Tag Archives: Potential

Eternal Perspectives

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Excellence, LifeGiving, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Training

A Farmer’s Insurance commercial states, “We know a few things because we have seen a few things”. To that I say, “Amen!”

That statement applies to my own personal life as well as my experience working with people for over 35 years trying my best to help them find and fulfill their God-given eternal purpose.

I must confess that I have no grid for Christians who are still wondering what their life is all about, all the while wandering around in lives that do not match what they have testified to me they believe God has called them to be and do.

Solomon said this in Ecclesiates 3:11 – “He [God] has put eternity in their heart.”

With this being true I often ask people, “Do you live with eternity in view or your immediate felt needs in view?” This is usually the point in the conversation they tilt!

I believe a large portion of the “Christian” population lives in and for the immediate moment rarely ever thinking about how the decisions they are making in this moment will effect their eternal purpose.

For instance, Paul the apostle wrote this to his spiritual children in Corinth. ” 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?  3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?” [1 Corinthians 6]

“Judge the world”?

“Judge matters of this life”?

“Judge angels”?

If Christians do not step into their calling to judge this world they disqualify themselves from ever being called upon to judge in the world to come!

If Christians do not step into their calling to judge this life they disqualify themselves from ever being called upon to judge in the next life!

If Christians do not step into their calling to judge the church they disqualify themselves from ever being called upon to judge angels!

Most Christians believe we have no business judging anything or anyone. I mean didn’t Jesus say, “1 Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can  you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” [Matthew 7].

He did say “do not judge”, but the context of that statement is don’t look past the log in your eye to cast judgment on someone else. In other words, it takes a lot of time, energy and focus to even find a speck [minute problem] in the other person’s eye you are judging. How can you do that and not see the log that is in your own eye? Or, how can you see that speck with that log in your eye?

The context is not about making no judgment. It is about making complete judgements. And it is also about not being a hypocrite judge by being so focused on the insignificant problems in other people’s lives you pretend you do not have anything in your life that you need to address.

Also, Jesus’ next statement after the “do not judge so that you will not be judged” is, “for in the way you judge, you will be judged.” Do you see that His point is the way we judge, not do not judge at all?

“Judgement begins with the household of God” [1 Peter 4:17], and it is supposed to begin with the individual temple [believer] of God. The individual Christian is, and the corporate Body of believers are, the temple of God.

Christians who do not believe we are called to judge do not know the Word of God, or do not believe the Word of God that they know!

If we are to judge the world, this life and angels we need to work on removing logs out of our purview so we can live with a clear view of eternity!

God’s people get involved with people, places and things that in no way are contributing to His eternal purpose for their lives. Needing human companionship, they meet with and in some cases marry people who will never help them find, walk in and fulfill their eternal purpose and potential.

Or, they get involved with people or activities where they have to walk away from [apostasy] their own personal revelation and experiences in God. They have not made a right judgment about their own current call from God [this life] so they will never be called upon to judge the world, angels or the next life.

This is a travesty and great tragedy!

These “believers” say, “I have not abandoned Christ. I totally believe in Him.”

My question to them is, “Then why have you turned away from the Christ [anointing, mission, mandate, message, methods and ministry] that He revealed to you and in you?”

Jesus is denied all the time by people who do not believe the God they say they believe in!

You may believe He provided you a way to get into heaven but you have abandoned His eternal purpose for you to get heaven into earth. My friends, by getting heaven into earth is how we judge the world.

The Lord knows I know too many people who have chosen a spouse, career, job position or promotion that was not equally yoked with them. I know the Bible tells us not to be unequally yoked with an unbeliever [2 Corinthians 6:14], but how many believers have married unbelieving believers who drag them down and away from their own revelation and experiences in God. And how many have taken a position, even in a ministry, that caused them to “deny” the Christ that called them into the ministry?

Trust me, no spouse is better than the wrong spouse! There are a lot of married single Christian people! And that position, promotion and paycheck in ministry is not worth losing our position as judge in the Kingdom of God.

The words “matters of this life” in our 1 Corinthians 6:3 text literally means, “to spend the life, to spend your existence, time, resources, possessions.” In other words, what do we spend our life on? What do we invest our life in? Who do we invest our life in? To make the wrong judgment in these “matters” will make all the difference on if we get all of the life God purposes for us in “this life”, and the next life!

