Remembering

This is the time of year when people tend to look back on things and want to remember. If you read the news you will see articles talking about the many aspects of life within 2010 or the entire decade itself. The Top Ten Sports moments, Top Ten Movies of the Year, News Events, Politics, Technology, Crime, Scandals, People who Died, People who "Changed" things, ......The List goes on. At the end of a year and the end of a decade our news-based cultures become nostalgic and reflective in various ways. People want to remember.

Within God's Kingdom, remembering takes on a whole new dynamic. For us, remembering comes in two forms. First, it's about remembering our past in light of God's work. That's the first part of it.

"Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced." Psalm 105:5

We need to remember what and how he has done things in our lives. We need to remember the miracles, the provision, the words, the relationships and yes, we need to be mindful of his judgments. God judges his people through discipline and love. He judges our flesh and cleanses us from sin through discipline.

"But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world." 1 Corinthians 11:31,32

"For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" 1 Peter 4:17

We need to remember what the Lord has taken us through, what he has changed in us and how bad it sometimes hurt. We need not repeat the same mistakes and slow down our development. We need to remember what has taken place in context of our relationship with the Lord. Sometimes for me, the easiest way for me to remember is to both talk to the Lord and ask him to remind me. And with that, sometimes the way he reminds us is through each other. I am often spurred in my memory by conversations with my close friends and with my wife. We need to sit down with others, specifically with our spouses, have a cup of joe-joe and prayerfully talk about the past. This helps us to remember. This is the first aspect of "remembering."

But in God's kingdom their is a second aspect of remembering. This is the one I am eager to discuss. Let me tell you a story.

In August of 1997 I found myself being moved by the Lord to Albuquerque, New Mexico. While doing so I went to re-register my car insurance with a state of NM insurance agent. When they processed my application they told me that my insurance would run a certain amount a month. I felt that the quote was a little to high for the make and model of my car. The lady at the insurance agency explained to me that the reason the quote was higher than normal was that I had had two speeding tickets in the past few years. I told her that there must be some mistake, that I could only remember having one speeding ticket in the past several years, not two. She showed me the driving records and it stated that the second ticket was received in Plano, TX about 2 years before. I was a little perplexed as I couldn't remember when I had gotten this ticket.

I went home and prayed about it. I was standing between the dining room and the kitchen when all of the sudden I saw myself driving east bound on Plano Pkwy in Plano, TX during the summer of 1995. Right before I got to the Coit Rd. intersection I could see a police officer step out from behind the bushes on the south side of the road right in front of a real estate office and direct me into the parking lot where another officer would be waiting to write me a speeding ticket. All of the sudden, I remembered. I remembered when and how it happened. The Holy Spirit reminded me by spurring my memory. The Holy Spirit wants to control and directs all data storage in our brains and he can draw up memories as it serves the Lord's purpose for our lives. Why do you think the scriptures say the following?

"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:26

The Holy Spirit reminds us. We remember, by the Spirit. We hear God's voice at times simply by remembering something. Remembering is a way of God talking to us in the present moment. Let me give you two examples in scripture of this happening to God's servants. Take a look.

"Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, 'You are spies!'" Genesis 42:8


"As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'" Acts 11:15,16

By the Spirit we see Joseph, now Prime Minister of Egypt, remembering his dreams so he has an understanding of why he is finally seeing his brothers after all these years. He remembered his dreams and saw them bowing before him as a fulfillment of what God had once spoken to him over twenty years before. Joseph was remembering by the Spirit. He heard the Spirit speaking to him through a spirit of remembrance.

By the Spirit we see Peter remembering what Jesus had once spoken to him in person. This gave him the understanding to be accepting of the situation which was the very fact that God was opening the door of faith to the Gentiles, specifically at Cornelius' house. God was moving around him and helped him to accept things by remembering what was once spoken to him. Peter remembered by the Spirit. He heard the Spirit speaking to him through a spirit of remembrance

Remembering is a way that God talks to his people. We pray and then remember where we set our car keys. We remember that we forgot to lock the front door before driving to the store. We remember to pray for someone who is having surgery today. We remember, we remember, we remember. God speaks to us and we remember. He reminds us.

