Wimp or Warrior 7: Preparing your armor

What is the shield that you hide behind?  Come on be honest - we all have one.  Maybe its a police badge, maybe it's a job title, whatever it is - you've got one.  Wondering where this is leading - i'm not even sure yet myself.  But I do know this - that I am in a season of forging my shield of armor.  Being put through the fire and being made strong in ways that I never knew I could be.  All I can say is that God brought me to this place - it's been a journey of pressing in and pushing forth because he has promised me some pretty amazing things in my life.  Things that I can only obtain by walking closely with him to carefully plan every step of the journey.  On a recent chat with my daddy, I told him - I feel like i'm on the edge of the ocean - I know my promises are real but I don't know how to step in to what he has for me - I want to know the ocean - I want to be so deep in it
that I can teach other people how to step into the goodness that God has in store for all of us.  So as I move along in my journey, I guess theres nothing more - or probably better that I can do for myself than to be completely open and raw and honest about hunting down my dreams.  One of the dreams that I have is to go on a child rescue in the sex trafficking industry.  I have this sense of unrest within me that - even tho I have a great job and I'm successful in that arena - I will never be at peace until I see babies taken out of the darkness of sexual abuse and slavery.  They need me - they need you.  I raised my hand a long time ago for God to pick me - and the closer I get to that goal, the more God is putting me in situations that are kind of scary and new to me - but he is right there with me at my side - like sitting on his lap and snuggling into his chest, knowing that he has my best interest at heart and allowing me to see and get accustomed to just a little bit of darkness at a time.
So how does someone who came from being in the bondage of fear, to wanting to go into the darkness to dispel fear?  GOD!  I was never in the military, I have a very limited amount of practice time at the shooting range, but I have a heart that longs to serve in a capacity that will truly change lives and restore children to the kingdom, and I have the ultimate weapon that anyone could ever use - the word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.  I hear the cries and it makes me angry that I haven't been ready for them yet - but i'm getting there..  It's finally my season of forging armor.

forge¹

fôrj/

verb

gerund or present participle: forging

1.

make or shape (a metal object) by heating it in a fire or furnace and beating or hammering it.

That doesn't sound so pretty does it - going through the fire - you have to want what you're after enough and be willing to let God work this in you.  It's not easy - but if you can keep the renewed mindset that He is doing this for your good and not to harm you - making you stronger - then you've already won half the battle!  God is a gentle God when disciplining his babies - he won't give you more than you can handle. Psalm 18:35 says "You have given me the shield of your salvation,
 and your right hand supported me,
 and your gentleness made me great."

I know I have fallen prey to trying to get stronger, mentally and physically in my own strength.  But there is a strength that we can tap into that is far greater than we can ever tap into here on earth.  When we align ourselves with the plans God has for us, not only our desire will spur us on, but so will he.  Stay with me for a moment while I take a little side road to explain something to you... In Psalm 91:4 it says He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.  Ok so being a modern english speaking American - I read this and had no idea what a pinion was or a buckler - sounds kind of medieval right?  I've heard of a pinion in the car - and i'm pretty sure that he doesn't want to drop an engine on my head so what in modern day english does this mean?  A pinion, is the outer part of a birds wing that allows it to fly - he wants to put that on us.  There does come a time in life where we need to finally fly the nest of his security and comfort and launch out into unknown territory - fully relying on the strength that he has given us to do so.  I don't know about you, but I would much rather rely on the infinite strength, energy and wisdom that my daddy has than anything I could ever accomplish here on earth.  I didn't forget about the buckler either - what is that?  It is a small shield worn on the left arm in battle.  It's HIS shield and He's got you doubly protected with not only his shield - but this cool extra sidearm piece.  Personally - I love the thought of tucking myself under his wings - and like a child who likes to play dress up in my daddys work boots,  I'm going to take hold of His shield and His sword and His faithfulness - because he has mastered the art of war, and he has mastered his suit of armor to where no weapon can remain.  He already won the battle, his suits of armor are ours to take and use at will.  What greater armor could you ever need than the power of God as your suit? 

