YOU WILL DO IT!

How much do we really know about our will or willpower? Do you have the will to read this article about your will? You can either ‘will’ to read this or, you can ‘will’ not to read this and that is a power that few things in the universe possess. Actually, our will or willpower just might be the most powerful force that exists in God’s creative order.

The word “will” is listed 2881 times in the Bible. 2492 times in the Old Testament and 489 times in the New Testament. With the word ‘will’ mentioned so often, there may be something that we need to know concerning its obvious importance. Let’s start by recognizing that there are six distinct created beings with a unique intelligence that possess ‘will’ or willpower. Willpower is important in that it completely defines and determines destiny for those who have a rational mind. We are who we are by will and our eternal destinies will be determined by our willpower.

Many reading this understand that the soul is composed of three distinct characteristics (mind/reason, emotion and will). Likewise, God created humanity as a three dimensional person (spirit, soul, and body). But let’s focus on the soul of a person for now and drill down to the part of our soul known as our will. As human beings we need to understand what willpower is; where it generates its power from, causes it to function and what it can do for us and against us.

Can the will or willpower be controlled? Is it essential and vitally important that we learn to control and master our willpower? More importantly, do we know enough about the will or willpower to understand if we’re controlling it or if it’s controlling us? Willpower can control us if we fail to understand it and that’s where ignorance and rebellion find its place in the soul of a person. It’s God’s desire that we know how to self-identify the tremendous forces and abilities of willpower and to identity where it comes from whether divine, human or demonic. In other words, our destinations are willfully driven by either divine power, human power or demonic power.

God, the creator of all things in the universe is the originator of willpower. Likewise, we have willpower as created in God’s image. Jesus Christ as God’s only begotten Son possessed tremendous willpower. If we look at the life of Christ in the scriptures, He functioned in willpower especially when facing His destiny on the cross. If Christ, the hope of glory is in us – then His awesome willpower can function in our lives. Likewise, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, also exhibits tremendous willpower. When we pray and ask for the Holy Spirit’s intervention – willpower can flow through our lives which enables us to be more than conquerers and overcomers regardless of the obstacles that may stand before us.

Angels which are heavenly beings also possess a will or willpower. Angels are not created by God to be robotic. They worship God by option rather than compulsion. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be genuine worship at all. Angels don’t have to obey God and we understand this in that a third of the angels rebelled against God and were cast out of heaven. They will to obey and choose to worship God. Angels are not slaves in the sense that we understand slavery and have freedom of opinion (freewill) and can make decisions. In the Book of Revelation, every time that God speaks, they exert willpower and a intelligent decision to worship and to carry out God’s will.

Demons and Satan himself have a will or willpower and use this powerful force to combat God along with God’s best and purposes for us as His people. Their primary agenda and will is to fight God and every benefit that the cross afforded humanity. It is not possible to live and experience the abundant life without recognizing that there are forces of will working both externally and internally within us. These forces have strong impacts on the everyday choices we make, the roads we travel and the destinations we have chosen.

Humanity (homosapiens) was created by God and is the apex creation in regard to nature and all other living creatures because of the intelligent ability to will. Humanity was invested by God with sovereign willpower over all other creation. Think about that for moment. Although a horse is much larger and stronger than a man – a bit in its mouth asserts the will of man over the horse. Man is unique in that animals do not possess this powerful ability. Even God who created us doesn’t place a bit in our mouth because of the universal importance of freewill. Thus, animals do not possess the eternal attributes, force and power of the will or willpower. It was God’s will and prerogative to give mankind willpower thus, becoming a force of volition, judgment, understanding and decision. We don’t have to go forward if we don’t want to. We can go backward. We don’t have to go to the right if we don’t want to. We can go to the left. We don’t have to obey God if we don’t want to. We don’t have to go to heaven if we don’t want to. Why? Because God gave us one of the most powerful forces in the universe – our will.

When God created us and entrusted us with a will, He also purposed to never violate it. If He did, it would lose its force, potential and power. Many have wondered why God would allow horrible things to happen and people such as Hitler and other antichrist figures to come into power. Again, the violation of humanity’s will or willpower would remove it’s power and in particular our ability and freedom to make conscious decisions. The good news is that Satan cannot violate it as well and the old saying that the “devil made me do it” is a fallacy because God has provided us ‘decision power’ within the gift of willpower. In every case of demonic oppression and influence, the people who have been delivered will admit that they did not have to obey Satan or demons. They did what they pleased at that time and what they willed to do. They exerted willpower, a road traveled (darkness) and a destination (demonic oppression). God judges us in regard to eternity in what we will or choose to do by willpower. You and I are a free-will person and we willfully do as we please. Nothing made us act or choose a particular road to travel. We willfully chose it for ourselves.

A good clinical example of the incredible force of willpower is in hypnotism. A person can easily resolve or will their mind in the brain to reject hypnotism. A person can easily will that a person or hypnotist not take over their mind because the mind is in subjection to the will. That’s a powerful statement but true. Again, the mind is in subjection or obeys our will. The power of the will in a person can lead the mind into decision-making whether healthy or unhealthy. Whether light or dark and whether into prosperity or poverty. The will of a person is so strong that unhealthy willpower must be completely broken down before the other aspects of the soul (our mind or reason and emotions) can properly work in conjunction with our spirit and body.

As stated at the beginning of this article, freewill may be the greatest gift provided to us by God. It provides us not only the will to believe and exercise faith, but also the power to embrace what is good and just and to willfully or forcefully reject what is dark and unrighteous regardless of how tempting and alluring to our flesh it may be. Being the priceless gift that it is, maybe, just maybe, we should seek to understand it better and learn to control or master it for our benefit?

Although the will of a person is tangible and expressed, it cannot be weighed on scales. Although the will determines our destinations, it cannot be measured. Although the will is internally and naturally personal, it is not a part of our natural physical senses or body such as what can be seen, felt and heard. However, the will does govern what we choose to see, touch and hear.

As stated earlier, our total person is made up of the spirit-man which is our redeemed self and has the ability to commune with God as well as unsavory spiritual entities. The second part of our person is the soul which is comprised of our mind or ability to reason, emotions, and will. And the third part of person is our physical bodies. But it’s the will or our willpower that I’m proposing we drill down deeper and to better understand where we’re at in life, what got is there and where it can lead us. Again, this is one of the most powerful forces in God’s created universe and when we choose to operate in our daily lives outside of our spirit-man nature, we are completely and soley reliant upon the Adamic or fallen nature of our minds, emotion and will. Thus, the ‘will’ are the actions that we take in life along with the wanted benefits or, the unwanted consequences they possess and lead to.

The will or willpower can be activated by three elements: Spiritual or divine power, human power which are the influences of the world around us, and demonic power. Thus, our will can be motivated or influenced by God, other people around us, as well as demonic forces. The will or willpower requires an environment of created intelligence because without intelligence – there is no will. Again, this is why humanity has preeminence over all other creatures upon the Earth and can assert its will over them if desired. On the same hand, the will is also realized by intelligence whether exercised by God, humans, angels or demons. There must be a uniquely created intelligence for the will to exist and to manifest influence. In other words, the will and created intelligence by God must function together for life as we know it to exist. A combination of quarks, atoms and molecules no matter how they are compounded on their own in you believe in evolution or manipulated by mankind can create willpower. No combination of molecular compounds can create just one fleeting moment of love or hate. A lump of matter regardless of the complexity of materials must have the creative breath of God to reflect consciousness and intelligence.

So how can the will of a person be motivated? I believe that there’s something deep within all of our souls that God has placed there – the ability and the need to ‘Wish’ for something or somebody. Wishing for something is different than hoping for something in my opinion. I believe that genuine hope is divine in nature and is our state of being between exercising faith and the product or end result of what faith had produced. Our will reaches out to affect a desired change by wishing. In other words, we wish for a difference within the will of our mind and soul. You may wish to go to Japan, but it’s the will that will propel our mind to purpose the trip and bring it to a reality. The mind part of the soul desires to be in Japan. The emotion part of the soul is happy at the realization of being in Japan. And the body part of the soul provides the arms, legs and senses to see the destination through. Our complete being is now will-powering an action birthed from a wish.

Wishing and willing are hand and glove as is choosing and willing. For instance, we can choose to be a farmer. Or, we can choose to be a teacher. Or, we can choose to go to medical school to become a doctor. But what happens when you wish to be a doctor but don’t have the physical, emotional and intellectual abilities or the required university test scores to become a doctor? Can our wills become frustrated? Yes, and this is why it’s so important that our wishes are in alignment with God’s will for our lives. God knows and understands the perfect calling for our lives and the perfect people to connect with in our lives when our wishes align with God’s will – our wish becomes enlightened and then our will or willpower propels it into action and ultimately into realization. Our willingness is also connected to our will. We can be unwilling to do something just as much as we can be willing. God’s will for our lives may be revealed to us through a variety of means and people. But we can also exercise an unwillingness to obey God’s plan and Word.

