Extreme Makeover – Spiritual DNA Edition (Faulty DNA: Understanding God’s Love for Us (Part 2))

Romans 8:38-39 “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

As we read in Romans 8:38-39, NOTHING can separate us from the love of God! What does that love look like?  Today let’s take a look some more characteristics of God’s love.

God’s love is intrinsic to his nature: 1 John 4:7-8 “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”  Dr. Charles Stanley writes, “Contrary to the world’s mindset, the fact that “God is love” does not mean He “winks at” or excuses sin (Rom. 6:23). However, He forgives us if we are humble enough to ask.”

God’s love is universal:  He loves both believers and unbelievers. Luke 7:34 “The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’”  2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”  These verses demonstrate God’s amazing love.  He not only wants the vilest of sinners to repent and come to him, but he even befriends them before they do.  He pursues the heart of every man, woman, boy, and girl seeking relationship with them.  God doesn't wait for us to repent and “come clean” before he loves us.  The Word tells us that “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” Romans 5:8.

God’s love is sacrificial: John 15:13 “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus did not just lay down his life for his friends, as we see in Romans 5:8 and 2 Peter 3:9, he died for everyone.  Stuart Briscoe illustrated this well when he wrote:

Years ago when I was a young banker, we used big leather ledgers where all accounts were entered by hand. I remember daydreaming about those ledgers and God’s ledgers in heaven. We are told those books will be opened. I imagined my name, David Stuart Briscoe, and God adding up the sum total of my indebtedness against him. I could never cancel the overwhelming indebtedness. In my mind’s eye, I saw God take his pen and transfer the sum total of my indebtedness to the account of the Lord Jesus Christ. On the account of the Lord Jesus, he wrote, "Transferred from the account of David Stuart Briscoe."

God’s love is unending: Jeremiah 31:3 “Long ago the Lord said to Israel: ‘I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.’”

God’s love is unmerited: Ephesians 2:8 “God saved you by his grace (unmerited favor) when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”  We cannot earn God’s love.  Praise God, the opposite is true as well; we cannot lose God’s love either!!!! Philip Yancey wrote: “There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.”

God’s love is a vast topic of which we have just barely scrapped the surface.  It is given freely to all who will receive it. Yet it is demonstrated to ALL through the death and resurrection of Christ. 

Max Lucado says it best:

There are many reasons God saves you: to bring glory to himself, to appease his justice, to demonstrate his sovereignty. But one of the sweetest reasons God saved you is because he is fond of you. He likes having you around. He thinks you are the best thing to come down the pike in quite a while… If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, he’ll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and he chose your heart. And the Christmas gift he sent you in Bethlehem? Face it, friend. He’s crazy about you!

The Remodel: Accepting God’s love without hesitation or fear.  Knowing that God is crazy about us!!!!

Extreme Makeover – Spiritual DNA Edition (Faulty DNA: Understanding God's Love For Us (Part 1))

Romans 8:38-39 “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

As we read in Romans 8:38-39, NOTHING can separate us from the love of God! What does that love look like?  Let’s take a look at one characteristic of God’s love.

God’s love is unconditional. The story of the Prodigal Son illustrates this truth. 

Luke 15:11-32 tells us that a man’s youngest son asked his father for his share of the inheritance.  He was given his share and he took off for foreign lands.  He spent his money on wild living.  When his money was gone so were his “friends.”  He was left alone and penniless.  In his desperation he rented himself out to pig farmer.  He was so hungry that even the slop that the pigs ate looked inviting to him.  The Word tells us that he “came to his senses.” Luke 15:17-19 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ He recognized the error of his ways and decided to go home to become a servant in his childhood home.  He knew at least there he would be warm, dry, and fed.  The scripture goes on to tells us that while he was a long way off his father spotted him.  He ran to this prodigal son and embraced him.  He brought him home, put the family ring on his hand, put a robe on his back, and had a banquet to celebrate the return of his once lost son.  He restored him to his place as son and returned to him the rights and privileges of son ship. 

Observations from the story:

a.       By asking for his inheritance while his father was still living, the son, in his pride, was saying that he did not care about his father or regard him as valuable.  Money was more important than blood.

b.      Instead of honoring his inheritance he squandered it for selfish gain and instant gratification. 

c.       In his desperation he broke a law of God regarding unclean animals (pigs).

d.      He “came to his senses” and humbled himself.

e.      The Father was watching for the son.

f.        The Father threw aside his dignity to run and meet this disobedient, disrespectful son when he spotted him in the distance.

g.       The lost son repented and asked for servant status in his home.

h.      The Father not only forgave his son, but restored to him his position of son ship again.