Ask the Lord to help you remember. And as you remember, pay attention and rejoice. This is God's voice. Remember.

Be Blessed,
JEB
http://www.miraclesinmerida.blogspot.com/.

If things are tight...

We'll, it's the holiday season and I have good news for those of you that are financially strapped or running on a tight budget. Use your tithe on your Holiday Needs!!! The Israelites did.

"Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice." Deuteronomy 14:22-26

Did you see that? The Israelites were commanded to eat the tithe and to buy whatever they wanted for themselves and rejoice in the presence of the Lord. They were commanded to spend their tithe on themselves as they appeared before the Lord at their festivals. Which festivals? The Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering. See Exodus 23:14-19. And when they appeared in Jerusalem for these festivals they were commanded to use their tithes for both sacrifices (gifts to the Lord) and for their personal needs. That's right. Personal needs.

It's one thing to be a millionaire. It's another thing all togther to be living month-to-month. If things are tight and yet God has placed it on your heart to hold dinner at your house or buy your kids presents or buy gifts for the poor.....be open to using your tithe money to do so. The scriptures say this is ok with God as long as the Spirit leads you to it. Obviously, we need to pray and ask about all things. I am not encouraging anyone to skip that step. What I am saying is to be open to hear the Lord say this to you. In the past he has spoken it to others. I believe he still does so in the present.

"Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality." 2 Corinthians 8:13

If things are tight, and yet you have need to spend the money, I believe it is ok to hear the Lord on this. But again, you need to pray because ultimately everything that does not come from faith is sin (Romans 14:23).

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 2:7


Greetings and God Bless during this holiday season.

JEB
http://www.miraclesinmerida.blogspot.com/.

Children's Outreach

Last Saturday Christine and the kids and I went with a group from our church to minister to a neighborhood of children on the southside of Merida. A lady in our church knows a woman in this neighborhood who runs a food pantry for children in her community. Many Meridian families are very poor and because of this meals can be skipped. The lady who runs the food pantry feeds about 80 children each day straight out of her own home. The food she feeds the children come straight from donations through both local businesses and from the Mexican government. Let me show you some pictures of how the night unfolded.

This is our group upon arrival. We are standing in front of the home where the food pantry is run. The building....i.e. her home can be seen directly behind the fence on the right hand side. Joseph is in the front. Joel and I are in the back on the right.

Apologies for the lack of resolution on the picture. We are using Joseph's Nintendo DS which has a camera option on it.

The lady standing in the front on the far left in the blue and white shirt is the one who runs the pantry from her home.

This is our group setting up for a puppet show. It was a basic set up with PVC pipe and cloth curtains to hide behind. It took about 45 minutes to set up because the guy that designed it didn't come with us and no one else had set it up before.

This actually worked in our favor as it gave us more time to see a larger crowd gather around us for the presentation of the gospel.

The place where we are setting up is a public park directly across the street from the food pantry.

The puppet show got up and running (above left), but not until some of our group sang and danced with the children (above right). We brought our own stereo/sound equipment (not pictured). It was very loud and the sound of the music just brought people from everywhere.

About half way through we stopped and passed out candy while we set up for the second half of the presentation. The little boy on the right was getting overlooked in the mad dash for the candy so I took him by the hand and walked him through the crowd to get his share. He is a very handsome little fella. I think his name was Roberto.

This is Roberto's mother and little sister, Vanessa Jacqueline. I don't know if you can tell but she has no fingers on her right hand. Her mother was explaining to me that when Vanessa turns two the doctors want to operate on her hand.

She asked me if I wanted to hold her so of course I did. We took her hand and prayed over her that God would heal her. Her mother was very attached to Christine. She wanted to know all about us and why we were there. She just wanted to be around Christine the whole time even though they couldn't communicate very well.

