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Day Sixty-Two, “Seedy” Intercession

July 27, 2013 by insolomonsporch

Day Sixty-Two

A Time for Seedy Intercession

“To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven:”  Eccl 3:1

            The Gospel of Luke shares the parable of the sower in Luke8:5-15.  We are provided with four types of seed situations that describe the conditions of people concerning their “take” on the word of God – the word being of course the seed.

We may be familiar with these situations:  seed which fell on a path; seed which fell on the rock; seed in the midst of thorns; and seed which fell into good soil.  Of the four only the last appears to be the life of a seemingly successful believer in Jesus Christ, as the others are lacking in various ways.  For instance:  seed on the traveled path depicts a person who hears the word, but the enemy (Satan) steals the message.  Seed on the rock: they hear the word with joy, and believe for a while, but because they lack a deep root in Jesus they eventually fall away. See Luke 8:14-15 for the last two interpretations for my point is not to relay what the word is already clear on.  Rather I would provoke you to an insight.

Nowhere in this discussion of the seed is there any statement that says these various situations are unchangeable.  In fact, I believe this is an amazingly delicious strategy for us to actually pray and “interseed” for the people in these situations, and to thwart the enemy in his plans.  I believe the Lord would have us see the limitations and pray for His remedy!

So say we or someone we know is like the seed that fell along a traveled road.  There is no requirement or limitation that says we or them has to cry in our cherrios because that is the current status.  In humility we can come before the Lord and ask for the very thing we lack (in this case belief in the word that would be received before the devil can whisk it away).  For the seed upon the rock we can pray that the Lord would provide a deep root in Himself so that in temptation or trial they would not fall away.  You see –d?

Thus, we are not just seeing this word as some terminal diagnosis, but by faith we believe the power of Jesus can ameliorate even these natural situations with a supernatural intervention.  Jesus Himself said that He desires that none should perish but that all would come to repentance.  This is license for us to pray for those that we know or see in this seedy dilemma, and in fact is also true for ourselves.  What does it require of us? Umm… humility, a hope for those struggling, and a passion for those not yet saved.  We need to see the reality of a situation, but to not be put off by what we see. Rather, to arise and pray for what can be instead!

 

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Day Sixty-One, “Whom do you serve: Rules or The Ruler?”

July 16, 2013 by insolomonsporch

Day Sixty-One

Whom do you serve: Rules or The Ruler?

“…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….” Joshua 24:15

            Two sisters: Mary and Martha – famous, yet perhaps even still underestimated in the fullness of what they truly convey.

I believe in a very real sense they represent two types of dependence. Indeed, I believe they clarify and address the issue posed by Paul’s question in Galatians 3:3: “Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh?”  I believe neglecting this question is a danger for all believers.  We begin our journey with Christ by faith, but as we proceed we allow works and the flesh to take the helm – and as a result we suffer great loss. Our dependence on the Spirit is transferred to burgeoning dependence on the flesh.  It is based on the misconception that the Holy Spirit will work among us on the basis of us doing what the Law demands, more than because of our believing or trusting on the message that we heard. (Gal 3:5)  We have then trusted our righteousness to be a product of our actions vice our faith in Jesus and the Gospel message.

Recall the story of the two sisters in Luke 10:38-42.  Jesus was coming to visit them in Bethany.  Martha was overly occupied with much serving and brought a complaint before Jesus about her sister and her lack of helpfulness.  I love the way my husband framed this in a recent sermon, “Martha was busy making sandwiches that the Lord hadn’t asked for.” Mary, however, was seated at the Lord’s feet and was listening to Him.

Now I have to confess, having been engaged in ministry over the last fifteen years I have seen the works mentality creep up in my own activity. Many times I have slid into a place where I’m sure I was making sandwiches that the Lord hadn’t called for.  It is in fact the very heart of the issue before us.  As a believer, a part of the Body, and one having a place within the Bride of Christ – my primary engagement is to be with the Lord.  He is the One to Whom we are betrothed, and all of our serving is to radiate out of our relationship to Him.  Another way to say that is, every serving that I do should flow out of obedience to Jesus and in the overflow of the abundance of His life in me. While there is perhaps no food shortage in the Body of sandwiches not ordered, there is indeed a shortage of the food that Jesus spoke of.  He said, I have food which you know nothing of. My food is to do the will of My Father.