Speaking of judgment and having an eternal perspective, let’s look at what Jesus said to Nicodemus, a teacher of Israel.

“16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

I want to address a few of the important truths found in this text.

  1. Verse 17 – “God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
  2. Verse 18 – “Those who believe in the Son is not judged, but those who do not believe have already been judged because they refused to believe in the name [nature, character, call, mission, mandate, methods and ministry] of the only begotten Son of God.”
  3. Verse 19 – “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.”
  4. Verse 21 – “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Do you notice how Jesus was not sent into the world to judge the world but at the same time His coming into the world brought judgement upon the world?

Do you notice how there can be no salvation apart from judgment?

Do you notice how those who practice truth come to the Light so that their deeds [works] will manifest [come into being and into the view of the world] and be revealed as the works of God? Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” [Matthew 5:16]

In this verse Jesus clearly connects light to good works and God being glorified in them!

Do you notice how the lovers of darkness do not come to the Light?

Where do you stand in relation to Light and darkness?

Have you come to the Light [Jesus Christ]?

Are you manifesting your good works to prove they are wrought by God [God’s works]?

Are you afraid of the Light and being exposed by the Light?

Do you love darkness, and if you do why do you love it?

If you have experienced the Light why on earth would you dare venture back into that which is not Light?

Is your perspective temporary or eternal?

It really is that black and white!

Keep HIS Faith! Keep HIS Passion! Keep HIS Purposes!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

A Hisstorymaker

 

It’s Time To Act Up! Part 4 – Our Race

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Excellence, LifeGiving, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Training

This is the fourth segment in the series It’s Time To Act Up! This series is designed to call Christian’s up [To Act UP] to their rightful place in God’s purposes in the earth.

Our race is our assignment on the planet!

 Luke 14:26,27,33

“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”

This is the same Jesus who when told His mother, sisters and brothers were wanting to see Him said, “Who is My mother, My sisters and My brothers?”

Jesus did not wait for the question to sink in nor did He wait to see what someone would answer. He immediately said, “I will tell you who My mother, sisters and brothers are. They are the ones who do the will of My Father.”

This is the same God who said, “Jacob I loved and Esau I hated.”

Jesus is saying that no relationship can come in between ours and His. When we place someone, anyone, in between ourselves and God we have replaced the Creator we worship and worship who He created.

Jesus is saying that we cannot love our life more than we love Him. He bought us! We are no longer our own!

“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”

Jesus did not say we must carry His cross. Nor does He expect us to carry His cross. His cross was His unique purpose for why He was on the planet. It was His mission and the fulfillment of the essence of His message.

Our cross is our unique purpose for being on the planet. It is unique to us. No one else can carry it just like we cannot carry someone else’s cross. Now, there are times when God will send someone to help us carry our cross just like He provided two men to carry Jesus’. That was a very short, very important, but very short moment in time.

 “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”

Jesus said in another place, “A man’s life does not consist in the things he possesses.” God is not opposed to us having things. He is opposed to things possessing us. We must be free from believing we are owners of what we have. We and all we have are owned by God. If we choose not to relinquish control of our possessions we have replaced the Creator we worship with the worship of material things.

Our purpose is in Him, not our possessions.

Our identity is in Him, not in our stuff.

Jesus said, “Go and MAKE disciples …. teaching them to obey all that I commanded you.”

Disciple comes from the same root word as discipline. Even Jesus cannot discipline someone who is not a disciple!

Jesus did not say go and collect converts

He did not say, “Start a church to have a congregation!”  Or, “Start a ministry to have a platform so you can perform!

Conversion is the doorway into discipleship!

Salvation is free! Discipleship costs us everything!

The purpose of conversion is discipleship!

The purpose of discipleship is to reproduce and re-present the life and ministry of Jesus the Christ – on earth!

Every person who disciples people should be discipling converts to Jesus, not accumulating a crowd!

A convert’s main focus is getting to heaven.

“Get saved so you can go to heaven when you die” is the typical sales pitch used to convert sinners. “You don’t want to miss heaven” is another ploy used by those who don’t realize that those converts will miss a whole lot of heaven before they die.