 

Fears display themselves proudly as chinks in our armor that need repair.  What fear grips you so powerfully that the spirit of God himself can not dispense?  What fear do you have?  Lay it down at the foot of the cross and ask your daddy to rid you of that fear.  It works.  The way God has seemed to work that out in me has been to put me in situations that were similar to how the initial fear was birthed - and he walks me through those same feelings and shows me that now I have nothing to be afraid of.  I am a daughter of a King - and he wants me to walk in my righteousness - and the only way to get there is to rid myself of the things that are not of God.  Fear is the absence of faith.  But don't let that condemn you - because life is certainly far from being perfect, and there are many reasons why we fall into fear.  But when we nuzzle ourselves into the wings of the Lord and spend time with him in communion, his perfect love will cast out your fears. I love looking fear in the eye and conquering it, because you can either let fear rule your life or you can let it give you the drive to be a warrior.  World events can cause undue fear in our lives - but is the reality of what is going on in the world supposed to be the reality of the kingdom life?  NO - we are called to a higher level - a level of kingdom thinking and acting..

Isaiah 8:11-15English Standard Version (ESV)

Fear God, Wait for the Lord

11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 

Let God be your fear - and I don't mean in the old testament sense.  I used to fear God as an old testament God - I ran from him because I thought him to be an abusive God who hated me - I thought he was just waiting to wipe me from the face of the earth - despised and rejected - but he has taught me and proven that he is the same as the perfect theology that we see in Jesus.  Jesus for me was my gateway drug to falling in love with my father.  I saw Jesus as the loving one who was shielding me from a hateful father - but the more I leaned in and got to know Jesus, the more I was given true revelation of who my daddy is - and boyyyy does he know how to love his babies!

Walking in his love changes you.  The closer one can become to knowing who Jesus is - the more like him we can become.  Jesus is a warrior - with a mighty sword and fire in his eyes to bring justice.  That same burning desire should be in all of us.  We were not meant to live out our days preaching or serving within the church walls - there is a hurting and dying world out there and we as Christ followers need to be in the world pulling his babies out of the mud  (See Jude 1:23) - we need to be the light out there in the darkness of the night and being unafraid to cross enemy lines to save who he has called us to save.  The mud isn't pretty - the dark isn't pretty - but God didn't rescue you so you could live life in a white picket fence - he rescued you and made you strong so that you could go back in to the darkness and cast your light and be an atmosphere changer - that doesn't take a wimp!  It takes a warrior - do you want to leave His loved ones behind and pretend that their pain doesn't matter?  I can't handle the thought of people dying at my expense because I didn't do anything about it.

So I put on my armor daily - and when chinks appear I ask daddy to heal me in that area - heal me daddy and make me stronger - and reveal to me my weaknesses!

So how do you prepare your armor?  Do you even know what your armor is?

Ephesians 6:10-18English Standard Version (ESV)

The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Tear this verse apart shall we?

1.  Be strong in the Lord... and that means?  Get to know him - you can't trust someone you don't know.  This is a process.  Start with the word of God - become intimate with scripture to renew your mind.

2.  Put on the armor:

           A. The helmet of salvation:  Renew your mind into kingdom thinking - find out what kingdom thinking is and start changing your thought process to match how God thinks about you - and if your thoughts don't line up with his, start believing his thoughts.

           B.  The Belt of truth:  Know his truth, speak the truth, walk in integrity in everything that you do - this will be your greatest defense - because the truth speaks for itself.

           C.  The breastplate of righteousness:  Get your emotional being in check - quit making decisions based on how you feel at the moment.  Guard your heart against attack - don't let wounds harden you - this is a key area to ask God to heal you in.  Cain didn't kill Abel with a rock - he had already killed him in his mind with his hatred for his brother.

