Stepping Out

"The just shall live by faith" is repeated several times in the Scriptures. To live by faith means that we do not live primarily by what we see, or how we feel, but we live by what God says, and what He has promised. We need to live by this faith everyday, and in every circumstance. Heb. 11:6 tells us that without this faith we cannot please God. Living by faith is the only way to please God in our lives. Following are 3 stories from the Bible that illustrate our need for faith. The first one is the crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites. With the Sea in front of them, and the Egyptian army behind them, the people were afraid. Moses says, "Do not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." Fear will never get us across the obstacles in our lives, it will always drive us backwards. The people were crying, but God said to them to stop crying, and to move forward. The great miracle of the water dividing happened when Moses lifted up his rod toward the Sea in faith. By faith they crossed over the Sea and saw the destruction of their enemies. Later in the time of Joshua, Israel needed another miracle in order to cross into the Promised Land. The people were to watch the ark and follow it, because they had not passed that way before. The priests were to stand in the Jordan, and as they did, the water stopped flowing, and they walked on dry ground across the Jordan River. This crossing represents our crossing into the promises of God and the fulness of God in our lives. We need a miracle every time we move forward into our promised land. We need to move in faith for each step forward, for we are moving into unknown territory. Then, in the New Testament, we read of Peter accepting Jesus' invitation to walk on the water. Peter made the decision to step out onto the water, and found the reality of the supernatural. We too will find the supernatural power of God when we step out in faith on the promises of God. When fear entered into Peter, he again had to fix his eyes on Jesus in order to walk in the supernatural. "But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out saying, 'Lord, save me!' " The circumstances are irrelevant to faith. Walking by faith takes us across the troubled sea. We can cross our Red Sea, we can enter into our Promised Land, and we can walk on the water of the supernatural, as we walk by faith, and not by sight.

Places of Growth

The passage of Scripture in 2 Kings 2:1-15 is a great picture of growth in a Christian's life. It is the story of Elisha following Elijah so that he may receive a double portion of the Spirit. The two men start at Gilgal, which means a circle, or rolling. This speaks of the place we start in our walk with God, the place where our sins are rolled away, and we start our relationship with God. But from Gilgal, the Lord sends Elijah to Bethel. Bethel means the house of God. We too must be established in the house of God. Ps. 92:13 says, "Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God." The church is the house of God where we must become established in order to grow. The picture of the physical body demonstrates our need to be established in the local church. A member of the body cannot function without the rest of the body. We cannot fulfil our destiny from God without being in relationship with our local church and fellow brothers and sisters. From Bethel Elijah is sent to Jericho. Jericho represents the place of battle in the Christian life. There will be battles that we must push through and overcome as we walk with God. Jesus said to Peter in Luke 22:31-32, "Simon, Simon, satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." There will be times of battling to keep your heart right with God, battling temptation, battling distractions, battling discouragement, battling against principalities and powers. We will battle strife and carnality. We must battle so that we don't become like the Corinthians, who could no longer receive meat, but only milk, because they were not able to eat the meat of God's Word, 1 Cor. 3:1,2. Then Elijah was sent to the Jordan. The Jordan is the place of crossing over into the Promised Land. It is the place of faith, of abundance, of answered prayer, and abundant life. The Jordan is the place where Jesus was baptized, and the Holy Spirit came upon Him. It is the place of Spirit filled living and walking with God. This is the place we want to live. We must not be content staying at Gilgal, or in Bethel, or at Jericho. We must follow on to the Jordan, to the place of greater anointing and blessing. This requires growth in our faith, and in our walk with God. "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen." 2 Pet. 3:18

Moving With God

The example of Elisha following after Elijah is one that spurs us on to follow after God. The Scripture passage is found in 2 Kings 2:1-15. Elijah is moving from one place to another, and each time he moves, he tells Elisha to stay. But each time, Elisha responds with, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." Then the sons of the prophets come to Elisha and say, "Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?" And Elisha responds with, "Yes I know, keep silent." There are 4 things that stick out to me in Elisha's life: Growth (moving on), persistence, passion, and mentorship. Elisha had decided to move with God. He was not going to stay where he was, nor as he was. We must also decide to move out with God, and not stay the same. God is moving, and the question is whether we will move with Him. God is speaking. Will we hear Him, or neglect His still small voice? Elisha moved with Elijah, because he wanted what Elijah had, in fact he wanted a double portion. We must move on, and be persistant about it. There will be discouragement along the way, and we will be told to stay where we are. But persistence will move us forward through the obstacles. Elisha moved because of great desire. He was concerned about nothing else except keeping his eyes on Elijah. Elijah told Elisha he could have a double portion, but only if he saw Elijah when he was taken. Elisha never took his eyes off Elijah. We must be like Elisha, never taking our eyes off Jesus, the beginner and finisher of our faith. The relationship Elisha had with Elijah made it possible for Elisha to receive a double portion. We also must be in relationship with others who can lead us, and teach us, and impart into our lives the things that will cause us to move on in our walk with God. Elisha received the double portion, and moved out in the anointing as he split the waters of the Jordan, and walked back on dry ground. As we move on with God, in persistence, and great desire, following our leaders, we to can move out in the anointing we have received for our lives.