Yet what we see in great volume within the Body of Christ is the same kind of service and serving that Martha was doing, which results in the greater works being left undone. Mary’s life seems to be aligned with the freedom spoken of in Galatians 4, speaking of the New Jerusalem, where there is a supernatural birth which gives rise to children of the free. This life is a product of living according to the Spirit of Life in Christ which sets us free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2). What we in the Body need to remember is that the covenant of promise (Abraham’s Destiny) supersedes the law.  The law came 430 years after the promise and its purpose was simply to build an awareness of our sin in preparation for the coming Messiah.

Recognize then, that the Law itself serves the purpose of the Messiah.  It causes us to see our need, though the law itself cannot save.  All of Martha’s sandwiches could not bring righteousness, for they only served her flesh. This is the reason she was angry with her sister – she wanted Mary to serve according to external rites so that she could glory in Mary’s subjection to the law and that wasn’t happening (Gal 6:12-14).  We are not justified and declared righteous by the law, but rather we are to rely on the Holy Spirit by faith and wait for the blessing and good for which our righteousness and right standing with God causes us to hope.  In other words, the law serves God – isn’t that what we should be doing too? Like Mary, or even like Ruth seeking the covering at the feet of her kinsmen redeemer, our true service and serving should be at the feet of our Master, waiting and receiving, and being awash in the fullness of His presence.  Not serving rules in bondage, but serving the Ruler of All – in freedom.

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Day Sixty, Who’s Your Mommy Now?

July 16, 2013 by insolomonsporch

https://insolomonsporch.wordpress.com/2013/07/06/day-sixtywhos-your-mommy-nowbut-the-jerusalem-above/

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Day Sixty, Who’s Your Mommy Now?

July 6, 2013 by insolomonsporch

Day Sixty

Who’s Your Mommy Now?

“”But the Jerusalem above (the Messianic kingdom of Christ) is free, and she is our mother.”    Gal 4:26

            If you are a born again believer in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior – then you have… been born again.  You have had a second birth!  Now your lineage has changed, your life has changed, and also – your future has changed!

Your first birth was completely natural.  You had a natural birth from a natural mother.  You were born of bloods and water.  At that point your life and destiny were in the natural realm – and because of that you were a slave.  You were in fact born into slavery.  It was the best that could be done in the natural realm.  You were exactly like the child of Hagar, spoken of in Galatians 4:24-25.  Hagar is an allegorical figure here, who represents the first Covenant, originating at Mt Sinai (the Law.)  All who are her children are slaves born under the law, and Hagar is in bondage to the law – just as are her children. Like Jerusalem today, this refers to all who have had only a natural birth and are children by physical descent.  They are all slaves to the law, and thus guilty and condemned – for no one can be justified by the law.  No one can be saved by the law.

However, when you were born again, you were in fact born from above.  You were born of the will of God, not man. (Jn 1;13) Your birth was not natural and fleshly, it was supernatural !  Thus the life you now have in you is supernatural!  It of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and originates out of His Messianic Kingdom! This life is no longer of slavery, but is a life born in freedom – just like Isaac’s life – who was the son of Promise.  You then too are a son of promise.  You share an inheritance in the realm of the Messianic kingdom because you were born of Christ’s Spirit.  You are now free!

But just as Ishmael (son of Hagar and slave under bondage) despised and persecuted Isaac (the free son of promise), so too children of the Messianic kingdom and Promise will be despised and persecuted by those not having a new birth.  The world will persecute and despise believers in Jesus Christ.  The Word says: “So it is now also.” (Gal 4:29)

Thus, we stand today as sons of promise, a people with an inheritance, a future and a destiny.  It doesn’t begin tomorrow — or when we die.  The eternity we have begins the moment we receive Jesus and begin to walk out His new live lived in us today – in the spirit.  So now what? Just as you know the members of your natural family, get to know the Body of Christ (your new family)!  We’ll be together for a long time!  Also get fully acquainted with the guidelines Jesus has inspired through the Holy Spirit, the Bible: Your Basic Instructions BEFORE Leaving Earth.  This Word will help you to grow and mature. But also become intimate with your Savior and His Kingdom.  Spend time with Him – it will help you to trust Him!  After all – His Father is your Father, and His Kingdom (the New Jerusalem) – well… She’s your Mommy now!

