You Can’t Out Give God

Guest Author; Missionary, Ed Tilley

You Can’t Out Give God

Proverbs 11:24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

:25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

(The Living Bible) 11:24-25 It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself.

I’ve lived my life experiencing the blessings of God on our lives! Through all the years of serving Him we have seen that by giving to the work of the Kingdom Of God that He in return blesses us more abundantly. Our son, Shane asked as a young teen if he could have a missionary to support. He never failed all those years to not only support the missionaries, but was blessed in other ways. 

If you are in financial difficulties the way out is through giving to the work of God! Join us in receiving/sharing His blessings!

Davids song (By Pastor Mike Dobbs)

A lone soldier walks down the long palatial corridor. Only the sound of his bronze armor clinking together in cadence with his military stride breaks the silence of the early morning. He pauses for a moment to listen in front of the massive cedar doors of the royal quarters.   He hears the gentle, melodic tones of the royal harp and the voice of King David as he sings to the God of Israel. The king is already up! The soldier rushes away to let the rest of the servants know to get ready for the day.

Inside the royal chamber, a lone figure in plain white linen leans over his old harp and sings before the window.  As usual, he is in the company of his two most dear and faithful friends. His God and the harp he saved up to buy when he was just a teenager- his constant comforting companion! His voice quivers from the emotion evoked by the unmistakable presence he feels in the room. He peers out of the lattice window and watches the sun slowly rise over the Judaean hills, lighting the sky with a myriad of vivid colors of the morning.

His masterful fingers pluck the strings of the harp, and with eyes tightly shut, he sings to the unseen guest in his room! He sings to the One who believed in him when he couldn't believe in himself. He sings to the One who was his Father during the years his earthly father rejected him and treated him as a lowly slave. He sings to the One that his mother told him about as a little child: "He will never leave you or forsake you!" He sings to the One who delivered the mighty Goliath into his hand and kept him unharmed for the many years he was hunted by his father-in-law, King Saul. His song· is intimate and from the very depths of his heart. He understands that his tears do not indicate weakness but ultimate dependence upon his God. His God is the king, and he is just the chief shepherd over God's people! He sings as his soul searches out direction and wisdom from the One in the room. He sings to the Lord, asking Him to order his steps and give him direction to lead the nation. He sings of the past victories God has given His people, and his praises echo off the cedar beams and resound through the halls of his stately palace.

As the sun rises higher in the sky, his voice is no longer a whisper but his voice begins to crescendo with the morning, and the palace of David becomes a source in the earth of heartfelt praise to the God who made it. His song rings through the halls of heaven and falls upon the ear of the Great Creator of All Things, the Ancient of Days. All of heaven is impacted by the sound of one man who has chosen to begin his day with a song of praise! The Almighty raises His hand for the angels to silence their continual song of adoration. All of Heaven stands and listens in rapt attention to the voice of this lowly mortal as he sings of his love for his God!

No wonder David was a man after God's own heart.   No wonder God would later choose to come in the form of a man from the lineage of David. How could God ignore such a man who so desired to be in His presence?  David gave his God the thing He wanted most, attentive love and affection. David provided a place for his God to dwell in his praise and worship! Somehow David realized the Tabernacle and its religious ceremonies of sacrifice was just a temporary substitute of what his God really desired. So he sang and wrote songs so others could sing. His psalms are still an inspiration and an example to us all, of how we can have an intimate relationship with God that is possible through heartfelt praise and worship. David met God every morning with a song and a praise. That special daily time in his royal chamber made King David the mighty man we know today. David gave God his heart in praise, and God gave David an anointed song to sing and share with his people. What a blessed transaction!

God is intently searching for the Davids of today, for those whose consistent morning praise will interrupt the worship service of Heaven and cause the angels to fall silent in awe of a human's love for his great God! I want to be a David!