John 5:30 states, “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”

Becoming Christ-like or walking in Christ-likeness is simply our willingness to understand and live our lives according to God’s will which is His Word. But this requires a will or a willingness on our part to read it and to seek God through prayer in how it applies to our personal lives and destiny. Jesus at twelve years of age had to explain to his earthly parents (Mary and Joseph) “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” It’s imperative that our children are taught that they’re never too young to understand the positive and negative sides of willpower and to walk in the will of God according to His Word. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying or cliche that there isn’t a ‘junior Holy Spirit.’ There also isn’t a ‘junior will of God.’

All of us, young and old alike possess the most priceless and powerful gift in our freewill and willpower. When we understand how to control it rather than it controlling us and when we align our will with God’s will – Our full potential and purpose of being becomes a reality. The abundant life is experienced by those who have the willpower to rebuke evil and the willingness to live according to God’s will and Word. Your destination is in your mind. Will that destination be eternal light beaming with life? Or, an eternal and lifeless dark grave? Only you have the will to choose.

THE RESURRECTED CHURCH AND THE RETURN OF CHRIST

Let’s start by looking at the words of the prophet Hosea and let’s pray that we read and see with spiritual vision the not so subtle hints about events that are going to happen on a ‘third day’ which are woven all through scripture. We can easily and clearly see as believers (especially in this season) how a particular third day event points to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But in the Bible, references to ‘third days’ is a tapestry of many events and applications for the Body to see and to better understand the return of Christ.

The Bible says in Hosea 5:15 – 6:2: “I will return again to My place till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me (a first day event of the Lord returning through repentance).” A Call to Repentance. Come and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight.”

In this prophecy, the prophet is stating that God goes away on the first day, and then returns to His place when His people turn back to Him. Then on the second day, the Lord returns to heal us and then on the third day – He’s going to raise us up. This example of a “third day” event doesn’t just happen here. It crops up and is woven all through the Bible. For example, Luke 13:32 states, “And He said to them, “Go, tell that fox (Herod), ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.” Again, we see a first and a second day progression leading to a consummate third day event and in this case, it is the resurrection of Jesus.

John 2:1 also presents the progression to a third day wedding. Likewise, John 2:19 is a third day progression of rebuilding the temple (Jesus’ body and church). We also see in Matt. 27:64, the third day progression and disappearance of Jesus’ body.

If you hold to the Bible as divinely breathed and inspired rather than a set of words and stories to be interpreted and applied at one’s convenience – then we must accept every letter and word as being placed in it by Holy Spirit and that it’s purposefully supposed to be there. Every single letter and word are there because God wants us to know information. Jesus confirms this in Matt. 5:18, “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” If you ever think about how a Disney movie is put together, there isn’t anything in the movie that wasn’t specifically written down or drawn that hasn’t been specifically placed there by the animators because every small detail is vitally important. Once you watch a Disney film, everything and every jot (a tiny flip of the pen) and tittle (a small underline of a single letter) is meant and necessary to be there. Also, there isn’t a modern version of Bible interpretation. There isn’t a ‘times have changed’ version. The Bible says what it means and means what it says until everything is fulfilled according to the resurrection and return of Jesus Christ. 2 Tim 3:16 states, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

It’s the same profitability and inspiration to see and understand why these ‘third days’ keep cropping up in the scriptures. John 2:1 states, “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee.” But leading up to this event – John 1:35 says, “the next day” (or the first day leading up to the wedding) and then again in John 1:43, we see “the next day” again (or the second day leading up to the wedding). Then on the third day, we have now arrived at the wedding and marriage supper itself. It’s interesting that John no longer uses “the next day” in his epistle once the story of the wedding at Cana is revealed. if we’re honest, we’re not really that interested in what particular ‘day’ of the week it is such as Monday or Friday. But, there is something interesting and special in the scriptures concerning events on the ‘third day.’ What John is conducting under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is called a midrash in the Hebrew language and culture. He’s specifically showing us a specific biblical pattern that he expects us to discern and interpret as believers. This is why he starts his gospel by stating, “In the beginning was the Word.” He is showing us a mirror image of God’s creation in Genesis 1:1 which also says, “In the beginning.” John is presenting the new creation (the church) created through Christ and for Christ.

So, in verses listed above, Jesus first gathers “three” disciples who walk with Him on the first day as mentioned in John 1:35. Then he gathers to Himself “all” of the disciples (representative of the church) as mentioned in John 1:43 and now on the third day we have Jesus at a wedding and the marriage supper. Do you see the progression of the birth of church on the first day; the gathering of all the disciples or church at Christ’s return on the second day and then the marriage supper on the third day?

Now after the third day wedding in John 2:1, we quickly come to John 2:19 which states, “Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body.” We know that the interpretation of this statement by Jesus was that His body or temple would go into the tomb to be raised and resurrected three days later. But here’s the revelation – what or who is His body? It’s the church! Who is the temple? It’s the church! Seven times the church is referred to as the ‘temple.’ So, what’s going to happen on the third day? The temple (the Body of Christ / the church) is going to be raised up just as Hosea prophesied! Jesus didn’t explain this in minutia and speak a dissertation on this subject and revelation. He expected that people would know what His body was and who His body was and what it meant because it is clear all through the Bible. Remember, the body and the bride are the same thing and we don’t separate a man from his wife. Likewise, we don’t cut asunder or sperate the body or church from Christ. Matt. 19:6 says, “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together let no man separate.” In other words, the church and bride is not to be separated from the bridegroom. They are one body in Christ. 1 Cor. 12:24 confirms this, “But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.” As the body, we become one with and in Christ. Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Another revelation and understanding of third day events are the relationships and progression of the three main biblical feasts and how they point and correlate to the church and the return of Christ. Passover is representative in the applying of the blood and points to the first bodily coming of Christ and the shedding of His blood. Pentecost is representative of the birth and empowerment of the church and points to the second ‘bodily’ coming of Christ (you and I – Christ in YOU the hope of glory and a bodily witness to others) Tabernacles is representative of the relational consummation and marriage of Christ – to tabernacle with His bride which points to the third and final bodily coming or return of Christ! In Matt 27:64, the Lord’s body disappeared, and nobody ever saw it again except those whom already belonged to it. Remember, Jesus appeared to the disciples and to more than 500 people in 1 Cor. 15:6. Did you see that? Those who saw and recognized the body were only those who were beloved, believers and belonged to Him.

The resurrection is much more than just the literal raising of Christ’s body – it’s also a direct sign or prophetic picture of the church and the return of Christ for it. The return of Christ is what gives the resurrection purpose. The church will disappear on the third day at this dispensation in time or history and I can imagine that everybody on Earth will be looking for it if indeed we are taken (raptured) before the other events in Revelation unfold. There is also scripture that can accommodate a belief that the church “will endure to the end” and not be raptured as the word “rapture” is not in the Bible. This belief or line of thinking proposes that typically, those who are taken away or removed in the Bible we’re usually evil-doers whether people or parables and those who were left were righteous such as Noah and his family. To be honest, I have shifted my beliefs and opinions on this several times and one of the most liberating freedoms is to simply admit that we don’t know for sure! But the most important aspect regardless of where you land on this is that we’re ready and we have oil in our lamps for Christ’s return! If we are indeed taken away, only those who belong to His body will recognize and see it. The only people who saw the literal body after the resurrection were the actual people who already belonged to it. The only people who know where the Body of Christ is – is the church and who belongs to it. They are those who are born again. They are those who are the temple of God.

I mentioned spiritual vision at the beginning of this message in attempting to better understand these third day events and how they apply and correlate to the church. But it’s the greatest third day event in the annals of biblical history that would impart the vision for us to see with knowledge and understanding and to prepare the church in receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit.

The Bible says in John 20:2, “Then she (Mary) ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid Him.” The Bible just said that Mary “saw” that the stone had been rolled away from Jesus’ tomb and that someone had “taken” away the Lord’s body. First, was this an accurate statement that Mary had just spoken to Jesus’ disciples? Did somebody really take or steal the Lord’s body? I’m sure that most of us would assume that the answer is no and that most reading this would understand that Jesus had been resurrected in power. What Mary had seen was according to her vision in the natural realm or what she discerned from a natural perspective based on her past frames of reference. Essentially, Mary was formulating a belief system and a conclusion based on her past natural experiences in life rather than a spiritual promise stated by Jesus that could only be comprehended by faith. In other words, Mary’s past natural experiences wrongly influenced her ‘right now’ spiritual insight.

The Greek word for ‘saw’ in this verse and what Mary had seen in the original translated language is “Blepo” which means to casually or naturally see. In other words, our natural human vision. Nothing more and nothing less. Continuing in John 20:4, “Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple (John), and were going to the tomb. So, they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in.” The Greek word translated for ‘saw’ that is used in this verse and for what John observed is the exact same Greek word ‘Blepo’ that Mary had previously based her assumptions on. We see little progress yet in discerning the resurrection and the supernatural events that Jesus had foretold concerning Himself. We also notice that John did not go into the tomb and because of this natural and distant perspective, John’s spiritual understanding would also be limited to what he saw with his natural senses and natural vision.