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Day Fifty-Nine, “God’s Enemies”

July 3, 2013 by insolomonsporch

Day Fifty-Nine

God’s Dealings with Internal vs External Enemies to the Church

“… how I persecuted and abused the church of God furiously and extensively and [with fanatical zeal did my best] to make havoc of it and destroy it.” Gal 1:13 Amp

          It’s the difference between “hot” and “lukewarm!”  In the Scripture reference above Saul of Tarsus (who later would be converted to become the Apostle Paul) was red hot to destroy the church. Yet God in His grace did not destroy Saul – He saved Him, and redirected Him mightily!

No, the harshest dealings from God do not befall His enemies that persecute and try and destroy the church – the harshest penalty comes to those who posture themselves as “part of the church”, yet have another agenda that is not God’s.  If they preach another Gospel, if they put a carnal even evil twist – on Truth, for these, God says … “Let them be accursed – Anathema (devoted to destruction).” Gal 1:8-9 [These] are the lukewarm!  They have been around the fire of the Presence – but in the midst of that glory setting they have not embraced the fire, rather they have withstood it for their own cause.

Like Judas – who betrayed Jesus because he was swayed by the evil one to hand Jesus over – these internal adversaries have withstood the fire of glory and goodness, and been corrupted instead by the enemy.  There is a great warning for us all who consider ourselves a bondservant to Jesus — to humbly, continually, yield and submit ourselves, to ensure we are one with His party and siding wholly with Him.  The deception the enemy uses perverts one’s perception of good – for evil.  Its heart and core are rebellion – it deceives its slaves into believing they are doing God’s will (see John 16:1-2).

Now I take a strange comfort here.  Are any of my loved ones adversarial to the church of Jesus Christ?  Now I pray that they will become red hot – even persecuting it (as God allows).  But now I pray heartily, Lord, they would not be lukewarm, and not be corrupted in the very midst of Your glory and presence.

God help us all to not fear Your blatant enemies externally, but instead to pray for them to become red hot, and that they would be converted!  Lord, let us regard with discernment those who appear to be Yours, yet are not: who preach another Gospel, another Jesus, in another spirit  – but we perceive it not!  God help us to reverentially fear only You Lord, and remain secure in that place without deception! Amen!

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Day Fifty-Eight, Super-Abounding Grace: The Grace Juxtaposition

June 8, 2013 by insolomonsporch

Day Fifty-Eight

Super-abounding Grace! The Grace Juxtaposition

 

– many died through one man (Adam’s) fall… but many gain God’s grace through the one (Jesus)

– one man brought condemnation… but Jesus’ free gift brings justification

– by one man’s trespass death reigned… but by God’s overflowing grace we reign as kings in life

– one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all men… but Jesus’s act leads to righteousness for all

– one man’s disobedience makes men sinners… but by one Man’s obedience they are brought into right-standing with Him

– where sin increased and abounded… God’s grace has superabounded

– where sin has reigned in death… God’s grace now reigns through righteousness which issues in eternal life through Jesus Christ (paraphrase of Romans 5:15-21)

 

It is done: completed! Seven juxtapositions of man’s natural state as placed beside what God has done for him.  Can there be any doubt of God’s redeeming love, how He has super-abounded in grace for us, and has more than overcome the condition of our fall?  If there is any doubt in you of God’s nature, His character, His love for you, or how far He has actually come to abound to us in grace – you need to take time and study for yourself the above passage.  Read it. Study it. Meditate on it.