A disciple’s main focus is getting heaven to earth!

A convert’s main focus is what can I get from you that will help me.

They are babes and babies are totally dependent on others for their survival

A disciple’s main focus is what can I give to you that will help you!

Our success is not measured in how many people we can attract, or how many people grow up!

Even Jesus could not get 100% participation! Even Jesus had close followers desert Him!

Our success is measured in – Did we follow Jesus where He led us? Have we been obedient?

 “Walk in a manner worthy of our calling” [Ephesians 4:1].

Our assignment carries specific and serious responsibilities!

Our assignment requires us to carry ourselves and those we are assigned to into a conflict with the conventional and contemporary culture of our day. Be they secular and or religious!

Jesus sent His disciples as sheep among wolves into the secular Roman world of fear and intimidation, and into the religious world of heathenism [you can do anything because anything goes, and Judaism [you can’t do much or you will get into trouble]!

Transformation [conversion to mature disciple] is not just for an individual to experience.

Personal transformation is to have an eternal affect on individuals, regions and the planet.

 Finishing our race means so much more than getting to the end of our life or our life’s work!

Completing our race means leaving something lasting [a significant legacy] that will have a righteous effect on the earth long after we depart, so that generations that follow can build on what we deposited, and expand what we started!

Discipleship is about pioneering, building and settling, not about squatting!

Pioneer

 Is a person who goes before others to see what is out there that is worth fighting for and mapping out a strategy to possess it. Pioneers expand our territory!

Builder

Is a person that sees what should be built to stabilize the area and to create an economy that will offer those who settle there an opportunity to be successful. Builders build on the territory pioneers find and expand!

Settler

Is a person who establishes healthy root systems to create a culture where the citizens can be creative and successfully pass on to future generations what they and others have worked to possess.  Settlers grow what has been possessed and build on the territory won in battle!

 Squatter

Is a person who just takes up space on what others have fought to obtain without improving it. Squatters are consumers, not producers!

Completing our race means we must complete our assignment!   Our race IS Our Assignment!

Ecclesiastes 9:10,11

 “10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. 11 I returned and saw under the sun that – The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.”

In these two verses Solomon is revealing that there are certain strategies for success that may take creativity, thoughtfulness, a greater commitment to continue on, endurance and also a spirit of excellence.

Solomon is saying stop with the excuses such as, “I am not the fastest”, “I am not the strongest”, “I am not the wisest”, “I am not the most talented”.

Stop focusing on what you are not, and on what you don’t have, and on what you can’t do!

Solomon is saying everyone has time and opportunity so take full advantage of what you do have!

An excellent spirit enabled Joshua and Caleb to enter, experience, embrace, enjoy, expand and export the Promised Land, when their contemporaries compromised and were cut off.

Joshua and Caleb said, “God can, God will, so we can and we will.”

Solomon says we should find something to do and do it with all our might because we only have  a certain amount of time to accomplish it, and once we die our opportunity dies with us.

V10 – Might ~~ human strength – give it all you have to give

Root word ~~ to be firm

To be consistent and committed

Solomon is not insinuating we should do what we do alone [without God or without other people].

He is saying we should be totally committed to our purpose, and purposefully committed to God and all those who are affected by our purpose.

Spirit Led Decrees

  • I will give my all ALL the time!
  • I will not cheat myself, My God, nor the people God has put in my life!
  • I will not cheat the world around me of their opportunity to encounter the God who encountered Me, and gave my life purpose!

In verse 11 Solomon says,

“The race is not to the swift.”

“Nor the battle to the strong.”

“Nor bread to the wise.”

“Nor riches to the men of understanding.”

“Nor favor to men of skill.”

“But time and chance happen to them all.”

‘All’ being the swift and the not so swift, the strong and the not so strong, the wise and the not so wise, the understanding and those who do not understand, and the skillful and those who are not so skillful.

Solomon finishes verse 11 with words that can be misunderstood by those who do not take the time to dig down into the meat to find the structure [support].

V11 – Time ~~ to continue into the future; to move on, continue on and to advance. The Steve Miller Band sang a song called FLY LIKE AN EAGLE and it contained a lyric that said, “Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin. into the future.” Time moves on! Have we? Or are we stuck somewhere in our past?

