One of the most delightfully amazing discoveries I’ve made in life is that I can use righteousness just like I use my blackberry everyday (when the battery is on anyway). Naturally, the mind tends to reject it at first, as I imagine yours would if too you’d been schooled and baptised in Isaiah 64:6, how that our “righteousnesses” are as “filthy rags”. But when I became schooled and baptised in 2Corinthians 5:21 and 1Corinthians 1:30, I got to know that I am His righteousness and He is my righteousness! So I can’t use the righteousness I worked out for myself, but I can use the righteousness I have been given in Christ Jesus (Romans 5:17). That’s what you do with a gift anyway: receive the gift, appreciate the giver, and then USE the gift.
If Romans 5:17 is anything to go by, then every Christian should reign as a king in this life because we have all received abundance of grace and of the GIFT of RIGHTEOUSNESS. Every Christian should reign over sin, sickness, lack, darkness and all circumstances. It goes without saying that it is not exactly happening that way today. While there’s more than one reason for that, I would like to share with you one of the things that is missing - the conscious USE of righteousness. One of the most notorious hindrances I’ve come across in my short life is condemnation. I’ve seen people fail to receive the Holy Spirit, healing and other benefits available to them just because they allowed condemnation to get in their way. But, oh how refreshing it is when I see a Christian that is conscious of his/her right-standing with God, for then I see a bold and victorious Christian!
I know of 3 things you & I can use the gift of righteousness (our right-standing with God) for:
1. RIGHT LIVING: Many struggle & are defeated in their holiness-walk/love-walk because they are still thinking as sinners trying to be righteous, when in fact they have been made righteous (2Corinthians 5:21)! The software for right living is already there in them! Right living becomes NATURAL when a beloved son of God takes hold of the righteousness he/she has received and uses it as a WEAPON, highly effective against sin in all forms, shapes and sizes.
2. PRAYER: James 5:16 speaks of the power of a righteous man’s prayer, giving Elijah as an example. Elijah was a mighty prophet of God alright, but he wasn’t even born of God and some of his actions were not exactly a model of righteousness. Yet this man understood righteousness in such an unusual way, he said “as God lives before whom I STAND, there’ll be no rain except according to MY WORD” (1Kings 17:1 paraphrased). If the blood of bulls could do that, how much more the blood of the Lamb of God! It is this righteousness-consciousness that makes us come so BOLDLY (with freedom of speech) to the throne of grace according to Hebrews 4:14-16, not because of how good we are, but because we’ve got a high priest, JESUS! Use your righteousness; come boldly on the basis of the finished work, no more condemnation, no more shame, only boldness of speech! And this not only works for you, more importantly, it works for OTHERS. James 5:16 is actually talking specifically about one man praying for another. Job 22:30 and Isaiah 59:16 make it clear that you can use your righteousness through prayer to save other people, even nations, from destruction (even when they are not innocent)! Are we going to use it or waste it?
3. RULERSHIP: The righteous are BOLD as a lion (Proverbs 28:1). It takes boldness born of righteousness to rule like the lion does. We have authority in the name of Jesus that covers 3 realms and all kingdoms therein (Phil 2:10), but without using the gift of righteousness, no one reigns as a king in this life (Romans 5:17). When you stand in the righteousness that is yours in Christ, boldness is the result. We have great boldness of speech, therefore we speak things into being & they are so. All God’s saints have this privilege/honour (Psalm 149:9), but so few use it! I choose to use righteousness, to dominate, to rule over sin, sickness and lack, over circumstances, to REIGN as a king in this life by Christ Jesus. In eternity, we won’t need the gift of righteousness, won’t need boldness to reign. There will be no sin, sickness or lack to reign over. But we reign NOW, glory to God!
How does it work? How do I put righteousness to work? It’s the same way God rules, the same way kings rule.......we use WORDS (Job 22:29). Our words build a consciousness in us, either of sin or of righteousness. Also, our words set things in motion for or against us.
Say these words with me please:
I am the righteousness of God in Christ and Christ Himself is my righteousness.
I have been given a new nature and put in right standing with God.
