Today my mind is going in about three different directions. First and foremost, I’m thinking about the absolute wonder, wisdom, and dependability of God’s Word! Of all the things we would hope to rely on, at the very top of the list should be the Word of God! I’m sitting here thinking of all the powerful descriptions of His Word: light, life, shield, understanding, wisdom, strength, tested, tried, true, sure, and on and on. In fact, you may want to stop reading this letter for a few minutes to read and ponder on Psalm 119.
As you read these wonderful descriptions of God’s Word it may be wise to ask yourself, “Is this how I feel about the Word?” Many people don’t love the Word anymore and my heart hurts for them. There are even many so called “teachers” who would tell us to reject God’s Word! But the only reason for that is a failure to make it the standard for all of life’s decisions. Until we test it and experience the benefit it brings to our life we will have no great value for the Word.
God’s Word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path is a reference to the fact that those who trust in God’s Word will not stumble when the path is dark and treacherous, provided they are making their decisions based on His Word! Through His Word, by His Spirit we can have incredible knowledge and wisdom. We can navigate life, do business, and face situations that leave others in the dark, and we can do it with the absolute certainty of victory. Fill your heart with God’s Word, but not just the letter of the Word! The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life! (2 Cor. 3:6)
In 2 Cor. 3:6 where this statement is made, it talks about people reading the Old Testament with a veil over their heart. It doesn’t tell us that the Spirit does away with the Word; it tells us the Spirit removes the veil (12-18). In other words, these people are still dependent on God’s Word for wisdom, life, and renewing of the mind! But now they are allowing the Holy Spirit to open their understanding to see how it really fits into our lives. Don’t let anyone minimize your value for the Word of God; but by the same token, don’t read the Word legalistically. Open your heart and call on the Holy Spirit, the Great Teacher, to make the Word alive to you! That’s when you move from knowledge to wisdom. Look to understand the principles of the Word! In the principles you see the intention and the value of applying it to your own life.
Remember, Jesus didn’t do away with the truth of the Old Testament; He did just the opposite. He came to show us what the truth would look like if it had been received and applied the way God intended. Plus, He brought us grace to be able to do it!
The second thing that is spinning through my mind today is the parable of the Ten Virgins. Five were wise and five were foolish. The five wise virgins kept oil in their lamps. They were ever ready for their Master’s return! Oil in the lamps throughout Scripture usually represents the Holy Spirit, but the light represents the truth of God’s Word! For stability we must have the Holy Spirit as our Strength, Guide, and Counselor, and the Word of God as the basis for a renewed mind and the realization of truth! Those who are abandoning the Word of God will not have oil in their lamps at the Master’s return.
Then last of all, I’m thinking about an emotional state called the “normalcy bias.” This is a state where people refuse to be realistic about threatening situations, especially if it’s something they have never experienced! This usually results in a refusal to prepare. I fear these three things I’ve shared put most of the Church in the category of the five foolish virgins. It isn’t that they aren’t virgins, but they’re foolish! They will not prepare for the days that lay ahead. They will listen to their carnal minds and continue to create false doctrines to placate their unbelieving hearts leading to self-deception. The problem is, however, false security is supported by numbers. They need for others to share their position so they seek converts. Without a group of people supporting their insanity they can’t sustain the lie!
These are the kinds of statements they will make: “Jesus was just called to the lost sheep of Israel so none of His teaching is for us.” Yet, they ignore that Jesus told His followers to make disciples and teach them to observe everything He taught (Matt. 28:18-20). They will say, “Jesus did away with the law,” ignoring the fact that Jesus said, “Do not think I have come to destroy the law or the prophets (Matt. 5:17). They will say that sin doesn’t affect you, ignoring Paul’s warning to believers that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). This is what the Bible calls “workers of iniquity.” If you listened to my recent series The Mystery of Iniquity you understand that the word “iniquity” in the Greek means “anti-law.” These false teachers make believe the law was bad. They teach that law and legalism are the same things. They would have you believe grace and mercy are synonymous. In fact, mercy is God’s compassion and ability to love us even when we sin, but grace is God’s power that works in us to raise us out of sin!
If there has ever been a day wherein we should guard our heart it is now! You guard your heart with the breast plate of righteousness… the righteousness we have in Jesus. But that is far more than just a position; it’s a belief, a power, and a way of life! It should be the way we see ourselves, but it should also be the way we live.
This month’s new series is, Qualified for Healing: The New Covenant Reality. In this powerful series I’m sharing some incredibly practical, faith-building points that I believe will propel you to new levels of faith in the area of health and healing. This month’s World Changers Message will be one of the messages from that series. In fact, starting this month your World Changers Message will usually be a message from my latest series. I feel the things I’m sharing in these series are so crucial to where we are in history that I want to make sure you get as much of it as possible. From time to time I will still be sharing some messages that are specifically for our World Changers Family!
In this month’s World Changers message I’m going to share the New Covenant reason people don’t get healed. Everything we have been told about why we get sick and why we don’t get healed tends to lead us into negative introspection, self-doubt, doubting God, and legalism. I’m always amazed when something is so clearly and simply expressed in Scripture and we overlook it seeking to find something more deep and mystical.
Guard your heart, walk in love, enjoy divine health, and let’s continue to fulfill Jesus’ commission as we take His Word to the world making disciples unto Him.
Together we are changing the way the world sees God!
Blessings,
Jim