24H x 60M = 1,440 minutes in a day OR 1,440 x 360 seconds = 518,400 seconds in a day

7D x 24H = 168 hours OR 7D x 1,440M = 10,800 minutes in a week OR 10,800 x 518,400 = 5.6 billion seconds in a week

52W x 168H = 8,736 hours OR 52W x 10,800M = 561,600 minutes in a year or 561,000 minutes x 5.6 billion seconds = A LOT

V11 – Chance ~~ to encounter, meet, and to reach the mark, or touch the boundary [goal].

Our English word ‘chance’ means something entirely different.

Among other things it denotes luck instead of focused hard work.

V11 – Happen ~~ to encounter, to meet, to meet without a prearrangement

Solomon is not saying don’t work hard, or try to improve because unless you are one of the lucky ones it will all be in vain!

Solomon is saying that everyone has an opportunity to move into their future, to reach the goal and finish their race – successfully!

The Bible, especially the apostle Paul, has much to say about our race.

Our race is not a sprint!

Our race is more than a marathon!

Our race is more of a cross country race that has elements associated with a decathlon and a steeplechase where we must traverse various types of terrains and obstacles that create various challenges.

The challenge produces character!

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

“24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

Paul says every believer is running their race but not every believer will receive the prize. We must remember that God does not give prizes to every participant like we do in our modern worldly method of  doing everything possible to make everyone feel good about themselves.

In other words, God has not created a culture where no one can be disappointed or get their feelings hurt.

Paul describes for us what he did to ensure success when he got to the end of his race. He paid a huge price by developing disciplines that carried him forward along the path God laid out for him.

Then Paul makes a statement that potentially can offend our modern mindset. He said, “Lest . . . I myself should become disqualified.”

WHAT?

There is NO way God would disqualify anyone!

That is a very true statement!

God does not disqualify people!

People disqualify themselves!

Warning! Warning! Warning! Those are the words of the most effective disciple of Jesus the Christ. That is the theology of the most thought of, compelling, culture revolutionizing, committed Christian other than Jesus the first Christian.

 2 Timothy 4:7

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Here this same revolutionary visionary said three very important things.

There is a fight and it is a “good fight”.

There is a race and it is “the race”.

There is a faith and it is “the faith”.

Paul said that he entered the good [worthwhile] fight and he fought it!

Paul said that he entered the race [his potential, God’s purpose, and God’s promise] and he finished it!

Paul said that he entered the faith [the faith Jesus the Christ authored and handed off to His disciples] and he kept it!

And all of this from a man who laid his life down for the world and the church, for local churches and for those who were a part of his apostolic team.

By the way, Paul suffered from the hands of Judaizers, unsaved Jews, hostile Gentiles and even those on his team. Paul saw members of his team desert him and there were times he “despaired of life.”

The behavior of others should not deter, our cause us to detour from our race.

Hebrews 12:1-3

“1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”

Paul says that there are witnesses! Who are these witnesses? You can find them in Chapter 11. In chapter 11 we find witnesses that experienced great trials, breakthroughs, victories, answered prayers, deliverances, etc.

And then there were “the others”. At the end of chapter 11 we read about those who kept the faith to their death without experiencing breakthroughs, victories, answered prayers, deliverances, etc.

They all ran their race to win and they all won. Their outcomes may have differed but the one constant was they continued steadfast until the very end!

Paul says we must –

  • “Lay aside [get rid of] every weight” that weighs [slows] us down
    • Weights can be good things but don’t qualify as God things
    • They can be human relationships with friends, family, mates and even potential mates
    • They can be job opportunities like promotions or relocations
    • They can be ministry opportunities with ministries that come close to having your same core values but differ nonetheless in areas of personal experiences and revelation in God’s Word.
    • Weights can be relationships with people who are not contributing to our success
      • We must tread lightly here
      • We can grow when we are mistreated
      • People who mistreat us are not our enemy, for our warfare is not against flesh and blood
      • We are to bless those who curse us and do good to them who use us
      • This does NOT mean we have to remain in relationship with them
        • If the person is a family member such as a spouse we cannot cut them out of our life but we must realize they are not our Lord
        • If relating to them is dangerous then we can create boundaries, safe distances that will ensure we can be our true selves in God
        • We are ultimately responsible to obey God when man is wanting us to do things that are a violation of God’s will for our lives
        • Jesus is the only Person who publicly hung naked for us and He is the only one who called us in our respective holy calling as a Christian
        • We see this a lot when it comes to husbands and wives trying to show honor to their unbelieving, unspiritual or uninterested spouse
  • “Lay aside [get rid of] THE sin that so easily ensnares [entangles, trips us up, side tracks, derails, ship wrecks] us.”
    • We all have a “The sin” that so easily ensnares us