I have received abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness.
I give thanks for these gifts continually, rejoicing in the One who has justified me!
For me, there is no more condemnation or shame, only boldness!
Now I use my righteousness to live right, I use my righteousness to live strong.
With this righteousness, I come boldly to the throne of grace to take mercy and grace for myself and for others, especially those that cannot come for themselves.
I come, not on my own merit, but on the merit of JESUS, my high priest, so I am accepted.
I am the righteous, I am bold as a lion, and I stand strong in the face of ALL opposition.
I rule, I reign, I dominate as a king in this life by Christ Jesus. I rule over sin, sickness, lack, death, destruction, demons and all circumstances.
I am skilled at using righteousness, I get heavenly results in this earthly life.
I rejoice, for I have freely received, I give thanks, for I have been justified!
No more condemnation, no more shame, no more loss, only JOY!
Beloved, go ahead and REJOICE!!!
Saturday, 22 February 2014
Saturday, 15 February 2014
BEFORE & AFTER (The Ultimate Makeover)
Perhaps you've heard something like this before "what's the difference
between you & an unbeliever?" Maybe you've heard it said to another,
maybe to you, maybe you've even said it! Indeed, one may be
hard-pressed to point out an APPRECIABLE difference between unbelievers
& some believers, especially carnal Christians (1Cor 3:3), but
you & I know that something changed when we received Jesus Christ.
So, the big question, "what changed?" or better still "before &
after, what's the difference?" Let's consider this together:
1. Once I (spirit) was dead, now I'm alive (John 10:10, Eph 2:5)
2. Once I was a sinner, now I am a saint, I am righteousness (Rom 5:8, Col 1:12, 2Cor 6:14)
3. Once I was darkness, now I am light (Eph 5:8)
4. Once I was rejected, now I'm accepted (Rom 9:26, Eph 1:13)
5. Once I was the devil's spawn, now I am God's son (John 8:44, 1John 3:1)
6. Once I was without strength, now God Himself is my strength (Rom 5:6)
7. Once I was full of wickedness, now the God-kind of love is poured out in my heart by the Holy Ghost (Jer 17:9, Rom 5:5)
8. Once I was bound by sin, now I'm free from sin (Rom 6:18, 8:1) 9. Once I was under the curse, now the blessing of Abraham is on me (Gal 3:10&14)
10. Once I was under the devil's foot, now I'm seated FAR above him (2Cor 4:4, Eph 1:21 & 2:6)
11. Once I was separated from God by sin, now I'm joined unto Him in love (Isa 59:2, 1Cor 6:17)
12. Once I was heading straight for hell, now heaven is my eternal home! (John 14:2)
I don't know about you, but I just wanna dance & shout! Beloved, we've had the ULTIMATE MAKEOVER, we are not the same as before! Know it, recognize it, acknowledge it, meditate on it, confess it, believe it, confess it some more, then walk and live in the light of it! We're A NEW SPECIES, we're A DIFFERENT CLASS OF BEINGS! And in case you're not yet one of us, it ain't too late yet to join us and become LIKE GOD (1John 4:17) Come on over! Thank you for reading and sharing. GREAT GRACE!
1. Once I (spirit) was dead, now I'm alive (John 10:10, Eph 2:5)
2. Once I was a sinner, now I am a saint, I am righteousness (Rom 5:8, Col 1:12, 2Cor 6:14)
3. Once I was darkness, now I am light (Eph 5:8)
4. Once I was rejected, now I'm accepted (Rom 9:26, Eph 1:13)
5. Once I was the devil's spawn, now I am God's son (John 8:44, 1John 3:1)
6. Once I was without strength, now God Himself is my strength (Rom 5:6)
7. Once I was full of wickedness, now the God-kind of love is poured out in my heart by the Holy Ghost (Jer 17:9, Rom 5:5)
8. Once I was bound by sin, now I'm free from sin (Rom 6:18, 8:1) 9. Once I was under the curse, now the blessing of Abraham is on me (Gal 3:10&14)
10. Once I was under the devil's foot, now I'm seated FAR above him (2Cor 4:4, Eph 1:21 & 2:6)
11. Once I was separated from God by sin, now I'm joined unto Him in love (Isa 59:2, 1Cor 6:17)
12. Once I was heading straight for hell, now heaven is my eternal home! (John 14:2)
I don't know about you, but I just wanna dance & shout! Beloved, we've had the ULTIMATE MAKEOVER, we are not the same as before! Know it, recognize it, acknowledge it, meditate on it, confess it, believe it, confess it some more, then walk and live in the light of it! We're A NEW SPECIES, we're A DIFFERENT CLASS OF BEINGS! And in case you're not yet one of us, it ain't too late yet to join us and become LIKE GOD (1John 4:17) Come on over! Thank you for reading and sharing. GREAT GRACE!
