Tag Archives: in heaven

SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS…AUTHORITY – 7d

Bible Study, ,

To sum up this long discussion on authority, what have we learned so that we fully understand where and how Jesus’ delegated authority works for us?

  1. God the Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth to Jesus, the Son. 

Through His submission and obedience to the Father during His earthly life, Jesus regained His sovereignty over the universe, over the earth, and over the nations. 

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. During His earthly life, Jesus called and trained twelve men to continue His work after He returned to heaven. 

“He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ work was to usher in God’s kingdom by revealing the Father, redeeming mankind, and restoring   all creation to God’s original purpose. 

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus exposed and destroyed the devil and his deception. 

“The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth, teach them about Jesus, enable them to overcome sin, and to be His witnesses through their preaching and their lives. 

The presence of the Spirit in them would empower them to represent Jesus to the world. 

  1. To His disciples, Jesus gave authority over all the spiritual powers that opposed Him. 

The miracles He authorised them to do would be signs that God’s kingdom was among them, in part, to reveal the nature and power of His rule of mercy and grace. 

“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. Jesus’ delegated authority is conditional. 

There are two kinds of authority that operate on earth …either delegated authority or illegitimate authority. 

The effectiveness of delegated authority depends on the absolute submission and obedience of the one to whom authority has been given. Jesus proved His authority to act in the Father’s name because He was a perfect Son. His own witness was…

“So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.””

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

For the believer, this is crucial. For the authority to speak and act in Jesus’ name, a disciple of Jesus must be submitted to Him and obedient to His Word. To claim Jesus as Lord implies living under His authority as supreme. 

Jesus will not support illegitimate authority…that us, anything that is said or done “in His name” but not supported by submission to His will in all things. 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be concluded…

A WALK THROUGH THE LORD’S PRAYER – 4

Prayer, ,

Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“…Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

‭‭

As in His own life, so Jesus taught His disciples that their first consideration should be the Father’s business…His kingdom and His will. Prayer, after all, is His idea and is about Him. Our wants, needs, and human frailties must always take second place to His will and purposes. 

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We start with the bigger picture. God’s design was to create a place for the crown of His creation, humans, to live and to serve their apprenticeship for their ultimate role as co-heirs with Jesus and co-rulers of the planet. His plan was to join earth with heaven, so that He could always be with His family in union and communion. 

Although the first man blew God’s intention out of the water, God had already devised a rescue plan before the disaster happened. He planned that humans would work with Him to restore the earth to its original purpose, and to restore His image in the people on it, by conforming them to the image of His Son and His pattern for living. 

Prayer is God’s chosen way of communication between the Father and His sons and daughters.  Through our Mediator, Jesus, and our Helper, the Holy Spirit, and the many facets of prayer…worship, adoration, meditation, intercession, petition, etc…that enable us to draw near to God, He plants His seed, His word…His promises…in our spiritual “womb”. Through our faith and patience, He brings them to birth in His time and in His way. 

God always works through His word, and He guarantees that His word will always accomplish His purposes. He uses our declaration of His word in our prayers as a bridge between heaven and earth to carry out His will on earth. 

God values this partnership in prayer since it is His way of including His family in His redemptive work on earth. As we recognise, acknowledge, and submit to His authority, we bring to Him, in prayer, the issues that concern us in our “world” of circumstances and events. 

He gives us, in response, His solution, His word which is the expression of His will. Now let’s look at the Scriptures that show us how this works. 

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is God’s blueprint for prayer. His promises are His way of telling us what His will is and what He plans to do. How do we implement His plans on earth?

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Amen” means “Let it be as you have said.” Can you see how simple God has made it for us to partner with Him? He speaks His promises in heaven…He authorises us to speak His promises on earth…and His word does the work on earth through two agencies…

His power, 

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

And our participation, 

“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

‭‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Did you get the impact of James’ final statement?

Prayer…powerful and effective…speaking God’s word to accomplish His will on earth.  However, the key to this transfer is faith!  

Now, Jesus told us, in a nutshell, how to transfer heaven’s will to earth’s needs by the bridge of His spoken word. 

“The Lord gives the word, and a great army brings the good news.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭68‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak,”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What a world of possibilities, adventures, miracles, is contained in Jesus’ simple prayer. When we 

harness God’s word as Jesus taught His disciples to do, God releases His power on earth to move His redemptive plan forward wherever

A WALK THROUGH THE LORD’S PRAYER – 2b

Prayer, ,

“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Before we move on to the next facet of this prayer, we need to look more closely at the words Jesus used and their impact on His disciples. 

“Our Father” immediately connected the disciples with one another on a new level. They were much more than a group of individuals chosen by Jesus to walk with Him. They were family! 

In Jesus’ words, He stated God’s intention, before time began, to have a family… sons and daughters resembling Him…living and working together with Him to administer His earth under His authority. 

This meant that they would enjoy the bonds of family love and family unity in their allegiance and submission to a loving Father. “Fellowship” was what this family was all about. 

