holies.  Through the blood of Christ, we were transformed from a place of hoping in the Salvation of the Lord to living in the Salvation of the Lord; from waiting to be with the Father, to being seated with Him in heavenly places – today!  This isn’t because of our own wonderfulness and awesome contribution to the human race, but because of His!  It is surely not a common thing to be asked to join in the work of the Creator of the universe, so let us be mindful of that!

  I am so excited for the Mercy of God… like the small fly this morning, without the Lord’s mercy I would be dead, literally!  I deserve death, but Jesus chose Life for me, and He’s set me on a path to live that Life!  As I stated earlier, this Word is for me – and it is so encouraging!  He saved me – from myself – and He did it for His glory!  Let us take just a quick moment right now to rejoice together in His Love and Mercy, for all the times that we were walking on the spiritual bleach bottles in our lives, and He covered us, protected us, and saved us to fly freely to our next experience with Himself!   

  In the Merciful Name of Jesus…  Don

[donaldcapwell]

No Time for a Pity Party!

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”  (2 Timothy 1:6 NKJV)

I wonder what was going on in Timothy’s life and walk with the Lord when Paul wrote this to him.  Did Paul write this because he learned of something specific that Timothy was going through, or was this just a “general” word from father to son?  Was he writing a word of encouragement to Timothy, or might he even have been ministering to himself because of the gravity of his own situation at the time?  I may never know the answers to these questions, but the truth spoken here is relevant in our own lives today – both from the point of a giver, and a receiver.

Here is what we know for sure:   “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).  Whatever Timothy was going through, he was already called by the Lord and was given at least one spiritual gift.  That gift could not be taken away – it was irrevocable, just as ours is today.  “God is not a man that He should lie, or a son of man that He should change His mind” (Numbers 23:19).  Even with this, though, as permanent as the gift and calling are, it is equally important for us to know that, regardless what we are going through, the gift won’t stir itself!  When times get tough, pity parties are not an option!

Jesus died for us, and gave us eternal life.  We can never pay that back – and it is more than enough!  If He never does anything else for us in this life, the gift of an eternity spent with Him is an unimaginable treasure that makes any pain or trouble in this life disappear the instant we arrive in Heaven!  He doesn’t owe us anything else, and it certainly isn’t His responsibility to keep us engaged in our walk with Him! 

We have a gift and a responsibility to use it, for His glory!  But the simple truth is that the gift won’t engage itself, and we can’t sit back and wait for God to activate it – He’s already given the gift, now it’s up to us.  Paul tells Timothy here to “stir up the gift,” meaning that he had both the ability and responsibility to keep the gift engaged, even if his circumstances were a distraction.  I’ll let that sink in… we have the ability and responsibility to keep the gift active.  What’s more, being afraid (due to circumstances, persecution, etc) is not an excuse, as we see in the next verse… “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” If we have fear, it’s because we invited it ourselves - fear is not from God. He gives us power, love, and a sound mind (disciplined thought patterns) which stand in opposition of fear.

As believers, sometimes we need to hear these words.  They are life to us!  It doesn’t matter how “mature” we get to be in the Lord, we will all at times have a “John the Baptist” moment, when we are in a dark place, a prison, and need reassurances.  Let me be an encouragement to you today!  Hail, mighty warrior!  You are a child of the Most High God!  You are seated with Him in Heavenly Places!  You are MORE than a conqueror, but don’t forget your gift!  It’s not for you that it was given.  Wherever you are in life, if you are called by the Spirit of God, then the gift is not about you.  Your gift needs to be stirred up so that the Kingdom will be advanced. 

And as important as it is to hear these words, there will also be times that we need to speak these words to others.  Keep your eyes open for those that are down and discouraged, and encourage them to stir up the gift that is already within them!  Sometimes we are Paul, and sometimes we are Timothy – but at all times we are His!

In the Love of Christ…  DC