So that we can –

  • “Run with endurance” [steadfastness, consistency – in the NT endurance is the characteristic of a person who will not swerve from their deliberate purpose and loyalty to the faith by even the greatest trials and sufferings]
  • “The race” is our particular purpose for being on the planet

Paul then describes how to manage our life so that we will be successful. He says,

  • “Looking to Jesus” [Maintaining eye contact with Jesus which is a description of deep intimacy]

In human relationships the greatest intimacy, whether it is conversational or sexual intercourse, is experienced when we look into each other’s eyes.

Sex was first connected to intercourse in 1798 according Dictionary.com.

It is very difficult to have intimacy on any level with abusive people [people who abuse our kindness, our acceptance and our hospitality].

Jesus said, “If someone slaps you on the cheek offer them the other cheek.” But when He got slapped during His mock trial He did not offer the other cheek. He said, “If I have done nothing wrong why did you slap Me?”

Maybe what we thought Jesus meant is NOT what Jesus meant. Just saying!

Because Jesus IS [always present tense] –

  • “The author of our faith”
  • “Our” is in italics because it is not in the Greek

We have no other faith other than the faith Jesus authored.

  • “The finisher of our faith”

Jesus is not only the author, the One who scripted what faith is, but Jesus is the One who gives fulfillment to all that faith is and what faith does.

Our only role-model for life and ministry whose example is ~

  • Endurance

Steadfastness, consistency, unswerving from His deliberate purpose in life and loyalty to the faith, and the Father who sent Him to model for all mankind in the face of the greatest trials and sufferings.

  • He endured the Cross
  • He endured the shame
  • He was humiliated by being publicly identified as a criminal [sinner]

He WAS NAKED

  • He was stripped of all human dignity and modesty
  • He endured the hostility from sinners [all those who do not appreciate and do not accept what He did for them]

What is your race?

What is your assignment?

Where is your assignment?

Are the people you are relating to relating to your assignment?

Are they helping you grow in God?

What are you doing in preparation to run your race and stay in the race to the end?

Who or what have you allowed in your life that is impeding you running your race?

What weights are you carrying that are not assisting you in your race?

Are you willing to lay aside every weight that is keeping you from being you in God?

If not, why not?

Who is your daddy?

What does fatherhood look like to you?

Who called you?

Who affirms you?

Who holds you accountable?

Can you be held accountable?

Keep THE Faith! Keep THE Passion!

Our hunger and thirst FOR God escorts us into deep satisfaction IN God!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin
A Hisstorymaker!
Web: bethelbythesea.org / drkevinmdrury.wordpress.com
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Fathers, Discipline And Personal Training

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Excellence, LifeGiving, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Training

God has always been a Father!

God is pro fatherhood! Fatherhood in His Kingdom is a level of maturity, not merely a male who impregnates a woman.

 God has always been a personal trainer!

Kingdom fathers and personal trainers believe in discipline. Fathers and personal trainers know that undisciplined people rarely achieve greatness or fulfill their potential. Fathers and personal trainers “push” people beyond what they believe they can achieve and beyond where they are, and they help them see that there is a price to pay to get where they are going and that price is well worth paying.

There is a heavenly clarion call being trumpeted by apostolic and prophetic voices calling their tribal people home – into communities [common unities] where fatherhood is valued over denominational truth [their denomination’s version of truth] – and where true father’s are disciplined and exercise discipline as compared to quasi-father’s who just want to be friends and have “fun”.

Fun is such an overused word in the Kingdom of God!

Hear the words of the writer of Hebrews as you read this text from Hebrews 12:5-17 NLT ~~~~

5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, ‘My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you.’ 6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child. 7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? 10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. 12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. 14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.”