Continuing in John 20: 6-7, “Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.” We now read and recognize that Peter chose to go into the tomb. The original Greek word and translation for “saw” in this verse is the Greek word ‘Thereo.’ It should be obvious that the Greek text and word ‘Thereo’ reflects the more recent English translation of the word ‘theory’ in our modern vocabulary. We have some progress and Peter is pondering the facts that he is witnessing, but we do not base our faith and spiritual understanding on theory and assumption.

Continuing in John 20:8, “Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he SAW and BELIEVED.” John ‘saw’ and believed! The Greek word
translated for “saw” in this verse is, ‘Eido’ which means to ‘see with understanding or revelation.’ It’s no accident or mistake that we have three different Greek words for the same modern translation for “saw” in this short passage and third day event. Something snapped within seconds in John’s life when he decided to look for Christ through spiritual lenses rather than relying on the lenses of past natural experiences. This the spiritual vision and understanding that the Lord desires we possess as we continue to experience the kingdom of God on earth moving in power. John saw into the reality, power, and love of the Spirit realm and this spiritual vision would continue to increase and mature in John’s life culminating in the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

I believe that it’s important to understand that revelation is only active or effectual to others when its power is revealed in our own personal lives. In other words, ‘revelation’ means: ‘to be revealed’ and we can only truly give to another what has been revealed in our personal understanding, experiences, knowledge, words and conduct. We simply can’t give to another what we don’t possess ourselves and this includes the working and gifts of Holy Spirit. Anything less is just good information but not eternal or life changing. It’s kind of like a clock hanging on the wall in a store. It’s reality and value to keep time is true in and of itself. But until we purchase it and take ownership of it – it presents no real value to us or to those we’re in relationship with or at arm’s reach.

In Revelation 1:1 John writes, “The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.”

If we don’t know or belong to Jesus, we won’t know or understand the Book of Revelation or the revelation Jesus Christ’s return because all revelation knowledge pertaining to the church and His kingdom is given to Jesus. With that said, He is not interested in us knowing everything. He’s interested in us knowing Jesus. This was the downfall of Adam and Eve. They wanted knowledge separate from God. If we seek God first, then He’ll give us revelation and knowledge. More succinctly, there’s no point in God explaining things or giving understanding to us if we don’t belong to Jesus. You’ll find in the Bible that when God calls someone His friend, whether it was Abraham in Gen.19 or His friends and disciples in the upper room -Jesus said, ‘I no longer call you servants, I call you friends.” Once Jesus calls someone His friend, He will then bless that person with discernment in regard to navigating future or prophetic events. You’ll find that the people God trusts the most as His friends are also the people that God gives the most and deepest prophetic revelation too. I’m not talking about the gifts of the Spirit as listed in the New Testament as they can be given to anybody at any given time according to His grace and purposes. But an understanding of the times and seasons and what prophetically is going to unfold. The Lord will always have friends or witnesses on the Earth to rightly provide direction for His church. God shares with His friends or those closest to Him. That is why in scripture that those who are called the ‘beloved’ or ‘friends’ are always those who have revelation knowledge, vision and the understanding of future events and how to impart wisdom to the church in not just understanding them, but to also walk effectively in them.

Abraham was called ‘God’s friend’ and God told him about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and how to save his family. Daniel was called ‘highly beloved’ and probably the most prophetically gifted within the Old Testament prophets in penning future events and in fact, provided prophecies that we rely upon today. Because Daniel was highly beloved, God gave Daniel a revelation of what was going to happen including the 70 weeks and the restoration Israel. And when we come to the New Testament, Jesus’ closet friend was the disciple and apostle John and it is John that had the greatest revelation of what was and is to come! After all, John was always with Jesus and Jesus even entrusted His mom to John at the junction of the cross. Jesus in Rev. 1:1 desires the church clearly understand “what must soon take place.”

There’s always been this strange myth in church circles that you can’t figure out what’s going to happen in the future and so there’s no point in trying to understand it. That’s a false teaching and dangerously carnal in nature. God has purposely written down what’s going to happen so we can understand it! The problem is that far too many Christians are spiritually lazy and they don’t read their Bibles, thus, they don’t understand the book of Revelation and prophecy because it can only be understood by knowing the rest of the Word. The Bible confirms itself and doesn’t require the opinion of man. God clearly desires that we understand down to the direct nations, dispensations and time periods to discern future events in order to be prepared. God does not play games with His church and have us jumping through spiritual riddles. Jesus through Holy Spirit reveals His prophetic agenda to those who are His beloved, friends and those whom He trusts. God’s biblical patterns have not changed as He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Jesus stated in 2 Pet. 2:1 “that in the last days that there would be many false prophets and teachers.” With that said, I believe that we can trust the writings of John. Amen? Jesus trusted the apostle John so much that He entrusted his mother to him as I previously stated. Jesus gave revelation and insight to John and took him everywhere with Him as presented in the New Testament. So, we can trust what John says and if you can’t trust John, you can’t trust anybody. Amen again?

The photo that I posted with this message is a Jewish wedding and the scriptures in context are written from a Jewish perspective. How could they not be? We see that the bride is not known because she is wearing a veil which is customary until she is married. Upon being married, the vail is then removed upon meeting the bridegroom. In our western culture it is just the opposite as the bridegroom awaits the bride. The ‘removing of the veil’ in the Greek language means ‘apocalypto’ – Apo meaning, ‘the removal’ and calypto meaning ‘veil.’ Apocalypto or apocalypse means the removing of the veil and not the Hollywood or churchy version of grave destruction or the end of world. So, when we go to the book of Revelation, it’s primarily about the purpose of the resurrection and the church’s relationship (removing the veil) with Jesus Christ. The future events that are contained in the book are historical and dispensational signposts to those who are His friends or belong to Him which are then seen (Eido) with revelation knowledge and understood. Proverbs continually inspires us to gain knowledge, but knowledge about what? It’s all about the revelation of Jesus Christ and His wedding with the church.

The book of Revelation is about a wedding. The climax and consummation of the Book of Revelation is the bride finally presenting herself to Christ. So, when we start in Genesis where the woman was created for the son of God (Adam), in Revelation we reach the conclusion in Revelation where the removing of the veil (apocalypto) presents the bride to the Bridegroom and He can now take her as His bride as she has now prepared herself. After all, that’s how the Book of Revelation ends. We no longer need to rely on natural vision (blepo) or to formulate theories (thereo). The veil has been removed and the great mystery (the church) from Book of Genesis and all the through the scriptures point to Jesus creating everything so that he could have a bride… So that He could have a church which is you and me! This is what the Father, Son and Holy Spirit we’re doing at creation, and was built entirely upon what they’ll get at the consummation of this age to His glory.

Continuing in Rev. 1:2-3, “who testifies to everything he saw  that is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”

Verse 3 states that the time is near or the time is at hand. It means that at any time, God can hit the button on the stopwatch and like the seven virgins with the lamps, we must have oil and be ready… Ready for the bridegroom and the marriage supper. Are we ready? Or, is there sin in our lives that need repentance? Gossip, outbursts of anger, pornography, gluttony, sex before marriage, materialism, laziness, addictive behaviors, is abortion okay, is homosexuality okay? What does the Bible say about these behaviors or beliefs? Look, I’ve had to repent from many of these behavioral sins. But we have an advocate who shed His blood and bore our sins on the cross. He was resurrected and is not coming back for perfect people and a perfect church, but a forgiven people and church. Just ask Him now for forgiveness. He’ll cleanse you and give you the power to overcome whatever it is you’re struggling with and has you in bondage. It’s just that simple and it’s just that powerful. Christ is returning and His heart and desire is to return for you because you belong to Him.

WILL JESUS RETURN FOR THIS CHURCH?

Will Jesus Return For This Church?

I would like to start by stating that this article was penned for me first and foremost. Please do not receive this as self-righteous on my part as I am a sinner saved by much grace and in need of that same wonderful grace daily. This is simply my personal interpretation of a very important section of scripture speaking to the agenda of antichrist and the church’s weak response and ignorance of the stated agenda. Hopefully, this will be a good starting point for the people of God to gain a basic understanding of the antichrist agenda yesterday, today and tomorrow. Much of this article stands upon the back of other people’s research and revelation. I just simply did the best I could to compile it and present it according to scripture in the hope that it would shed some light on the church through the lens of history and through the eyes of Christ in His love for the church.

Rev. 2:12-17 states, “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’

The Bible tells us, “These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword.” Let’s say for reference that you received a letter like this and these words were the introduction – I’d imagine you’d get a little bit concerned. If I wrote a letter and said, “dear Fred, this is Danny and I’ve got a gun.” I’d wonder if he’d really want to read the rest of the letter!

“I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.” What a nice thing to say and what a nice neighborhood you think?

“And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” Note that where Satan lives or dwells is reiterated again.

“But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth”. In other words, this was not an idle threat and Jesus was going to use that sword if need be – Right?

