'In the World but not of the World' #thefathersword

All over the world and many nations, there is one phrase that has been used the most time by many leaders in the Christian domain. That phrase is 'In the world but not of the world' but what does it actually mean?

John 17:14 - 18 (KJV)
I have given them thy word and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. As thou has sent me into the world, even so, have I also sent them into the world.

When God sent his son into the world, he sent him into the world with a purpose. He had a purpose and that was to destroy sin and reconcile sons back to the father. The whole time Jesus was here on earth, he fulfilled his purpose, even though he knew would one day go back to the father, that didn't stop him from getting involved in earthly affairs. He healed the sick, raised the dead, raised up leaders, turned water into wine and many more miracles.
The purpose of being sent is to affect the atmosphere into where you have been sent to. It is to deliver a message, to carry out the works of God

If you think of the British Army, there have been numerous occasions where they have been sent to different countries on a mission. That meant being in that region for a long while so they can deal with whatever threat they are facing. Even though they aren't from that country, they have been sent there on a mission. That is exactly like us as Sons of God, we are sent into the world with a purpose. No one gets sent without a purpose, a mission.

At this present moment in time, we are facing an identity crisis. Many sons have lost sight of why God sent them into the world and henceforth, they can't display the dominion and authority instilled in them when they were created. In order for us to carry out our duties, we must understand two things
1- Who has sent you?
2- Why are you here?

In order for us to carry out the works of God, it requires to renew our mind daily, it requires us to remind ourselves of the vision and the purpose God has revealed to us. When we think like the world, it will stop us from being effective but when we begin to think like Christ, we literally have a different perspective on the world and how it operates. When Jesus came to earth, he healed a sick woman on the Sabbath, but when people began to question him, he simply challenged their mindsets and asked why shouldn't he not heal on the Sabbath..............

Jesus spent started his ministry at the age of 30 and by 33 he was done. His purpose was fulfilled and evidently, he was called back to this father's right-hand side. Your age doesn't determine the longevity of your purpose... Can we truly say when we are reunited with the father 'I have finished, it is done'

John 19:30 (NIV) When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit

Remember, whilst you are not of the world, you are in the world. Make an impact, fulfil your purpose and leave a legacy.

Be blessed

Ryan

Hearing the word #thefathersword

Following Christ and Serving him is one of the best decisions that could ever be made by man. When a person gives their life to Christ, they declare that they want to serve him and no doubt God loves it when people serve him wholeheartedly. 

Over the past few months, we have looked at ministry and service and wondered how God wants us to do ministry. Before you actually go into ministry and service, there's something crucial that is the foundation for every believer. Let's look at a passage from the bible which will help us

Luke 10: 38-42 is a well-known passage. Let's see verse 39 - And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat Jesus' feet, and heard his word. Verse 41 says And Jesus answered and said unto her "Martha, Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things"

Martha and Mary were two sisters and no doubt both wanted to please Jesus when he came to visit them. Martha was concerned about Christ and serving but Mary was sat at the father's feet so she can hear his word. How many of us are like Mary? How many of us are like Martha? At some point in our life, we have somehow been concerned with both aspects - Serving Christ but also wanting to be at his feet. 

Martha, despite all her good intentions, missed out on Christ because she was too busy trying to serve Christ, it sounds a bit harsh but the reality of it is that there are times that Christ wants us to serve him by sitting at his feet and hearing his word. Have you become too busy trying to serve Christ that you no longer have time to sit at his feet? Jesus said to Martha that she has been become troubled by many things which indicates that she was trying to do all the physical things whilst missing on the spiritual aspect. 

Could it be that we are trying to serve Christ without actually having a relationship with him? Happy to serve Christ but missing out crucial time with Christ..............

In order for us to serve Christ wholeheartedly, we first need to establish a relationship Christ and that means to sit at his feet and hear his word. 

Proverbs 4:20 - My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. 

21- Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. 

The words of God bring life and healing, let's get into the culture of spending time at the feet of Jesus. Don't be like Martha and become troubled by many things, take time out to listen to the words of God. 

As you sit at the fathers' feet, may he also give you clarity and a clear path of what he wants you to do in this season. I also pray that Christ will help you develop a culture of relationship. 

Be blessed

They are new every morning #thefathersword

Lamentations 3:22-23
'It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness'

Mercy. What is Mercy?

The dictionary describes it as an act of kindness, compassion or favour. It also describes it as compassionate or kindly forbearance shown towards an offender, an enemy, or another person in one's power; compassion, pity or benevolence.

