Greetings,
We had an evangelist minister the word last night; as he ministered the Lord spoke this thought to my spirit:
"what are you aiming for". Along with it was, "how will you know if you hit the mark?" I decided to look up the few scriptures (New King James Version) that speak of such a thing. As I did, here's what the Spirit of God began to speak to me...
Romans 15:20
"so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel"
2 Corinthians 5:9
"we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him"
1 Thessalonians 4:10-12
"we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire (aim) to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing"
We have all heard this definition of "sin" - "missing the mark", such as a target, or a bulls eye. Yet we have all grown accustomed to making excuses for "missing the mark". On one hand we'll share the verse with the unbeliever "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God", trying to get them to believe they need a Savior. Then we'll turn right around and use the verse about "if anyone sin, we have an Advocate...Jesus Christ the Righteous..." as we give a sigh of relief; making us feel okay about sinning or missing the mark.
Could it be that the Church has a problem with its concept of "missing the mark"? Could it be that we've grown too accustomed to missing the mark and, even though we call it "sin", the fact we have an Advocate seems to make it all right? Is sin, missing the mark, REALLY acceptable? Is it really what we're after?
Isn't it time for each of us to ask ourselves (and ask the Lord to reveal to us) "what is our aim?" What are we focusing on? Like trying to shoot an arrow at a target; you close one eye and shut out everything else with the other eye EXCEPT what you're aiming at. You gather everything within you to focus on one task - HITTING the mark, not missing it.
If "missing the mark" causes us to come up short of His Glory, what would happen if we, by the grace and power of God, began aiming at the right target (that which pleases the Lord) and then, started hitting it? Instead of spending our time wallowing in condemnation and despair because of our inability to walk with God, we'd have the joy of the Lord as our strength and God would have an open door to shine forth His glory in and through our lives...causing us to "lack nothing".
The Kingdom of God is STILL righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost! Holiness is STILL in style with Heaven's crowd! And aiming for that which pleases God is the only way to hit it!
Hebrews 1:8,9 gives us another clue on how to hit the target and get the glory...turn away from the things that displease God and love (or aim for) that which God loves. Simple? Yes, with the Holy Spirit's help. Jesus made it His "aim" to ONLY DO THAT WHICH PLEASED HIS FATHER. He made it clear, over and over, that His life was about knowing and doing the will of God. It didn't matter what choices He had; He wasn't trying to just "get by". He wasn't content to just "hit in the vicinity of the target"; no, He was going for the bulls eye with every decision He made. Paul told us to have the same mind that Jesus did (Philippians 2) and then taught about Jesus' life of obedience.
It is time, brethren, that each of us were as arrows in the hands of our Father. It's time that the Church, the Body of Christ, get fed up with just pointing in the general vicinity of some target. May His Spirit help each of us to "fix our eyes (set our aim)" and "set our mind"; making it our AIM to please our Father God in ALL WAYS!
Pastor Jan
Monday, May 21, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
The Anointed Body
Greetings...
Psalms 133
1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2. It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. 3. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing life forevermore.
Notice that God thinks unity is good and pleasant. He had David write that it is a prerequisite for the Anointing. The High Priest, Aaron, would be dressed in the priestly clothes prepared to minister for the people and before the Lord. He would be drenched with holy anointing oil that would flow from his head and cover his whole being.
Unity is also likened to the Dew of Heaven descending upon the Mountain of God, Zion, the City of the Great King (Psalm 48). Dew wouldn't just cover one little portion, but would cover the mountain.
God also shows us that the Body of Christ (the Anointed One) is to be in unity and function in the same anointing that flows from the Head (Jesus) to each part. Ephesians is a good book to read regarding the place and purpose of the Body. It says in the first chapter that the church is the body of Christ. The fourth chapter speaks of the body being fitly joined to each other and to the Head.
Where does "unity" fit in? Unity isn't going to the same church, saying the same thing, not fussing or feuding, or anything like that. Unity, as God sees it, is a proper connection and submission to each other much the same way the parts of a body are connected to each other.
Picture your body. If your head wants your hand to pick something up, or wave to someone, it simply tells the hand to move. Understand, though, that there are many parts (too many for me to name or even know) that are involved in the "simple" operation. Yet, each part is vital to the whole movement. Take any part out and you have no movement. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12 that the Body is one yet has many members. He also made a statement about God placing certain"parts" in the Body that are very pronounced; parts such as "Apostle", "Prophet", "Workers of Miracles", "Teachers", etc. He goes on to ask the question: "are all apostles, are all prophets, ...do all speak with tongues" to which we all answer, "no". Yet we can miss Paul's point if we're not careful. He writes that every part is vital and is emphasizing, with the questions about the different offices of ministry, that it isn't the apostle, or prophet, or teacher, etc., that carries the anointing or the ability to express the will of the Head. IT IS THE BODY and every part performing as it is designed to perform.