Learn when to be quiet

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” (Num 13:30)

 

Caleb told the people to be quite. He could see how doubt started to spread in the camp, and tried to stop it by telling them to be still. “Death and life is in the power of the tongue,” the Bible tells us. We can choose if we want to spread doubt or faith, death or life. But Caleb was too late. The damage had already been done. The bad report from the ten spies spread in the camp, and as a result doubt and fear prevailed. 

 

The next time they came to take the land, Joshua said this: “”…You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you…” (Joshua 6:10) Joshua knew by experience that when some of them would see the walls of Jericho and the soldiers on the wall, fear and doubt will try to enter in. But they were not allowed to say a word!! They were not allowed to spread their doubt. Not until he told them to shout together with the others and the walls came crumbling down.

 

I you don’t have any positive to say, you must learn to be quite. Don’t share your negative talk and your doubt. Don’t be the source of doubt and fear. Pray rather that God will give you faith so you can be a Joshua and Caleb of our time.

Dont wear a "faith mask"

Rom 1:16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

 

During the pandemic we were told to wear a facemask. One of the main reasons was that they wanted to avoid that we spread the virus in case we were infected. They would say things like: Keep your germs to yourself. I am not interested to be exposed to your germs, or viruses. If you are not afraid for the virus, that’s is your business, but don’t expose me to it, they would say.

 

Some of the same kind of thinking is behind the idea of demanding us wearing a “faithmask”. By that I mean that they want us to keep silence about our faith. The reason is that this faith is very contagious. And it spreads by sharing it. Faith cometh by hearing the Bible tells us. They say things like: Its ok if you want to believe, but keep your faith to yourself. Don’t expose me for your faith. I don’t want to be infected by your faith.

But we say as Paul: “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20) 

We cannot, and we will not be silent. We are not ashamed of the gospel. Our aim and mission is to start a FAITH PANDEMIC.

Spiritual celebrity

Acts 19:14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.15And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

 One of the greatest desires of young people today is to become a celebrity. Idol, Norway got talent, X factor, the voice, etc etc is just a few of many reality shows that people join, hoping to become the next celebrity. Social media, Youtube and Tik Tok is other platforms people are using to reach their dream of becoming known to this world. 

But as for myself, I have no desires of being known in this world. I would rather become a spiritual celebrity. When I walk down the streets of Oslo, I could care less if people recognize me or not. But I desire that every evil Spirit in the area will say; oh no, Gøran is coming down our street. When I enter into a room, I would rather the Spiritual world recognize who I am, than anyone in this physical world.

 

But the one thing I desire the most is that God recognize me. What would it profit if the whole world knows who I am, but God doesn’t? What nightmare if he asks the question: Who are you? I have never known you. Then it is better to be unknown by this world, as long as heaven knows who I am.

How the enemy views us

 Num 13:33 There we saw the giants the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

 

“We were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in THEIR sight…” They claimed the enemy viewed them as grasshoppers. How could they know? Did they ask them? Or could it be that they assumed the enemy looked at them in the same way they looked at themselves? 

Many times we make the mistake to think that others view us as we view our self. But more important, we think that the enemy views us as we view our self. But when you read the story 40 years later, when God sent in two spies to Jericho, they found that the enemy was trembling for them. 

I believe that if we only could see in us what the enemy sees, we would not say we are as grasshoppers. Because the enemy knows God is with us and in us. His greatest fear is that we will see it ourselves. The main goal of the enemy is to hinder us to see what we are and what we have.

PERCEPTION

 Num 13:33 There we saw the giants the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

 

When Israel failed to conquer the Promised Land it was because of doubt. It was because they looked at themselves in light of the enemy. They should rather have looked at the enemy in the light of their God. Then they would have seen that it was the enemy that was as grasshoppers. A preacher I know ones said that doubt are faith in the enemy. Instead of having faith in God, they had faith in the enemy. 

Another preacher noticed that they said WE were as grasshoppers. The problem in other words, was not just their view on themselves, but also their view on each other. When they looked on their fellow soldier they saw them as insignificant. They viewed them as grasshoppers, and not worth much.  