At this point we set up and presented the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. We had a tri-pod set up with flanel graph pictures showing step-by-step spiritual principles: the fall of man into sin, our seperation from God through sin, God's love for humanity and his plan of redemption for us through his son Jesus Christ.

I think it is safe to assume this is the first time these people (adults and children) had heard the gospel being shared with them. This is a Roman Catholic culture historically. Many of the children raised their hands to receive Jesus.

I was invited to attend a pastor's conference in Kentucky back in 2002. Rocky Malloy with Mission Generation was invited to preach at this gathering of ministers. Rocky and his wife Joske and their children live in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. They founded Rio de Vida church in Santa Cruz many years ago.

While at the conference he told us that most people in Bolivia live in houses about the size of a master bathroom or bedroom. It was always difficult for me to picture the reality of this in my mind until I moved to Mexico with my family this year. This is a picture of a house across the street from the park. These are the types of homes that most of the children pictured  above actually live in. This home is about the size of a small bedroom. This was typical of the entire area. Many of these homes have broken windows, holes in walls..... Material poverty is common in Latin America.

The picture to the left is of the inside of the courtyard/fence of the lady who feeds these children. The picture above right is where the children eat. She feeds 80 kids on average each day.

This is our group from Iglesia Bautista Norte after finishing up. The lady on the back right is the one who feeds the local children.

She was very gracious to invite us in. Jesus told the disciples that when they entered a new town or area to look for the one who would welcome them (Matthew 10:11-14). Even though she is not a Christian she did welcome us. This can only be God's favor.

Pray for us that God would continue to give us favor and open doors for our message (Colossians 4:3).

"I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for the harvest." Matthew 11:35

After we went to this event I told my wife that I don't think I had ever seen a group of people, entire neighborhoods, that were as ready to receive as this one. Pray for us that we would go forth in power representing the Lord well. We need you to pray for us.

God Bless,
J.E. and family
http://www.miraclesinmerida.blogspot.com/.

Knowledge

The Lord speaks directional wisdom to his people. His sends us down a clear path from season to season. This path leads us to works that we are called to do. Ephesians 2:10 is clear about his. We are created in Christ to do good works which have been prepared in advance for us to do. We are called to work in him. Jesus and the Father work in us and among us to this very day.

"Jesus said to them, 'My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.'" John 5:17

"Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it." Mark 16:20

The Father works. Jesus works. We work. We work with the Lord as we go forth in his wisdom. Wisdom is clear direction. And that clear direction is accompanied by plans and strategies. In the last post we talked about Proverbs 8:12 in great detail.

"I wisdom dwell together with prudence; I posses knowledge and discretion." Prov 8:12

We took a good hard look at three of the four. Now we need to do a deep-dive into knowledge. As the Lord gives us clear direction with plans and strategies, as we are receiving wisdom and understanding from the Lord, there are certain bits of spiritual knowledge that need to accompany us along the way. These are things that will keep us steadfast in the work that the Lord has commanded us to do on his behalf. Knowledge blends in with clear direction with plans and strategies. It blends in and holds the other three steady.

One day in September of 2001 I was driving northbound on Hwy 820 in west Ft. Worth while taking our oldest son Kevin to school. I was passing Troy Aikman Ford right at the corner of Camp Bowie (Hwy 80) and Hwy 820 when all of the sudden, just as clear as day, I heard the Lord speak to me about various facets of this thing called "Knowledge."  There are pieces of knowledge that accompany us as we go forward in warfare. There are things that need to be developed within our minds that keep us steady and stable in the fight. We are going to need to know, believe and abide in certain things if we are going to hold fast in Wisdom and Understanding on a continual basis.  The following is my list of 8 pieces of spiritual knowledge. The first six I heard on that day in September, 2001. The last two have been added to the list since that day. The following is what I heard.

1) The time is short. We are a mist. Number your days.

"What I mean brothers is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in it's present form is passing away." 1 Corinthians 7:29-31

"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" James 4:13-15

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

2) Be Prepared. Make the most of every Opportunity. Be dressed, ready for service, and keep your lamps burning.

