The Prodigal Son
- The Father never went looking for the son: "I will arise!" - Initiate a change.
- Ring represents:
- Authority
- Name
- Access
- Death to God is when you leave Access and go to employment.
- If you want to be free of the "pig-system", you need to first come to your senses. It does not begin with going to anyone else. It begins with you. The first step to end of poverty is self-visitation.
Prayer
Matthew 6:33 |
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What do we actually do to "seek first the Kingdom of God"? How do we in our daily actions put God first? How do we take Christ's abstract statement and turn it into concrete steps that we can employ in our lives? One answer is Luke 21:36. Seeking God—is the solution to all our problems. Luke 21:36 gives us the first step in implementing that solution—praying always. This is a foundation on which to build eternal life.
By being in conscious and constant communication, we are acknowledging God. We are bringing Him into the picture, obeying Matthew 6:33 by seeking Him first. When we do that, we create the opportunity to put some interesting dynamics into action that will facilitate overcoming.
Could we have any better companion than God? With no other could we possibly find better fellowship. God designed prayer to be an act by a free-moral agent who consciously chooses to be with Him to develop their relationship. When we pray, we acknowledge that we are in the presence of God, giving Him the opportunity to rub off on us, like iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17).
When person A rubs off on person B, it implies that B becomes a little more like A—he begins to take on the other's characteristics. The same holds true with the relationship between God and us. Who has the easier time dealing with temptation—God or us? Of course, God does (James 1:13)! It follows, then, that if the more God rubs off on us, the more we become like Him—the more successful our battle against temptation becomes. The more God rubs off on us, the more the battle becomes God's, not ours.
To have the right kind of fellowship and relationship with God, we have to be aware of the reality that we are always in His presence; He is "a God near at hand" (Jeremiah 23:23). Because God has promised never to leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and since we are the Temple where His Spirit dwells (I Corinthians 3:16), God is constantly with us. For His children, the question is never whether He is present, but whether we acknowledge His presence. Praying always accomplishes this.
If being in the presence of a friend of fine character improves us on a human level (Proverbs 13:20), how much more true is this when we are in the presence of God Himself, the very definition of character andwisdom? That is how He can rub off on us: We are with Him, in His fellowship, in His presence, through prayer. When it comes to His children, He is never way off somewhere, if we would but acknowledge this fact.
God designed human beings to adapt to their environment. Before conversion, this world and its influences were molding us into an anti-God form. Acknowledging God's presence is the antidote that counteracts the influence under which we have lived since birth.
God's calling is an invitation to fellowship with Him, and getting to know Him is our salvation (John 17:3). If this is so, then the means—prayer—is a vital part of the foundation on which we need to build. That is the message of Luke 21:36. Praying always leads to overcoming, and both will lead to an escape from God's wrath and fellowship with Christ on into God's Kingdom.
Notice another illustration of the power of presence. What happens to us when we are around people who are pessimistic, angry, fearful, whining? Compare that to our reaction when around those who are positive and enthusiastic, facing life with gentle humor, determination, and energy. The former can quickly drain and depress us, while the latter can energize and enthuse us. In these situations, a literal transference of a spiritual attitude takes place. However, as we increase our physical distance from either of these examples, their power to influence erodes.
What happens on the human plane is no different from what happens spiritually. The spirit—good or bad—of people radiates out from them. It can affect, even change our spirit. Likewise, Satan's spirit permeates our environment, influencing us unless we choose to counteract it.
That choice is praying at every opportunity, willingly submitting ourselves to the persuasion of the most positive, righteous, and unchanging attitudes that exist in the entire universe! This is why after prayer, after spending time in the presence of God, people can feel peace, joy, or confidence. On the other hand, they can also feel humbled and chastened because God has led them to remorse andrepentance. Prayer changes things—us.
By being in conscious and constant communication, we are acknowledging God. We are bringing Him into the picture, obeying Matthew 6:33 by seeking Him first. When we do that, we create the opportunity to put some interesting dynamics into action that will facilitate overcoming.
Could we have any better companion than God? With no other could we possibly find better fellowship. God designed prayer to be an act by a free-moral agent who consciously chooses to be with Him to develop their relationship. When we pray, we acknowledge that we are in the presence of God, giving Him the opportunity to rub off on us, like iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17).