Do you view your fellow brother and sister as insignificant? Do you believe that God can use them? IF we don’t believe in each other and don’t see the potential God sees, it will affect the outcome of the battle. We cannot fight this battle by ourselves. It is God that will do it through me, and it is God that will do it through my brother and sister. So don’t view yourself or you brother in the light of the enemy, but view them in the light of God.

Den rette timing

 4 Mos 13:1Herren talte til Moses og sa: 2Send noen menn av sted for å utspeide Kana’ans land, som jeg nå vil gi Israels barn!

 

De fleste av oss kjenner historien. 10 av speiderne kom tilbake med en dårlig rapport, og de spredde sin tvil i leiren. Resultatet var at de ikke inntok landet. De måtte gå 40 år ekstra i ørkenen for sin vantro. De inntok landet 40 år senere. Det kunne da være fristende for noen å si at det var ikke den rette timingen den første gangen. Men sannheten var at Gud ville de skulle innta landet den gangen. Det står i dagens vers: ”som jeg NÅ vil gi Israels barn”. Gud var klar, men de var ikke klar. Gud ville, men de ville ikke.

 

Mange ganger når ting ikke skjer, er vi raske til å si at det ikke var den rette timingen. Underforstått at det ikke er den rette timingen for Gud. Selv om . det i noen tilfeller er riktig, tror jeg også at det er mange ting som ikke skjer fordi det ikke er den rette timing for oss. Gud er klar, men vi er ikke klar. Gud vil at vi skal innta løftene. At vi skal beseire fienden. Men vantro og mangel på overgivelse hindrer det som Gud er klar til å gjøre NÅ. Ikke om 40 år. Han har gitt oss nøklene. Han har gitt oss løftene. Han venter på at vi skal innta dem. Ved bønn. Ved faste. Ved utholdenhet og tro. La din bønn i dag være: Gud hjelp meg at jeg er klar når du er klar. Hjelp meg til å følge din timing, og ikke min egen

Pass on your faith to the next generation

 Judges 2:4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. 5And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.

 

They had just finished a great revival meeting. They all repented and wept. They made promises and commitments. They told Joshua that they would serve the Lord. They asked God to forgive them. The future looked bright. 

But then we read in vers 10: 

”… and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.”

 

The Bible tells us that there arose another generation after Joshua that knew not the Lord. How is that possible? That means they went straight home after the meeting where they all cried and repented and promised to serve God and told nothing to their children. The very law they had promised to be committed to told them to teach the words of the law diligently to their children. They did none of that. 

Are you a mother or a Father like that? You are one person in church and another home. You forget about the promises you make on Sundays, and fail to teach your children about the truth? Let us make sure we transfer our faith and commitment to the next generation. Bring the atmosphere from church into your home.

 

 

Give birth to JUDAH

 Gen 29:32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

 

Jacob loved Rachel, and not Leah. For that reason Leah felt rejected. Three times she gave birth to a son, and each time she hoped that things would change. She was hoping to win the love of Jacob. 

She felt that nobody sees me; so she called the first son “SEE a son”. (Reuben) She felt nobody hears me, so she called the second son “Hearing” (Simeon) After the third son she felt that now finally my husband will be joined to me, so she called him “Joined” (Levi). 

But all she experienced every time was disappointment and rejection. When she got the forth son, she had no expectations. She simply said I will praise the Lord, and called him “Praise” (Judah). That’s when things changed in her life. When she decided to praise the Lord in spite of disappointments and in spite of hurt and rejection something changed. When she made up her mind that whatever happens I will Praise the Lord. If I receive love or rejection I will praise the Lord. Because the day Jacob died, he requested to be buried beside Leah, and not Rachel.

 

When we make up our minds to Praise the Lord no matter what happens, and no matter what we face or go through, God will bless us. When we praise him, HE will see us, HE will hear us, and HE will be joined to us. Maybe you have given birth to Reuben, Simeon and Levi? Maybe you want people to see you, or hear you. Maybe you are looking for love and affection, and someone to be joined to? Give birth to Judah, and start praising the Lord in spite of it all. Then things will change in your life.