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”

We may raise our eyebrows at these words of Jesus, but the church at Pergamum is a very interesting and a relative example of some of not many churches that may be right in our own backyards today. The city of Pergamum still exists today as Bergama. Likewise, the city of Smyrna (the previous church addressed by Jesus in Revelation chapter 2) still exists today whereas Ephesus and many others do not. Have you ever wondered why some of landmark churches no longer exist? Could it be because Jesus stated that if they didn’t repent – He would take the candlesticks from among them? Jesus’ prophecy came true as there is no church there today. Yet, the church at Smyrna (known today as Ismir) still exists and has about 250 Christian churches. Is there a reason? Of the seven churches in Revelation, only those that were persecuted still exist today and the ones that were at ease, dogmatic and lost their first love for God – no longer exist at all. So, Pergamum or Pergamus known today as Bergama is still there today for some very interesting reasons, even if undeserving!

The word Pergamum comes from two Greek names. Per and Gamos. You may not know it, but we still use those two words today. Per – means to mix something together and usually not very good such as ‘pervert’ or ‘perversion’ which again – is the act of putting or mixing two things together that aren’t very good. The word Gamos we still use today but as a suffix such as ‘polygamos’ and where we get the words polygamy or polygamist. Or, monogamous which means ‘marriage’ or to be married to one person. If you’re a polygamist, your poly-people or married to multiple people. So, Pergamum or Pergamus in translation means to have mixture in your marriage which is not good. Right?

The church is the Bride of Christ and is to be monogamous. We’re supposed to have one bridegroom and Paul writes to the Corinthian church in 2 Cor. 11:2, “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ”. But the church at Pergamum became mixed and mixed up. The mass persecution of the church eased by the 4th century and you’d assume that everything would now be great and the church would flourish. Actually, just the opposite happened. Once the persecution stopped, the church started to get into real trouble – because when people are dying for the faith, people are only going to become Christians for the right reasons.

Jesus always told us to die to self and to live for Him. But, what happened in the 4th century when Constantine became emperor? He not only cancelled out the persecutions and made it illegal to persecute Christians by the end of his reign, but actually encouraged people to become Christians and gave them tax benefits! He actually appointed Christians to high positions in the Senate and system of government. He even made pastors tax exempt! So, there were major incentives to being a Christian coming out of the persecuted age of the church when Constantine was emperor. There’s certainly nothing wrong with this! But, by the end of his life, he was also appointed leader of the church and in numerous ways this is a dangerous precedent and position to get in when the head of country is also the head of the church. At this time, the church and the state started getting really mixed and mixed up! The mixing of the church and the secular state together is not Jesus’ kingdom and Jesus’ kingdom is not a kingdom of this world. Thus, we always and historically get into sociatal tyranny and eventual bondage when the government is also the church and vice versa. The end result and tragedy is that they influenced each other with a toxic mix of secular control and dogmatic religiosity.

It’s imperative that we stay engaged as Christians in regard to socio-political and socio-economic matters that affect our lives and the lives of our children. However, we must also with vigor, differentiate the state from the church. We mustn’t mix up our politics with the kingdom of heaven and this is a tempting trap by Satan to trip is up and distract us on a daily basis… Especially for people like myself who enjoy and even feel called to a degree in political frameworks or public service at this point in my life. But again, it can’t be mixed and must be clearly understood and separated from the kingdom and church. After all, we have no record of Jesus following a particular political party. Actually, when he was given an option of picking one, he didn’t pick any of them. Jesus remained loyal to what His Father called him to do. It’s a very dangerous outcome when we mix up or attempt a marriage of two diametrically opposed kingdoms as history has proven. Joseph and Daniel are good examples of how God can use Christian men and women to fulfill his purposes in state governments that are secular humanist. Daniel didn’t protest and revolt. He simply presented godly conduct which manifested as godly wisdom which garnered favor. Once we have the favor through godly conduct – we then possess the power of influence.

In John 18:36, Jesus said: “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

Jesus could have called his angels and nipped everything socially and politically in the bud, but rather, he stood for truth. Pergamum was a major Hellenistic center and was a center for Greek culture and religion in Asia Minor. Its culture flourished there and was successful. Likewise, Pergamum was the first to ally itself with the Roman emperors going way back even before the time of Christ. So, Pergamum was very loyal to the Roman emperors and was also the first place that the Roman emperors were worshipped as gods. It started there and then spread throughout the empire. As stated, it was in Pergamum that emperor worship started and so people there had agreed to worship Caesar as god. By the end of Constantine’s reign, there was sort of the same social construct because of something called the Pontificus Maximus was implemented. It’s result was that the head of the church was also the head of the state and at this time everything was so mixed together you ended up with allot of weird social stuff happening because both church and state can now render judgment and put a person in prison. The church and the state could now execute a person to death by decree. Everything was so mixed up that you had forced conversions. In other words, “you will become a Christian or I will kill you” because the state/church legislatures mandated it. At this time in history you had to become a Christian because the state made you become a Christian! Christianity is eternally lifesaving, but is this really a good societal environment to live in? Or, is this a horrible situation to live in? Then again, “Christianity” in name only is not Christianity at all. Once a religion is embedded and thoroughly mixed and rooted within the state, it’s almost impossible to remove it, yet, it’s very easy to change the dictates of the “god” by those who wield state power. This is the end time mixture of a pseudo religion becoming the state. There are religions today that are state run under the banner of Islam in which individual and gender freedoms are heavily prejudiced and spreading feverishly around the world with nobody raising an eyebrow.

Emperor worship started here and Pergamum was also according to the Greeks and then the Romans (the Greco-Roman Pantheon) the seat of Zeus. There was a massive alter to Zeus at Pergamum where people were expected to worship. For those who may not understand mythological god’s, Jupiter is the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Zeus. Rome, for the most part retained the Greek gods and just simply renamed them. But the crux of the Satanic application is that the Greeks copied Babylon in regard to their gods and false religions. Rome simply became the new surrogate mother to continue to birth the same demonic entities, doctrines and influences.

Babylon was conquered by Cyrus the Great of the Persians in 538 BC. When the Persians took control of the Babylonian kingdom, all of the Babylonian priests of their religion left Babylon and went to you guessed it – Pergamum! So, Pergamum became the bastion of the Babylonian religious system. This should present some sure warning signs as Babylon was the birthplace and seat of false religions and false gods. If we go back in scriptures before Gen 12, we’ll find that the Tower of Babel was built and the first antichrist figure (Nimrod) constructed the antichristal system of government and false worship. Nimrod’s false and counterfeit religion included the worship of corporate secularism along with fallen angels and Satan himself and it all has its origins in Babylon.

The people who knew God originally and direct descendants from Adam and Eve – why would they worship any other god(s) when they clearly knew that there weren’t any? So, obviously it took a period of time for people to start worshipping these spiritual and antichristal beings. Genesis 10:10 states that the beginning of Nimrod’s ‘kingdom’ were the towns of Babel, Babylon, Erech, Akkad and Calneh in the land of Shinar.

First, what does the name Nimrod mean? It comes from the Hebrew verb marad, meaning “rebel.” Adding an “n” before the “m” it becomes an infinitive construct, “Nimrod.” (see Kautzsch 1910: 137 2b, also BDB 1962: 597). The meaning then is “The Rebel.” Thus, “Nimrod” may not be the character’s name at all. It is more likely a derisive term of a type, a representative, of a system that is epitomized in rebellion against the Creator, the one true God.

So, to reiterate, the false teachers went from Babylon to Pergamum and embedded within the Greek culture which was the most advanced, influential and mobile culture at that time to spread it’s influence. Even though Turkey is the geographical area today, it was Greek in territory and culture at this time. We know from history that Alexander the Great conquered the whole area of Asia Minor and so it became Greek and then eventually the Romans took it over and all the Romans did as stated, was adopt the same gods and simply renamed them. Zeus was renamed Jupiter but was the same god with the same religious connotation as the highest god going all the way back to the system of Nimrod which is the same antichrist system of worship because Pergamum is where Zeus was enthroned and where the people had erected his alter.

But notice that Jesus didn’t call it Zeus’ throne. He calls it: “Satan’s throne.” We also notice that Jesus doesn’t call Pergamum a place where Zeus lives. Jesus is equating the worship of Zeus or Jupiter here in Revelation 2 as the worship of Satan. And if we follow that back to the Babylonian religions, that’s exactly what it is… It’s the worship of the devil…The worship of Zeus – the one who claims to be the number one god… Satan.

The actual Alter to Zeus was excavated by German archaeologists in the 1880’s in Pergamum. They dug up this huge structure that was dedicated to Zeus called Zeus’ throne, but Jesus refers to it as, “Satan’s throne.” To reiterate, Jesus doesn’t call Pergamum the place where Zeus lives. No, he calls it the place where Satan or the devil lives. It’s clear that Jesus is equating the worship of Zeus or Jupiter to worshipping Satan. And if we follow that back to the Babylon religions, that’s exactly what it is. Again, it’s the worship of the one who claims to be the number one god.

We can easily trace this system of worship back through Babylon and then through Greece and then through Antiochus Epiphanes as spoken by the prophet Daniel who set up the Abomination of Desolation at the Temple Mount in 165 BC and what did he do? He put Jupiter’s alter aka Zeus’ alter or, should we say, Satan’s alter on top of God’s chosen site to represent his throne! Satan always desires to place his throne above God’s throne which is why he was cast out of heaven in the first place. Isaiah 14:12 states: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.”

