Truly Knowing God’s Grace (pt.3)
Colossians 1:9 states: “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”
Paul continually asks God to fill their church with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. Why?
It is important to note that spiritual knowledge, wisdom, and understanding only come from the Spirit. Worldly thinking and spiritual thinking are poles apart. In Is. 55 it states that My(God’s) thoughts and ways are not yours. So we can’t continue to have the same thinking that the world does and assume that thinking is from God. In Romans 12:2 it says do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.
That is why it is vital to pray this prayer just as Paul was for the church at Colossae. The pattern of this world is not God’s and we are called out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light so we can show forth His light to the world. However, we need to know God’s will for ourselves so we need to be transformed.
God is at work in each of us to will and to do of His good pleasure it says in Philippians. His desire is that you be filled with the knowledge of His will – that the very Spirit of God would come upon and impart to you wisdom and understanding.
Begin today by making Paul’s prayer your prayer for you, your family and your church.
Paul continually asks God to fill their church with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. Why?
It is important to note that spiritual knowledge, wisdom, and understanding only come from the Spirit. Worldly thinking and spiritual thinking are poles apart. In Is. 55 it states that My(God’s) thoughts and ways are not yours. So we can’t continue to have the same thinking that the world does and assume that thinking is from God. In Romans 12:2 it says do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.
That is why it is vital to pray this prayer just as Paul was for the church at Colossae. The pattern of this world is not God’s and we are called out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light so we can show forth His light to the world. However, we need to know God’s will for ourselves so we need to be transformed.
God is at work in each of us to will and to do of His good pleasure it says in Philippians. His desire is that you be filled with the knowledge of His will – that the very Spirit of God would come upon and impart to you wisdom and understanding.
Begin today by making Paul’s prayer your prayer for you, your family and your church.
Fishing for Men
On Sunday, January 22 Joel Inkster shared the message entitled ‘Fishing for Men’. This series of teachings is inspired by that message. I will follow his thoughts adding my titbits (Br. sp. versus Am. ‘tidbit’) to the mix too.
Matthew 4:18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
This passage is descriptive of Jesus recruiting the first of his disciples as part of His strategy for fulfilling His mission here on earth. A disciple is somebody who strongly believes in the teachings of a leader, a philosophy, or a religion, and tries to act according to them. The key in this definition is that “they try to act according to what they have been taught”. Jesus in this passage is calling Peter, Andrew, John and James to become fishers of men. He is taking their natural skills and transferring it into the realm of salvation. He spoke in their vernacular when he called them to be his disciples.
If Jesus wanted them to do what he did, then we must ask the question: “What did Jesus do to fish for men?” The best way to train someone in anything is to have them participating with you while you do it. So having called these men to follow him and become a fisher of men we can see what Jesus immediately did by continuing to read Matthew 4.
Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
Jesus did three things: taught in the synagogues, preached the good news of the kingdom, and healed the sick. As I said to train disciples we must have them participate in what we are doing. Jesus empowered his disciples to do what he had been doing:
1. Engage people where they gather,
2. Share the message of the kingdom of God,
3. Demonstrate it by setting people free from demons and diseases.
We can see this in effect in Luke 9 and 11 where he sent out the 12 and then the 72.
Luke 9:1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
This was the main and plain of being a fisher of men as Jesus taught and demonstrated. He passed it on to his disciples, and not just the 12, but to 72, and most like more.
If we aren’t getting results when we go fishing, maybe the problem is we aren’t where the fish are or we are using the wrong bait. It’s not the church but the kingdom. It’s not in words only but in the demonstration of power. Then we will be “fishers of men”.
Matthew 4:18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
This passage is descriptive of Jesus recruiting the first of his disciples as part of His strategy for fulfilling His mission here on earth. A disciple is somebody who strongly believes in the teachings of a leader, a philosophy, or a religion, and tries to act according to them. The key in this definition is that “they try to act according to what they have been taught”. Jesus in this passage is calling Peter, Andrew, John and James to become fishers of men. He is taking their natural skills and transferring it into the realm of salvation. He spoke in their vernacular when he called them to be his disciples.
If Jesus wanted them to do what he did, then we must ask the question: “What did Jesus do to fish for men?” The best way to train someone in anything is to have them participating with you while you do it. So having called these men to follow him and become a fisher of men we can see what Jesus immediately did by continuing to read Matthew 4.
Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
Jesus did three things: taught in the synagogues, preached the good news of the kingdom, and healed the sick. As I said to train disciples we must have them participate in what we are doing. Jesus empowered his disciples to do what he had been doing:
1. Engage people where they gather,
2. Share the message of the kingdom of God,
3. Demonstrate it by setting people free from demons and diseases.
We can see this in effect in Luke 9 and 11 where he sent out the 12 and then the 72.
Luke 9:1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
This was the main and plain of being a fisher of men as Jesus taught and demonstrated. He passed it on to his disciples, and not just the 12, but to 72, and most like more.
If we aren’t getting results when we go fishing, maybe the problem is we aren’t where the fish are or we are using the wrong bait. It’s not the church but the kingdom. It’s not in words only but in the demonstration of power. Then we will be “fishers of men”.