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15

"Make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:5,6

"Be dressed, ready for service and keep your lamps burning." Luke 12:35

3) Be Quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.

My dear brothers, take not of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19

4) Do not worry beforehand about what to say.

"But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." Matthew 10:19,20

"...the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it." John 12:49

5) Arm yourself with an attitude of suffering.

"Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God." 1 Peter 4:1,2

6) Trust in God's Financial Provision. It is Constant.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds...." Matthew 6:25-34

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

"Be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" Hebrews 13:5

"Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, ....Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years." Deut 8:2,4

"Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, ...." Psalm 23:6

"He will be our guide even unto death." Psalm 48:14

"You will guide me with your wisdom and counsel and afterwards receive me into the glories of heaven."  Psalm 73:24

"Trust in the Lord forever." Isaiah 26:4

7) Don't Complain. God works in all things for our good. Give thanks in all circumstances.

"Do everything without complaining or arguing,..." Philippians 2:14

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

"Give thanks in all circumstances..." 1 Thess 5:18

8) God will vindicate us.

"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord." Romans 12:19


We could sit down over coffee and tea and talk of these things for hours.  But the scriptures that are quoted speak for themselves.

Brethren, time is short and we need to make use of the bit of time God has given us. We need to be wholeheartedly focused on hearing him and entering into his work. The time is short. Work while it is still day. Night is coming when no man works. I just turned 40 years old. I remember when I was a 17 year old kid throwing my own mother a surprise party for her 40th birthday. And now I'm 40. Twenty-three years went by just like that. Amazing. We are a mist and then we are gone. Live for the Lord!!!

Be prepared....at a moment's notice. I remember when I was about 8 years old. I was at soccer practice one day and while playing I heard my name being called. I turned around to see who it was. It was my dad standing on the side of the practice field. He called me over to him and told me to come with him. I didn't know where we were going and was a bit taken back as I was right in the middle of practice. He took me and walked me to another field at the soccer complex where another team of boys was practicing. I looked around at them. They were all bigger than I was. My dad took me and put me on another team where all of the players were two years older than myself. I had already mastered my age group. I received an unexpected promotion of sorts. Be ready brethren because your name could get called and you could get promoted to a higher level. Be ready, dressed for service and keep your lamp burning. Be ready!!!

Listen first. Listen to the words of others and listen to the Lord. Talk to the Lord and ask for words to speak. The Lord will speak with power through us. But we must first listen. Many years ago I worked as a valet in front of a very high profile hotel in downtown Dallas. While there I had been witnessing to another  young man who wouldn't respond to my Christian witness. It really frustrated me at how hard-hearted this man was. One day while working we both happened to find ourselves standing outside the hotel while a very well-known "fallen" televangelist walked out of the hotel and got in his car. The young man looked at me and said, "See, it's guys like that that keep me from believing in God." Immediately God spoke through my mouth and said, "Yes, but you keep rooting for the Dallas Cowboys while many of their players are in trouble with the law." You would have thought I had punched him in the face. He was visibly disturbed for some time. God exposed his hypocrisy. Listen and pray first. Talk second. 

Arm yourself for trials. The path is narrow and few take it. As we walk in his direction with plans and strategies we are at times going to find ourselves in financial, physical and social trials. It comes with the territory. Arm yourself for it. All who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted the Lord of Glory they will persecute us. No man escapes this. No one.

In spite of what we go through, God provides. He never stops providing for us according to his riches and glory. Spiritual, mental, emotional and physical support and deliverance are ours. In spite of the pain there is healing and growth. Embrace his provision and trust in it. It never ends. He provided for the Israelites for 40 years in the desert. If he needed to do it for 50, 60, whatever...He could have done it. He hasn't changed. Still to this day he moves mountains, brings water from the dry rock and manna from Heaven. He will be our guide even unto death. He guides us with his wisdom and counsel and afterwards receives us unto glory. Trust in his provision. It is a constant thing!