When person A rubs off on person B, it implies that B becomes a little more like A—he begins to take on the other's characteristics. The same holds true with the relationship between God and us. Who has the easier time dealing with temptation—God or us? Of course, God does (James 1:13)! It follows, then, that if the more God rubs off on us, the more we become like Him—the more successful our battle against temptation becomes. The more God rubs off on us, the more the battle becomes God's, not ours.
To have the right kind of fellowship and relationship with God, we have to be aware of the reality that we are always in His presence; He is "a God near at hand" (Jeremiah 23:23). Because God has promised never to leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and since we are the Temple where His Spirit dwells (I Corinthians 3:16), God is constantly with us. For His children, the question is never whether He is present, but whether we acknowledge His presence. Praying always accomplishes this.
If being in the presence of a friend of fine character improves us on a human level (Proverbs 13:20), how much more true is this when we are in the presence of God Himself, the very definition of character andwisdom? That is how He can rub off on us: We are with Him, in His fellowship, in His presence, through prayer. When it comes to His children, He is never way off somewhere, if we would but acknowledge this fact.
God designed human beings to adapt to their environment. Before conversion, this world and its influences were molding us into an anti-God form. Acknowledging God's presence is the antidote that counteracts the influence under which we have lived since birth.
God's calling is an invitation to fellowship with Him, and getting to know Him is our salvation (John 17:3). If this is so, then the means—prayer—is a vital part of the foundation on which we need to build. That is the message of Luke 21:36. Praying always leads to overcoming, and both will lead to an escape from God's wrath and fellowship with Christ on into God's Kingdom.
Notice another illustration of the power of presence. What happens to us when we are around people who are pessimistic, angry, fearful, whining? Compare that to our reaction when around those who are positive and enthusiastic, facing life with gentle humor, determination, and energy. The former can quickly drain and depress us, while the latter can energize and enthuse us. In these situations, a literal transference of a spiritual attitude takes place. However, as we increase our physical distance from either of these examples, their power to influence erodes.
What happens on the human plane is no different from what happens spiritually. The spirit—good or bad—of people radiates out from them. It can affect, even change our spirit. Likewise, Satan's spirit permeates our environment, influencing us unless we choose to counteract it.
That choice is praying at every opportunity, willingly submitting ourselves to the persuasion of the most positive, righteous, and unchanging attitudes that exist in the entire universe! This is why after prayer, after spending time in the presence of God, people can feel peace, joy, or confidence. On the other hand, they can also feel humbled and chastened because God has led them to remorse andrepentance. Prayer changes things—us.
— Pat Higgins
http://www.theberean.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Home.showBerean/BereanID/7814/bblver/NKJV/Matthew-6-33.htm
Single Again
Singleness
- Singleness is more important than marriage. Marriage depends on singleness.
- Our culture built us to get along with others. We were trained to focus on other people. That is why we are not equipped to have relationships with others.
- The most important relationship in life should not be inter-personal relationship. It should be intra-personal relationship. You cannot have inter-personal relationship until you have settled the intra-personal relationship. I need to love myself.
- If I don't know and love myself I cannot love another person.
- The most important pursuit in life is self-knowledge. Singleness is about finding myself, loving myself, valuing myself, accepting myself, understanding myself and then appreciating myself so much that I can now share myself with another person.
Some Notes:
- People think they need to get married to be complete;
- You don't need to be married to fulfill God's purpose;
- Get busy fulfilling God's purpose and stop looking for someone to marry;
- Failure in marriage can derail your purpose;
- It is better to be unmarried and happy than to be married and depressed.
Divorce
- Don't just get custody of the kids. First get custody of yourself.
- The ultimate trauma in life is divorce (Mal.2:16);
- Divorce is a violent act.
- You don't want to develop a level of bond that you are not responsible for.
- Divorce is traumatic.
- There is no cure for the broken heart. God hates divorce because it creates a wound that no medication can cure. Only a personal encounter with Jesus Christ can heal the broken heart.
- Despite God hating divorce, He still loves the divorcee.
- Divorce is tragic because it is the death of relationship.