So, Antiochus Epiphanes set up the throne of abomination on the Temple Mount and when Hadrian, the 14th Roman emperor came to the Temple Mount – he destroyed it and stated that Rome would rebuild it, but instead, built a temple upon it for the worship of guess who? Jupiter! Once again, a temple or throne was set up by Satan on top of God’s throne because God stated in Jeremiah. 3:17 “At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart.”

Zeus’s alter, or shall we say, “Satan’s throne” that was excavated can be seen online as it’s on display in the Berlin Museum. it’s a large structure in the shape of a temple throne with colonnades (pillars) and steps leading up to it. The appearance is like a massive throne. As stated, it was excavated and piece by piece was moved to Berlin and reassembled by Italian specialists and is still on display today as of 1889 with a museum built specifically for it. Note that 1889 is the same year that a certain man named Adolf Hitler was born. Coincidence?

When Hitler finally came to power, he had an architect named Albert Speer build a monument to the Third Reich (Hitler’s governmental system) which was copied from none other than Zeus’ alter or Satan’s throne and constructed in Nuremberg. Coincidence? The antichrist spirit that moved through the great worldly centers of power from Babylon through Persia; through Greece, through Rome and then to Berlin, Germany in the 1930s. The spirit that settled in Berlin was for the destruction and annihilation of the Jewish people (coincidence?) whether Jew or Christian. It always has been and it is the antichrist sprit that emanates from Satan’s throne or alter that darkens the heart of man to commit such human atrocities.

I realize that they’re just buildings, but it’s the spirit behind them that matters. So, Jesus writes to Pergamum and says, “where Satan has his throne.” Could it be that Satan has a throne on Earth? Satan is not omnipresent. Only God is. Isaiah 66:1 says, “Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?” Satan has locality because he’s not omnipresent. He is a spiritual being, but he’s based somewhere rather than existing in the ether. So where is he based if he’s not omnipresent? Where is he based now? 2 Thess 2:4 says, “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

We know that he will be based on the Temple of God’s holy place. It is prophesied that he will set up camp on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Why? Because he’s always desired to have his throne above God’s and that’s always been his plan and we (the church) are a very big inconvenience to that plan. The good news is that Jesus will return and be enthroned on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem per God’s redemptive and restorative plan. Psalm 2:6 says, “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.” Again, the goal of Satan is to set up his throne above God’s for the purpose of destroying God’s people. Sadly, far too many Americans are ether ignorant or too spiritually lazy to see and understand what’s unfolding before their glazed eyes as the state methodically chisels away at religious freedoms. Satan throughout history has and will set up his alter and throne wherever he can destroy the people of God and that includes Christians and Jews and I cannot stress this enough because as the days grow shorter to Christ’s return, so will the intensity of this plan grow as it did in the early church.

It seems absurd that Satan actually thinks he can change what God has ordained. But we must remember that Satan, although clever, is deranged much like Hitler was. Hitler thought he could still win World War 2 with virtually no army and the allied troops enclosing in on all sides. The original derangement syndrome didn’t start in politics. It started in the mind of Satan and he’ll take as many people out with him as he can.

Continuing in Revelation 2:12 “He is the one with the sharp double edged sword.” Why does John write of a double edged sword? Because although the church and the state of humanity can create mixture, Jesus can divide them back into God’s government and order. The sharp double edged sword that comes out of the month of Jesus is always the Word of God and is always to bring a form of division. Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Listen to Jesus’ words in Luke 12:51, “Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.” God will not allow His bride to be in a mixed marriage. God will not allow His church to be married to the world and Himself at the same time. He will not allow a secular state to control His church. He will bring his Word to divide it and to recognize that we do not belong to that, but that we belong to Him. We must differentiate between being a part of something and belonging.

Rev 2:13: “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.”

We also need to understand that at this dispensation in time, the start of mixture and worldliness began manifesting in the church. You wouldn’t know if someone was a real Christian or not simply by attendence or membership. You didn’t even know if someone was a real pastor or not because everything was mixed together with many worldly elements contrary to the Bible. You wouldn’t even know if it was a real church or not and only a generation later in 5th century, the church that had begun in the upper room was unrecognizable and resembled more of what we would recognize as Pharisees and Sadducees (a mixture of state and religion sprinkled with worldly hypocrisy and man-made doctrines). Are churches today becoming mixed, liberal and unbiblical due to socio-political and socio-economic pressures and influences?.

Jesus again mentions “Antipas.” Who’s Antipas the faithful witness? Well, we really don’t know much of who he is, but we do know what his name means in that “he stands against all” and historical tradition has stated that he was martyred on the brazen-bull at Zeus’ alter for preaching the Gospel and casting out demons. Judging by his name and Jesus’ words, we can assume that he stood up to the mixture and worldly affairs of the church. I believe that he stood for the church of God through Jesus Christ and he was killed because of it.

So finally, when tyrannical emperor governments eased church persecution, the ‘church’ itself and ironically began persecuting its own! The church started to imprison people. The church started to wield secular type authority that hadn’t been given by the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God. And finally, the church started putting people to death!

You’ll find throughout history that God will always use people in mighty ways that stand against these satanic systems and behaviors and that seek to preserve the sanctity of the church. When Martin Luther stood up against this very spirit, he stood up and said, “here I am, I can do no other so help me God. If you cannot convince me that it’s in God’s Word, I will not accept it.” Luther said, ‘no, you don’t have to send that priest money or penance to get into heaven.” No, you don’t have to buy that prayer cloth to be healed or to get into heaven. No, you don’t have to buy the tonics of man to be healed of the Corona Virus. No, you don’t a seed offering or have to buy that special oil or holy water to get healed or into heaven. You are justified by faith and faith alone in Jesus Christ. And if we’re honest, aren’t we seeing the same worldly requirements and stuff coming back into the church?

Grace is always free. Jesus paid the price in full and we don’t have to pay a millionaire televangelist for healing. Preying and praying on the weak and in need is what feeds these antichrist systems as they remove the preeminence of Christ and substitute it with carnality. So, the church brought persecution on its own and Constantine moved the capital from Rome to Constantinople. Essentially, he moved the capital from Rome back to Turkey – the original seat of Satanic power in Babylonian Shinar back to Asia Minor. The system came back home to Babylon and the original kingdom where Nimrod came from in the first place. Back where Antiochus Epiphanes came from in the first place. Back to where the origins of Satanic worship was in the first place. When you read or think about Rome in the Bible, it’s actually the offshoot of the original antichrist spirit seated in Asia Minor. The Roman empire lasted a thousand years longer in Turkey than it did in Rome. Coincidence?

So what’s up with my focus on Turkey and is Turkey important in regard to the words of Jesus in Revelation 2? Nimrod’s original system and kingdom was in the areas we know today Syria, Iraq and Turkey and loyalty to the state was a person’s measure of spirituality. In other words, if you’re loyal to the state, you’re a good Christian. But where is that in the Bible? By 325 AD, Constantine had relocated the center of the Roman empire back to Turkey. If you look at today’s Turkish flag, what is on it? It the exact same symbol for Baal worship used in the ancient and Old Testament world (a star seated in a crescent moon). There’s even coins and other social expressions that have the same symbol on them. Look, Baal is the devil in scripture. Baal is Satan. Now, you can argue that they’re just symbols and I’ll agree that they’re just symbols. But when you choose the symbol of Satan himself as the symbol of your national flag and identity, we all should have some serious questions. Obviously, this symbol represents more than the flag of Turkey and you’ll see this symbol everywhere. It’s the symbol of the moon god. Or, the Arabian moon god that goes by another name such as “Allah.” It’s synonymous with the name of Baal – The one who claimed to be God but wasn’t God – the false and counterfeit god. The symbol of antichrist…The symbol of the devil himself and that symbol was used in other ancient cultures to worship darkness such as the Mesopotamians, Babylonians, Assyrians and others which can be found by quick Google searches on archaeology. But the catch is that it’s being seen today more than ever. I believe that it’s the symbol of antichrist and it’s the symbol of not only Turkey, but numerous state and secular humanist identifications. Is it coincidence? Byzantium was based in Turkey and the Ottoman empire ruled over Israel longer than any other nation. These empires from the time of Nimrod in Babylon to modern day Turkey are presented by their deeds as antichrist empires. Remember, it is always about the destruction of God’s people and these empires or kingdoms were the physical places of Satan’s alter and throne. How do we know this? It’s because of one clear common denominator – the control of Israel whether it’s the Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Canaanites, Persians, Greeks, Romans and Ottomans. The seat and purpose of the Dome of the Rock should be obvious to every believer. Again, it’s control not only over just geographical Israel, but the people and to set up a counterfeit throne over the one true God’s throne. And yes, the star seated within the crescent is currently at the highest elevation upon the Temple Mount. I believe that the scriptures point that these nations and systems will be judged as antichrist systems.

Rev 12:14 “But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality”.