Don't complain. God will cause things to work on our behalf. Give thanks knowing that this is true. Remember, we are sheep. Sheep need a shepherd. We have a shepherd that manages not only the intimate details of our lives but also how our lives work in conjunction with everything in this world. All things were created by Christ and for Christ. And in Christ all things hold together. (See Col 1:16,17). Everything exists and works for our benefit as we do his work to change the world. This is sometimes difficult to believe when the battle rages. Nevertheless, God's word holds true.

God has your back. He will vindicate the righteous. He will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. If you belong to Christ you are Abraham's seed and heirs of this promise (Gal 3:29). He has your back. God slays the wicked in due season. The Psalmist says that the righteous will be glad and rejoice when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked (Psalm 58:10). "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood (Rev 6:9)? ...... The sins of some men trail behind them. Others go before them, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them. (1 Tim 5:24). God will avenge the righteous, both in this life and in the life to come. You can count on it.

We have more to discuss brethren but I think we are at a saturation point for today. A sponge can only hold so much water. I hope this helps you on your journey. Find God's wisdom, prudence and discretion for your day. And know these things along the way. Knowledge of these principles holds us steady in the high-calling of God.

In Christ,

JEB
http://www.miraclesinmerida.blogspot.com/.

God's Plans

I think one of the things that I struggled with the most in the early years of my walk was to believe that the Father had a day to day, season to season plan for my life. This was difficult for me to learn. It was at times hard for me to comprehend that God has a vested interest in my development. It was hard for me to believe that he wanted to speak with me about very specific things and be involved in the intimate details of my life. It has been a process for me. This is something that I have had to learn, sometimes with difficulty. But I can now testify, with satisfaction, that I understand that there is a plan. There is a plan.

Over the course of time, as we journey with the Lord, we should come to understand that God created us with very specific intentions. We are not just born by happenstance with the purpose of living a random existence. No. We are to live with a specific purpose. Each and every one of us. God creates men and women with a specific purpose in mind as to how he wants them to live out their lives. Consider the following scriptures.

"The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:4,5

"We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

We should learn that before we are even in our mother's womb, God knows us. We exist in his mind and thoughts even before we come forth into this world physically. We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for very specific works which are prepared in advance for each one of us. All of our lives, all of God's purpose for us, all of our steps are intended to be ordered of Him even before we begin to take on human form. All of our workmanship and all of God's purpose for us is set in order from eternity, even before time began.


With this in mind we can rest in the assurance that he has our lives planned out in context of the workings of all things. God foreknows us and God predestines us for a specific path with a specific purpose.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." Romans 8:28

"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,..." Ephesians 1:11

Our part in this is to choose that which God has chosen for us. Yes, we are predestined. But that path of predestination in Christ must be chosen by us if we are to see the will of God fully manifest in our lives. Let me say that again. We must choose the path that God predestined for us. And as we choose his path he wants us to learn that he is very strategic in his approach to us. The Lord is incredibly strategic. He is a master administrator. God by his very nature is a strategic administrator. This includes how he approaches every detail of our lives from day to day and season to season. Now with that in mind consider the following verse.

"I wisdom dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion." Proverbs 8:12

Consider this verse. Memorize it because we are going to come back to it alot today and I don't want to bore you with having to type it over and over again. Take a look at it again. Wisdom dwells with prudence and it possesses knowledge and discretion. Let's break it down.

In Proverbs chapters 2,3,4, and 8, wisdom is referred to as a way, a path or a direction. Read through all four chapters if you need to. Don't just take my word for it. Read it for yourself. Wisdom is a way, a path and a direction that Christ has for us in every situation. Now let's couple this with the meaning of the Greek word used for "wisdom" in James 1:5. Do you remember the verse?

"If any man lacks wisdom he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him." James 1:5

The Greek word used for wisdom in this verse is Sophia. Sophia comes from the Greek word Saphes which means "clarity." So when we couple Proverbs 2,3,4, and 8 with James 1:5, what we can see is that when a man or woman asks for wisdom, what they are in essence asking for is clear direction from God. Wisdom, simply put, is clear direction from God. For you it may be asking for direction on your job situation, where to move to, or some situation where a simple "yes" or "no" is required. Wisdom is a clear way, a clear path, or clear direction that comes from God in a given situation.