           D.  Shoes of peace:  We are given a spirit of peace - and frequently peace is our greatest weapon - there are times to defend ourselves with boldness and force - but first and foremost - let the spirit of peace be with you through all situations.  Peace is the evidence of the holy spirit - upon receiving Jesus, you were given the holy spirit to guide you as a compass.  He will lead you through things that may be uncomfortable - but know that he is with you.

           E.  The shield of faith:  When you are walking in truth and integrity but you are facing a battle anyway - hold on to the shield that is laid out before you as a guard against attacks of the enemy.  This is your first layer of defense when facing the day - hold your shield out in front of you - especially if their are chinks in the rest of your armor.  Let this shield protect you as you strengthen yourself in other areas.  Think also of this as a level of confidence - when you are in a battle - you face it with a strong will and confidence - and ready for battle - you know what needs to be done.  A sort of - come at me bro - i'm ready!

           F.  The sword of the spirit:  The word of God, and as a believer, we are meant to walk in communion with him.  So if there is something that God has told you to do that other people oppose of - you obey God above all others.  think of Jesus in his last days - his disciples were telling him not to go to the cross - but he said - "23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance[a] to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”  Know what God has told you and don't let anyone deter you from that path.

          G.  Pray at all times in the spirit:  What on earth does this mean?  As a holy spirit filled believer - you are given the gift of tongues that allows you to pray in the language of the Holy Spirit.  Tapping into this gift is one of your most powerful weapons because not only are you praying, but you are praying the thoughts of God himself.

Are you ready for a wrap up?  I ask of you to pray on all of these things and ponder them for your life - what do they mean for you personally?  And of course I won't leave you without praying...

Dear Jesus; every day is a new beginning in your kingdom, I pray that you will stir within the spirit of everyone reading this to grow stronger in you.  I pray for a complete sozo healing of all past hurts - emotionally, physically, spiritually and mentally.  For you Lord have not given us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, love and a sound mind.  Help us to tap into your unending power, your unending love, and your peace that passes all understanding, that we may walk in the ways of your kingdom and bring restoration to a hurting and dying world.  Strengthen us in a way that you know how best to do daddy - may we lay down our inside the box thinking and let you heal us the way you know will work.  Show us our purpose and give us a dream to pursue Lord, and equip us with the tools to get it done.  Thank you for your love and your protection, in Jesus name Amen

Don't walk away without grabbing your tools...

Warriors Prayer...

Heavenly Father,
Your Warrior prepares for battle.
Today I claim victory over Satan by putting on
The whole Armour of God!

I put on the Girdle of Truth!
May I stand firm in the truth of Your Word
So I will not be a victim of Satan’s lies.

I put on the Breastplate of Righteousness!
May it guard my heart from evil
So I will remain pure and holy,
Protected under the blood of Jesus Christ.

I put on the Shoes of Peace!
May I stand firm in the Good News of the Gospel
So Your peace will shine through me
And be a light to all I encounter.

I take the Shield of Faith!
May I be ready for Satan’s fiery darts of
Doubt, denial and deceit
So I will not be vulnerable to spiritual defeat.

I put on the Helmet of Salvation!
May I keep my mind focused on You
So Satan will not have a stronghold on my Thoughts.

I take the Sword of the Spirit!
May the two-edged sword of Your Word
Be ready in my hands
So I can expose the tempting words of Satan.

By faith your warrior has put on
The whole Armour of God!
I am prepared to live this day in spiritual victory!

Proverbs 27:17 - "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."

Be blessed, be loved, and get yourself in with a great body of warriors and start training with the best!

         

Wimp or Warrior part 6 - RISE UP!

