The Favor of God!!

'God loves everyone the same, but he favors some more than others.'  This was my Facebook status today and it has generated a few responses which is great!  It is rather an offensive thought to many Christians, since we are culturally preconditioned towards 'sameness'. The church has been molded to fit this ideal which is actually contrary to God's plan for the body of Christ.

It seems wrong to say that God would choose favorites.  In fact Romans 2:11 says that God does not choose favorites; however, it is clear that this passage is talking about favoritism in terms of ethnicity and/or social status. But scripture reveals that God does show his favor in different ways.  We will look at two of those ways; 1. Reward for good works and 2. Spiritual Anointing.

I have a friend who was given a diamond from the Lord just a couple days ago. I have heard testimonies about this happening but have never seen it myself. When she showed it to me I was still skeptical but we were able to cut glass with it and it had so many facets.  She ended up getting it appraised, and the jeweler said it was a perfect 4 carat diamond! He offered her $45,000 dollars on the spot, we later found out it was worth more than $200,000!!  This strange phenomenon, although I personally think should be happening more regularly, offends many Christians.  They think that God isn't that extravagant, that it goes against his character.  I used to think that way, but have been transformed by God's provision, love, and glory.

 Now salvation is a pure gift from God that we receive by faith; but what we often fail to address, is that he also promises to reward those who invest what they have been given.  Read the parable of the talents, (Matthew 25:14-30). The master gave a gift to his servants and then he said 'invest'!  God has done the same those who believe in His son.  He has set us free, crucified the sinful flesh, and empowered us with the Holy Spirit.  He then gave us authority to spread his kingdom (Matt 28:16-20).  In other words he has told us to invest our salvation into the hastening of his kingdom (see previous blog).

Not only that but he promises to give us gifts for how we steward that call.  "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil (2 Cor. 5:10." Hebrews 11:6 says that he rewards those who eagerly seek him.  "Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward (2 John 1:8)."  John here is speaking of rewards, not salvation. We cannot lose our salvation but we can store up for ourselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20).

"Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw-- each ones' work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.  If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire (1 Cor. 3:12-15)."  On judgment day, Christians too are going to be judged, and although we are freed from damnation, our works as God's steward still merit reward.  It is seen in this passage to the Corinthians that we as Christians build on our foundation, which is Christ; if what we build survives we are rewarded, if what we build is consumed, we will still go to heaven but without the reward.  Now it is important to note that when that day comes we aren't going to be competing or be jealous.  There will be nothing but joy, a pure heart, and thanksgiving for our brothers and sisters.  Going back to the parable of the talents, it says in verse 29, "For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance.  But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." This means that we can earn what we deserve, and then God gives even more!!  This doesn't seem 'fair' according to our cultural standards, but when we come into disagreement with God, only one of us is right. . . and its not us.

Not all rewards are given in heaven though.  Although we do place eternal value on temporal possessions, God shows his favor on those he is pleased through finances, health, and position (Matt 7:11).  Although I would like to show how this is seen in scripture I won't in this blog: so read the Bible!

 Read the parable of the wedding feast, Luke 14:7-11. It is clear here that in the Kingdom of Heaven some people are more distinguished than others.  Favor can come in the form of  rewards either in heaven or here on Earth, and also can come in the form of Spiritual blessing. There are different spiritual anointings that individuals carry that have been given to them by God.  This anointing can be affected in a few different ways; 1. The more powerful the redemption the greater the anointing (Luke 7:47). 2. It can be imparted from spiritual leaders (Romans 1:11-12), 3. It comes through faith and experiences, and 4) comes when we pursue God (James 4:8).

Favor comes out of Love for God, not apart from him; for God will not give his favor outside of a loving covenant relationship where the individual is submitted to Him in all things.  There are people in the Kingdom who have a greater anointing in healing, prophecy, teaching, evangelism, and other spiritual pursuits; but these are for everyone, and are accessed through faith and pursuit of Him!

We are not called to be equal, we are called to steward what God has given us, and to build up our treasure in heaven (Romans 12:3, Ephesians 4:7, Matt 6:20).  God purposefully gives favor to individuals to set up a structure of leadership. He wants us to have to rely on others, to need others, so as to build community.  Therefore we need to submit under our leaders, so that we can receive their blessing and their spiritual anointing (Romans 1:11-12).  Because we have emphasized individuality, equality, and sameness in the Lord we have taken down the established order of the Church.