V5 – “Have you forgotten the ENCOURAGING words God spoke to you as His children?”

  • The writer then quotes Proverbs 3:11,12 – “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when He corrects you. For the Lord DISCIPLINES those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.

It is interesting to me that the writer of Hebrews use the phrase “encouraging words” to describe the discipline of the Lord. This tells me that discipline involves injecting courage into [in courage or put courage in] the hearts and minds of those who ‘receive’ correction.

V6 – “For The Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one he accepts as His child.”

  • Discipline and punishment are equated with love and acceptance. You don’t hear that taught in most pulpits today!

V7 – “Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by a father?”

  • The writer expresses surprise that anyone would consider not being disciplined by their father!

V8 – “If God does not discipline you . . . it means you ARE illegitimate and not REALLY His children at ALL.”

  • One of the signs that we are truly God’s child is we accept discipline. If we run from and refuse to receive discipline it is an indication that we are not related to God. Rebellion is associated with witchcraft! Witchcraft is an expression of the core value of the prince of darkness.

One of the contemptible issues in our modern Christian churches is leaders who refuse to exercise discipline in regard to unruly members. There are so many churches to choose from and there are too many leaders willing to accept people into their community for the sake of having seats filled and bank accounts with plenty of money in them.

“Christians” will migrate to places where they can have “fun” and “enjoy”  the benefits of the community without truly being connected or committed to the community. The “fun loving” Christians feel entitled to the benefits without the responsibility to those in authority.

V10 – “For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best the knew how.”

  • Our earthly fathers may be natural or spiritual. They represent God’s delegated authority in our lives. Human fathers, even in their imperfect attempts to bring correction, do what they think is best for us. This is not speaking of the obvious abusive fathers that some have had in their lives. Abuse is never to be tolerated by anyone on any level.

We are to honor those in authority over us, whether in the home, at work or in church. We demonstrate respect for God in the way we respect those God has placed us under in life. We may not agree with everything they do or say but we are not responsible for what they do or say. We are responsible for treating them with the same respect we treat God Himself. No real respect for God’s leaders shows no real respect for God.

Jesus said on judgment day we would give an account for how we treated the poor and the imprisoned. “Inasmuch as you did it to them you did it to Me.”

How much more will be be held accountable for the way we treated those in authority?

V10 – “God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we may share in His holiness.”

  • Holiness, or separation to God for His holy purposes lived out through us is connected to discipline.

V11 – “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

  • Discipline is NOT fun! How about that for all you who think that God is only interested in you having fun? “It IS painful!” But the result of discipline is a harvest of right living for those who are trained by it. The Greek word trained is ‘gymnazo’. According to Thayer’s Dictionary of New Testament Words it means:
    1. to exercise naked [in a palaestra or school of athletics]
    2. to exercise vigorously, in any way, either the body or the mind

It comes from a root word that means to be stripped, or laid bare. Seems like the Lord’s training regimen is thorough and is meant to expose every flaw we have in our life.

This is the same word the writer of Hebrews uses in chapter five verse 14 to speak of the mature in Christ. Maturity requires discipline and discipline must be applied personally by the individual and individually by the Lord.

ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?

V12 – “So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.”

  • Get a grip! Reevaluate your position concerning God’s purpose for your life. Take personal responsibility for your inability to handle what God’s dealing are with you and your inability to walk it out in a way that is honorable.

V13 – “Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.”

  • Straighten up! Do you not realize your inconsistencies are adversely affecting the walk of other people?
  • Your walk should help others not hinder them!

V14 – “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.”

  • Stop causing trouble! Do your homework as it relates to being holy! If you don’t, the Lord will know it and will not allow you to see Him!

V15 – “Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”

  • You are not in this by yourself. You are responsible to others and for others. The way you relate to people affects your access to God’s grace [His divine ability]. Your negative attitude toward others is poisoning you and corrupting others because you have negated the grace of God in your own life. How is that working out for you?

V16-17 – “Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.”

  • What will it profit you if you get your way but lose everything God predetermined for your destiny?

Keep THE Faith! Keep THE Passion!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

A Hisstorymaker!

It’s Time To Act Up! Part 1The Primitive Church

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Excellence, LifeGiving, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Training

It’s Time To Act Up!