Jesus used this parable to illustrate a few different ideas, but the one I want to discuss is the concept that God’s love is unconditional.  The father in the parable demonstrated unconditional love toward his son.  He had given his son everything he needed while he was growing up, yet this ungrateful son chose to leave it all behind to live for himself.  We can see that the father never gave up hope that his son would one day return.  He saw him watching for him to come home.  We also see that when the son repented and confessed his sin, the father unhesitatingly forgave.  He didn't lecture, didn't criticize, he didn't even address the son’s behavior.

If a human, fallible, finite, human father can demonstrate this type of unconditional love, how much more can/will our infallible, infinite, Heavenly Father demonstrate unconditional love for the very beings he created to love in the first place?  Many Christians fall away from God because they believe the lie of the enemy who tells them that once they sin, God will no longer love them. 

The Remodel: Believing, knowing, understanding that God loves us unconditionally.  NOTHING can separate us from his love.  We can never make him love us more or cause him to love us less! 

Extreme Makeover – Spiritual DNA Edition (Faulty DNA: Our identity in Christ)

Many of us struggle to know our true identity in Christ.  Today I want to touch on three of the specific truths about our identity that we may need to allow the Holy Spirit remodel in our spiritual DNA.

1.   I am created in the image of God: Genesis 1:27 “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”  I know many of us look in the mirror and don’t like what we see.  For years we have heard the messages and seen the images the world presents as the “perfect” figure, clothing, hair, etc.  I would venture to say that all of us have faced attacks from the enemy (often through others) about our body image and appearance.  We need to get the truth that we are created in the image of God into our spirits and hearts.  When God looks on us he sees only beauty.   He doesn't see the “imperfections” we see.  He does want us to care for our physical bodies because he loves us and wants us healthy and pain free; however, he never once looked at any of us and saw a physical imperfection.  It bears repeating here: He sees only beauty!

2.  I am a child of God: Galatians 3:26 “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”  No matter what our earthly parents were/are like, we have a perfect Father.  He loves us unconditionally, without reservation.  He paid the highest price to make us his own (the death of Jesus.)  He will never turn his back on us or disown us no matter how we may fail.  When we come running back to him, he is waiting with arms out stretched to draw us back into the warmth and safety of his embrace.

      3. I am a joint heir with Christ: Romans 8:17 “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”  I am an heir to the promise of eternity in heaven.  I am an heir to the provision that is Christ’s.  I only need to ask and my Father will give me what I need.  He will not hold back what he knows is good for me.  Everything that is Christ’s became ours the moment we accepted his gift of salvation.  When our children need something we do everything in our power to provide it for them. When we ask our Father, he doesn't have to worry about whether he can provide it for us or not.  Imagine with me for a minute: Our Father holds the entire universe in his hand. Isaiah 40:12 “Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?” How big does a hand have to be to hold everything we can see? Our Father not only holds what we see, but all that exists beyond the scope of our abilities to see.  If our Father can hold all of that, how can we fail to believe that he has us securely in his grasp?  If he has us in his grasp, how can we fail to believe he will care for our needs?

The Remodel: God’s Word has many truths about who we are in Christ.  Every promise/truth belongs to us.  The issue is not whether the truths are ours, but whether we claim them and believe that they are true for/about us?

As we meditate on these three truths about our identity in Christ, let us ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any other truths that we still need to have remodeled in our DNA. 

Extreme Makeover Spiritual DNA Edition

Romans 12:2   “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

“When we talk about remodeling vs renovation, it’s much more than semantics. To renovate means to get a room (or home) back into shape. To remodel means to fundamentally change it. Renovating a garage can mean installing tile, while remodeling it can mean turning it into a guest house.” Taken from http://verdebuildersaustin.com/blog/remodeling-vs-renovation.html

Dictionary.com defines Renovate and Remodel as follows:

Renovate: To restore to good condition; make new or as if new again; repair: To invigorate; refresh; revive

Remodel: To alter the structure of

How you might ask does this apply to our spiritual life?  I’m glad you asked.  I feel one of the themes of 2015 God is reveling to me is that of “Remodeling Time.”

As seen above, remodeling is a total alteration of the structure of a building/room.  That is God’s desire for our lives as well.  Only by allowing our spiritual DNA to be completely altered can we walk in victory.  When sin entered the world our pure DNA was tainted with the DNA of the enemy.  John 8:44, “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

To have a total DNA remodel, we must allow the Holy Spirit to remodel our thinking, our attitudes, our very nature.  It is one thing to change your mind about something, but when that change alters how you live your life, you experience DNA overwrite. 