And with that understanding we need to remember that Proverbs 8:12 says that Wisdom is accompanied by prudence, discretion and knowledge. When the Lord gives us that clear path, way, or direction he will always allow the other three to accompany it. So what is prudence? What is discretion? And what knowledge is the Lord talking about here? Let's take a look.

Prudence as spoken of in Proverbs 8:12 comes from the Hebrew word Ormah. Ormah comes from the Hebrew word Orem. The word Orem means strategy. So the word Prudence actually means strategy.

The word "Discretion" as mentioned in Proverbs 8:12 comes from the Hebrew word Mezzimah. The word Mezzimah means "plans." So the word "Discretion" actually means "plans."

So if we put Proverbs 8:12 into layman's terms what it really is saying is that clear direction from God always comes with a set of plans and strategies. God speaks to us about his will for our lives through clear direction with sets of plans and strategies.

Now this principle, this truth, is established all through the scriptures. Wisdom is talked about over and over again in both the old testament and the new testament. And quite often, when the word wisdom is mentioned, it is also coupled with either the word "understanding" and/or the word "prudence." I won't bore you with all of the details but know that the word "understanding" and the word "prudence" usually comes from the same root words in both Hebrew and Greek. In both languages they are synonyms of each other. Both words mean the same thing. With that in mind take a look at the following verses.

"Who endowed the heart with wisdom (clear direction) or gave understanding (plans and strategies) to the mind." Job 38:36

"Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom (clear direction). Though it cost all you have, get understanding (plans and strategies)." Proverbs 4:7

"Say to wisdom (clear direction) , "You are my sister," and call understanding (plans and strategies) your kinsman." Proverbs 7:4

"He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers." Proverbs 19:8

"Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding." Proverbs 23:23

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - The Spirit of wisdom and understanding....." Isaiah 11:1,2

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Ephesians 1:8

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding." Colossians 1:9

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by words done in the humility that comes from wisdom." James 1:13

Do you see how the scriptures are replete with passage after passage that refers to God's voice unfolding in clear direction with plans and strategies? Their everywhere. The Lord has plans for his people. The Lord has plans and strategies for our lives that unfold for us as we move in clear direction, down a clear path. God is a God of direction with plans and strategies.

This is not complicated. It's simple. Yet human nature has a tendency to neglect fundamental truth. The Lord knows this. So in His sovereignty he reminds us of simple things over and over again. The Lord will teaches us simple things and then reminds us of them. He has always done this.

"So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you know have." 2 Peter 1:12

"Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard to you." Philippians 3:1

It's good that we allow the Lord to teach us all things and then remind us of them. That we are being reminded of things is a sign of ongoing discipleship in the Lord.

"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:26

The Spirit teaches us about all things and then reminds us of them at a later point in time. Here, for us today, it is to understand and be reminded of the fact that the Lord has every intention of shepherding us through each day, in every detail if we will allow him to do so. We are his workmanship. We were created in Christ Jesus to do certain works. The works he has for us were planned in advance by him. And the way he communicates to us is through Wisdom and Understanding. Wisdom and Understanding is another way of saying direction with plans and strategies.

God speaks to our hearts. And when he does, he does so in direction with plans and strategies. Rest in this. God has a predestined plan. But it must be chosen. Choose it. Ask for it.

"If any man lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5

"Pray to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things that you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3

In Christ,

JEB
www.miraclesinmerida.blogspot.com

"With" to "In"



Why didn't we think of that?

 Growing up as an American kid in the 70's and 80's it seemed like the dividing line between families that had alot of money and families that didn't was having a swimming pool. Back then I hardly knew of anyone that had an in-ground pool. The only people that we knew that did were wealthier people who could pay cash for one. Back then there was no such thing as pool loans. You paid with cash. And in my mind, having a swimming pool was the dividing line between being wealthy and being a middle-class family. If you had one it was a sign of wealth. If you didn't, well, you weren't rich. Simple as that.

