All Things Working (Part 3)

In Romans 8:30 it reads "Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom
He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified". 
I would like to discuss what happens, in Christ Jesus, between justification
(when we receive Him as Saviour) and glorification (when we are found in
Him and are LIKE Him).


Verse 31,32 reads, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us,
who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up
for us all, how shall He not with Him (could this be tied to v.17 where it is
revealed that we must suffer WITH HIM to be glorified together with Him) also
freely give us all things?"  It appears to me (each one should seek revelation
in the knowledge of Him in this discussion so HE can make Himself real in it) the
THINGS spoken of point directly to Jesus leading us into ( just as the Holy Spirit
led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan) a place (the wilderness)
where tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword could,
just as with Paul and the other disciples, prove us in Him. Verse 36 says,"for
Your sake (the word "your" is capitalized here refering to God) we are killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Verse 37, yet in all these things
we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us". Paraphrasing verse 39,
Paul says that none of these THINGS shall be able to separate us from the love of
God which is in Christ Jesus.

Key to this discussion is hearing what our Master says to us in the midst of the difficulty.
This speaks of the potential for the one who is willing to believe! Glorification
in Him comes as we persevere in difficult situations (hearing His voice and doing
what His voice says according to the Word of God).

All things (in this context) are those things that God leads us into, knowing that
if we will not persevere there, we cannot be made free from what binds US.
He knows that if we will look to Him in the midst of those things and be willing
to do what He says (repentance, essentially), you will become victorious in
Christ Jesus, walking just as He walked. Satan is counting on you to serve yourself,
removing yourself from the formula, resulting in lukewarm Christianity.

All Things Working (Part 2)

We see in Romans 8:17 that if we "suffer with Him, we also will be glorified
 together" (with Him).  Revelation 3:21 reads "to him who overcomes, I will
grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with
My Father on His throne."

What does it mean to you and I to "suffer with Him"? His living Word will make
that real to us as we study through Romans Chapter 8. Verses 18-27 discuss this suffering
leads to glory (of God) revealed in us! We ourselves as Christians and the entirety
of creation wait eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. Verse 24 states
that we received this salvation with hope, and that we eagerly wait (or trust) with
perseverance. Hope for what? To be revealed as a son of God! Jesus says in order
to be revealed as a son (heir and joint heir) we must be willing to persevere, His
ways replacing ours, as He leads us to completion in Him! As we persevere, the
Holy Spirit makes intercession for us according to the will of God.

Verse 28 - "and we know that ALL THINGS WORK together for good to those who
love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."  What things work
together for good? Could it be those good things are the fruits of a willingness to
understand and do whatever "suffering with Him" means?

Verse 29 - "for whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the
image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren".

Ask your Father, in the name of Jesus Christ (in order to respond just as Jesus did
to the direction of the Father), to show you what this means for you so you may be
conformed to the image of His Son! Are you willing to ask? He who asks receives
and the way to alleviate that which holds you back is revealed!

All Things Working (Part 1)

(Pre-read Romans 8:1-17)


Verses 1-15 explain that we human beings - God's creation - may live in the Spirit
or in the flesh (what we Christians understand as carnality). Paul explains to the reader
the difference between the two.  Clearly, we make a decision to walk in the flesh
or in the Spirit.

There is a distinction between the two - living as spiritually-minded persons brings
life and peace; living as carnally or fleshly-minded person brings death.
Paul explains that Jesus Christ  "condemned sin in the flesh that the righteous requirement
of the law might be fulfilled in US (we believers) who do not walk according to the
flesh but according to the Spirit."

In Romans 7:24, Paul says, "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me
from this body of death?" We know by the information in the previous paragraph
who delivers us, but HOW does He deliver us? Chapter 8:16-17 says "the Spirit
Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children,
then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ IF indeed we suffer with him
that we may also be glorified together."

I Peter 4:1, 2 - "Therefore since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also
with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men
but for the will of God."

(Also, I Peter 4:12-19)

Eating the Lord's Supper Part II

We see that not only what we do, but with what attitude we come to the church matters. We should be making ourselves ready for a spiritual intimacy with God. We notice Paul's rebuke for the Corinthian church's carnality in eating and drinking- because they were eating/drinking or that their approach to Communion was not straight?   Our approach to Him will refine that!


1 Corinthians 11:27, "wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drinks this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup."  As I see it, being guilty here describes a state of lacking in fellowship with Jesus Christ as we partake of the communion elements. No matter your station of relationship, fellowship or intimacy with Him, are we approaching to receive the fullness of who He is (meaning your decreasing so that He may increase in you) or not? If you are guilty of the body and the blood of the Jesus Christ, you are eating and drinking damnation to yourself and are not in a position to be strong, healthy and alive, in Him! You have decided, because you partake of His Communion unworthily (unwilling to relent your ways for His) to return or stay in a carnal state instead of reaching out to receive  His perfect ways.

The difference between partaking of Communion with Jesus Christ worthily vs. unworthily is the willingness to approach Him as clay to the Potter vs. your design for your clay; to exchange those things that are idols in our lives for those things that God knows are right - right for our spirit, our soul, our body and vocation.

You may not know if this evaluation of His word is accurate. You should know that, as you encounter what is written (biblical verses), we owe our Lord the attention to seek understanding from Him in what is written. Jesus Christ said, "ask of Me, and I will give it to you and show you great and mighty things that you do not know".   Amen.

Eating the Lord's Supper

In I Corinthians 11:20 Paul begins to explain to the church in Corinth how to partake worthily of the Lord's supper or, as we call it today, Communion.  To begin, Paul speaks to the error in which they come together  - not for the Lord's supper but for their own bellies. In other words, they were falling short of God's idea regarding the eating of food in the church, carnal instead of spiritual. It appears to me that what we know as Communion today had a much deeper meaning than what the Corinthian church was aware of.

In verse 22, Paul says, "What! Don't you have houses to eat and drink in?"

Certainly they were not eating an drinking in remembrance of Him! 

Verse 24-26. "and when He had given thanks He broke it (the bread) and said, 'take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me'. In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'this cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me'.  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes".

Now we see the significance of eating and drinking in the church. If we feed our mortal flesh in the church will we receive the Communion with Him with carnality? These at least were not!

Who do we proclaim the Lord's death to when we partake of the Communion elements, to anybody but ourselves? And when Paul says "till He comes", comes to what?  Could it be to His temple(us) in His fullness?

In a Communion service a few years back, I sensed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit saying that I should be willing, in the celebration of Communion and whenever the Holy Spirit reminds, to

partake fully of who He is (Jesus Christ). As we partake of the Communion elements, we should reach out to Him to receive what He knows we must understand and do to walk just as He walked!