Blog

Fear is created in us by design. It is respect, reverence and awe. The enemy perverted it with his ways and craftiness.

Hebrews 5:6-7,

As He also says in another place:

Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,

Godly fear means Jesus knew who He was and God was while He was on earth. Ungodly fear is a fear based on self and ignorance that separates you from God. The truth sets us free, reconciles and remove the wall that separated us from God.

Verse 11 says,

“…of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.”

How did they become dull of hearing? The voice of the law or legalism is not the voice of grace and truth.

Dull means ” “slow, sluggish, indolent, dull.” What is this in regard to? Two other words that are compared to and synonymous with mean “slow of heart.”

If my heart beats unhealthily slow then I am barely living. A slow heart gives very little spiritual life. A heart barely beating almost sound like I am on life support.

If I hear with my spiritual ear a religious and legal doctrine then my heart will beat slow because it will become indolent and dull. My flesh cannot fulfill the law. That is not the purpose of the law. How can my heart live and beat strong on such a doctrine when the life line at best is a narrow straw of trickling water? If the heart is like this then it is likely the mind is at enmity with God based on self-imposed law or false doctrine as Romans speaks of. The peace of God guards and keeps our hearts and minds in Christ. I bear peace because of I am made righteous in Him.

Heb. 11:7, “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

Noah was moved with godly fear. He was righteous man because God spoke His word to Noah and Noah heard God’s word. Faith sprung after hearing God’s word and Noah prepared the ark by faith. This faith was reckoned to Noah as righteousness. He believed God. He built the ark in obedience because he believed what he heard. He did not build the ark because of fear of the unknown. If I believe what God says in His word then I know it is true. This is how I know and why I have godly reverential fear and not xenophobia (fear of the unknown).

When does the law or even self-imposed law judge someone?

• When you realize you are under it and its judgment.
• It judges sin that manifested in the flesh to those who walk according to the flesh.
  • So, it can only judge something that has occurred in the course of time.

This blog builds on The law cannot judge something that is always Now and Back in the day.

In 2 Peter 3:8, Peter said God does not exist in time, but outside of it.

The perfect present tense of the faith of Christ is in me, Gal. 2:20. This faith is Now, Heb. 11:1. Now is perfect present tense. Now is not something that has already occurred in time. It is always Now. The faith of Christ dwells in me Now or in perfect present tense always. I could say faith dwells in me all the time and it exist Now all the time in me. Now does not exist the past or future, but Now. Faith exists Now in this creation or time in the believer.

The law seems to only be able to judge something that creates time. The acts of the flesh and sin create death. It is not against the law to bear Godly fruit, Gal. 5:23. If sin creates death and time then what does bearing fruit create? Eternal life, Romans 5:21. Bearing righteous fruit unto eternal life does not create time, but supernatural life everlasting in this creation even. If I love someone or bear peace or joy with them I am manifesting His life. I am manifesting His life by His faith through grace. Eternal life emanates from Him and His nature. Bearing His fruit is bearing His nature.

Death and time do not and cannot exist in the nature of the Father or His son.

This fear that manifested as man went and hid in the bushes and sewed fig leaves to cover his shame also created time. One generic definition of time could be the measurement of death and corruption.

Ungodly fear seems to create time. Ungodly fear seems to occur when I am made aware of the judgment or penalty of the law. Ungodly fear separates me from God and His love for me. Godly fear reconciles me by His Son.

There is a fear that exists that is non-legalistic that imparts life, Heb. 12:28. It is reverential fear and awe of who He is. In the bible, there are many occurrences of the phrase, “Fear not.” These “fear not” situations occurred sometimes when angels appeared to men and women and even after Christ’s resurrection in the tomb. Angels are in the presence of the Father and Christ. When they appear here on earth they bring with them the knowledge and effect of being in His presence in eternity. The men and women in these angelic visitations become cognizant of God through these messengers. The effect is some type of fear. The angel usually says, “Fear not” though. I believe the fear these men and women have experienced is a fear of the unknown or fear of something that they are unfamiliar with.