MY “BEEF” WITH SECULAR MUSIC
I’ve heard a lot of things about secular music and musicians over the
years e.g. “it’s a sin to listen to secular music”, “all of them are
members of the Illuminati” “anyone who listens to secular music ends up
in hell” etc. That’s not what this is about. Neither is it actually
about beefs. For me, it’s about what God’s Word (not the media,
not Christians/churches, not traditions, not anybody else, but Truth
Himself) has to say about music, especially secular music.
Beyond the most commonly recognized uses of music such as ENTERTAINMENT (Job 21:11-12), CELEBRATION (1Samuel 18:6) and the WORSHIP of God (1Chronicles 6:31) and of idols (Daniel 3:5), there’s so much power in music that not only is it used for COMMUNICATION (Colossians 3:16) and for evoking strong EMOTIONS (Luke 7:32), it can actually be used to INTERACT with the SPIRIT realm by creating an atmosphere that is conducive to the supernatural, whether positive or negative. Music can literally open up the listener to the realm of the spirit. Let me give you a marvelous example: David played on his harp and Saul was refreshed, made well, and the evil spirit that was tormenting him left him, at least for that season (1Samuel 16:23). Another perfect example is found in 2Kings 3:15 where a minstrel played music, and the hand of the Lord (the Spirit of God) came upon Elisha the prophet, he gave a prophetic word that saved 3 nations (2Kings 3:15). If music so ushers in God’s presence (Psalm 22:3), can it not just as easily usher in a demonic presence?
Consider please, WHERE does music come from? Music can be purely from the imagination or from the spirit realm. 1Corinthians 14:15 and Ephesians 5:19 make it clear that you can sing songs inspired by the Holy Spirit (both in tongues and in understanding). If the Holy Spirit can inspire songwriters, the devil can also give the corrupted version, it’s what he knows how to do best, counterfeiting.
Finally, consider this, Joshua 1:8 and Proverbs 4:20-22 tell us what to keep constantly in our speech, sight, hearing and thoughts.....the WORD of God. In this generation, one of the things that most commonly fills or intrudes into our speech, sight, hearing and thought is music. We sing it, we see the videos, we plug our ears with it (I know I do) and it fills our thoughts. How vital is it, then, for us to ensure that the music we allow into us is filled with the Word of God! And you and I know that music soaks into the mind and heart like nothing else does. That's why you can still remember your marching song from primary school even when you're 50 years old and you sometimes wake up singing or humming a melody you haven't heard for years as though you heard it in your dreams!
All things are lawful, but all things are not expedient (profitable).......all things edify not (1Corinthians 10:23). How does that apply to secular music? There’s no record in scripture of a law or rebuke against music in any form or adaptation. Interacting with secular music, therefore, would be regarded as lawful (right), but is it expedient for us, the blood-washed temples of the Holy Spirit? Does it edify us, does it build us up? That is a question each one has to answer for himself (Romans 14:5), but here are a few SIMPLE and ABSOLUTE TRUTHS you and I would do well to consider in choosing what we sing, watch, listen and dance to:
1. Scripture does NOT talk about the lawfulness/otherwise of any kind of music, except for exhortations on HOW to use music (Psalm 9:11, Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19)
2. Music can be used to worship God or the devil (1Chronicles 6:31, Daniel 3:5)
3. Music can be inspired by the Spirit of God, by demons, or can be from the human mind (1Corinthians 14:15, Ephesians 5:19)
4. Music can open up the listener to the spirit realm and spiritual influences (1Samuel 16:23, 2Kings 3:15)
5. Music can be a vehicle for getting the Word of God (or other things) into our minds and hearts (Colossians 3:16).
I submit to you, therefore, that the kind of music you listen to is as important as the kind of food you put into your mouth! I make bold to say it's even more important!