Did you know that in heaven, you have a heavenly account? Now, let me explain this in modern day terms.
Each of you has a bank account and in order for you to withdraw money, you need to have money in there. In order to transact money, you need to deposit money in there. If however, you have nothing in your account, you can't take anything out.
I wonder, what would it be like to have an account where each morning there is always money available. What would it be like if there was an overflow in your account every day?

You see, every day in our lives we strive to be like God, because he is perfect and we desire to strive to be perfect ourselves. During any one day, you can come across situations that will come to test you and may require you to draw on the mercy of God so you can get through the day. But what would happen if every day you have the same amount of mercy you had from the day before, life would be peak each and every day.

I am very grateful that God's mercies are new every morning. God is very compassionate, not one day will he fail to not show compassion to someone.

So back to the heavenly account. Just as we have an earthly account, we also have a heavenly account and in that account, there is plenty for us to withdraw from. I would imagine that you have love, peace, joy, faith and mercy. At the end of every day, it's like God saying to you - "Go to sleep, wake up and start again, fresh and on point"
In other words, God makes a transaction, everything we did or didn't do, he wipes it away and replaces it with new mercy. What a mighty God we serve.

We as human beings, we don't generally qualify for mercy. Ever since Adam sinned, we then were born into sin but God has different ideas. Despite our sin nature, he showed us mercy and came to save us. You think you didn't deserve it but God is merciful is full of compassion and for him to go against that, it would be detrimental to everything that he is.
We probably would have been consumed if it wasn't for the Lord's mercies.

1 John 4:8 - 'He that loveth not knoweth God; for God is love'

God is love and within that love, he is full of compassion and he is full of mercy. His mercies are new every morning.

You are a new creation #thefathersword

Romans 8:10 - "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit of life because of righteousness"

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

John 20: 11-14 - But Mary remained standing outside the tomb sobbing. As she wept, she stooped down [and looked] into the tomb.
And she saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
And they said to her, Woman, why are you sobbing? She told them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.
On saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing [there], but she did not know (recognise) that it was Jesus.

It is often said that we are new creations and that when we die to the flesh and walk in the spirit, we will be seen as new creations. What exactly is a new creation?
The new creation status implies newness of life and a new manner of life that accords with God's will.

A person who is a new creation will be completely new so that means all aspects of the old life has passed away. So what kind of life will the new creation possess? I am led to believe according to John, that post resurrection when Mary came to find Jesus, she found him but didn't recognise because his countenance had changed.  Often when someone becomes born again, there is a change in their life. No longer will they have any thirst for the things that they did before and no longer will they possess any of the characteristics that they were bound to in their old life.

Galatians 5:19 - 21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

A few verses up in Galatians 5, we see that the flesh and the spirit are always at war with each other so one must decide what side they want to be on.

So, what are some of the benefits of being a new creation?

Now that you are a new creation, you will become equipped with a new way of thinking as Romans 12:2 tells us to renew our mind daily. This means training your mind to believe the fact that you don't have to be sick, poor and defeated. Everything in your life can become new, your relationships can become new because you are a new creation.

Philippians 4:19 says - "But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
This indicated your needs will be met by God

Not only can all your needs now be met by God, all the things that were impossible will now become possible.
Mark 9:23 tells us that all things are possible to those that believe

You a new creation in Christ. The relationship you once had with God has now been restored, no longer do you have to feel condemned.

Be blessed as you read. I pray that God brings you to a new understanding of what being a new creation is all about. I pray that God gives you wisdom, knowledge and new level of understanding.

#thefathersword - How do you feel

It's often said in society that in order to do something, you have to want to do it or do it when you feel like it. Whilst that can be very legitimate in some cases, it certainly can not be that way in the Kingdom of God.

Luke 4:1 - 'Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness'
The above passage shows that Jesus was led into the wilderness by the spirit. Not by his feelings or his mind but it's the spirit that led him.
Along with that passage, we see that Jesus resisted the temptation to give in to the devil. Jesus was hungry and probably thirsty at those times. He came in a physical body so it's only natural that he would be hungry and thirsty but he was able to resist the temptation due to one key component - He was filled with the Spirit.

Within the context of Church, there are instances where God will tell us to go on a mission, go on a fast or go out and evangelise. There are legitimate reasons as to why things can't be done and that is understandable but when we come to the realisation that we serve a living God and that we are filled with the Holy Spirit, only then will earthly problems be made to look small to us.

Isaiah 40:31 - Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Luke 22:454-46 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

One of the key reasons as to why you shouldn't let your feelings dominate you is so that you can be obedient to God. Many times within the Bible, we see reasons why it is good to obey God and not allow our flesh to dictate how we feel.