It seems that there are seasons that our world breaks out in chaos.  I write this in the aftermath of what seems to be one of those times, Policemen in Las Vegas were murdered, people in my hometown have been murdered, drug problems and crimes are making the daily headlines in droves, and people are dying, and I won't even touch whats going on in our government.  A sheeple can look at the world in chaos and be afraid, throw their hands up in the air and decide that this must be the end times and just hope their way to heaven.  But God commands us over and over and over again in the bible "Do Not Fear".  How do you not fear the chaos?  Face the chaos!  Anyone look at the world in these storms and not be afraid.  God is first and foremost our protector but he also calls us to protect - to defend the defenseless.  You want a for instance I suppose - the current school curriculum is set up with an anti bullying campaign - teaching our children that if they see bullying occur to make a difference and help.  I commission us as adults to open your eyes and see that the devil is the bully - and it is our time as warriors to rise up and put an end to his powerless threats.  He is a defeated foe, but there are so many that are still living under his threats.  If you have reached your promised land where you know how to subdue him - don't just live there when there are people in your sphere of influence that need what you have attained.  Why be a warrior?  Why potentially put ourselves in harms way for the sake of someone else?  Isn't that forming a true reflection of our savior?  To lay our lives down before our friends is the greatest act of love that could be performed in this earth isn't it?  The only way to shorten the time before true heaven on earth can occur is by training ourselves, and empowering and protecting others from what the enemy wants to destroy.  Our acts for God's kingdom do not go un-noticed by our heavenly father either.

The blessing of Heaven is something that we all want to have, but God is not in the welfare system of just handing things out.  Yes he has the blessings at the ready for us, but sometimes we have to go through some hell just to get it.  Look at the perfect theology of Jesus - He wanted all of us in heaven with him for eternity - I'm sure God could have used his heavenly power to just squash out the devil, but instead, Jesus left his majestic throne in heaven, to reside here on earth for 30+ years - and if that wasn't hell enough, he actually went into the pits of hell to defeat the enemy for good, and then back here to say his aideus and then - THEN the amazing glory of heaven was opened for him.  If Jesus had to go through all of that, and we were made in his image, then that too makes us warriors, able to storm the pits of hell that come in waves against our lives, and in the lives of those we are called to protect.  Psalm 144 explains why being a warrior in his kingdom is so necessary.  The beginning of this Psalm starts out by praising the Lord for training David up in battle, but the end slice explains the benefits of being a warrior - our children will be blessed and strong, we will have abundance of food, there will be no distress in our streets, we will be blessed - and in that blessing, we will be bringing more of heaven to earth!

Anointing the Warrior

Psalm 144 - English Standard Version - courtesy of www.biblegateway.com

Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
    who trains my hands for war,
    and my fingers for battle;
² he is my steadfast love and my fortress,
    my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples^[a] under me.

³ O Lord, what is man that you regard him,
    or the son of man that you think of him?
⁴ Man is like a breath;
    his days are like a passing shadow.

⁵ Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!
    Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
⁶ Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
    send out your arrows and rout them!
⁷ Stretch out your hand from on high;
    rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
    from the hand of foreigners,
⁸ whose mouths speak lies
    and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

⁹ I will sing a new song to you, O God;
    upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
¹⁰ who gives victory to kings,
    who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
¹¹ Rescue me and deliver me
    from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouths speak lies
    and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

¹² May our sons in their youth
    be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars
    cut for the structure of a palace;
¹³ may our granaries be full,
    providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
    and ten thousands in our fields;
¹⁴ may our cattle be heavy with young,
    suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;^[b]
may there be no cry of distress in our streets!
¹⁵ Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
    Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

David, in this Psalm - like any natural human, cries out for God to rescue him.  Every single one of us has a prince who has come to rescue us - just as in a fairy tale where he swoops the princess on his beautiful horse and whisks her away to his kingdom; Jesus did that for us!  We have already been rescued!  So why does it feel like we still have a battle at our feet?  When Jesus came to rescue us, he had already locked up the devil and opened the door for our freedom.  Sometimes the greatest battles in our lives come from taking those steps out of our cells and into the life that he has called us to live.  What did Cinderella do?  She KNEW her prince was coming, but she was locked in the tower by her wicked stepmother... But she summoned her mouse friends to steal the keys back - she started warring - she didn't sit in her locked room crying in despair, she got angry and began to fight in the only way she could at the moment.  Once the keys were in hand she burst out of her room and ran down the stairs to an awaiting prince, but her enemy was still there.  Cinderella's prince and his men were there waiting for her - and they defended her against her enemies - she was fit to wear the kingdom and off they went, leaving her hell behind.