I know – it is easy to get into a spiritual funk.  Life happens.  Your find yourself high and dry on a spiritual plain of desolation.  You find it hard to see Him let alone fellowship with Him.  But I tell you – the cares of this world have been choking the word that is in you.  Turn the tables now and let this word expand, occupy, and super-abound in you in truth.  The pressure this word exerts for truth is greater than the pressure of your situation!  Let this word fill your eyes and fill your heart with truth!  It will bear you aloft over and through your situation and circumstances, if only you will embrace it.  Not because you fully understand it intellectually – but by faith you believe that the One Who holds all things is willing and able to do what He has said here.  Let Him begin to saturate your thinking with His truth.  Let His grace abound even super-abound in you today!

 

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Day Fifty-Seven, The Heart of Christ, Under-the-Influence

March 16, 2013 by insolomonsporch

Day Fifty-Seven

What the Heart of Christ Looks Like

“But he, full of the Holy Spirit and controlled by Him, gazed into heaven and saw the glory (the splendor and majesty) of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand!” Acts 7:55

          Between the character of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 18:23) and the character of the disciple Stephen (Acts 7:1-60), we see an amazing juxtaposition which reveals the very heart of Christ.  In both these situations, rebellious crowds of Israelites are threatening the safety of each of these men because of the word of God which has been brought to them.  Two different dispensations are in operation: with Jeremiah – it is the law of Moses.  With Stephen it is the law of the Spirit of Life.

It is interesting to note that Romans 8:2 clarifies to us that the law of the Spirit of Life frees us from the law of sin and of death.  We will see the truth of that in how Stephen responds to the threatening crowd. But first… Jeremiah.

Israel has not received Jeremiah’s words from the Lord, and in fact his words have caused them to desire to do away with him.   Jeremiah 18:23 presents Jeremiah speaking before the Lord with a request that He not forgive their (the Israelites) iniquity, nor blot out their sin from His sight. He requests that the Israelites be overthrown before the Lord and that He would deal with them in His anger.  Harsh – to say the least, but probably from Stephen’s perspective not unwarranted.

Now contrast that with Acts 7 where the people are again threatening death to the servant of God – in this case Stephen.  They have actually dragged Stephen out of the city and are beginning to stone him.  At this moment Stephen, gazing into heaven and seeing Christ standing beside the Father — prays, “Lord, fix not this sin upon them [lay it not to their charge]!”

I believe during these two different events we are privileged to observe the law of the Spirit of Life in operation in Stephen.  It freed him from the bounds and limitations of operating according to the Moses law in a very vital way.  The Law of Moses is like the letter of the law.  It is a yardstick of assessment that brings judgment based on if you are right or you are wrong.  This Law, however, lacks the power to transform or bring new life.  In Jeremiah’s case – we saw this lack.  He could only condemn.

With Stephen, however, you see in operation the very heart of our Lord Jesus Christ.  You see the law of the Spirit of Life.  How do I know that?  On the cross – when He was being crucified, suffering unimaginably, Jesus first utters the very same sentiment.  “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Lk 23:34

Jesus Himself explained to His disciples after the crucifixion that it was necessary and fitting that the Christ would suffer in this way before entering into His glory. (Lk 24:26)  As He suffered and paid the penalty for us, you and I (like Stephen) are now freed by His death and given entrance to operate according to the very same law of the Spirit of Life – the Spirit of Jesus Christ.  No matter what the persecution or situation before us, in Christ, we are more than conquerors and can walk out from the abundance of His very same heart.  We can now conqueror because He has conquered for us!

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Day Fifty-Six, Under-the-Influence

March 1, 2013 by insolomonsporch

Day Fifty-Six

The Descent into Error: On What Do You Lean?

“For though I am away from you in body, yet I am with you in spirit, delighted at the sight of your [standing shoulder to shoulder in such] orderly array and the firmness of the solid front and steadfastness of your faith in Christ [that leaning of the entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness].” Col 2:5 AMP

            Before every one of the saints of God there is a continual, daily choice to align with Christ. Sometimes it is even moment by moment, for there is a continual pull, a draw from the flesh (of our soul) to align with it.  It can be seen as the difference between following Christ, or following our soul and it’s leading.  It is the difference between having the Holy Spirit ruling as Umpire in our heart, or deciding things ourselves according to our own best skills.