Truly Knowing the Grace of God (pt.2)
20/01/12 20:09 Filed in: bible study, grace, faith
In verse nine of chapter one Paul says that he has not stopped praying for them and that he continually asks. Here are two key principles! The first is ‘never stop praying’. Prayer makes a difference but we must persevere in prayer. James 5:16 states that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Then it goes on to reference Elijah. When he was praying for rain to come he prayed and looked to see if there were any results from his prayer. He didn’t stop praying because he couldn’t see anything happening but kept praying until a small cloud the size of a man’s fist appeared on the horizon. Prayer requires perseverance. So keep on asking, knocking and seeking!
But there is a second key to praying. Ask but ask specifically. Paul in this prayer for the Colossians was asking that they would be filled with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding the Spirit gives. Paul knew what he was asking for. Be specific and ask. James says you have not because you ask not. So ask and keep asking until you see the fulfilment of your prayers.
When our children were growing up, I constantly asked that they would grow in wisdom, in stature and in favour with God and with man, just as Jesus did as stated in Luke 2:52. I didn’t stop asking, because I knew that God would hear and answer my pray.
What is on your heart? We serve a great God and He is attentive to the voice of His people. So ask Him and believe for the impossible to be released in your midst.
But there is a second key to praying. Ask but ask specifically. Paul in this prayer for the Colossians was asking that they would be filled with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding the Spirit gives. Paul knew what he was asking for. Be specific and ask. James says you have not because you ask not. So ask and keep asking until you see the fulfilment of your prayers.
When our children were growing up, I constantly asked that they would grow in wisdom, in stature and in favour with God and with man, just as Jesus did as stated in Luke 2:52. I didn’t stop asking, because I knew that God would hear and answer my pray.
What is on your heart? We serve a great God and He is attentive to the voice of His people. So ask Him and believe for the impossible to be released in your midst.
Truly Knowing the Grace of God
18/01/12 18:49 Filed in: bible study, grace, faith
In Colossians chapter 1 Paul is giving thanks to God for the church that is growing in strength. He makes the statement that the gospel of Jesus Christ is bearing fruit and growing throughout the world and its all due to one thing found in verse 6, they truly understood God’s grace. In fact this letter was written because there were false teachers encouraging the church to worship angels and follow special rules, regulations and ceremonies.
This teaching is not confined to Paul’s days but even today the enemy is trying to add to the gospel. The truth is there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. That is why our faith has to be in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Through His death and resurrection we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.
Verse twelve has a powerful statement that is worth writing on the tablet of your mind: He had qualified you! There is nothing that you have to do or could ever do that will make you more fit to share in the inheritance we have with Him. Only faith in Christ Jesus and the work he did for us on the cross enables us to receive our eternal reward that is stored up for us in heaven.
Paul is saying he gives thanks to God because of this truth. That faith springs eternal in our hearts and we in turn have a love for God’s people. All that because we know that we have been saved from the dominion of darkness and our destiny is in heaven. God is the one that has qualified you, and that we receive by faith, so give thanks.
(Read chapter one and meditate on it while we share more thoughts on the chapter.)
This teaching is not confined to Paul’s days but even today the enemy is trying to add to the gospel. The truth is there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. That is why our faith has to be in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Through His death and resurrection we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.
Verse twelve has a powerful statement that is worth writing on the tablet of your mind: He had qualified you! There is nothing that you have to do or could ever do that will make you more fit to share in the inheritance we have with Him. Only faith in Christ Jesus and the work he did for us on the cross enables us to receive our eternal reward that is stored up for us in heaven.
Paul is saying he gives thanks to God because of this truth. That faith springs eternal in our hearts and we in turn have a love for God’s people. All that because we know that we have been saved from the dominion of darkness and our destiny is in heaven. God is the one that has qualified you, and that we receive by faith, so give thanks.
(Read chapter one and meditate on it while we share more thoughts on the chapter.)
Persistence in Faith
18/08/11 11:58
To activate faith you need to do something, believe something, ask for something, or pray something in response to the fact that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. The key word is “earnestly”, one that you rarely hear anymore. Earnest means intensely, or even excessively, serious and sincere in manner or attitude. It is not an attitude that is put off easily. ‘Oh, I asked once and that is enough!’ No, earnestly is, ‘God, you know I asked you about such and such, but it seems I don’t have it yet. So, Lord, I’m knocking on your door again about this.’
A friend said faith is like pulling the trigger on a gun, it releases the power and the answer. I said the gun illustration would be better if you realized it was a machine gun. You hold the trigger until the clip is empty. That is faith worked through persistence. Jesus will be looking for this when He returns. Do we have persistent faith or have we given up? (Click here to read more)
A friend said faith is like pulling the trigger on a gun, it releases the power and the answer. I said the gun illustration would be better if you realized it was a machine gun. You hold the trigger until the clip is empty. That is faith worked through persistence. Jesus will be looking for this when He returns. Do we have persistent faith or have we given up? (Click here to read more)