This is the first blog [message] of several in the new series I am teaching at Bethel Church in beautiful Brunswick and the glorious Golden Isles of Georgia.

Too many believers live below their God-given purpose in life. They “act down” and it is time for ebb tide to turn to flood tide for these children of the God of glory!

In fact, Donna and I no longer call our descendants “descendants”. We are not heading down and neither are they.

We are passing our history with God up to our ascendants!

Our ceiling is their floor so they don’t have to start where we started.

BY THE WAY, we have not yet reached our ceiling so what an advantage our ascendants already have in life.

Today, in our “modern”, or “post-modern”, or “contemporary” and “relevant” Christianity we use words to describe the first Church that can be demoting and demeaning. One word I hate to hear to describe those first followers of Jesus the Christ is “primitive”.

Modern, post modern, contemporary and relevant are all terms used today by people who may be modern, post modern, contemporary and relevant by today’s standards but today’s standards are not the standard that God uses to assay our lives and lifestyles.

Jesus the Christ is God’s standard!

Those primitive passionate lovers of Christ Jesus advanced the Kingdom of God to all the known world and turned their world upside down. All of this without our “modern” modes of travel and communication.

In Acts Chapter 2 we read about the day of Pentecost. Peter in the very first Pentecostal sermon connected the events of his [that] day to the prophetic vision and vocabulary of the prophet Joel’s day. Joel had a vision and did his best to describe what he saw. What actually happened and what Peter said is what God was saying through Joel.

Whenever an Old Testament text is brought into the New Testament its intended meaning from the beginning is how it is used in the New Testament. The New explains the Old. The Old is the type and a shadow. The New is the reality!

  • There was spiritual drunkenness
    • Yes there was so we must deal with it
    • “These men are not  drunk AS YOU suppose”
      • “These men are drunk but not in the way you think”
    • The impact of that outpouring was staggering
      • We should desire to be so intoxicated with God and His glory that it radically changes the way we walk
      • When we walk in the Spirit it may look like we are staggering to a mind that has not been transformed
  • There was a manifestation of the miraculous
    • There was a mighty sound from heaven that created a heavenly language on earth
    • One message [“the wonderful works of God”] was spoken and all the people heard different languages
  • There was mass confusion, mass conviction and mass confessions of faith in the Christ
    • People say, “This cannot be God because He is not the author of confusion”
      • It is true that God is not confused or the author of confusion
      • God was not, is not nor ever will be confused
      • It was the people who were confused

True moves of God usually have all of the above and more!

At the end of that day we find the following description of normal and natural life in the primitive community of believers.

Acts 2:41-47

“41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

This day began with an explosion from heaven!

It ended with a description of what heaven on earth was to look like!

These “primitive” believers advanced the Kingdom of God into all the known world and turned their world upside down.

The Day of Pentecost is not a 24 hour period! It is heaven’s answer to all of earth’s problems!” The Day of Pentecost is a lifestyle ordered by God to empower His people to be overcomer’s in this life.

Let’s take a closer look at what life looked liked for these “primitive” believers!