One of the reasons is because our spirit is always willing but the flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41 - Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

When we talk about dying to the flesh, we talk about it because if you are ever to walk in total obedience, then your flesh must be crucified so this is your desires, feelings and anything that will stop the Spirit from manifesting itself in you and through you.
It's natural to feel tired, thirsty, hungry. They form part of the human senses and are needed so we can live.

When you walk with God, being filled with the Spirit is necessary.
So, How do you feel?

#thefathersword - The art of Communication

There's a merry go round in the world these days. Messages go from one side to the other but are we assured that the right message will get across.
All throughout our life, we will communicate in various ways. This could be verbal via phone, voice notes, conference calls, face to face. Then there's non-verbal such as messaging, emails, text and everything else in between.

What has stumped most people is the idea that they don't know how to communicate. Communicating and knowing how to communicate are two separate ideas.

Let's see what the Bible says about communication

 James 1:19 - Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath

Colossians 4:6 - Let your speech [be] always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Proverbs 18:13 - He that answereth a matter before he heareth [it], it [is] folly and shame unto him

When you read the word, you will find many gems of how to communicate. The biggest difficulty the kingdom has today is Communication. Lack of communication or a communication breakdown is the number one reason why many things fall. It can be marriage, your relationships with people, or even in business.

Whenever a message is given to someone, the responsibility on both parties is to check that each other has understood the message and it's always good to go over the message and to be sure that they have got the message.
However, one can only get the message if they are silent whilst the other is speaking. It can be very frustrating when people don't listen to what was said. If we are to be effective communicators within the kingdom, we must first learn how to listen to people rather than speak over them. We should listen to understand and not listen just to respond.

The other sticking point is hearing and listening. We often have this belief that hearing is the same as listening but it really isn't. Hearing is the ability to perceive sound by ear but listening goes much deeper. Listening is something that we choose to do, listening is something that not everyone has mastered. To really listen to someone, we have to be free of noise and distractions. When we listen intentively, it leads to understanding. The more you listen, the more you will know.

How about when you want to confront someone or having to resolve an argument. Do you know how to? Do you know how to communicate in the heat of the moment?

Matthew 18:15-17 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Romans 12:17-21 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord

The number one test in our walk with God is how can we handle conflict? I believe that everyone should settle their differences no matter how long it takes. The first stage in conflict is to settle every issue you may have but if it can't be resolved, then call in other parties so they can help mediate.
Dealing with conflict is very key if we are to have long-standing relationships with people. Conflict will arise but how you deal with it is very key.
 
In conclusion, Hearing is a gift but listening is a skill. Choose to listen, choose to understand. Deal with conflicts in a godly manner.

Ryan

'Ye shall know the truth' #thefathersword

A while ago whilst I was studying the word, the phrase 'And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free' dropped in my spirit. I know the phrase but for me this time I had to really tear it apart and break it down. You know when the Holy Spirit just drops a word and leaves you speechless. This was me for about a week.

I had to find out the revelation and now I know it, I want to share it with you all.

John 8:32 - And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

What does it mean to know the truth?

Jesus said in John 14:6 - "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me"
When we looked at this passage, we immediately came to the realisation that knowing the truth is us knowing Jesus. So the next question was how do I get to know Jesus?
We can get to know Jesus through being intimate with him. The more intimate you are with Jesus, the more you get to know him. When we grow in the knowledge of Jesus, when we begin to read the word more it's only then that we will become strong.

John 1 describes this - In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.
So we can clearly see that the living word is God himself, so the more we read the word, the more knowledge we can gain.

Let's now move on to the next section of John 8:32 which is - The truth shall make you free.

So we already know that knowing the truth is effectively is us knowing Jesus. So could this mean that if we know Jesus, we will become free?

Romans 8:2 - For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Romans 6:22 - But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life

John 8:36 - So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

2 Corinthians 3:17 - Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Let's look at John 8:36 in a bit more detail. We know that the son of God is Jesus Christ and we then find out that he is actually the way, the truth and the life. So if we add everything up we then arrive at this conclusion

'The more knowledge you have of Jesus and his word, you will become free'

The real climax point was when Jesus died on the cross. When Jesus died, the veil was torn in two and everyone found out that he truly was the son of God. John 3:16 states this - For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life".  To have everlasting life is to have eternal freedom and we can only achieve real freedom when we get to know Jesus and we believe in him.

To take it a little bit deeper, we may know of Jesus and we may read the word but do we apply his word in our everyday lives? It's good to have knowledge but the application of knowledge is what will set you apart............
If you are to ever grow in freedom, we must grow in knowledge.

'And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free'

Be blessed always