Romans 8:15 and 2 Timothy 1:7 indicate we do not have a spirit of fear.

The past few weeks I have been pretty busy at work and home. Revelation is still there, but I have not been in what I thought was my ‘spiritual groove’ which includes this blog site. This site blesses me immensely when I pour myself and energy into it because the Word does not return void. It gives life. I was asking the Lord, “What is going on? I know I don’t go by feelings, but live only by faith.”

Today, the Lord ministered His response to me, “I am separating you from who you were. You are a different person.” I already thought I knew I was a new creation in Him, but this is still different and new. My life is hid in Him. I have a righteousness by His faith and not of my own. Sometimes I think I get to a point in my walk of where I am starting to gain understanding (and I am) and then the Lord tells me this and I feel almost like I am back at square one, but in a good way. In the best way possible. It is awesome. I believe what I am seeing is my incorruptibility in Him. He is saving my soul making my triune being whole by the revelation of Him. In Him, I am eternally who I am. I have been led in the scriptures lately to reading about being made righteous in Him. Righteousness unto holiness.

In retrospect, it almost seems like I can tell He’s been waiting to tell me something and then bam! He reveals Himself. It will take an eternity to know Him. Thank you Father for you Son and sending Him to my heart.

Whatever you are going through don’t worry about it. Maintain your daily routines and go about your day. He will show up. He always does. Our faith is constantly growing and stretching to be like His faith. It is His faith in us by grace.

I am reminded of several scriptures. Here are a few that come to mind.

Galatians 1:15-16

Romans 3:21-22

Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

What is most important to me is where my heart is. If the thing important to me is what I strongly desire in my heart then that is my treasure. When I have my treasure I am excited and stirred because of the effect the treasure has on me.

2 Peter 2:19 says,

NKJV, “…for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.”

NLT, “They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves to sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.”

Overcome in the Greek is hēttaomai. It means,

1. to make less, inferior, to overcome

1. to be made inferior
2. to overcome, worsted, to be conquered by one, forced to yield to one
3. to hold a thing inferior, set below

We were and are purposed before time existed to be servants of righteousness and love to God and Christ by grace. To be his free-willed bond servant. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. We are purposed to be servants of righteousness by His will in us which is our will in Him by revelation of Christ.

If I am a slave to self to my self-imposed will which is rooted in fear because perfect love casts out fear, then the fear of judgment of my self-imposed will is the conqueror in my life. I am inferior to it. I am forced to yield to it by fear and the yoke of bondage.

2 Peter 2:1 speaks of the word heresy. In the Greek, it means “a choosing, choice” (from haireomai, “to choose”); then, “that which is chosen,” and hence, “an opinion,” especially a self-willed opinion, which is substituted for submission to the power of truth, and leads to division and the formation of sects.”

This heresy or ‘self-willed opinion’ is based on false teaching that Peter is addressing in 2 Peter 2. Paul calls it, ‘another gospel.’

What is the way out?

2 Peter 2:20, “…they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,”

Col. 3:3, “…your life is hid with Christ in God.”

Had a dream last night, 11/04/08. I was in the jungle near a river. There were huge trees there. Probably 100 feet tall or more. The tree branches were as big as logs. I saw a branch made by two logs going to another tree about 30 feet long, 6 feet wide. It was not man made, but naturally grew this way. I saw a vine that looked just like a swing. It reminded me of a huge play scape. There was a big house built out of these trees next to the jungle. It reminded me of Tarzan’s house, but on the ground. It could have been between 3000-5000 square feet in size with a nice size front patio. I believe there was a river near by as well.

Found some interesting dream symbol interpretations on the web that made sense to me.

Trees

Lush green trees in your dreams symbolize new hopes, growth and desires. For more dream meanings about trees, continue reading below.