If we think that everyone is equal, then we will not see others as having something that we can benefit from.  If we do not submit to our elders, leaders, and those with a greater anointing, then we will not receive the spiritual blessings they offer.  Favor is supposed to flow down from one level to another, if we do not put ourselves under those above us, we will not receive the favor. Our pride and selfishness that causes us to reject spiritual authority, undermines the established order of God, and therefore we miss out on receiving our own anointing and fail to grow as stewards of God’s kingdom. "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 14:11)."

Scripture teaches us not to think too highly of ourselves (Romans 12:3, Phil 2:3), but we also shouldn’t think to lowly of ourselves either; rather we should understand with sober judgment, where he has brought each of us, and how we can benefit from others guidance, counsel, and blessing (Galatians 6:4-6).  When I see someone who has a greater anointing then I do, I will go to them for prayer and blessing.  When someone is wiser than I am, I will go to them for counsel; I want to surround myself with people who can impart to me those things that will bring me closer to God and equip me to run the race marked before me. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (Matt 5:6).” “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you (Matt 6:33).”  "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts (1 Cor 14:1)." See also, Matthew 7:7, John 15:4, John 4:14, Matthew 4:4.

Favor, both in rewards and in anointings, are a part of the Kingdom whether we like it or not.  I love it! Be diligent therefore, run the race marked before you, eagerly desire more of God, and submit yourselves under those God has established.  Walk in the Lord's favor and be blessed!!

Citizens of Heaven: Kingdom Bringers

        Often times we think of heaven as something we are waiting for; that we live in hope of the future promise of eternal life as we strive in this broken world.  Yet the Holy Spirit has been revealing to me a very different reality; we, as Christians, should not passively wait for the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven, but actively bring it here to Earth.

        "Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:11-13)." Did you catch that? We ought to be people who are not only waiting for, but hastening the coming of the day of the Lord!!!

     "Being asked by the pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, 'The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say.  'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you ( Luke 17:20-21)."  Philippians 3:20 says that we are citizens of heaven, and Ephesians 2:6 says that we are 'seated in heavenly places'. We are the conduits by which the kingdom of heaven invades earth. It is our job, our commission, to bring heaven to earth, just like in the Lords prayer where we pray for God's will 'on Earth as it is in Heaven'.  That means that what belongs in heaven belongs on Earth, and what doesn't belong in heaven doesn't belong on earth.

      This principle is seen in Matthew 18:18, "Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."  God gives us powerful authority!  The chasm that was between heaven and earth has been bridged by the sacrifice of Jesus.  And we, as redeemed sons and daughters of God, work to bring the two kingdoms together through faith.

          It says in Romans 8:19 that, "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God." Creation is waiting for us, so that we can liberate it from bondage that it was subjected to.  If we are not taking up the role that God has given us then creation will not be liberated.  If we neglect our calling of bringing heaven to earth then it will take longer for Jesus to come back.  Going back to 2 Peter 3, it says that our role is to hasten the day of the Lord, and we do that by actively bringing heaven to earth through our citizenship.  I fully believe that if Christians 1000 yrs ago stewarded the kingdom the way God designed them to, then Jesus would have come back already.  It is my hope that we begin a new chapter in the church.  That we start a movement of kingdom bringing people that hastens the day of the Lord; that unlike past generations we steward the kingdom so that Jesus can come back in our lifetime!

          Many times Christians are looked down upon for believing that Jesus is going to come back before they die, I rebuke that! We should all hope for his coming, we should all have faith that he comes back in our lifetime.  Many of those who believe that Jesus was coming back were true warriors for the Kingdom; this hope is a reflection of their faith!  It is they that have taken up the call, they that are hastening the day of the Lord. I want to be like them, I want to be a 'Kingdom Bringer'.

True Forgiveness: With Humility Comes Powerful Transformation!!!