In closing, once this worldly and sensual stuff starts mixing in with the church and begins happening, and even though there were some who were standing against it – some if not many were just going along with it. But Jesus strongly addresses the doctrine of Balaam and Balak who are teaching in the church! We must realize that in context, these are church leaders and pastors. They have to be people in authority or they wouldn’t be teaching or allowed to teach in the church. You can read all about Balaam the son of Balak in Numbers 22 and they are also mentioned 3 times in the New Testament (Ref. 1 Pet 2:15, Jude 1:11). Jesus addresses these errors and teachings and clearly states that “I’ve got this against you” to both those teaching it and those agreeing to it. Likewise, we see and experience it in the worldly church today.

Note that there’s two people – Balaam and Balak. One is a leader of a nation and the other is a prophet. In the book of Revelation you will always find physical entities or systems in groups of two. There is a beast and a second beast. There is Jannes and Jambres. There is the Antichrist and the false prophet. Satan will use sets of two as one will have legal authority while the other will have spiritual authority and will use these two persons (i.e. antichrist and false prophet) Likewise, he’s currently using the spirit of Balaam and Balak to deceive God’s people as spirits of light as if even the elect might be deceived and get them to worship Satan or its system.

Acts 14:11 “Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things”?

Balaam spoke some of the most accurate prophesy recorded in the scripture and yet his motives were dark. He was unrighteous in his heart but had incredible prophetic insight and gifting. The world will follow the Antichrist and the false prophet because of supernatural or should I say, unnatural power. Don’t be amazed at people’s miraculous powers. It’s only by their fruit that you will recognize them as true or false and not their gift. Look, the Antichrist will raise someone from the dead. The Bible states that he will be mortally wounded but will be miraculously healed. He will call down fire from heaven, and he will be able to do miraculous things – but he is the devil incarnate. Don’t be deceived by people with miraculous powers with no fruit and no mention that their abilities are by grace through Christ and Christ alone.

Balaam stunk of rotten fruit as his ministry was for money. Balaam only went somewhere because he would get a reward. He only ministered if he was going to get paid for it. That should check you right there. A true minister of God will share His Word regardless of the reward. But Danny, times have changed. No. No. They have not changed and neither has God’s Word. Now, this isn’t to say that folks in the ministry should not be paid! Quite the contrary as a labourer is worth his due and we are commanded to support those who are equipping the saints. It’s the spirit and dark motives of those seeking reward and prostituting God’s Word for monetary gain or power. But a true minister will go to wherever God calls them and will bring the Word whether they’re paid or not.

Secondly, Balaam enticed the Israelites to sin and that it was okay… You’ll just be forgiven by the next animal sacrifice. In other words, it’s okay to have sin in the church… Just perform a couple hail Mary’s. But the words of Jesus here in Revelation state that it’s not okay to have sin in the church. The Lord himself told his churches to repent and we must see that God will not allow sin in his church lest a form of judgment come upon it. Food sacrificed to idols (idolatry) and materialism which is running rampant in the modern church is addressed by Jesus to repent from.

The spirit behind Balaam allowed sexual immorality in the church. I sincerely believe that there’s not been a time in history since the resurrection of Christ where sexual immorality is overlooked and winked at in the church as it is today. A generation ago only 5% of people were divorced and now it is over 51%. It’s become common and the church has compromised purity as a marriage requirement. Homosexuality is made common through a barrage of media, entertainment, academia and has taken up residence in the church. The Bible is clear on homosexuality as sin and a abomination to God. Look, God loves all people but can’t allow sin in His presence and the church. Romans 1:26 says, “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error.” Sadly, the topic is rarely discussed and the questions are not asked. If it’s not the fear of losing seats and money – then what is it? Worldliness? Maybe, it’s a ‘church’ and people ignorantly worshipping on the steps of Satan’s throne and alter?

I CAN’T GET NO SATISFACTION!

I believe that this message is for all people and of the greatest importance for all Christians regardless of age. I also believe that the lack of direction and understanding of finding our true place and calling in the ‘church’ and how that translates to the world we live in is probably the greatest challenge and frustration in our lives. Whether it’s friend groups in school for kids or career paths for adults – finding our place, our purpose in life and genuine calling can be our gravest disappointments or our greatest rewards.

Let’s start in 2 Timothy 1:9. But, let’s first read the last word of verse 8 which is the word ‘God.’ “God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” The Bible states here that God has saved us into a holy calling – not because of anything we have done, but because of His own purposes and grace. And this grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time!

The Bible also states here that if you and I are saved, that we are also “called.” Let me ask you a question: How many know that they are saved? I would assume that most reading this would say, “yes.” But what if I asked how many of you know that you are specifically called, and do you know what that specific calling or place is? I’ve observed that many Christians recognize that they’re saved. But, are not sure of their specific placement and true calling. If you are saved, you are specifically called. You may not know it, but when God saves us, he immediately calls us and Paul says, “with a holy calling.” There is no delay or trial period.

It’s tremendously important to understand that God has a calling or a place for you to fit that is holy. It’s a calling and placement which you need to treat with the greatest respect and reverence. Your calling is one of a kind rare and it’s greater than any earthly treasure that you can possess.

My wife Carole helped me find my place and calling when we first married over 25 years ago. She would email me simple and from the heart one paragraph blessings to encourage me to enter into God’s best and calling regardless of my lack of social, financial and educational status. I was an aircraft technician at that time and at the very bottom of the totem pole per say as a new employee. But within the first year of these blessings – I received 3 raises in one year! This is simply unheard of and I’m the only one out of thousands of employees that has received this measure of grace to my knowledge and I would know as I would eventually attain many leadership-type rolls within the company. In less than 5 years from starting at the bottom and being faithful with what God had given me – I would become a student of learning and becoming an integral part of a world renown aerospace engineering team developing the finest aircraft platform in the world because I had found and entered my place in God’s calling.

So, God knew in advance what my purpose (advancing the kingdom) and calling (aerospace engineer, director, consultant, and board member) was and what I could have only imagined as a distant dream at the time. I had no thoughts or intentions of becoming an engineer… Let alone an aerospace engineer. But I did embrace those blessings by faith to attain God’s best and calling for my life and the catch is that if I tried anything else outside of the path of ‘being’ an aerospace engineer, becoming a successful cattle rancher, and currently a board member of Ag Solar Solutions – I would have been like a duck out of the water. A duck is very clumsy and lacks coordination as it waddles to and fro when it’s out of the water. But once in the water, it is graceful both above and even underwater. Many of us are overwhelmed or underwater and this is why it is so important for all of us to earnestly seek and know the area in which we are called by the Lord.

You’re hearing or reading this today because there are seeds within you composed of truth, faith and love. Even as a much younger fellow and before I moved into my place and calling, I was on a quest for truth. I would hang out in libraries reading and devouring everything from history to quantum physics. You know, a self taught guy with a bag full of useless knowledge. And upon being saved, I would read the Bible on my left-hand side with a concordance on my right-hand side so I could compare the translation with the original Hebrew and Greek languages. But you see, our quest for truth and knowledge can easily frustrate and disappoint us without an equal quest for faith. If our souls are frustrated and or disappointed – how can we affectively impart Christ or even present the best version of ourself to others?

So, God will naturally lead us into areas and circumstances in our lives that demand the exercising and growth of our faith. The exercising of faith or the lack thereof is where many believers in their Christian walk fail to experience the wonder of their true calling and relational destinies. In our relationships and connections with others, we must possess truth to gain trust. But, we also need to exhibit faith for those relationships to grow within God’s calling, placement and purposes. Our Christian walk and destinies demand that truth become our testimonies that have happened by faith and expressed to others in love. In other words, a testimony without being birthed by faith is just a feel-good story with no anointing upon it to help bring forth life change in others. Notice the end of the commandment in the verse is “love.” I ll prefer to call this verse a ‘commandment’ because essentially it is! God is relational and relationships is the requirement for you and I to understand and acquire our calling and purpose in life. The pursuit of our calling and where we righty fit or connect will be impossible without love. If you can’t love people, you really can’t provide much for them. Thus, we can’t expect to much in return from them on our journey as well. Every person out of over 6 billion at arm’s reach in our lives is there for a reason and for the purpose of growth in both their life and ours.

Trough the grace of God in my life, God has removed my critical spirit and propensity to judge…To genuinely and authentically love others. I can now at this time in my life say that I honestly love you and hope the very best for you in the love of Christ. I look at you with the love of God and genuinely long that your place and calling at this time in your lives would be clearly known, understood, realized and much greater than my own. My sincere desire is that you should be all that you should be in Christ as you experience the wonder and the miraculous within the abundant life.

Your calling is probably not the same calling as mine, but you have a specific calling that is much better than mine because it is tailor made just for you. Look, you’ll never be truly satisfied or feel like a duck in water until you walk in ‘your’ calling and find your place. There are many, many different callings and going back to 2 Tim. 1:9, we find something even more exciting. It says that “God has saved us and has called us to a holy calling. In other words, your particular calling (whatever that may be) is holy!

Once I realized what and who God had called me to be, I made it a life priority by His grace to be the very best aircraft technician, operations lead, engineer, director, board member, and servant that I could be. I’m currently making it a priority to be the very best provider of love and service that I can be and without comparing myself to any others in the same thing or calling. God desires that our calling is in alignment with being a productive citizen and having a heart of giving rather than always taking whether it’s within a career, a friendship or a marriage.