Is your life a stage or an altar?

 Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world...

God has called us to build an altar, and not to be like this world. This world wants us to build a stage. A stage is a place where YOU are the focus. Where YOU get the glory. Where you are seen and get the attention. A stage is a place of performance. 

An altar is a place of sacrifice. Where you die. Where your pride and self-will die. An altar is the place where you don’t get any attention, but where you are eliminated. An altar is the opposite of performance. You don’t have to do anything, but lying there. A dead person doesn’t perform!  

God called us to take up our cross and follow after him. It doesn’t only mean we have to sacrifice a lot of things, or many painful situations. It also means I don’t have toperform. I live no longer myself. That means my will is dead, but it also means my works and struggle is dead too. No more performance. No more stage. 

Churches that are a reflection of the world build stages. Places of performance. But churches according to Gods heart build altars. They focus on prayer and repentance. They focus on holiness. If you want Gods blessings on your life, then step down from your stage, and present your body a living sacrifice!! 

Have you checked the signature?

Eph 3:15 "of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named"...

For those investing money in art and in painting, it is of most importance that what they buy is authentic. It can be two paintings looking 100% the same to the naked eye, but one is authentic, and the other is a counterfeit. If it is a counterfeit, it looses all of its value. When it comes to expensive art, the value of the painting is all in the signature. Its not the colors or the frame that gives it value. Not even the picture itself. It’s the signature that ties the painting to the artist that gives it value. Our value lies totally in the signature. We don’t have value in ourselves. It is the signature of Jesus that gives us the value. 

In the Old Testament, God put his name on Israel by them keeping the law, and his blessing. “And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.” (Num 6:27)

In the New Testament God puts his name on us in baptism. That’s when he gives us his name. He puts his signature on us. If you don’t have his name, you are a counterfeit. 

”Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

Have you checked your signature?

The way of Balaam

 2 Pet 2:15 which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 

 

The story of Balaam seems a bit strange at first. Because when you read the story in the OT it seems like he was hearing from and following Gods word. When Balak the King wanted Balaam to curse Israel, he made it clear that he could nothing against Gods word. Balaam refused 4 times to curse Israel, since God told him not to, and blessed Israel instead. So why is Peter saying this about Balaam? One verse in the OT reveals this. Num 31:16 tell us that Balaam counseled the Midian women to seduce the men of Israel to commit adultery with them. In that way Israel brought curse upon them selves. Balaam had no power to bring curse upon Gods people, but instead he got them to bring curse upon them selves.

 

This is what the Devil is doing today as well. He has NO power over Gods people. He can’t curse you, or bring any bad things upon you. But he knows Gods word. So instead he seduces you to bring curse upon yourself. Paul says CURSED is anyone who doesn’t love the Lord. So if the Devil can make you love the world and not love the Lord, he makes YOU bring curse upon yourself. Paul said if anyone preaches another gospel than him let him be accursed. So if the Devil can make you change or twist the gospel, he makes you bring curse upon yourself.

 

The bottom line is this: The Devil has no authority over our lives. All he can do is to cause us to do it. So as long as we stay close to God, and love God and not the things of this world, we are under the blessings of God, and the Devil cannot reach us.

 

Pandemic of fear

 Luk 21:25  And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

 

There is another pandemic that is spreading around the world in the shadow of the Covid 19 pandemic. That is the pandemic of fear. Fear is spreading rapidly, and it is paralyzing people like never before. We could see during the pandemic how fear started to spread. People were afraid of getting infected. Some were afraid of restrictions, while others were afraid of the lack of restrictions. Some were afraid of their jobs, and some were afraid of the world economy. Fear continues to spread. There is fear of world war 3 and nuclear weapons. It is fear of pollution and destruction of life in the ocean. It is fear of climate changes and terror. The list is so long. I had two colleagues that told me they stopped watching news because of fear.