  1. The Word of God was “gladly received”
    1. Received here is in the Greek middle voice which means the hearers experienced the Word, took a vested interest in the Word, and they participated in receiving the Word, and they took personal possession of the Word
    2. In other words, they were not passive, or disinterested toward the speaker or what was spoken
  2. Those who received the Word were baptized in water [the 3000]
    1. This was an enormous event because of the severe ramifications that accompanied the commitment to Christ
    2. Most if not all were now outcasts to their family and to the greater Jewish community
    3. These primitive saints knew what would befall them. Disowning, disinheriting and excommunication from family, friends, co-workers and the place and people where they worshiped
    4. This decision was life altering in more ways than one
  3. These primitive believers continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine [teaching, revelation]
    1. Continued steadfastly seems like a contradiction of terms
      1. These hearers began by gladly receiving God’s Word and those who spoke it, now they were purposefully pointing themselves at God’s Word and those who spoke it
      2. These hearers took advantage of their opportunity to hear God’s Word from those who spoke it
      3. These hearers were firmly fixed in their direction, place or position. They postured themselves for optimum success
      4. These hearers were firmly fixed in their purpose and faith
      5. These hearers were resolute and unwavering
        1. These primitive believers anchored themselves in the flow of revelation released by the apostles instead of what they had been raised to believe about God and His purpose for their lives
  4. These primitive believers continued steadfastly in fellowship [with the Holy Spirit and each other]
    1. They continued their connection to God
    2. They continued their connection to each other
    3. In others words they worked on their vertical and horizontal relationships
  5. These primitive believers continued in breaking of bread [holy communion which kept their memory fresh concerning the Cross]
  6. These primitive believers continued steadfastly in prayers [personal devotion of worship which kept them connected to God]
  7. These primitive believers commitment caused fear to come upon every soul
  8. These primitive believers witnessed and participated in many signs and wonders [miraculous manifestations of God’s intervention in the normal affairs of man]
  9. These primitive believers were together   [Connected, unified]
  10. These primitive believers had all things in common [community = common unity]
    1. They were different but the same
    2. Unity is the celebration of diversity
    3. Unity is not uniformity. A lot of teaching on unity is really about uniformity
      1. Romans 12:3-8 – “3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
      2. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 – “12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free–and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole werehearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeedthere are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that partwhich lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”
  11. These primitive believers sold their possessions and goods
    1. They possessed their possessions  – their possessions did not posses them
    2. They held God’s people in higher regard than their personal possessions
    3. Today God’s people build their lives around their lives
    4. They spend on themselves to the point where they cannot finance God’s work
    5. They take advantage of what the community has to offer without contributing financially to the community
  12. These primitive believers were radically generous making sure people’s needs were met
  13. These primitive believers continued daily with one accord
    1. Acts 1:14 – “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”
    2. Luke 24:52,53 – “52 And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple praising God.”
    3. Acts 2:1 – “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.”
  14. These primitive believers continued daily in the temple
    1. They understood the importance of public corporate worship
    2. They had a high value for public corporate worship
    3. They did not forsake their assembling with the saints
    4. They had busy lives just like you and I do
  15. These primitive believers continued daily breaking bread from house to house
    1. This was not what we call a “progressive meal” where the same people start a meal in one home then move to successive homes to partake of different food groups
    2. “House to house” was the means by which the people were pastored
    3. This enabled more intimate worship, conversation and instruction
    4. This enabled the people to build personal relationships with a smaller group
    5. This enabled them to not feel lost or get lost in the crowd of over 3000
  16. These primitive believers continued to eat with gladness of heart which means they were grateful for what they did have and were not worried about what they did not have [see #10-12 above]
  17. These primitive believers continued the lifestyle of personal worship
  18. These primitive believers experienced the favor of men
  19. These primitive believers continually experienced new believers coming to church [which kept them from growing stale, complacent and comfortable]

Please notice people were getting saved and then were added to the church. The church is not where these primitive people came to get saved.

How and where did these “primitive”people get saved? They got saved in the market place. How did God save them? I believe through witnessing and experiencing the signs and wonders being done through the apostles.

The market place is your mission field!

The Hebrew word for signs and wonders [the miraculous] is mo’-pheth. That is right! It is pronounced “more faith”. I totally believe signs and wonders produce more faith and more faith produces more signs and wonders.

Does this make you wonder?

In the primitive church the church was kept pure. Unbelievers, or seekers were not considered members of the community of believers!

The primitive church was accused of cannibalism because in their meetings they “ate the body and drank the blood” of Jesus.

Cannibalism as defined by Dictionary.com is,

“The ceremonial eating of human flesh or parts of the human body for magical or religious purposes, as to acquire the power or skill of a person recently killed.”

The primitive church was a closed community!

The only entrance to the church was THE CROSS!

The Cross of Christ qualified a person for membership in the “primitive” church! Today, in our modern, post modern, contemporary and relevant church – business contacts, social significance, the ability to play an instrument or sing, or a multitude of other reasons grant entry into the place that in the “primitive” church was reserved for the blood bought, sanctified, passionate, on fire lovers of the Lord of glory!

Why don’t we get back to the simplicity of the “primitive” church!

For those who are interested you can find this sermon on YouTube [Bethel By The Sea].

Keep THE faith! Keep THE passion!

Our hunger and thirst for God escorts us into deep satisfaction in God!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin
A Hisstorymaker