Levels Of Obedience

Obedience comes from hearing, watching, and putting into practice the things the instructor has given us to do. There are 3 levels of obedience. The highest level is when obedience comes out of love. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." The highest form of obedience is when we want to obey out of love. This passionate love will cause us to obey at the highest level possible. We will want to please our Master and go above and beyond what is asked to please the Master. This kind of love will make us a better spouse, parent, employee, etc. But not always are we motivated out of passionate love. The second level is obedience is obeying because it is the right thing to do. Not too often do we wake up to the alarm with a passionate love for our job. But we get up and go to work because it is the right thing to do, and the consequences of not doing it are too high. Jesus prayed before the cross, that if there was any other way... but nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done. He became obedient to death, even the death of the cross. Hebrews says that He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. Jesus told the story of a man who had 2 sons. He told them both to go work in the vineyard. The first said that he would not go, and after regretted this, and went and worked. The second son said that he would go, but did not. Then Jesus asked the question, "Which one did the will of his father?" The first one, though he was disobedient, became obedient, not because he really wanted to, but because it was the right thing to do. The lowest level of obedience is when we are forced to obey and have no other option. Forced obedience is not obedience from the heart. Our goal is obedience, both because of passionate love, and because it is the right thing to do. Better to obey than to sacrifice. Obedience is the test we must strive to pass.

Obedience Begins In Thoughts

God wants our obedience to begin in our thoughts. Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ is our goal, 2 Cor. 10:5. As a disciple of Christ, I have committed myself to following Christ and bringing my life into line with His will. First there must be a willingness and desire on my part to change my thinking and my heart to become like Christ. The word obedience is made up of two Greek words which are 'under' and 'to hear'. Obedience starts with being under the hearing of the instructor. I like to play guitar and learn how to play new things. I was watching some guitar lessons on the computer. I was watching the instructor, and listening to him, and then trying to put in practice what he was doing. I was becoming obedient as I listened, watched, and tried to do what the teacher did. This is a picture of obedience. As we listen to Christ, and watch Him in the Scriptures, and begin to put into practice the things we see and hear, we are becoming obedient to Him. Putting something into practice is very different than only hearing and watching. Watching someone else play the guitar, and understanding what they are doing, is very different than actually picking up the guitar and making your fingers obedient to what you have learned. It takes a lot of practice to do what you have seen others do. So it is with the Scriptures. We are not to be only hearers of the Word, but doers also. We are to look into the mirror of the Word, and make the adjustments necessary. We are to build our lives on the foundation of hearing and doing. If we only hear, and do not practice, we will have no strength at the time of testing.

Obedience = Hearing, Listening, and Practicing.

The Chief Cornerstone

As I was reading Matt. 21, I came upon the parable that Jesus told about the landowner and the vinedressers. The landowner prepared a business for himself, he hired others to run it, and he went into a far country. He sent servants to go to the vineyard and collect the fruit. But the workers beat them, killed them, and stoned them. Again he sent more servants, and again they were beaten and killed. Then he decided to send his son, thinking that the workers would respect his son. But when the workers saw the son, they decided to kill the son, thinking that the inheritance would be theirs. Then Jesus, quoting these famous words from Ps. 118:22-24, said to the chief priests and elders, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes." The parable is the story of God's love and mercy to His people, in sending over and over again His servants and prophets to Israel, that there would be fruit in Israel for God. But again and again, Israel refused the prophets, and misused and abused them, and sometimes killed them. And finally, God sent His own Son, that His people would respect and hear Him. But again, Israel refused to hear the word, even though it was delivered by His own Son. They took the Son out of the city, and there at Golgotha they crucified Him. This is the stone which the builders rejected. As a cornerstone that is not perfect is rejected, so they found fault with Jesus, and rejected Him. But that same Stone has now been made the Chief Cornerstone. It is from Him that all the building is built and framed. When He comes into our lives, it is from Him that all the rest of our lives is to be measured and directed. When the Chief Cornerstone is laid in our hearts, He lays out the plan for all the rest of our lives. This is the story of the crucifixion and resurrection all wrapped up in these two statements; "The stone which the builders rejected, has become the chief cornerstone"! This wonderful message is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

The Ways Of God

God said of Israel that they were a people that always went astray in their hearts, and they did not know God's ways, Ps. 95. Though they saw the miracles, they did not follow God faithfully. Ps. 103:7 says, "He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel." Moses knew the ways of God, and God desires that we would know His ways also. Many of the writers of the Bible cried out to God that they might know His ways. "Show me Your ways O Lord; Teach me Your paths." Ps. 25:4. We need to ask God to show us His ways, because our ways are not His ways. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. So here are 7 thoughts on the ways of God that all begin with the letter W:

1. Ways - Show me Your way, O Lord; Ps. 27:11. The way of man is not in himself; Jer. 10:23.
2. Word - God's Word is His way. 2 Sam. 22:31 "As for God, His way is perfect. The word of the Lord is proven..." "Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Ps. 119:105. When we find God's Word, we find God's way.
3. Worship - "Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool - His is holy." Ps. 99:5. Everything we learn about God should cause us to worship Him more. Knowledge can puff a person up in arrogance, but worship humbles us before God. It is worshippers that God is seeking - John 4:23,24.
4. Walk - Knowing God's ways changes the way we walk. "...I will walk within my house with a perfect heart." Ps. 101:2. "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left." Isa. 30:21.
5. Work - God is at work in us to do His good pleasure. "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Phil. 1:6. His work in us is to make us more like Christ. "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." Phil. 2:13
6. Wait - There is always a time of waiting between the sowing of the seed and the harvest, Gal. 6:7,8. Learning to wait on God is an essential part of the ways of God. "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord." Ps. 27:14
7. Wisdom - There is wisdom from God that leads us in the ways of God. There are 2 kinds of wisdom mentioned in Jam. 3:15-18. The wisdom of this world is earthly, sensual, and demonic. The wisdom that God gives is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, merciful, impartial, and genuine. Walking in God's wisdom is the way of God.