To illustrate, while in conversation this week with our mentors, the topic of divine healing came up.  In the church today, we hear this phrase a lot in prayer.  “Lord, if it is your will to heal ….”  Where, I ask, do we find evidence in scripture that it is ever not his will to heal?  Every scriptural reference about healing states that it is his will to heal.  In fact, that healing was already completed on Calvary. Isaiah 53:5 (KJV) “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

We say we believe God heals.  The remodel:  When that belief changes how we pray for healing.  When we believe without question that God desires to heal everyone we pray for then our spiritual DNA is altered in the area of faith for healing. 

Over the next few days, maybe even weeks, I will attempt to address some areas in our lives that might need DNA remodeling.  I truly believe that God’s desire for his bride in 2015 is DNA remodeling.  In order for the bride to fulfill her intended purpose in this end time, we must be completely remodeled (or as close as possible.)  

Please pray with me as we seek the Father for our “Extreme Makeover – Spiritual DNA edition!”

New Things

Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 "I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters, making a dry path through the sea. 'But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.'"

2015-It's a new year. It's time for a new beginning.   Revelation 21:5-7 “And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new!’ And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.’ And he also said, ‘It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious [overcomes] will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.’"

For many of us 2014 held trials and struggles. Many struggled under heavy financial loads. Many faced crises of faith.  Others fought physical battles for health and healing. Still others were burdened with emotional trials.

I am here to tell you that 2015 doesn't have to look like 2014. Jesus' promise to make all things new can be applied to whatever struggle or battle you faced in 2014.

Revelation 21:5-7 gives us two keys to receiving the “new things.”

1. We must be thirsty.  Psalm 42:1-2a tells us how we should thirst for The Lord. "As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God." Pastor Ed Vasicek writes, “When we are in the spiritual dessert, we need to keep in close touch with God or we will shrivel up with spiritual dehydration. The Psalmist explains his experience in the spiritual dessert, and points us in the right direction.”  David wrote Psalm when he was in exile hiding from his enemies. He longed for the presence of God.  Whether we are in a desert time or not, our hearts must long for God above all else.

A deer will not stop and drop its head to drink unless it feels perfectly safe.  The environment must be quiet, free of foreign scent, no sounds of a predator or sounds and scents reminiscent of danger.  Only then will a deer stop, expose its neck and drink of the water available.  It is also interesting that the Creator supplied the deer with large eyes that are still able to view the surroundings for well over 180 degrees of its surroundings while feeding or drinking.  Water is also vital to a deer in another way.  Not only does water satisfy the thirst of the deer it also provides a way of escape as the deer seeks a stream or source of water that erases the scent trail.

Taken from: https://sunnysidefarmblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/a-deer-panting-for-the-water/

It is interesting to note that just as the deer finds a way of escape from predators by finding a quiet stream to erase the scent trail, we find escape from our enemy by finding our place of refreshing and peace in Christ.  The closer we get to Christ the harder it is for the enemy to hold us hostage in the ugly snare of sin and lies.

2.   We must overcome.  1 John 5:1-5 (NIV) “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”  Here we see the vital element to overcoming: FAITH!  When we place our faith firmly in Christ, we will overcome.  It is not our strength that wins the victory, but Christ’s. 

Missey Butler writes: I already have victory over every obstacle, every problem, and every situation. I have discovered a “treasure in the field,” a “priceless pearl”. I have found the redemptive truth of what Christ did for us when He uttered the words, “It is finished.”  The next step is where our faith must kick into gear. But first, a clarification has to be made. Faith is not a power that we exert in order to change our circumstances. It is the assurance we have inwardly even if our circumstances do not change. Living independently of our circumstances is what makes us overcomers. I think that’s worth repeating: Living independently of our circumstances is what makes us overcomers! It’s a matter of putting legs and feet to the promise that we find in Romans 4:17, which says, “Calling those things that are not, as though they were.”

Taken from: http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/devotions/butler_overcomer.aspx

Living independently of our circumstances doesn't mean we ignore them, however, it does mean we believe the report of the Lord which says:

a.      We are healed - 1 Peter 2:24 “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

b.     We are free - Galatians 5:1 “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”

c.      We have all we need (provision) - Philippians 4:19 “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”

d.     We are overcomers - Romans 8:37 “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

The promise in Revelation 21:5-7, “…To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious [overcomes] will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children" is ours today.  

We can have the “new things” God promises if we thirst for God more than for anything else and put our faith in Christ by living independently of our circumstances. 

"Behold I am doing a new thing..."

Come Boldly

Hebrews 4:16 “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

What does it mean to come boldly to the throne of grace?  Webster defines bold as: showing or needing confidence or lack of fear. Gracious is defined as: marked by kindness and courtesy. 