If you dream of climbing a tree, you will achieve your career goals and reach those high places in society. The degree of difficulty to which you climb the tree will measure the speed of your achievement of these goals.

Bridge

Bridges often signify travel and transitions.

Swing

To dream that you are on a swing represents an expression of great satisfaction and freedom.

Dream reminds me of Haggai 1:8, “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.”
I believe the house was the house of the Lord, the Church.

Today is Monday. Mondays I usually go to the gym. Today, was a long and trying day. The main family car is in the shop and my wife and I had a heated discussion with the mechanic. For the most part, with prayer, everything has seemed to work out.

I did not have a strong desire to go to the gym. I left work deciding in my mind not to go. I heard a small voice in me saying, “Go to the gym.” My response was calling my wife and telling her I wasn’t going to the gym. I heard the same words again, “Go to the gym.” I was asking myself, “If this is the Lord then why does He want me to go to the gym?” I thought again, “I am going to the gym in faith even though I really don’t want to.”

On the way to the gym, I started to thank the Lord. In 1 Thess. 5:18 it says, ” In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

For the past few years, I have really made it a point to thank the Lord when bad things or circumstances happen. I’ve discovered faith is birthed and stirred when I do this. So, I started thanking the Lord loudly for what He has given me: my health, job, salvation, etc. Prior to this, I thought about calling a brother in the Lord, but decided not to. As I continue thanking the Lord, my phone rings. It is the brother I was thinking about. I called him back. He said I called him, but I didn’t. Somehow my phone speed dialed him and he called back and heard my radio blaring loudly and thought I ran into a ditch. I mentioned some of my day and he said to me, “Faith has a good report.”

Then it hit me a little. The faith of Christ in me always gives and desires to give a good report not a bad one.

Heb. 11:2, “For by it the elders obtained a good report.”
Heb. 11:39, “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:”

The meaning of the words good report in the Greek mean, ” to be a witness, bear witness, testify,” signifies, in the Passive Voice, “to be well testified of, to have a good report.”

When I thank God and live my live in faith contrary to the way of the world, by His grace and the revelation of Christ, I am obtaining a good report, testimony and witness. This good report blesses me now, those around me and my future.

If I were to have complained, moaned and groaned about my day today instead of thank God then there is no room for a good report, testimony or witness. That is not the nature of faith. In spite of the circumstances with my car, the unseen faith of Christ in me spoke out contrary to what happened early that day and gave hope and created evidence of things not seen.

I went to the gym expecting someone to be there to talk to or something, but no one was there. I ran on the treadmill and as I ran I shook off the day so to speak and my faith was stretched, enlarged and strengthened in me. I went to the gym like Abraham went to a land not knowing where he was going, but knowing by faith he was going to the right destination.

And by this faith I am righteous. I am righteous. I am not just right standing with God. I am righteous. By His faith in me through grace, my nature is becoming righteous in Him.

Romans 1:5 speaks of an obedience to the faith according to the Spirit of holiness and the Son of God’s power and not my strength.

When He unveils who He is in my heart, He pours His love in my heart, and it compels me by this unveiling to be obedient unto Him because I sincerely want to. His desire and will become mine and mine his. Paul prayed that the church be one. Jesus prayed that we be one as He and the Father are one.

I am glad I went to the gym.

Sometimes you know something intellectually and then sometimes the simplicity of what you know dawns on you like you’ve never seen it before. I think this says a lot. My intellectualism versus practicality only goes so far. Especially as a dad. At this point in my life, I am finally coming to a true realization and conviction that my sons will do what I do.