Thank you for taking the time to read. By God’s grace, I’ll share more truths over time. I hope you’ll stop by and read and be blessed (and share too)! Great grace!
Beyond the most commonly recognized uses of music such as ENTERTAINMENT (Job 21:11-12), CELEBRATION (1Samuel 18:6) and the WORSHIP of God (1Chronicles 6:31) and of idols (Daniel 3:5), there’s so much power in music that not only is it used for COMMUNICATION (Colossians 3:16) and for evoking strong EMOTIONS (Luke 7:32), it can actually be used to INTERACT with the SPIRIT realm by creating an atmosphere that is conducive to the supernatural, whether positive or negative. Music can literally open up the listener to the realm of the spirit. Let me give you a marvelous example: David played on his harp and Saul was refreshed, made well, and the evil spirit that was tormenting him left him, at least for that season (1Samuel 16:23). Another perfect example is found in 2Kings 3:15 where a minstrel played music, and the hand of the Lord (the Spirit of God) came upon Elisha the prophet, he gave a prophetic word that saved 3 nations (2Kings 3:15). If music so ushers in God’s presence (Psalm 22:3), can it not just as easily usher in a demonic presence?
Consider please, WHERE does music come from? Music can be purely from the imagination or from the spirit realm. 1Corinthians 14:15 and Ephesians 5:19 make it clear that you can sing songs inspired by the Holy Spirit (both in tongues and in understanding). If the Holy Spirit can inspire songwriters, the devil can also give the corrupted version, it’s what he knows how to do best, counterfeiting.
Finally, consider this, Joshua 1:8 and Proverbs 4:20-22 tell us what to keep constantly in our speech, sight, hearing and thoughts.....the WORD of God. In this generation, one of the things that most commonly fills or intrudes into our speech, sight, hearing and thought is music. We sing it, we see the videos, we plug our ears with it (I know I do) and it fills our thoughts. How vital is it, then, for us to ensure that the music we allow into us is filled with the Word of God! And you and I know that music soaks into the mind and heart like nothing else does. That's why you can still remember your marching song from primary school even when you're 50 years old and you sometimes wake up singing or humming a melody you haven't heard for years as though you heard it in your dreams!
All things are lawful, but all things are not expedient (profitable).......all things edify not (1Corinthians 10:23). How does that apply to secular music? There’s no record in scripture of a law or rebuke against music in any form or adaptation. Interacting with secular music, therefore, would be regarded as lawful (right), but is it expedient for us, the blood-washed temples of the Holy Spirit? Does it edify us, does it build us up? That is a question each one has to answer for himself (Romans 14:5), but here are a few SIMPLE and ABSOLUTE TRUTHS you and I would do well to consider in choosing what we sing, watch, listen and dance to:
1. Scripture does NOT talk about the lawfulness/otherwise of any kind of music, except for exhortations on HOW to use music (Psalm 9:11, Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19)
2. Music can be used to worship God or the devil (1Chronicles 6:31, Daniel 3:5)
3. Music can be inspired by the Spirit of God, by demons, or can be from the human mind (1Corinthians 14:15, Ephesians 5:19)
4. Music can open up the listener to the spirit realm and spiritual influences (1Samuel 16:23, 2Kings 3:15)
5. Music can be a vehicle for getting the Word of God (or other things) into our minds and hearts (Colossians 3:16).
I submit to you, therefore, that the kind of music you listen to is as important as the kind of food you put into your mouth! I make bold to say it's even more important!
Thank you for taking the time to read. By God’s grace, I’ll share more truths over time. I hope you’ll stop by and read and be blessed (and share too)! Great grace!
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