While it may appear that your own reasoning follows the same relative heading as the leading of the Lord – you may trust that there are many instances where they will separate, and like the difference between true north and the magnetic north there exists an error of declination.  You, however, will likely not notice the increasing distance between the directional heading of these two (your soul’s leading vice that of the Holy Spirit), because the element of time is required to plot them out to their end course.

But understand this:  the enemy’s end game is to encourage and help you to lean on your own understanding and perception, rather than trusting the Lord and His!  If he can develop that default tendency in you for good things (to depend on the flesh for seeming good) it will not be long before he can solidify your leaning on the flesh (and your own understanding) for evil. It is there that he can bring you under judgment and condemnation – and it will stick because you have not trusted in the One Whom you should have trusted.

Matthew 24:10 reflects this situation as an end-times truth concerning the Body of Christ. “And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred.”

Once the body distrusts and deserts Jesus Christ, it is not long before they begin to behave with the very nature of the enemy: hatred and betrayal.  The beginning of that fall saints is to lean on the wrong thing.  It is a slow slide from leaning on ourselves and our own understanding to actual betrayal and hatred – but it is a descent nevertheless.

Now grasp this please!  The reason there is a problem with leaning on your own thinking and living according to that – is that Jesus Christ has given us a new life to be lived out even now – according to the Spirit.  When we make our default setting the continual, rational posture of dependence on our soul, then we in fact make our soul the chief force in our life.  We put our own understanding, our sense of duty, our own soul on the throne of our lives.  But we are called as believers to enthrone the resurrection life of Christ, to lift Him up as Lord of our lives.

Ultimately, my best thinking will never get me to the same place as obedience to the Spirit will, and this is the error of declination between living according to the soul or living according to the Spirit. Abraham’s best thinking would have never led him to offer Isaac as a living sacrifice.  Joseph’s best thinking would never have led him to forgive his brothers. But obedience did!  Jesus Christ Himself showed us the very core of difference between relying on His own understanding or leaning on the Father when He asked: if there be any other way Father let this cup pass from Me, but nevertheless Thy will, not mine be done. Even Jesus was leaning on the Spirit, obedient to the Father as He went to the Cross.  We are called to do the same!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Prov 3:5-6

The descent that one sees as we fail to lean on the Lord is equally true for a believer, for a nation, and even for the Body of Christ.  The only way to stem the slide of descent into ultimate hatred and betrayal, is to see where we are at, and turn and fully lean on the One on Whom we should trust and obey!

 

 

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A Laser-Guided Vision, Under-the-Influence, Day Fifty-Five

February 9, 2013 by insolomonsporch

A Laser-Guided Focus:

The Redemptive Vision

Day Fifty-Five

Under the Influence

“Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish;…” Prov 29:18

            During many of the United States military campaigns since the Gulf War first erupted in 1990 we have employed laser targeting for placing bombs on respective targets. Assets on the ground place a laser marker on that object, and the bomb is guided to that site – even to an exact place – by that laser marker.  This allows for high accuracy in reaching the target, and the exact placement of the marker allows for maximum target destruction.  Without laser guiding, the accuracy is much compromised.

In a similar way, having a redemptive vision of the Lord moves our own gaze from a natural perspective to a supernatural focus.  We begin to look at and see what He is focusing on and seeing.  Like the assist from the laser placement guides the bomb for target acquisition, the Lord trains His focus (and our hearts) on where He would have us come along-side Him in prayer or activity: where He would have us obligate our attention.  As we then act in obedience to His leading, there is victory.  For either destruction or for building up, as saints of the most-High God, unless we have His redemptive vision for where to place our focus – we are shooting blindly – simply according to our own natural leading.

Without the redemptive vision of the Lord, we cannot assess what is the important focus He has for this moment in time.  Without His vision, we cannot even have an accurate cross-hair placement.  Whether for prayer or for planning, we are instead taking our precious, limited warfare assets (read arrows, finances, time, etc.), and shooting them haphazardly into the sky – then praying they will strike pay-dirt.  How ridiculous that makes us to think we would be effective in that manner.  What archer would pick a target after already shooting?  Our job is not simply to shoot our arrows (our prayers, our efforts), but it is in fact to employ them in obedience as the Lord leads.  Then it will be established and succeed as the Lord says (Prov 16:3).

