Blast from the Past #1

     Some will remember the old Monday challenges that I use to write for our Frontline School of Supernatural Ministry. I will be adding appropriate ones (revised and sometimes expanded) to the blog from time to time under the title "Blast from the Past." For those of you that read them before, you can see how your progress has been in the area of challenge - please share in the blog. For those who haven't read them, it will provide a challenge for your spiritual walk - please share in the blog.

   In verses 7 and 8 of Romans 13 it says, "Render therefore to all their due; taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." Basically, I heard Holy Spirit saying from this passage that I am to be paid up (or in the process of paying up) to meet my earthly obligations to earthly authorities, but never to be paid up in loving others because my heavenly obligation to love is never paid off or finished....it should always be an open account that I deposit into continually. My savings account of love should never be closed out and my mortgage of love should never be paid off.

  Then I was reminded of a passage in the Old Testament which added even more light. Malachi 3:8-12 says, "Will a man rob God? Yet, you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try me now in this," says the Lord of Hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," says the Lord of Hosts; "and all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land," says the Lord of Hosts.

  It is a serious matter to rob earthly authorities by not meeting my obligations to them, but to rob God by not giving to Him means that I am not showing Him love (which is what I am always to owe others, especially God because of who He is and what He has done so generously for me). It can even cause a curse on personal finances or an entire national economy (v9). When the man or woman of God is generous with their "love gifts" to God's Kingdom, or the Body is generous to the Kingdom economy, then overflowing blessing is the norm (v10b and 12), and the curse is cancelled (v11). If we seek Holy Spirit for the gift of faith to be generous in our giving, He will supply the faith that is needed, and, quite often, the very gift to give!

  So....hit me back with some feedback on this post.....speak up....speak out......

Forgiveness #1

       I can think of no other subject that would be the premier first post to encourage you in the pursuit of your ultimate Kingdom destiny than forgiveness. Like so many challenging life teachings in God's Word, it is much like a greased pig in the sense that in the application of it, I am able to grab onto a piece (or limb, as the case may be)  for a short time, but then it seems to quickly wiggle through my most intense grasp. Even if I corral the entire porker, it can still escape inside the confines of the pen and remain elusive because it is hard to pin it down due to it's.....well....slipperiness! Maybe that's why it is so much easier if I kill the pig, make it into a football, and toss it on to someone else. In other words, many Christians are teaching a form of this key Biblical concept with such passion, but are lacking the power to live it out in their own personal lives. They have called the audible and passed on this responsibility to others, usually the vulnerable people under their teaching. They choose whom they will forgive according to their own list of preferences.

      It is certainly a sobering proposition that if I fail to forgive, then I will not be forgiven(Matthew 6:14, 15; Mark 11:25, 26; Luke 11:4); that if I judge, I will be judged in like manner (Matthew 7:1-5). In fact, unforgiveness and judgment seem to be bosom buddies, an unholy couple. On the other hand, forgiveness and mercy are the perfect partners,  redeeming spouses (Matthew 6:12; James 2:13). Even in the midst of the greatest injustice in human history, Jesus forgave, showing amazing mercy(Luke 23:34).

    Now this doesn't mean that we are a doormat for every evil person to use us to clean his feet. Even in Jesus' teaching in Luke 17:3-5,  he says to "rebuke" the person who sins against us and, when he repents, forgive him (also see Matthew 18:15-17). The point is that we need to ask Holy Spirit what to do and say in each situation with which we are faced, but our heart should be embracing merciful forgiveness to follow the generously forgiving example of Jesus. 

    One very interesting passage in this regard is Luke 6:37-38: "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." So, the measure that I use to judge, condemn, forgive, and give will be the same measure that is measured back to me in those spiritual actions (which reveal the degree to which my heart is responding spiritually or naturally to Holy Spirit).

   A parable that illustrated the previous spiritual principle was given by Jesus in Matthew 18:23-35. It tells of a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. One servant had a debt so large, he had no hope of paying it. The plan became to sell him and his family into slavery and sell all their possessions, as well. The servant humbly sought the patient mercy of the master and his plea elicited a compassionate response from the king. He released the servant and his family, and forgave the debt. However, the servant failed to do likewise to a fellow servant that owed him a much smaller debt. When the fellow servant pleaded for patient mercy, it was abruptly denied, and he was thrown into prison until the debt could be paid. Observing all of this, several fellow servants brought the incident to the attention of the king. In verse 32, the master said, "You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?" The parable ends with an extremely sobering couple of verses: "And the master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due him. So my heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his tresspasses." Whoa! That's bone-tingling no matter what interpretation is give to those final two verses....... 

Well, how about some feedback, questions, and comments on the subject of forgiveness. Let me hear from you! 

Welcome to Your Ultimate Kingdom Destiny!

         Welcome to my blog to encourage you in your pursuit of your Heavenly Father's Kingdom destiny for your life! My desire for this blog is that it be a place that you can visit often to lift your spirits as you journey toward all that the Father has planned for you. I would hope that it would be a place that you could come on those difficult days to pour out your heart and to receive the courage to face your situations and circumstances with faith given as a gift from Holy Spirit. I would hope that it would be a place that you could come on those high days, when things are going well, to share your victories and to receive a word in season that would take you even higher. In short, don't be a stranger to this blog so you can consider my fatherly pastoral heart as I cheer you on to an ever-growing intimacy with your Heavenly Father, who is Your Ultimate Kingdom Destiny.