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This fellowship with the Father would be brought about by the Holy Spirit in them, centred in Jesus, and experienced within the circle of the Trinity. Maintained by honesty and transparency with one another, their love and unity would tell the world that Jesus had come from the Father to set things back in order on earth. 

“…In heaven…” speaks of the reconnection between heaven and earth. Adam’s defection had shattered the oneness God had planned. His spirit realm is everywhere since God cannot be confined to any particular space, but humans have lost that awareness and live as though God does not exist. 

“Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭23‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

David clearly stated God’s intention…

“…What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels (“God”, the original meaning), and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭8‬:‭4‬-‭6‬, ‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Bible is the story of everything God has done to restore that connection so that He and His people can live in fellowship and function as one in His universe. 

Revelation reveals the end of the story. 

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In Jesus’ prayer, then, we are constantly reminded that God functions in a realm that is all around, as near to us as our breath, but separated from us by our fallen humanity. We draw near to Him as we acknowledge who He is, our Father, who we are, His human family, and where we function, our earth joined to His heaven to do His will on earth as it is done in heaven. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER – WHERE IS GOD?

Book Reviews, ,

THE LORD’S PRAYER – WHERE IS GOD?

“Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9

How difficult is it to talk to someone when we don’t know where He is? “Our Father in heaven…” we pray but where is heaven? For most of us heaven is “up there” but where – on another planet somewhere or in another galaxy or somewhere beyond the universe? This makes praying to a Father whom we can’t see and whose whereabouts we don’t know, much more complicated and unreal.

The God we address in prayer is unseen.  He is Spirit – John 4:24 and we cannot and must not try to create Him in our imagination. He has no physical form. We can know only Him by what He does and where He has been. We have to learn from God’s revealed truth about Himself what heaven really is.

There are Scriptures that indicate that heaven is not a geographical place but an unseen realm which is all around us but which we cannot see and only partially experience because we humans are flesh, imperfect and separated from that realm now. In Psalm 139:7, David cries, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” and Solomon lamented, “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built.” 1 Kings 8:27. According to Jeremiah 23:24, “’Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord” and the Apostle Paul confirmed, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28.

There are times when the veil between flesh and spirit thins out momentarily and humans can see into the spirit world. Elisha and his servant Gehazi were surrounded by the Syrian army in Dothan. Gehazi cried out in fear because they were trapped and at their mercy until Elisha assured him, “Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see. Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:16, 17. The veil thinned just long enough for Gehazi to see with his eyes what Elisha saw by faith.

According to Genesis 2:7 God breathed into man the breath of life (His own ruach – breath, spirit) and man became a living being. Man, therefore, has in his lungs the very breath of God.

Just as we need to change our awareness from ourselves to God, we also need to change our awareness from God somewhere far away and inaccessible to a God who is as near to us as our breath. Prayer is therefore, first, becoming aware that I live in the environment of God. He is spirit, He fills the entire universe, and I am, therefore, immersed in His Presence like a fish in water.

THE LORD’S PRAYER – A PATTERN TO COPY

Christian Life, ,

THE LORD’S PRAYER – A PATTERN TO COPY

“This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9.

We have looked, first of all, at what prayer is not. It’s not about words or needs; it’s about awareness. Now we need to examine what prayer is.

As we are discovering, prayer is more about awareness than about asking. What we are asking comes into line with a greater awareness of God, who He is and what His focus, His heart and concerns are rather than ours.  Because it is natural for us to be absorbed with ourselves and our needs, it is necessary for us to have a pattern that shows us how God envisions prayer rather than what we think it is or should be.

Prayer is not unique to the Christian faith. It is an inborn need in every human being, no matter what god people believe in, worship, and serve. However, those who worship anything or anyone other than the true and living God are unsure of the attitude of that god towards them and do not know how to get his attention or how to please him. Our priority, therefore, is to identify who we are becoming aware of.

To train ourselves to become aware of God is not enough because “God” can be anything we have created for ourselves from our life experience, our environment, and the influence of other people. Since prayer is about changing our awareness, we must find out who this God is, not from our perspective but from what the Bible says. God is, first, our Father, our life-source, our Creator, the one who breathed His own life into us and to whom our spirits are fused by faith, through the Holy Spirit, so that we are one with Him. He is the one on whom we are dependant for life and everything that our life involves (2 Peter 1: 3ff).

He is the only true God, the one who described Himself as “gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and full of love and faithfulness, forgiving sin…” (Exodus 34:6) He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and not to be confused with any other god. Hebrews 11:6 – Those who come to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

To address God as “Father” is to differentiate between Him and all other gods. Since we are His offspring, we are bound to Him by an unbreakable union. Our rebellion in Adam has broken our fellowship with the Father but not our connection with Him as His children. We cannot be “unborn” but we need to be “born again” into the realm where He reigns and where we have come back under submission to His rule.

To pray, “Our Father” is to become aware of the God in whom we live, and to whom we are fused by faith so that our lives are indissolubly joined to Him, our Source.