- It is impossible to get divorce unless you are married. Marriage is the prerequisite of divorce. Hence singleness is the most important pursuit in life.
- The ingredient determines the product.
- We want perfection with defects;
- We expect success while building with failure;
- Divorce: something went wrong at the foundation level - the male and female was contaminated.
Marriage
- My marriage is only as good as the single me.
- I bring into the marriage only that which I am a single. No more, no less.
- Whatever I am, I create.
- It is more important that I bring the best to the relationship. I should work on becoming the best.
- Marriage is like an omelette. It is only as good as the eggs. Omelettes are determined by the quality of the eggs.
- Do not be unequally yoked because you cannot unyoke the individual eggs from the omelette.
- You carry your life with you, so make sure it's one you want to carry.
- If you knew all you know about you, would you marry you?
- Are you the kind of person I can enjoy living with for 90 years?
- What do you have that I can live with forever?
- Take care of your life first.
- Are you a gift or a curse?
- Are you a promotion or a demotion to me?
- What is it that you have that will improve my life?
The Myth of Singleness
- Are you single or merely unmarried?
- To be single should be the goal of even the married because it is the singleness that keeps the marriage together. It is singleness that makes the marriage possible. Marriage is two whole people coming together. If you are not whole and get married to a whole person, you become a parasite. You suck life out of him/her. You use them to try and get complete. You are no longer a blessing; you are a curse.
- Most married people have never been single. Unmarried is a state while singleness is a disposition. It is an assessment of your entity.
- It is OK to be single but not to be "alone".
- Adam did not even know he needed someone.
- Relationships are for sharing your victories and success with; not to bring on your burdens and depression.
- If you don't need to be married, you are probably ready to be married.
- Love is a decision to share with someone.
- You don't love someone because you need something from them.
- If you are not complete, marriage will expose you.
- Don't use your time looking for somebody, use your time becoming somebody.
- Unity in vision is more important than unity in love.
By Their Fruits
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The description here is very apt—wolves in sheep's clothing. They appear on the outside to be something they are not. When Jesus uttered this, He was probably thinking of false ministers who would insinuate themselves into the church by appearing to be sheep within the sheepfold.
Jesus uses this terminology in regard to His relationship with the church. He was the Shepherd, and we are His sheep. Here we have wolves (false ministers) who look like sheep, but it is hypocrisy. They only look that way on the outside. He tells us we will know them by their fruits. The fruit that is produced will not necessarily appear quickly. But Christ guarantees that over a period of time the church will be stripped of its true spiritual vitality in terms of the character that will be produced within the flock, making the rise of wolves in sheep's clothing more likely.
What is He saying? The implication is that Jesus is connecting belief with practice. If we believe a certain set of doctrines, we will practice something because of the teaching. A religious creed or the dogma that a group is following will produce a certain kind of conduct by the people. Belief and practice, creed and conduct—Jesus is saying they are vitality connected. In other words, the teacher cannot hide what he is going to produce. Eventually it will come out. Their false philosophies, no matter how attractive they may appear at first sight, will in the long run be exposed for what they really are.
Jesus uses this terminology in regard to His relationship with the church. He was the Shepherd, and we are His sheep. Here we have wolves (false ministers) who look like sheep, but it is hypocrisy. They only look that way on the outside. He tells us we will know them by their fruits. The fruit that is produced will not necessarily appear quickly. But Christ guarantees that over a period of time the church will be stripped of its true spiritual vitality in terms of the character that will be produced within the flock, making the rise of wolves in sheep's clothing more likely.
What is He saying? The implication is that Jesus is connecting belief with practice. If we believe a certain set of doctrines, we will practice something because of the teaching. A religious creed or the dogma that a group is following will produce a certain kind of conduct by the people. Belief and practice, creed and conduct—Jesus is saying they are vitality connected. In other words, the teacher cannot hide what he is going to produce. Eventually it will come out. Their false philosophies, no matter how attractive they may appear at first sight, will in the long run be exposed for what they really are.
— John W. Ritenbaugh
http://www.theberean.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Home.showBerean/BereanID/4624/bblver/NKJV/Matthew-7-15-20.htm
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