A month or two ago, I was walking with my sons out of H.E.B. Groceries. As I walked across they closely followed my path right across the street. Then as I watched them walking across the street the simple and profound truth of impression by revelation came to mind. The thought came to mind that, “If I lay out in the middle of the street so will they.” Of course, I am not going to do that, but kids do crazy things sometimes and I wonder why. Perhaps this is typified in the church. Believers act, do, talk and live the way they do because the doctrine of their salvation that has been imprinted on them. In a doctrine of works or even grace mixed with works the manifestations of the flesh, Gal. 5:19-21, are common and prevalent.

There is a Greek word for the English word pattern called ‘tupos.’

(tupos from túpto = strike, smite with repeated strokes) literally refers to a visible mark or impression made by a stroke or blow from an instrument or object. What is left after the stroke or blow is called a print, a figure or an impression. John 20:25 speaking of the imprint of the nails on Jesus’s hands that Thomas desired to see.

So, a pattern created by striking is imprinting. Another example could be walking on the beach and the footstep patterns left behind. These footsteps are a tupos of my feet. Here is an example of die casting.

Children naturally mimic either good/bad habits of their parents by Design. Adam was the first tupos of man. Christ is the last tupos of man, Rom. 5:14. The book of Acts is a tupos of the Church. I believe Paul is a tupos of Christ the servant, apostle, prophet, evangelist, teacher and pastor in the individual called to any of these functions in the body of Christ. The way things were done in Acts in the church are patterns and examples for the modern day church to adhere, learn from and follow because it is still the same church it was 2000 years ago, only a little older. It is the same church if Christ has not changed, Heb. 13:8. Or is it?

By faith and grace, the consciousness of Christ permanently resides or dwells in me through hearing the revelation of His word. Growing in this knowledge and grace I become the pattern according to the last Adam, Col. 3:10.

This passive diffusion of His consciousness becomes me and I become it creating a spiritual template that manifests itself as a man, husband, father, son, uncle, employee, citizen, etc. by godly love through faith.

This blog is part 2 of Seizure.

The bible speaks of Christians as family, soldiers, priesthood, holy nation, one body and so on. What I am getting at is I can read the previous Seizure blog and possibly get something, but how would this and any other blog that has been posted really take root in the reader?

Discipleship and quality fellowship is needed to impart Word from mature brethren to growing brethren.

The root Greek word for disciple means,

“to learn” (akin to mathetes, “a disciple”), “to increase one’s knowledge,” or “be increased in knowledge,” frequently “to learn by inquiry, or observation.”

We increase in knowledge by revelation of Christ. This revelation is imparted by the Holy Spirit to each of us by grace.

There is another Greek word that is translated ‘mimic’, ‘imitate’ or ‘followers’ as children do their parents. It is used in the following verses: 1 Cor. 4:16, 1 Cor. 11:1, Eph. 5:1, 1 Thess. 1:6, 1 Thess. 2:14, Heb. 6:12

Paul says in three of the above verses to imitate him as he imitates Christ. He also refers to himself as a ‘father’ in the lord, 1 Cor. 4:15.

True fathers in the Lord are needed in the Church and not just anecdotal instructors. A father imparts his energy, love and life as well as revelatory instruction. In love, a father imprints himself, even his essence (Heb. 1:3), as a repeated pattern on his children for their sake and future generations.

Here is an attempt at a brief dive into what His essence could be.

Glory (1391) (doxa from dokéo = to think or suppose) means to give a proper opinion of, in this case a proper opinion of God. Glory then is the true apprehension of God. The glory of God means His unchanging essence, what He is essentially, the totality of His perfection. God is glorified when He is allowed to be seen as He really is.

Phil. 4:9 (NIV) says , “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

In my opinion, discipleship or 2 Peter 3:18, in the body of Christ is needed for the maturity of the body unto the purposed fullness that has be predestined before the foundations of the world.

Fellowship is not just raising you hands at church, singing, or putting money into a plastic bucket. I believe it is a spiritual fellowship when you are together and not together bonded by the same Spirit of God. It is communication without words to each other mutually witnessing the truth and God’s love. In this fellowship with Christ and each other, Eph. 3:9, there is a ‘rubbing off’ on each other.