2 Tim 1:7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.Fear is a spirit. And it will soon control your life if you let it. Fear of being rejected… Fear of not being loved… Fear of not being seen or recognized…

 

But God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of POWER. That is the Holy Ghost. 

And of Love… That is the result of the Holy Ghost

And of a sound mind… That is the result of Love. 

A man or woman controlled by fear, doesn’t have a sound mind. But perfect love casteth out all fear. Be filled with the Holy Ghost. Let LOVE flow in your life, and fear will have no power over you

Freedom and bondage

 John 19:10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?

 

Pilate claims and believes he has the power to release Jesus, but Pilate makes two mistakes. He assumes Jesus is bound, and he thinks he can offer him freedom. But truth is not bondage. The world looks at us and thinks that we are bound. They think that living for God and being a Christian is bondage. They think living a holy life is bondage. But Jesus was not bound. He made it clear that Pilate had no power over him, and that he could call for a legion of angels anytime. Then Pilate thought he could offer Jesus freedom. I have the power to give you freedom… Likewise the world thinks they can offer you freedom, but they don’t have that power. It looks like freedom right away, but soon they will find that drinking alcohol and partying is not freedom, but it rather leads to bondage. Immorality and having sex outside of marriage is not freedom, but will lead to bondage. Living in sin is not freedom. Just like Pilate had a wrong conception of truth, he also had a wrong conception of freedom and bondage.  

Your consept of truth

 John 18:38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?

 

I believe the question of Pilate reveals a wrong conception of truth. Because truth is not a “what”, but truth is rather a “who”! When you search for truth in a “what”, you will search through philosophy, but you will not find truth in philosophy. You will search through political programs and manifests. But truth is not found in politics. You search for truth in religion and religious dogmas. But truth is not found in religion. Because truth is not a what! Truth is a person. Jesus said I AM THE TRUTH. When you find Jesus you find the truth. When you receive Jesus, you receive the truth. And when Jesus enters in you he promised that the Holy Ghost should guide you into all truth.

Too many people live their lives searching for answers and searching for the truth. We should tell them not to do the same mistake as Pilate. Change your perspective and concept of truth. Jesus is not A truth. Jesus is not a part of truth. He is THE truth.

No neutral ground

 Matt 27:24When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

 

Pilate had been warned by his wife that he shouldn’t have anything to do with this righteous man. Pilate tried to avoid that anything should happen to Jesus, but when he found out he was not able to do anything without causing a lot of trouble and consequences, he washed his hands, and told the people to do it. He said: You do it. I don’t want to be part. But by doing nothing, he had already chosen side. Pilate thought he could wash his hands, and stay neutral. But what he didn’t realize was that there is no neutral ground in the Kingdom of God. 

A lot of people have not taken any stand for or against. They want to stay neutral. They say things like: I will wait till I am dead. Then I will see if there is any God or not. Then I will find out the answers to my questions. Its not that I am against Jesus, I only choose not to take any side. I am either for or against him. I am neutral. Let the others criticize, and let the others blaspheme. I wash my hands… But there is no neutral ground in his Kingdom. Jesus said that he that is not with me is against me.

On the day of Pentecost this became very clear and evident, when Peter pointed his finger to the crowd and accused them for crucifying Jesus Christ. If you have not taken a stand FOR him, and been born again, you are on the same side as those who crucified him

When truth meets grace

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

 

The law was given by Moses, while grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. It could be said in another way: the law given by Moses revealed the truth… Because the law was Gods tool to reveal the truth about us, that we are sinners. Paul said it this way to the romans: “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law…” (Rom 7:7) In other words, if it hadn’t been for the law, I wouldn’t have known that I am a sinner. The law reveals who I truly am, and why I cant face God. If I face God with the “truth” about myself, his automatic reaction will be to reject me. Gods natural reaction will be wrath and judgment, because he is holy and just, and cant be in the presence of sin. I cannot face God with truth alone. I need another element. That’s the element Jesus added. He did not come with truth alone, but with truth and grace. When truth meets grace, it releases power. We need both! Not only grace, and not only truth, but truth AND grace.

