Words and Deeds

Romans 1-3

Paul lays out here the paradox of doing. You cannot do without doing by faith. You cannot faith without faithing by do. 

Romans 1

 ²⁸ And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,^[c] wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving,^[d] unmerciful; ³² who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

Something I've learned is that all these things start with thoughts, since you do not know to cast them down you assume they are your thoughts, dwell on them, maybe even worry about them, and if not caught could act on them. As soon as you realize that they are not your thoughts and cast them down you are heading towards victory. If they keep coming back you don't beat yourself up or feel  there is something wrong with you. They are NOT YOUR THOUGHTS they are coming at you from an enemy who wants you dead. Cast them down and choose new WORD based imaginations. Force your imagination to see God thoughts. 


Romans 2

  ⁶ who “will render to each one according to his deeds”:^{[e] 7} eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;
¹³ (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;

  ²⁴ For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,”^[g] as it is written.



Romans 3


³ For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? ⁴ Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written:

      “ That You may be justified in Your words,
      And may overcome when You are judged.”<sup>[h]


13</sup> “ Their throat is an open tomb;
       With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;^[j]

      “ The poison of asps is under their lips”;^{[k]
       14} “ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”^[l]










Words and Deeds


These cannot be separated. Out of the heart comes words and deeds. The breed one another. You can talk right for so long and in front of certain audiences. But your talk will betray your heart and deeds. 


You can hear and hear and hear the right things, but only as you do will the Word of God be worked out in your life. I remember under pressure at work I cursed and the whole staff turned around and stared at me. Not because of the curse words, they used those all day everyday in that environment. It was because I used them. "Christian Boy Cussed... Watch out, Fire might come down everyone." All kinds of weird things they said. I realized at that moment something I hadn't realized ever before: They ARE watching. And Paul rightly brought up that they curse God becuase of US. 


I wish I could say that I learned from that but there were times even in my last post I let out a few choice words. Some might say, "what's the problem?" If you are generating CURSE you cannot be also generating BLESSING. The two cancel each other out. Although the Blessing will do away with the curse any time it won't have any power behind it if the one doing the Blessing is also Cursing. It's like drinking diseased water. Water is a vital source of life, but if it's diseased, than it has the opposite effect. You can add healthy water to it, and after adding enough healthy water it may dilute the power of the bad water, but ultimately you must rid the bad water entirely of the disease if you want to have the full restorative power of water in your body. 




A good reminder to watch what you Think, Imagine (allow images of in your mind), Say, and Do. 




DW

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Acts 20-22


Acts 20

²² And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. ²⁴ But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself,^[b] so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. ²⁵ “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. ²⁶ Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. ²⁷ For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.

Acts 21

⁴Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.  

 ¹⁰After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.' "
 ¹²When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." ¹⁴When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done."

Acts 22

 ²¹"Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' "

Galatians 2:8

⁸ (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles),


It's been on my mind all week reading through Paul's journey. The Scripture is an accurate record of all that happened. But just because the bible says something doesn't mean it's God's will. 

For example: A woman contemplating leaving her husband to have an affair once made her decision as she was "Praying" about it and she came upon the verse that says "Put on the new man" SO she did! That is not accurately dividing the word of Truth. 


So I come to Paul. ONLY Jesus was perfect but in today's church we don't like to admit that Paul could have made any mistakes. We've somehow made Paul into Jesus and lost much of what he could teach us. It is these groups of thoughts that I'm pondering as I see what could be viewed as a confused Holy Spirit. 

• I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem

•  Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me

•  Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.   

• Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.' " 

So wait a minute. The Holy Spirit is telling him to go and not go? 

Throughout the New Testament we see Paul's calling is to the gentiles. 

Acts 9:15
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.

We see him called to the children of Israel but not it's leaders. Jerusalem never had accepted him. Like Jesus who could do no miracles in Nazareth, Paul had no honor in Jerusalem. He really had no business in Jerusalem. 

The problems that arose from this came because he was going to a place his calling did not take him. He was "Bound" in his spirit. It was from a burden he felt for the Jews but not a calling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was warning him not to go. There were things that Paul could have accomplished that he didn't. There may have been letters that would have been in the New Testament that were not because he didn't write them. 

It is just an opinion at this point. But I believe that from these passages I can reasonably determine that it was not the will of God for Paul to go bound to Jerusalem. 


So What? Who cares? Well, there is a profound misunderstanding of the will of God here. God worked it out for him to stay alive and minister anyway. But if you get the idea that any thing bad that happens is God's will you will be tempted to avoid victory. I see God warning him NOT to go and Paul going anyway. God will always keep you out of trouble if you listen to Him. 

If you listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit he will direct your paths and lead you to victory.  


Are there other instances where preaching the Word of God led to Prison or Beatings? Yes. In fact in nearly every city they went to. But in this instance Paul was hindered from his ministry for years. It took two years in Felix's  House to then be passed to Rome. Every other time he was attacked he could move on to build the church in a new city. This time is cost him several years. In fact, he never did get to start a new church again, he would live out his remaining days in Rome having people come to him. He wasn't stopped, but he never had the same impact.

Acts 24

²² But when Felix heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the Way, he adjourned the proceedings and said, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will make a decision on your case.” ²³ So he commanded the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty, and told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him.
²⁴ And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. ²⁵ Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.” ²⁶ Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him.^[e] Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him.
²⁷ But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.




Paul may have been led by his own emotions into a place of less effective ministry as a result of this one move. 

Lesson if this is true:

• Always stay true to your calling and gifting.
• Heed the warnings of the Holy Spirit
• Listen to those around you
• Be absolutely sure if there is question among your people.

DW

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Acts: Journey into the perfect will of God.

Acts 18

 ²⁴Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. ²⁵He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor^[b] and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.  