One of the keys to unlocking the knowledge of our calling is disciplining our mind. I no longer spend fruitless hours on books that have no redeeming value or eternal significance. I no longer listen to music that has no redeeming value. I no longer clutter my mind with pointless activities that have no redeeming value. Even the news and politics of which I dearly enjoy, I have purposely limited to focus on my relationship with God, relationships with others, and to focus on my holy calling. I have realized that most of the media driven news doesn’t truly matter a week later anyway and is filled with cluttersome advertising and useless jargon. The reasoning is that we don’t want to waste time as time is extremely precious and so rare that it’s the only thing that we can’t make more of. We can make more of just about everything except time and you as an individual are exceedingly rare and priceless.

Any athlete that desires to compete on a high level has to discipline her or himself in regard to what they eat, how they spend their time, ‘what’ they choose to exercise the most, what they focus their minds on and maintaining a positive attitude. But most, importantly, they must go into that arena believing that they will succeed. Many will have the same ability as you in your calling. But it’s the dedication to understanding your calling that sets you apart as a follower of Christ and the eternal purpose that your place or calling in the world represents. What I’m trying to show you is that if you want to succeed – you’ll need to discipline yourself (your body and mind). You’ll need to order your priorities and address the unnecessary clutter… Even eliminating allot of things out of your life.

So, we’ve read that not only have we been saved, but also saved for a holy calling. Do we really understand the depth of that? It’s not to be taken lightly. It’s not to be traded for anything else (like Esau who sold his birthright for a bowl of soup). Your calling is part of your birthright as a believer and it’s holy! Paul continues in verse 9 stating that God “has called us to a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given in Christ Jesus before time began.” That’s a remarkable and exciting statement! Before anything was even created. Before God ever set time in motion. God knew that you would be born and what He was going to do in your life. He knew that you were going to become a believer and He knew He had a plan for your life.

You are not an accident waiting for happenstance. There’s a divine plan. There is a place where you fit and a calling for every believer which didn’t start within the constraints of time or when you were born – it started before creation because God foreknew us! The Bible states that he predestined us. That means that He arranged the courses that our lives were to navigate and he had a specific plan and purpose for every one of them. When these collective courses and callings are found, united and traveled – the true mandate of the kingdom is manifested to the world. The Bible also states in this verse that it’s: “not according to our works.” In other words, it’s not according to what we can do or by our own ability. It’s not necessarily even what we’ve been trained to do. I can’t begin to tell you how many people were surprised and even shocked to find out that I had achieved the wondrous callings in my life. These folks just couldn’t reconcile this calling with what they had perceived as my natural or visible talents and abilities from the person they knew in his teens and 20’s.

God will oftentimes predestine us into a place and calling of which we are not naturally qualified and the reason is that He oftentimes doesn’t want us to rely upon our own abilities. Remember, It’s not according to our works or intellect, but according to His grace. When you think about some of the most successful servants of God over the centuries – many have been perceived weak people; oftentimes people with few qualifications; people put in places of danger and difficulty of which we would never have naturally imagined that they would succeed.

The wonder of grace is that it cannot be earned. You’ll never achieve grace by naturally working for it. Works and grace are exclusive to each other. Truly – grace begins where human ability ends. If you can do it by yourself, why should God provide you with his grace? But when you come to the points and places in your life where you can’t do it – then you need to depend on His grace and that’s the starting place where God desire’s us to be in understanding our place and calling.

Back to verse 9: “God has saved us according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before time began.” If we could just begin to grasp the magnitude of these words, it should give us all a sense of being vitally important within the kingdom. It’s not that we’ve become conceited, but that we realize that we are part of a tremendous and relationship driven plan that God conceived before he created anything! One of the greatest issues with people in the world today is low self-esteem. They don’t believe that they’re worth much and a person with low self-esteem will not make the best of his or her life nor will they truly experience a life that is abundant with unknown possibilities. A born-again Christian should never have that problem. Right?

Let me explain this thought in more detail. The first detail is the reason that I have already given – if you’re born again – you are part of an eternal plan and adventure built upon truth, faith and love. You have a special and unique job or function. You have a special calling and place that you rightly fit in and an eternal purpose that nobody else has. You have a responsibility that nobody else can carry out. And the second detail is how much you’re worth. Do you really know how much you are worth? Let’s suppose that you’re trying to sell something such as a house. And let’s suppose that the market comps reflect that your house is worth or appraised for 100k dollars. But what is the house really worth? It’s really worth what somebody is willing to pay for it and it’s that way with just about all things in life. You can put any price tag you like on the house, but it’s only worth what somebody is willing pay for it and no more.

Likewise, your actual worth is what God was willing to pay for you. And what did He pay for you? What did he purchase you with? It was the priceless blood of Jesus Christ which is a payment that is infinitely valuable. It is something on which you cannot attach a price. And if you can grasp that God was willing to pay the price in the blood of His son to purchase and redeem you – you’ll never doubt or have a problem of self-worth again because you’re worth what God was willing to pay for you. Otherwise, He wouldn’t have paid it! Meditate on this. Read it over and over until it becomes real to you. We must understand this cost and payment as a key which unlocks the doors of our calling and purpose.

God’s Word is a mirror and if we really want to know what we currently look like inside, we must look in the mirror. The first time we look in the mirror upon being saved, it’s probably fairly horrible. We discover that we’re a sinner. We saw that we’re defiled and that our garments are horribly unclean and stained. But if we’re wise and we act on what God’s Word shows us – we’ll repent and trust Jesus for salvation. We’ll soon see that we’re cleansed, washed and sanctified. God takes away our unclean garment and clothes us with a garment of salvation and a robe of righteousness. If we’ll look in the mirror and not walk away forgetting what our previous condition looked like – we’ll soon be astonished at what we see! We don’t see the old ‘whatever that might be’ or that old person. We’ll see somebody quite different. We’ve radically changed and transformed wearing a garment of salvation rather than the torn garments of this world exposing our nakedness and sin nature.

But this new look is only the beginning because God continues to go on changing us. 2 Cor 3:18 says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” You see, if we want the Spirit of the Lord to transform us, we’ve got to keep looking in the mirror. If we look away from the mirror, the Spirit is no longer working or transforming us into the image of Christ. The Lord is only working on us when we’re looking in the mirror of His Word and if we’ll yield to the Holy Spirit – we’ll see a “glory” which the verse says is specifically for us and that’s wonderful. And within the progression of God’s sanctifying work and as we continue to look in the mirror, we’ll see more glory in our lives and moving from glory to glory (God’s daily and continual work of sanctification in our lives).

A prevailing problem with Christians who question their self-worth is that they don’t spend enough time in the mirror that matters the most. Turning to Ephesians 2:8-10, the Bible states, “For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

The Bible says that we didn’t acquire the faith, but that He gave us the faith and he gave us this faith for our salvation. These verses are beautiful and powerful… The word “workmanship” is a difficult word to define in the English translation from its original Greek intent. It is interpreted from the Greek word ‘Poiema.’ Properly interpreted we get the word ‘poem’ and more accurately understood – we are God’s poem. We are not just some ‘thing’ that He manufactured, but we’re his creative masterpiece created in Christ Jesus. And here’s the amazing thing – God presented to the rocks and the heavens what He could create! He displayed his creative ability to the whole universe and all of it had been created by Himself. And just to prove what he could do, he went to the scrap heap to find His material and that’s where he found you and me… On the scrap heap! Is that right? It is for me as I know where I came from and it wasn’t lovely! I was put back together from a scrap heap of sinful natures and appetites.

In listening between the lines, I hear God addressing the created universe: This is going to be all of my creative, crowning and redemptive glory – It’s the church of Jesus Christ. The bride of Christ. The scrap heap is what we were and where we came from. But now, we’re his poem. We’re his creative masterpiece. And we’re created for greatness which God created before the foundations of the Earth were created or beforehand that we should walk in them. This is the same truth as 2 Tim 1:9 in that we don’t have to decide what we’re going to do. We don’t have to fashion a future for ourselves in our own strength or desires out of thin air and random thoughts. Our responsibility is to find out what the good deeds are that God created for us and called us to walk in through prayer and an intimate relationship with Christ.

Typically, I see Christians taking two different paths in finding their place or calling. Many go to school and then maybe to college and then work hard to achieve something or be somebody. They’re personally ambitious and they want to make something of themselves in this world. They become ‘something’, but if we’re honest, this is probably not what God intended them to be.

On the other path, which is narrow, are believers who abandon themselves to God. They give up their personal ambitions. They say, ” God, make me what and who you want.” One of the greatest places and callings is being a stay at home mom. When Carole and I welcomed our son and gift of God into our lives, we had to make a decision that most parents have to make. Does Carole stay home or remain in the marketplace? As I stated earlier, I was just getting started in a new job and career and Carole’s income at that time was equal to my own. We had just purchased our modest home, had our first baby, and from a natural and financial perspective – this was a no-brainer. However, because we looked in the mirror everyday as I daily read the Word to Carole to speak God’s promises into our environment and life – we clearly understood and knew that it was God’s calling and place for Carole to stay at home and raise our son and future daughters. Even though there were so many practical reasons for her to re-enter her teaching career, we now see with understanding how vital that it was that we obeyed God’s calling and place for Carole. How many have the faith to believe God to provide according to his Word? Looking into the spiritual mirror is very satisfying and there are no limits to what you and I can achieve and experience as we are being transformed from glory to glory to glory.