May we each come to the place where we corporately set our hearts and then our minds on what is above (the higher things).  May we continue to behold in the word of God the glory of the Lord, and thus be transfigured into His very own image (therefore have His own focus and interest) in ever-increasing splendor.  May we truly have His redemptive vision (an accurate picture of what He has done at the cross – that He has already redeemed us as His, and redeemed us for Himself).  And may we commit and trust the focus of every work – even its origin, to obedience to and for Him and His leading.  Then we will have success every time, hitting pay-dirt for His glory.  It is He Who teaches our hands to war and our fingers to fight (Ps 144:1).  Lord help us to focus on You, that you would focus us.

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Under-the-Influence, Why God Tolerates Satan (for now)…

January 3, 2013 by insolomonsporch

Under-the-Influence

Why God Tolerates Satan… (for now)

Day Fifty-Four

“… the end of the matter is: Fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is] and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of His creation, the object of God’s providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all harmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man.” Eccl 12:13 Amp

          I’ve heard the question asked, “Why did God not just write salvation in the sky?”  And it is a very good question. But as He published the Law in the old Testament – in a way He sort of did that very thing.  He wrote out Who He is, What He is About, and What He expects.  Yet neither the Law nor the Old Testament can save mankind.  At best they pointed a finger towards a coming Savior Who would (and did) redeem us all.

But the greatest issue addressed, the greatest need for us to recognize, and the central role for our lives is to recognize God’s authority: to recognize that all things are His: including us.  The central battle in the universe (as stated by Watchman Nee in Spiritual Authority) is about who shall have authority.  That same question is then the focus and fulcrum of all the teachings in the Scriptures, all the intentions of the Gospel message, and the issue behind all healings and miraculous works in the Bible and what we even see yet today.  It is answering that underlying question:  Who is the authority?  The answer of course is God Almighty. But there are some things I would like to point out.

Why couldn’t the Law redeem man? Why wasn’t it enough? And therefore why wouldn’t it work for God to just write salvation in the sky?  The answer is: for God’s authority to be fully expressed and received there needed to be subjection to that authority as a response.  Without the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross, there could be no redemptive life of the Spirit dwelling in us (no subjection). Without Christ we would be forever left with only self-will and the action of “sacrifice,” – we would never be able to achieve “obedience.”  Why is that you wonder?

Quoting from Watchman Nee: “Why did Samuel say that ‘obedience is better than sacrifice’? Because even in sacrifice there can be the element of self-will. Obedience alone is absolutely honoring to God, for it alone takes God’s will as its center.” (Spiritual Authority, p13) Nee goes on to explain that for there to be subjection to God – self has to be kept out or excluded from the process. So subjection to God is only possible as one lives in the Spirit (cause self always wants to be in change).  Thus, we can only truly express subjection to God when we are operating in the Spirit and Life of Jesus Christ.

This then, is what the Cross provided for us that the law could not. Yet, beyond this you must realize that all future with God, every blessing, every promise, every benefit is tied to “in Christ.”  There is nothing that can be assured or protected or sustained outside of “in Christ.”  In that place (in Christ), like the verse from Ecclesiates above shows, is the place of all promise. So imagine in the midst of cataclysmic disaster and destruction you hear of an island of safety – where there is only peace and stability, calm and freedom.  That would be an analogy to being in Christ. But you can never have the freedom from harm if you do not venture to that island.  Christ has purchased our salvation and freedom from a sin nature that will always seek to “do it my way.”  He sustains all things with His word of power, and all things are subject to Him (to His authority) – except those things like us who must choose subjection as an act of our will.  As we choose to submit to Him, and to acknowledge His authority over all things, we enter into safety from the controversy of the universe where the enemy attempts to lie, distort, distract, and to deflect us from the truth of God’s authority.

Why was salvation not written in the sky?  Because by your ascent and choice, God wanted to be able to write it on the tablet of your heart in His own handwriting – thus giving us the right and privilege to receive the life of His Son and to bring us into the place of proper submission to acknowledge and experience His true authority.

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