The church needs to rub off on each other in love. There is a beautiful coalescence, Col. 2:2,19, in this fellowship that I have not seen in a club, sporting event, concert or political convention.

I am reminded of Heb. 8:10 and Rev. 21:3, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.”

James 1:15, “Then, when desire has conceived (or seized), it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

I read James 1:15 like this, “Then when the desire, focus and attention has been seized and taken prisoner, sin comes to life and manifests itself. When the sin has accomplished its purpose it brings brings death.”

The word desire literally means “to fix the desire upon” or focus and attention.

The word conceived can also mean “to seize, take: one as prisoner.” This tells me the prisoner taken captive comes under the authority of power of the captor. The prisoner possesses conscious guilt of the law or self-imposed law. This guilt is created by the authority of the captor.

Colossians 1:13 says, ” Who hath delivered us from the power (this word is really authority) of darkness, and hath translated (transposed or transferred) [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son:”

I am not under the judgment or penalty of the law or self-imposed law in Christ. The power of sin is the law, 1 Cor. 15:56. The judgment of law or self-imposed law brings the sinful nature to life.

Gal. 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Who I was, under law, is dead and he died on the cross with Christ. According to 1 Pet. 1:19-20 & Rev. 13:8, in Christ, this happened prior to the foundations of the earth. I have been predestined in Him to be who I am even before I was born. Who I was prior to knowing Christ was under the guilt and penalty of the law or any self-imposed law I had possessed.

Now, I am under grace. Grace to live in newness of life. Grace gives me enabling power and ability by the undeniable, convincing truth, osmotic revelation, knowledge, experience with, and consciousness of Christ. My desire, focus and attention cannot be seized because I am forgiven forever in Him. In Him, I truly cannot be taken captive or separated from His love for me.

He is my High Priest in the order of Melchizedek forever. As High Priest, the body of His sacrifice purges my conscience of dead works and makes me holy apart from works.

Hab. 2:4, “Behold, his soul [which] is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.”
Rom. 1:17, “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
Gal. 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Gal. 3:11, “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”
Heb. 10:38, “Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

Heb. 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

This morning I was getting ready for work and had everything I needed except one thing, my wedding band. In the past, I would have probably panicked a little along with frustration and then create a bad day right from the beginning. I looked in two places and it was not there.

I believe the above scriptures are written on my heart.

The thought came to my mind, “God knows exactly where my ring is.” Now, I am beginning to start my day off in faith, His faith in me. So, I made a quick supplication to God, “Lord, I pray I find my ring or you show me where it is.” I didn’t have time to hunt for it. I’d say less than 30 seconds later I look down next to my bed and there it was. For all I knew, I thought I could have left it at the gym the night before. I didn’t know where it was.

This is a simple example, but the bible says, “We live by the faith of the Son of God in us.” Either we do or don’t. I prefer to live in His faith than my old nature’s tendency of putting faith into fear.

I could have started to believe I won’t find it and imagine I lost it and it would be gone for good. If I were to do that then I really would be praying to lose it and feeding that prayer with vain imaginations.

Another example, that I have been trying to teach my sons is forgiveness. If I can teach my sons forgiveness this will save them so much heartache and unnecessary trials in life. I tell them forgiveness is easy because God has forgiven us. We can forgive just like He has forgiven us.

If I know Christ has truly forgiven me then I can give this forgiveness in faith to myself and others freely because I want to or because His will in me compels me to.

Christ had already imparted this faith of forgiveness in me when He saved me. If I have challenges forgiving down the road then did I forget the truth of His forgiveness?

It takes much energy to harbor unforgiveness and hold on to it. It will tire you and effect every aspect in your life. It will skew your vision.

All energy is available to forgive and it can be very easy and a way of life. God’s love is not capable of keeping any record of wrongs, 1 Cor. 13:5 (NIV).