Truth tells me who I am, but grace tells me who I will become.

Truth tells me what I deserve, grace tells me what I can get.

Truth reminds me of my past, but grace reminds me of my future.

Truth tells me that I am lost, but grace tells me I can be saved.

But in order for grace to come into effect, we must first embrace truth. Only when we take truth to grace it brings power and salvation. Repentance is first of all a confession of truth. A confession that I am a sinner and need Gods grace. Then I take my “truth” till Calvary and let truth meet grace. Then I receive peace. The Psalmist says it this way: ”Mercy and truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” (Psalm 85:10)

When truth meets grace, we receive the righteousness that was not given us by the law alone. Then we receive peace with God. 

But grace does not kiss a lie. That’s why a true biblical repentance is necessary. We need to come to the knowledge of truth. “…who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth…” (1 Tim 2:4)

 

When we see and acknowledge who we are, go to Jesus and ask for forgiveness, that’s when truth meets grace, and the result is righteousness and peace.

Når nåde møter sannhet

 Joh 1:17 For loven ble gitt ved Moses, nåden og sannheten kom ved Jesus Kristus.

 

Loven ble gitt ved Moses, mens nåden og sannheten kom ved Jesus Kristus. Hva var loven? Loven var Guds verktøy for å åpenbare for oss sannheten. Sannheten om oss selv. Sannheten om at vi er syndere.  Paulus sier det slik til romerne: ”jeg kjente ikke synden uten ved loven.” Loven åpenbarte synden for meg. I møte med loven får jeg se hvem jeg er, og hvorfor jeg ikke kan komme til Gud. For dersom jeg kommer til Gud med min ”sannhet” vil Guds automatiske reaksjon være å støte meg fra seg. Guds automatiske reaksjon vil være vrede og dom, for han er hellig og rettferdig, og kan ikke være i nærheten av synd. Så jeg kan ikke møte Gud med min sannhet alene. Jeg trenger et element til. Det er dette elementet Jesus kom med. Han kom ikke bare med sannhet, men med nåde og sannhet. Når Nåde og sannhet møter hverandre blir det mektig. Vi trenger begge deler.

Omvendelse er først en erkjennelse av sannheten. En erkjennelse at jeg er en synder og trenger Guds nåde. Så tar jeg ”sannheten” min til Golgata, og lar sannhet møte nåde. Da får jeg FRED. Hør hvordan salmisten beskriver det: Salm 85:11 Nåde og sannhet skal møte hverandre, rettferd og fred kysse hverandre.

Når nåde og sannhet møtes, oppnår vi den rettferdighet som ikke ble gitt ved loven alene. Da får vi fred med Gud.

Men nåden kysser ikke løgn. Det er nettopp derfor sann bibelsk omvendelse er nødvendig. Vi må komme til sannhets erkjennelse. ”han som vil at alle mennesker skal bli frelst og komme til sannhets erkjennelse.” (1 Tim2:4)

Når vi ser og erkjenner hvem vi er, og går til Jesus med det og ber om tilgivelse, ja da møter sannhet nåde og resultatet er fred og rettferdighet.

Sorrow or joy

 Matt 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

 

Acts 8:39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

 

Here we find two different men that were given a choice. The choices they made influenced their walk in life. One walked away sorrowful, while the other walked away joyful. All based on the choices they just made. The choices we make today will determine how we shall live tomorrow. Do you want a life of joy, or do you want a life of sorrow. Even though the answer seems simple, it is sometimes difficult choices we have to make. Because it is hard for the flesh to understand that when we hold on to the things we think will bring us joy, its actually robbing us for joy. The rich young ruler had great possessions. He had a lot of money. But still he had no joy. What Jesus had to offer in exchange to his possessions, didn’t seem too tempting. But for all of us that have experienced the life changing power of Jesus, we can testify that there is nothing this world can offer that can compare to the joy that comes out of a deep relationship with Jesus. 
Are you sorrowful, or joyful? If you are sorrowful, maybe you are holding on to things Jesus wants you to let go of? True blessings are not possessions. The greatest blessing of all is Jesus Christ!!