It's a sad reality, but many times we are too prideful to accept forgiveness. We say we are forgiven but continue to let our previous sin effect our thoughts and actions.  True forgiveness not only takes away the sin, but it resets the standard. True forgiveness restores you to a purified state; literally making all things new and without blemish. It is prideful for us to cling to something that God has taken away, and view ourselves differently than our Father sees us. Many times we don't live in freedom because we don't allow God's forgiveness to transform us; rather we pridefully cling to our sin that is no longer there while heaping judgment on ourselves because of it. This actually causes us to live in sin rather than to live the righteous life God has made accessible through the Spirit. Being afraid of sin or distrusting God's work in redeeming us, causes us to empower the lies that Satan is speaking to us; which leads us to sin.

Fear and condemnation reveal lack of faith.  If we are so disappointed in our weakness then we are relying on our own strength. Rather than letting God's strength grant us the victory that he has won, we seek to attain it for ourselves continuously fail and then feel miserable. When we live in condemnation our hope is in our flesh and not in Jesus, who, 'takes away the sins of the world.'  It is written, "Do not receive the grace of God in vain (2 Cor. 6:5)", for there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1).  For He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor. 12:9-10)!"  When we truly surrender to Jesus, when we give up on ourselves, He 'condemns sin in the flesh,in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us (Rom. 8:4)."

Often times we fall under condemnation, or cause others to, because we do not see them from a heavenly point of view.  Even after we have forgiven an individual, which of course presupposes that they have sinned against us, we often times still see them as tainted.  We then hold them to a low standard (what we expect of them) merited by the sin that they had committed, even though we had supposedly forgiven them. This means we did not actually forgive them!!! It says, "Forgive as you have been forgiven (Ephesians 4:32)."  "If someone sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him (Luke 17:4)."  Again: true forgiveness restores the standard, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Jesus says, "Whom you forgive I will forgive, who you don't forgive I won't forgive (John 20:23)." Jesus puts great trust in us, that is those who have been forgiven, even to the point of giving us power over eternal forgiveness! This reveals that we can only truly forgive if we have actually accepted forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32).  Have you received forgiveness? If there is condemnation in your heart, or you find it hard to forgive those around you, it is time for a fresh revelation of Christ's forgiveness for you. Not receiving forgiveness reveals pride in ourselves and confidence in our flesh.

In order to truly accept forgiveness we need to completely surrender ourselves.  When we admit that we cannot attain to righteousness, no matter how hard we try, we throw ourselves at the feet of Jesus.  He then is able to pick us up and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and then transform us (1 John 1:9). If we are still confident in our flesh, either believing it is too strong or too weak, transformation is not possible and we will continually live in disappointment, guilt, and abject mourning over sin that God has taken away.  When we truly come before the Lord humbly and meekly, we will receive the gift that He has given us.  This allows us to live with a Renewed Mind (Rom. 12:2), literally as new creations (2 Cor. 5:17)!! Forgiveness cleanses us from all unrighteousness; it restores our entire being, and no taint of that sin remains!! This means no shame, no regret, and no condemnation! If the old is not gone in your life, or you are not able to live in the new life of freedom God has given you by grace, then humble yourself and allow the forgiveness of Jesus to wash you clean and empower you as a new creation.

For where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Freedom (2 Cor. 3:17)", "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory (Rom. 8:15-17)."  When we are in sin and we surrender to God he forgives us, but we don't need to believe him.  Unfortunately unbelief feels a lot like humility..... but unbelief is actually a manifestation of pride and confidence in the flesh.  Faith in God's grace and forgiveness brings about transformation, boldness, and confidence.  Unbelief in this forgiveness brings about shame, guilt, condemnation, and unforgiveness in our own hearts.

Rise up church, rise up sons and daughters of God! Humble yourselves, do not consider equality with God something to be grasped.  If you do this you will continually live in abject suffering and despair over sin that God has taken away and condemnation that He does not want you to experience! Accepting God's grace in vain, which means not allowing his forgiveness to reset the standard in your life, prevents you from living up to what has already been attained. You have a new identity in Christ!  You are Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation!! As more than conquerors you are called and empowered to bring the Kingdom of Heaven here to Earth! Citizens of Heaven I call on you! To proclaim the reality of God's grace, forgiveness and power! The Kingdom of God is in you, and when you bring that reality to those around you, the same Kingdom draws near to them!  God already won, victory paid for.  I tell you now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:3)!!!

"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:16-21)."