Can you think of someone that is still a prisoner?  There are many out there that need you to step up and be the warrior that God is putting in your heart to be.

In the end of Psalm 144, David lists one of the blessings of being a warrior as having strong children... Can you imagine a society full of strong and confident children that don't fall prey to violent relationships or cyclical poverty?  Imagine a world full of strong, whole, healthy people, that raise strong, whole, healthy people - I see a nation full of power when that comes to pass; I see heaven on earth coming when we all become warriors and can start a revolution just by raising ourselves up one at a time.  And once raised... Raise up another - be the helping hand that gets someone else out of their miry clay. Another blessing that David mentions is having abundance of food.  I have heard more than a few people say that our world may come to a time when food will be scarce - but this picture in Psalms makes me think otherwise - that warriors are going to have rule of the land and have abundance.  Which if you think of it - really makes sense.  Because when the enemy has no domain over our territory, theres nothing to worry about.  The enemy has come to steal, kill and destroy - but Jesus came so that we could have life in abundance (John 10:10).  So if Jesus came so that we could have abundance - why would we ever settle for anything less than what he is offering us to have?  Jesus wrote the end of the story - and there is no hunger, there is no poverty or pain... so really, isn't becoming a warrior what will make the greatest difference in the earth?  

    Daddy, Thank you for making us in your image.  Open our eyes to see you more clearly as we look at our reflection.  Draw us more into who we are supposed to be.  Bring revelation to us Jesus as we step out of who we were and into who we are called to be.  I pray empowerment for everyone reading this that they are blessed with a warriors heart.  Lead them and train them up daddy in the way that they should go, so that when they are old they will not depart from your teachings.  You are the perfect teacher, thank you for leading us to opportunities to learn from others you have already trained, and for growth.  I pray old mindsets be left at the cross today, never to be picked up again.  That only kingdom mindsets from this day forward will be with your people.  Shake off what is old and show us our armor.  Remind us daily daddy to put our armor on.  Thank you for your many blessings to come daddy as we follow hard after you.  In Jesus name Amen

If you liked this blog and want to see more in the Wimp or Warrior series... Click any of the postings below.

1.    http://laughingatyourreligion.blogspot.com/2013/12/wimp-or-warrior.html

2.  http://laughingatyourreligion.blogspot.com/2014/01/wimp-or-warrior-part-ii-slave-mentality_2.html

3.  http://laughingatyourreligion.blogspot.com/2014/01/wimp-or-warrior-part-3-girlz-n-daggerz.html

4.  http://laughingatyourreligion.blogspot.com/2014/01/wimp-or-warrior-part-4-first-royal.html

5.  http://laughingatyourreligion.blogspot.com/2014/03/wimp-or-warrior-part-5-when-god-says-go.html

The Secret Society of God - Taking off the lenses of religious Christianity

 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.  Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.  For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”   Luke 6:37-38

The bible is rich with stories of God’s closest followers doing things that the Pharisees would look at as sin – The Pharisees – followers of the law - are still very alive and well today – they live within our church walls, in our families, work, and social lives.  They’re the ones who haven’t been set free from the religious spirit that binds us like prisoners in a cell.  I’m not judging or condemning, rather drawing attention to a subject matter that the bible blows open through the testimony of Jesus, and in Kings, Queens and followers before his time.

The traditional mindset that holds by the rigid rules of the Ten commandments without room for error is where the religious spirit loves to reign, and frequently causes people to cast judgment on others.  But the bible says “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Living life by the Holy Spirit changes the authority from the bible back to God.  For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”  Romans 8:2  The spirit of life has set you free!  What is the Spirit of life?