Living on another level

 Is 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

Gods ways are HIGHER than our ways. His ways is on another level. Down here on earth there are many different ways. Every way leads in different direction. But no matter what way you will choose in life, they all end up at the same place. If you start walking in one direction, and never turn, you will eventually end up at the same place. If you then turn to the left and start walking, you will still end up at the same place. No matter direction you go, you will still end up at the same place. This is because of gravity that drags you down and so when you have walked around the earth, you end up at the same place.

The same is true about your Spiritual life. No matter what life philosophy, religion, or valuesystem you choose to follow, you will still end up at the same place called hell. Its because something called sin that drags you down to this level, and make sure you end up at the same place. 

But Jesus is not just another direction. While Buddah says, go this way, and Muhammed says go this way, humanism says go this way, and your lifecoach says go this way. Jesus say I AM the way. And my ways are on another level. They are HIGHER than your ways.

 

God will not come down to our level, but he invites us up to his level. He will not be part of our plans, but he invites us to be part of his plans. When we walk in the Spirit, we are walking on another level. The Devil has no access to this level. That’s why he always is trying to tempt us back to the carnal level where he can attack us. If we walk in the Spirit, we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Jesus said it this way: The Son of man which IS in heaven… He was walking on earth, but at the same time he was in heaven. He was on another level. So he wants us to walk on another level. My friend was born again while in prison. This level told him he was bound, and in prison, while the other level told him he was free. This level might tell you that you are sick, while the other level tells you that you are healed. This level might tell you that you are worth nothing, while the other level tells you that you are valuable. This level might tell you there is no hope, while the other level tells you about the blessed hope we have. 

So we can choose. What level do we want to live on? This level with all its misery and attacks, or Jesus level where the enemy can’t reach us?

IF THAT IS YOU

 Matt 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

 

This is a very strange verse and statement. Try to put yourself in Peter’s situation. He is in a boat that is facing a huge storm. He has already seen and experienced Jesus calming a storm. He knew what Jesus was capable of. So wouldn’t the natural response be: If that is you, please calm this storm? If that is you, please give us a miracle. If that is really you, and you really are what you claim to be, then command the wind to be still. But instead, Peter said: If that is you, bid to come to you on the water. By this statement, Peter makes it clear that he is more interested in Jesus than he is in his miracle. If I can only have you, I don’t care about this storm I don’t worry about this situation. If I can only have you… If that is really you, please let me come to you!

 

What would you be most interested in? Jesus or the miracle? The truth of the matter is this. If you get Jesus, you also get your miracle. Seek ye first… When he had Jesus, Jesus also stilled the storm. 

BE OF GOOD CHEER

Matt 14:24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

 

What a message to receive when you are in a storm, not knowing if you will go down or not. Not knowing if you will survive the night. “Be of good cheer…” How could Jesus possibly tell them to be of good cheer, when they were in this desperate situation? There are two reasons why they could be of good cheer in this situation. 

1)    Jesus said: “It is I”. In the original text it says, “I am”. That is the very well known name of God from the Old Testament. Its like Jesus is saying, don’t worry, because I have ALL power in heaven and in earth. I am the “I am”. There isn’t any storm I cannot still, or any mountain I cannot move. 

2)    Now I am here. Not only am I able. Not only am I God revealed in the flesh. But now I am here with you.

We can be of good cheer in the midst of our storm, and in the midst of our problems, even before they are solved. As long as we know Jesus is with us, and as long as we know he is in our situation, we can be encouraged. 
Jesus said the same to his disciples in John 16:33 ”These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

You WILL have tribulation, but remeber when you face them that I have overcome the world, so… BE OF GOOD CHEER