When we come to God we must come with confidence, not fearing.  When we confess our sins he forgives us (1 John 1:9 “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”) and keeps no record of our wrong (Psalm 103:12 “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”).  If we keep our lives in right standing before the Lord, we have no reason to fear coming into his throne room.  Ray Pritchard writes, “God has given to every Christian a card that says ‘Admit to the Throne Room of Heaven.’ The card is stamped with the blood of Jesus Christ. But that card does you no good unless you use it boldly when you pray.”

What does this confidence include?

1.  Confidence in the redemptive work of Christ: Ephesians 1:7 (NIV) “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace”

2. Confidence that God hears us when we pray: 1 John 5:14 (NIV) “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

3. Confidence in God’s power to answer our prayers: Jeremiah 32:27 “I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?”  Luke 18:27 “He replied, ‘What is impossible for people is possible with God.’” 

4. Confidence in God’s love for us: Romans 8:37-39 “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

5. Confidence that our future is secure: Revelation 21:3-4 “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.’”

If our confidence truly includes the things listed above, we should have no problem coming boldly before God.  When my daughter or son want something, they don’t hesitate to come ask for it because they are confident that I love them, that I will meet their need if possible, and that I want the best for them.  We can come to our Heavenly Father with this same confidence in him. 

  

Hebrews 4:16 goes on to tell us “...There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

Webster defines mercy and grace as follows:

Grace: special favor

Mercy:  kind or forgiving treatment of someone who could be treated harshly

Hebrews tells us that when we come boldly into the throne room, we will receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.  Because we are God’s children, we receive special favor and kind, forgiving treatment when we approach him.  God is like a parent waiting for his child to come into his embrace for a hug.  When I’ve been away and arrive home, my little guy comes running to me.  I throw my arms open wide and scoop him up in a huge bear hug.  God is like that with us.  He longs to hold us close and minister to our deepest needs.  He invites us to sit at his feet and receive from him.  In his presence we find all our needs met and our hearts experience peace and rest.

When we come to God, let us remember why we are confident and come boldly, then we will receive mercy and grace.  

All Scriptures are NLT unless otherwise stated.

Keep the Plates Spinning

Isaiah 40:12 "Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?"

Daniel 2:21-22 "He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light."

I often feel like the circus performer who spins the plates. He runs back and forth trying to keep everything from crashing down. 

Psalm 55:22 (NIV) "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."

1 Peter 5:7 "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you."

I find that I am good at "casting my cares on God", but I am not so good at leaving them with God. 

Philippians 4:6-7 "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

When we take our worries and burdens to the Lord, we experience his peace. As long as we leave them at his feet we will continue to walk in peace. However, like the plate spinner, when we allow the lies of the enemy to convince us that we can do a better job of carrying our burdens than God can, we will be running helter-skelter trying to keep things in our life from crashing down upon our heads. 

We see in Isaiah 40 and Daniel 2, God holds the oceans in his hands and controls the course of human events. Why then do we doubt that he can handle our little rather insignificant lives (in comparison to sustaining the entire universe)? 

You may be thinking, "I don't doubt God's ability to care for my life and my needs."  Really?  When was the last time you worried about paying the bills or how to handle a situation at work?  When was the last time you lost sleep worrying about anything for that matter?  Isn't worry the opposite of faith?  

Webster defines worry and faith as follows:

Worry: to think about problems or fears : to feel or show fear and concern because you think that something bad has happened or could happen 

Faith: strong belief or trust in someone or something

The Word defines worry and faith like this:

Worry: SIN. Worry is a sin because we are commanded throughout scripture no to do it ( i.e. Philippians 4:6-7) and we are commanded to trust in The Lord. Proverbs 3:5-8 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones."

Faith: confidence in God to take care of what we give him and to keep his promises.  Hebrews 11:1"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."  Hebrews goes on to tell us, Hebrews 11:3 "By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen."

Joyce Meyers writes, "Worry is like a rocking chair—it's always in motion but it never gets you anywhere. So why do we struggle with it? And what good does it do? Worry is the opposite of faith, and it steals our peace, physically wears us out, and can even make us sick. When we worry, we torment ourselves—we're doing the devil's job for him! Worry is caused by not trusting God to take care of the various situations in our lives. Too often we trust our own abilities, believing that we can figure out how to take care of our own problems. Yet sometimes, after all our worry and effort to go it alone, we come up short, unable to bring about suitable solutions."

As we enter 2015 may we learn to stop spinning the plates ourselves and allow God to carry our cares and  burdens. 

Amazing:  http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhoos1oY404#