In Mexico there are socio-economic divisions that are marked by clear signs that tell which class you are in. It is quite a bit different than the signs one might see in the U.S. Here everyone dresses like a million dollars. Everyone spends money on clothes. Clothing is not one of the signs. But there are two things that families do or don't have here that can tell whether they have crossed over or are crossing over from being poor to becoming a middle class family. One is having a car. Public transportation is a very big deal in Mexico as many people do not have vehicles. I would say at least half of the people in Merida do not have a car.  Many people either walk, ride a bike, ride a motorcyle/moped, take the bus or take a cab. Having a car in Mexico creates a dividing line, a sign that an individual may in fact be progressing or has progressed from one socio-economic level to another.



An individual mini-split A/C unit.   

The second thing that I have noticed here is that people that are progressing from the lower socio-economic class to the middle-class have an ammenity in their homes that many people in the United States see as a basic staple of life: Air Conditioning. Here we have no need for central heat. But I can tell you it is hard to live here year-round without A/C. We were running our air-conditioners every night up until December. However, many people here still do not have air-conditioning. And it can get well over 100 degrees Farenheit here in the month of May. When you combine that with our humidity levels it can feel like 120 degrees outside. Yet, many people here don't buy A/C units simply because they can't afford it. Nor can they afford to pay the increased electric costs that goes with running one.

Over the years I have come to realize that there are things that create spiritual dividing lines within the kingdom of God. These dividing lines are signs or markers that indicate whether or not an individual is progressing from one level to another. Assuming that a person has been born-again in Christ and has crossed over from death to life, an individual must realize that there are signs of progression even within God's Kingdom. Within God's Kingdom there is an initial marker of sorts that indicates that you have progressed to the next spiritual level. We are commanded to move beyond just being born-again. And this dividing line is marked by an event, an experience that affects how we pray, how intimately we hear God, what kinds of giftings we can function in and ultimately how much spiritual jurisdiction the Lord entrusts to us as we progress from season to season. This event, this experience I am referring to is called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts chapters 2, 8, 18 and 19 we see a progression in the lives of Christians from one level to another through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from Heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that seperated and came to rest on each one of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." Acts 2:1-4

"But when they (Samaritans) beleived Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.....When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus (Water Baptism). Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit." Acts 8:12,14-17

"Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He 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." Acts 18: 24-26

"While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' They answered, 'No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.' So Paul asked, 'Then what baptism did you receive?' 'John's baptism,' they replied. Paul said, 'John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.' On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all." Acts 19:1-7


In Acts 2 we see over 100 Christians, men and women who have spent 40 days with the resurrected Christ, receiving the baptism of the Spirit with the evidence of tongues. In Acts 8 we see men and women who have been led to a saving faith in Christ. They have become born-again. But they were men and women who did not have an infilling of the Spirit. And we see them receiving the Spirit at the laying on of the apostles hands. In Acts 18 we see the apostle Apollos (See 1 Cor 4:6,9) in his early years in Christ. He knew the way of the Lord and taught about Jesus accurately. But he was a Christian who needed to cross over to another level, specifically as it pertained to his experience in the baptisms. Priscilla and Aquilla helped walk him through this. They helped him move through to another spiritual level. In Acts 19 we see 12 men receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of tongues and prophesy. These 12 men were already Christians. Verse one in that chapter refers to them as disciples.

What do the Christians in all four chapters have in common? Simply put, the Spirit of God went form being "with" them to being "in" them.

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither see him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." John 14:16,17

From "with" to "in." Jesus told us that there is a progression from "with" to "in." I went through this progression. I first heard about Jesus when I was 8 years old. I had seed planted in my heart that, from that time laid dormant within me until I was 24. At age 24 I gave my heart completely over to the Lord. I began to hear his voice. I began to have dreams and visions. I began to repent from many things. And I was water baptized as a sign of this repentance and obedience to his voice on April 9, 1995. The Spirit was "with" me. He was speaking to me. He was showing me initial steps of repentance and faith to take. But he was not "in" me. He was speaking to my heart which was in me but he, the Spirit of Truth, was not fully in me.