-       The Spirit of life is a delivered, whole, healed Christian…

“But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  If the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you”.  Romans 8:10-11

-       The Spirit of life is driven by God as the first authority, the bible as the second…

“(God), who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the spirit.  For the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.  Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?  For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 2 Corinthians 3:6-9

-       The Spirit of life is a renewed mindset…

“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.  One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.  Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.  Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?  It is before his own master that he stands or falls.   And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.  One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike.  Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.  Romans 14:1-5

In order to be effective in the kingdom of Heaven, we first need to learn how to give out unconditional love.  Living life by the Spirit of God as opposed to through the legalistic books of law, opens us up to freely love as Christ did.  What does this look like in our world?  To me it means reaching across boundary lines previously set as danger zones.  It means seeing each person we encounter as a child of God and calling greatness out of those lives that we touch – no boundaries!  When I say no boundaries, typically Christians think to look into the impoverished areas of society – the poor, the dirty, as I’m sure noses might sneer at the though of caring for a smelly homeless person, but what about the other extreme.  Domestic violence effects not only the poor, there are men and women trapped in beautiful homes, tied to the chain of wealth that also need your love and ministry.  It’s easy to judge based on outward appearances and think we see where to be effective, but clothes and financial status are deceiving.

My pastor recently put it quite well that by following the bible and not allowing yourself to be led by first and foremost the spirit of God is opening yourself up for the demonic realm to be your guide.  Yes – you read that right – Christians know the bible – but so does the devil.  In Luke chapter 4, when Jesus was led out into the wilderness to be tempted for 40 days, the devil tempted him with scripture. Had he not been led by the spirit, God his father, receiving the kingdom offered or the food offered could have become a devastating stumbling block to all of humanity.  But Jesus – grounded in love, rooted in the kingdom of heaven and having direct communication with the father knew the deception and was not fooled by the illustrious gold that the devil was offering.  If we are to start loving on others, we need to come to an understanding that we don’t know the end from the beginning.  We don’t know the whole backstory of any individual that we encounter – nor do we know their futures.  But God does, like an engineer who planned us out from the beginning all the way through the end of time, God himself knows every second of every day, of every single story that happens to each and every individual here on earth – and until we have the power to do such a thing – judgment and assumptions against others must stop!  There is no way for any of us to understand the story that brings each of His children to salvation.  Because in the end – we are all his babies and he will get to us by any means necessary.  Bringing this back around to the topic of freedom in Christ,  freedom – is the absence of law, being of free will, and because of that freedom, allowing ourselves to be governed by the Holy Spirit.  Who of you knows that the Holy Spirit is a free spirit, moving and doing as it pleases to call each one of us and to guide each one of us into partnership and ruling with our one true God.  Because of being crucified, the veil that kept us from God was torn, allowing us to have full access to converse with God whenever we want to.  When an individual has an intimate and loving relationship with God, and is living by the spirit, being free in Him, He or she is guided and directed, and given knowledge into the secret things of God.  We become business managers for his kingdom, and unless you’re pressing in to him, hungering for him, and wanting more of him, those secrets will not be revealed to you.  But for those that do press in, the spirit leads us in directions that onlookers with their religious glasses on see as outside of the rulebook.  Prove it?  Yes – of course I will – look at some of the things that Jesus did – that drove the Pharisees wild with anger – they didn’t hate him for no reason – they hated him because he went against everything that they believed in – a rule breaker.  In Luke 5:12-16, Jesus, after healing a man of leprosy, tells the man to go show himself to a priest.  Reading this without the historical context of the bible, perhaps you wouldn’t know that lepers were complete outcasts of society – they weren’t allowed to be around people – in fact it was illegal – but Jesus told the man to go – seek out a priest – He told the man to break the law!  Not good enough for you?  Here is another proof…