Here is a man that is already in ministry. He is preaching the repentance of John, similar to many evangelical churches today. He knows nothing of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit yet, but he is working faithfully and diligently with what he has. Then he is brought a word of correction to add to what he knows and he accepts it and progresses further. 


I see several things about this that I need to learn:

• I don't need to know everything about everything before I start something. 
• I must be diligent to use what I know before I can be trusted with more.
• I must not trust in my own smarts or "Know It All"-ness. I must remain correctable. 

Acts 19
  
 ¹¹God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, ¹²so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.



²³About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. ²⁴A silversmith named Demetrius..²⁵He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: "Men, you know we receive a good income from this business.

 ³⁵The city clerk quieted the crowd and said...⁴¹After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

Three Men: All had a different impact.

Paul: 
     Obeyed God and turned a city upside down. 

 Demetrius:
     Stirred up the city into a riot against two innocent men because he was afraid to loose money, which was his real god.

City Clerk:
     Use words to turn away an angry mob. The words the Holy Spirit used him to speak were enough to dissuade an entire angry mob and turn them all back to home. 




It only takes ONE to make a change and create an impact. What kind of impact am I causing today?
 




Acts 20

 ⁷On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. ⁸There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. ⁹Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" ¹¹Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. ¹²The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.


Here Paul must be tired and about to take a journey to another city, which in those days wasn't as simple as hopping in the car and saying "Wake me up when we get there." 

He could have turned in early to get a good nights rest before heading out. But his heart is for the people. He wants to give of himself everything he can before he leaves. He is willing to loose sleep that night to impart everything he can before he leaves. 

He operates in faith to the level that he could raise a boy from the dead and go back to preaching about Jesus without blinking. He didn't trump it up and say "Yeah, that's right, I did that!" He just brushed it off "Oh, it's cool guys, he's fine, he's fine.... As I was saying..." 


I must develop a heart for the people and be willing to give of myself if I am to walk in the things of God too. I MUST step up my efforts to Pursue God, His Word, His Spirit, His Presence. Only bathed in His presence and purged of myself can I begin to operate the way He needs me to. 

I must not just live FOR Him. I must put ME aside and BE Him, or rather let HIM be HIM through ME. Only when "I" die and He lives through me can I ever hope to be all He wants me to be and love His people the way He loves them, with His Love.

DGW

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Promotion- Going up^

Review of Pastor George's Series on Promotin:

Sunday 8:30 AM 4/11/2010
Pastor George Pearsons
Going Up: God’s System of Promotion—Part 1
Three Vital Keys to Your Promotion

Started on Sundays 04/11 through 05/30 2010

The three keys to promotion in God are:

• Promotion comes from God
• You don't have to run after promotion, promotion will chase YOU down.

• Psalm 75:4-7 (New International Version)

  
   ⁴ To the arrogant I say, 'Boast no more,'
         and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horns.
   ⁵ Do not lift your horns against heaven;
         do not speak with outstretched neck.' "
   ⁶ No one from the east or the west
         or from the desert can exalt a man.
   ⁷ But it is God who judges:
         He brings one down, he exalts another.

• 1 Corinthians 12:18 (New International Version)

  ¹⁸But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
• Promotion starts with the heart
• David never said "I WILL become King!" He simply served Saul faithfully despite the fact that Saul tried to kill him. 

• Acts 13:22 (New International Version)

  ²²After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'
   

•  1 Samuel 16:7 (New International Version)

  
   ⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 
  
• Promotion is NOT a goal it is a result!
• David Reaped the Harvest of Promotion
• Promotion is not something that we seek it is a harvest that we reap

• Matthew 6:33 (New International Version)

  ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

There are several Character Issues regarding Promotion. If your character is not right any promotion will not last. What you compromise to get you WILL eventually loose.

The Character issues are:

• Servants Heart

• Psalm 116:16 (New International Version)

  
   ¹⁶ O LORD, truly I am your servant;
         I am your servant, the son of your maidservant ^[a] ;
         you have freed me from my chains.

• Luke 22:27 (New International Version)

  ²⁷For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
• Humility
• Humility is NOT "You put You Down"
• Humility IS "You Put You Aside for others"

• Proverbs 29:23 (New International Version)

  
   ²³ A man's pride brings him low,
         but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.
  
  
   
• Diligence

• 1 Samuel 17

  The three oldest followed Saul, ¹⁵ but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep at Bethlehem...
  ⁵⁷ As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine's head.
   ⁵⁸ "Whose son are you, young man?" Saul asked him.
        David said, "I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem."

• Proverbs 12:24 (New International Version)

  
   ²⁴ Diligent hands will rule,
         but laziness ends in slave labor.
• Faithfulness

• Proverbs 20:6 (New International Version)

  
   ⁶ Many a man claims to have unfailing love,
         but a faithful man who can find?

• 1 Samuel 22:14 (New International Version)

  
   ¹⁴ Ahimelech answered the king, "Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household?

• Matthew 25:21 (New International Version)

  
   ²¹"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
• Integrity

• Psalm 26:11 (New International Version)

  
   ¹¹ But I lead a blameless life;
         redeem me and be merciful to me.

Not pursueing God and His kingdom will cause you to be held back in life. The things that you think matter here matter little in God's eyes. There will be many who were held in HIGH esteem by our christian histories that occupy the lowest ranks of Heaven. Don't set your eyes on being approved of men but of God. 

Don't fall into pride on the other side either which is false humility. Don't seek to put yourself down out of the sight of men if that is your calling. Just because you are are noticed of men doesn't mean you won't have a high rank in the Kingdom. 


God's kingdom doesn't care if men do or don't see you. God's kingdom is concerned with how God sees you. The hand of the Diligent will rule. 






DW





































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