On March 9, 1996 I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit came "into" me. I spoke in the tongues of angels.

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels....." 1 Corinthians 13:1

I pray in the tongues of angels every day as I am with the Lord in prayer. We are commanded to do so. We are to speak to God often and utter mysteries with our spirit by his Spirit.

"For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit." 1 Corinthians 14:1,2

We are commanded to pray both with our minds and with our spirits.

"So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind." 1 Corinthians 14:15

We cannot do both apart from the infilling, the baptism of his Spirit. Once a man receives the baptism of the Spirit he operates in measures of God's grace and ultimately measures of spiritual jurisdiction that he can and would not otherwise.

I have written in previous posts about fundamental facets of Spiritual Prayer. I can tell you plainly that a man or woman can never enter into the fullness of spiritual prayer apart from the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the gift of tongues. You just can't. Often I do not know what to pray for. So I fill in those gaps of time, those periods of time when I am seeking discerment in prayer, with the spiritual tongues of angels.

"We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:27

The resurrected Jesus is the one that baptizes us with his seven-fold Spirit.

"But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Matthew 3:11

"These are the words of him who holds the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars." Revelation 3:1

"The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Sprit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord - and he will delight in the fear of the Lord." Isaiah 11:2,3

And as the resurrected Jesus baptizes us with his seven-fold Spirit, the blessed Holy Spirit, we come into measures of power, grace, gifting, calling and holiness that we wouldn't otherwise.

We are commanded to wait on God in our early days.

"They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength." Isaiah 40:31

"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Acts 1:4,5

We wait on the Lord. In Acts 2,8,18 and 19 we see people that had been waiting on God in some shape or form. They were waiting on the next thing God had form them. The were looking for the next thing in God. As they did, God filled them and they went forward as God allowed them to. But not until they received the infilling. We are commanded to wait for it. The "it" being Him.

We started in the beginning with physical parallels. In every society you can see socio-economic signs that indicate the purchasing power and economic class of each household. In some countries it's a swimming pool, a car or something as simple as air-conditioning. When you see these things they are an indicator of how far someone has progressed financially.

The same applies spiritually. There are indicators in the kingdom of God that show how "enriched" people are spiritually. Certain things show how wealthy people have become spiritually speaking. It's not physical wealth. It's spiritual wealth. Possessing certain things, having certain experiences, can serve as an indication of the progression of spiritual health and wealth in the lives of believers. The Baptism of the Spirit and the power and gifting that flows out of that empowerment is one of the foundational signs of progression and growth, spiritually speaking. It's a sign of progression. It's not the end all. But it will affect what kind of doctrine, counsel, prophesy, gifting and level of empowerment that a believer abides in. And ultimately, whether we want to believe it or not, it is an indicator of how much spiritual maturity a believer will be able to attain.

I have been eager to write about this for some time but have been waiting for the Lord to show me the context in which to do so. This is so fundamental yet so necessary that if not experienced will cause an individual to come to a screeching halt in their relationship with the Lord. It creates stagnancy like you cannot imagine. People can get put on hold for years, decades, even for the rest of their natural lives because of the absence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Don't let this happen to you. God wants to pour out his Spirit in these last days on us and our children. Remember the words of the apostle Peter:

"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgivness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call." Acts 2:38,39 

The promise is for us and our children. Get in the position of receiving. Adopt the doctrine that God has made his Spirit available to us and ask for it. Ask and wait. Ask and wait. If we have it then we need to pray that our children receive it as well. That is where Christine and I are at with our sons.

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" Luke 11:13

Ask of him and wait. Be Baptized in the Holy Spirit.

In Christ,

JEB

P.S. One of my very good friends in the Lord has an 11 year old daughter. She just received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He told that she goes into hours of prayer just praying in the Spirit. Isn't that exciting? Praise God for what he has done and will do for us.