Luke chapter 6, Jesus and his disciples are walking through a grain field – picking grain to eat, the Pharisees, witnessing what was happening on a Sabbath day asked “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”  And Jesus answered “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?”  And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath”.  Why was this a big deal?  What is so unlawful about picking wheat on the Sabbath?  In Jewish law, the Sabbath was a day of fasting and reverence to God – by breaking that “law” Jesus – according to the Pharisees was disrespecting the God that he claimed to be a son of.  How could he do that and get away with it?  How could Jesus so boldly – offend, and not have it considered sin?  What the bible gave to us as rules, Jesus came to set us free from – it was never God’s desire for us to live in bondage to rules.  Jesus had complete authority over the rulebook because of his direct line of communication with God.  He only did and said what God said was ok to do.  And that’s exactly how we ourselves ought to live.  Out of that loving relationship with the father, we are opened up to cross boundaries that religiosity keeps many in slavery to.   

Another example of Jesus breaking the Sabbath can be found in Luke 14:1-6, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath and was criticized.  What if he never saw that man again – and the man died of his disease – If Jesus had walked away because it was the Sabbath, couldn’t he be accused of murder by association?  Wouldn’t that be the same as not taking away the keys from a drunk driver?  Knowing that if they drove home they could crash or kill someone else in an accident?
Think of all the rules that religion has put on people and the hurt that it has caused.  Religion has told us for centuries that women under men and are not to hold places of authority and power in the church.  Not true – women are created as equals to men – want me to prove that one?  Jesus had female disciples – no they’re not frequently mentioned – but look closely enough at scripture and you’ll find little glimmers of them dispersed throughout God’s word.  “And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities:  Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others,”  Luke 8:1-3  If Jesus didn’t want them there, they wouldn’t have been there.  And they must have held a significance or they wouldn’t have been mentioned by name in the bible.  The part that amazes me about that verse is the spot that says – Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager… When I chew on that – I wonder what great courage it must have taken for a servant in Herod’s household to break from his anti-Christ kingdom – and join Jesus so intimately as to be a disciple with him.

So what does this look like for you personally?  I am certainly not in authority to answer that question – but the God who is, is ready to answer those questions for you – being free in Christ is an amazing adventure full of things that not everyone can have – don’t you want to become a part of a secret society like that?  Imagine being sent on a mission that no one else is offered – because you listened, or being given a gift that no one else knew existed – because you listened.  How proud you make your papa when you can use your free will and in spite of that, choose to listen.  “for this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”  John 18:37, and again “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:32 Jesus is the word – the bible – is the word of God written in a book, but books – are just stories – the bible is special in that if offers us the living word – which still speaks and lives and breathes, but it is ultimately God who breathes life into those verses; because without him, all we have are words on a page to follow – but God has a journey planned out for your life that is way beyond your imaginations and intoxicating in its glory and excitement.  Not the typical picture of what a legalistic Christianity is, is it.?  What if your current walk with the Lord was less about how you perceive your ministry should be and allowing Jesus to develop your dreams and skills – and lead you into an abundantly blessed journey that is a constant mind blowing amazement into the wonders of God and the richness of His amazing kingdom?!  No more somber, depressing, BORING Christianity – choose to live life abundantly – that’s why Jesus came – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”  John 10:10, So choose life!  Ask Jesus how to have you live in the spirit – choose life and be free! 

Jesus – we have been a culture that for far too long have been tied up in religiosity – forgive us for that Lord and break us free from a civilization of slavery to rules and regulations, Lord forgive me for judging and using passages in your book to condemn others.  Show me how to live in complete freedom in you as you have laid out for me on the cross.  Thank you for taking the utmost of disgrace on the cross so that my sins don’t have to be laid out to bring disgrace in such a way.  Bring me life – release within me the power to love, and guide me with your Holy Spirit.  Jesus – I hear you calling me closer in relationship with you – bless me and fill me with a greater measure – poured out in all of your richness – In Jesus name Amen!