That is the way God is going to have His Anointing flow in these last days. It is IMPERATIVE that His Body understand their place and submit themselves to the parts "next door"; the parts they are to be connected to. We've got to VALUE the Body of Christ as we do the Head. I CANNOT be submitted to the Head without being submitted to the Body. If I'm going to walk with God, anointed by Him to accomplish His will, then I must walk WITH YOU and YOU WITH ME.
This is not the day to worship the ministries of the "anointed ones"; this is the day to find our place in Him. To be where He wants us to be, doing what He wants us to do. I am not discounting the ministry of apostle, prophet, or any of the "out front" ministries; I'm just saying that hands and feet won't function without all the parts working properly.
One last thing; being in the Body of Christ means losing our rights for the sake of a higher calling. The "good feelings" and "anointed services" are fine but if we want the Anointing that flows from the Head (the Anointing that empowered Jesus to go about doing good and heal ALL...) we must be properly connected and ready to receive from the parts around us and then distribute that which we've received to others we're connected to.
The world has yet to see the kind of power that God has ready to release. But when we get in the right position, submitted to each other and "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit..." God will once again say "Yes, how good and how pleasant it is..."
And the Oil will flow...
Pastor Jan
Psalms 133
1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2. It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. 3. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing life forevermore.
Notice that God thinks unity is good and pleasant. He had David write that it is a prerequisite for the Anointing. The High Priest, Aaron, would be dressed in the priestly clothes prepared to minister for the people and before the Lord. He would be drenched with holy anointing oil that would flow from his head and cover his whole being.
Unity is also likened to the Dew of Heaven descending upon the Mountain of God, Zion, the City of the Great King (Psalm 48). Dew wouldn't just cover one little portion, but would cover the mountain.
God also shows us that the Body of Christ (the Anointed One) is to be in unity and function in the same anointing that flows from the Head (Jesus) to each part. Ephesians is a good book to read regarding the place and purpose of the Body. It says in the first chapter that the church is the body of Christ. The fourth chapter speaks of the body being fitly joined to each other and to the Head.
Where does "unity" fit in? Unity isn't going to the same church, saying the same thing, not fussing or feuding, or anything like that. Unity, as God sees it, is a proper connection and submission to each other much the same way the parts of a body are connected to each other.
Picture your body. If your head wants your hand to pick something up, or wave to someone, it simply tells the hand to move. Understand, though, that there are many parts (too many for me to name or even know) that are involved in the "simple" operation. Yet, each part is vital to the whole movement. Take any part out and you have no movement. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12 that the Body is one yet has many members. He also made a statement about God placing certain"parts" in the Body that are very pronounced; parts such as "Apostle", "Prophet", "Workers of Miracles", "Teachers", etc. He goes on to ask the question: "are all apostles, are all prophets, ...do all speak with tongues" to which we all answer, "no". Yet we can miss Paul's point if we're not careful. He writes that every part is vital and is emphasizing, with the questions about the different offices of ministry, that it isn't the apostle, or prophet, or teacher, etc., that carries the anointing or the ability to express the will of the Head. IT IS THE BODY and every part performing as it is designed to perform.
That is the way God is going to have His Anointing flow in these last days. It is IMPERATIVE that His Body understand their place and submit themselves to the parts "next door"; the parts they are to be connected to. We've got to VALUE the Body of Christ as we do the Head. I CANNOT be submitted to the Head without being submitted to the Body. If I'm going to walk with God, anointed by Him to accomplish His will, then I must walk WITH YOU and YOU WITH ME.
This is not the day to worship the ministries of the "anointed ones"; this is the day to find our place in Him. To be where He wants us to be, doing what He wants us to do. I am not discounting the ministry of apostle, prophet, or any of the "out front" ministries; I'm just saying that hands and feet won't function without all the parts working properly.
One last thing; being in the Body of Christ means losing our rights for the sake of a higher calling. The "good feelings" and "anointed services" are fine but if we want the Anointing that flows from the Head (the Anointing that empowered Jesus to go about doing good and heal ALL...) we must be properly connected and ready to receive from the parts around us and then distribute that which we've received to others we're connected to.
The world has yet to see the kind of power that God has ready to release. But when we get in the right position, submitted to each other and "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit..." God will once again say "Yes, how good and how pleasant it is..."
And the Oil will flow...
Pastor Jan
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