I’m sure you’ve heard of the great doctor, explorer and missionary David Livingston? But if you haven’t, he singlehandedly opened up Africa to the rest of the world. Dr. Livingston became a doctor, but then went to Africa for a missionary and exploration calling. His brother also became a doctor and when David went to Africa, his brother chided him as doing the wrong thing and throwing his career and opportunities away. He also stated that he didn’t want that kind of life. But rather, desired to make a name for himself… To be something and somebody. Well, today if you go to an online encyclopedia, David’s brother has one line starting that he’s the “brother of David Livingston.” Whereas, David has numerous paragraphs and books written about him! You see, in the long run, It’s always in our best interest and purpose in life to trust God with His calling and place for our lives.

There will always be steps of faith required and you’ll always have to give up something. Jesus said that you would have to give up your life, but if you lose your old life, you’ll find it. Not only to find it, but to experience the abundant life that God has already planned for you.

It’s a life that’s exciting, challenging and probably won’t resemble my life or the people sitting next to you. But it will be rich and deep with purpose and gratification and when you come to the end of your life, you won’t look back upon it as not having any permanent or eternal value. Regret is a horrible partner to grow old with. When we find our place and move into our calling, we produce fruit that remains forever. So, remember that we are God’s workmanship or poem created in His image and he has something very special for us to do and accomplish that has eternal significance. We will never find true satisfaction until we seek and earnestly pray to find that special ‘something’ that God has custom built for our personality and talents that are yet to be revealed by His grace.

The best place in my opinion to turn to in the Bible to discover what God has called us to be is found in Romans chapter 12 in the first 8 verses. Let’s look at them systematically to gain some insight into our place and calling in life. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Notice that the first verse reflects the word, “therefore.” When you read a “therefore” in the Bible, you really want to find out what it’s there for! So, what is the “therefore”, there for in verse 1 of Romans chapter 12? The first 11 chapters are the greatest literary work known to man in explaining God’s plan of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. I would say that it’s the greatest masterpiece of logic ever penned. Paul has beautifully unpacked and unfolded the theology of salvation. But with that said, the New Testament never presents what I’ll call ‘pure theology.’ Its words and divine inspiration challenge us to apply the truth in our lives in a practical way and that’s where the “therefore” comes to light.

Paul says that in the light of all that God has done for us and within all of his grace and mercy – what is our response? The apostle tells us: “I beseech you therefore brethren that”. “That” is not a long or unique word and Paul is not exercising big theological words. But, rather, getting down to the nitty gritty. And what is the nitty gritty of realizing your place and calling? It’s what we do with our bodies! So, in the light of this truth in Romans, Paul is stating that I want you to offer your bodies upon God’s alter as a living sacrifice. It’s essentially what you choose to do with your body that’s going to determine your success in life. After all, why does Paul call it a “living sacrifice?” It’s because he’s contrasting it with the sacrifices of the Old Testament where the sacrificed offering was placed on the alter, but it was dead.

Paul states that he expects us to place ourselves on the alter in the same sacrificial reality, but alive. Our response is that we give ourselves entirely to God as a living sacrifice and that we must place ourselves on the alter. Jesus, in hashing things out with the Pharisees, stated that the sacrifice didn’t sanctify the alter, but that the alter sanctified the sacrifice that was placed upon it. To sanctify means to make holy.

If we’re honest, many of us have been involved with contrary mindsets, thoughts and actions that are unclean, sinful and unholy. I can personally relate all too well. But this intrinsically speaks to the last few generations of youth and even subcultures that are engaging in sexual immorality and sex before marriage as if it were not a big deal … even in Christian households. Drug abuse, dabbling in the occult, gluttony and fleshly appetites are now normalized. These appetites may not apply to you. But assume that somebody gets gloriously saved by Jesus. Is there any way that this person engaged in such darkness, bondage and conduct can be redeemed with an abundant life? The answer is yes! But only in one way… that they place their body on the alter and the alter will sanctify what’s on it.

There is no other way that you can have a holy body regarding all that you’ve been through. Say you’re single and you want to come together as one body or flesh in marriage. Is it possible? Yes. But marriage merges two people into one flesh or body and both bodies must be placed upon God’s alter for your marriage to find its true place, calling and eternal significance. We don’t have to spend the rest of our lives regretting what we did. We just need to put our bodies on the alter and let the alter take care of the past. So, the first thing is that God’s alter sanctifies the sacrifice.

Continuing, Paul says, that your sacrifice will be “acceptable to God which is your reasonable service.” Isn’t this the least that we can do in what God has done for us? The first great sacrifice in life was offered by who? Yes, it was Jesus. He gave his body on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. He bore our sins in his own body on the tree that we, being dead to sin, might live for righteousness and by whose wounds we are now healed. It’s no longer my will be done, but God’s will be done with my body as I no longer control it or choose what happens to it for it belongs to the Lord. I no longer dictate the work I do. I no longer dictate the clothes I wear. I no longer dictate what I wear on my skin and how many punctures I choose to inflict it with. I no longer dictate the unhealthy food I eat. All of that is your directive Lord, because I have given my body and your temple back to you.

And then Paul continues in verse 2: “Do not be conformed to this age but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Now we cannot renew our own minds regardless of how hard we try in our fallen nature. But when we present our body and make that surrender, God moves in and begins to transform the way we think, and we are renewed in our mind. The difference between our natural way of thinking and renewed mind through the working of Holy Spirit is that our mind is naturally self-centered. Whereas, the renewed mind is God-centered. In the natural mind, we all say, “what will we get out of this?” In the renewed mind, we say, “what will God get out of this.” Will this decision with my body glorify God? Will this decision with my body please God?

And Paul says, when your mind is renewed, then you will be able to prove with experience what is that good and acceptable will or calling of God. Without having your mind renewed, you cannot find God’s calling. God has a plan for you, but why can’t you find it? It’s because the first step is to present your body and let God renew your mind. God’s place and calling for you is perfect, and He has already taken care of every tiny detail in our lives if we’ll walk in it. There are no accidents in the Christian life, and everything is beautifully planned by God.

Continuing in verse 3, Paul says, “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.” Your renewed mind will cause you to be realistic and sober and not drawn to what is fake, fantasy or intoxicating to the flesh. The Holy Spirit is the world’s greatest realist. He’s never sentimental. He never exaggerates. He never misrepresents and always tells it like it is. Now some of us as we enter into the genuine Christian life may have great ambitions. I’m going to be this or I’m going to do that. But Paul says to be careful and not to let your imaginations run away from you. Be realistic. Find out just how much faith God has given you because the measure of your faith will determine what you’re going to do for God. But if you walk in the faith that you have and steward well the small things – I believe that God will continue to increase the measure of your faith!

Let’s say that you graduate from college and you want to work for a bank. You wouldn’t walk in and apply to be president of the bank. That would be unrealistic. So, Paul says to be realistic and don’t expect to be president the first day. But do whatever you do as unto the Lord and ask Jesus to help you to be faithful.

Continuing, Paul says something very important. He speaks about the Body of Christ which is all believers. We are all individual members of one body and we cannot find fulfillment on our own and alot of Christians make that mistake. In order to find fulfillment, we must find our place in the Body of Christ and take our place. We can’t function in our fullness by being a pinky finger waving in the wind. We must be attached or rightly connected to a hand that is rightly connected to an arm and so forth for proper function.

Paul goes on saying, “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one of another.” Each one of us is an individual member, but we’re all part of one body. So, what Paul is saying, is that if we’ll present our body as a living sacrifice, be renewed in our mind, be realistic about our measure of faith and start faithfully where God puts us – we can find our particular and perfect place and calling in the Body of Christ and where we fit in the world to accomplish great things. You can find your particular job and you’ll find that the faith that God has given you is the faith that you need for that job.

If we’re honest, many Christians are oftentimes struggling for faith and in many cases, it’s because they are trying to do the wrong job in the wrong place and performing the wrong purpose. In other words, they are not walking or functioning in God’s calling. If they were doing the job that God created them to do, then they would find that they had the faith they needed. Suppose that your hand was a foot and your foot was a hand. I can easily determine that you would be very clumsy and ineffective. So many of our issues and frustrations in life are because we are placed in positions that God has not called us to be. Thus, we’re left on isolated islands and dependent upon our own limited strength. The aim of finding your place and calling, is to first find your place in the Body of Christ.

Paul continues in Romans 12 to speak about gifts or in the original Greek, the word ‘charisma.’ The word ‘charisma’ is interchangeable with the word ‘grace’ which is ‘charis’ in this meaning and purpose. These gifts and your unique giftedness are the expressions of God’s grace in your life. They enable you to do things that you cannot do in your own power, mind and natural ability. Once we understand and enter within our place and calling in the church and in the world around us – God will supply the necessary gifts or ‘charis’ to be successful, to live an abundant life, and to greatly bless others with eternal significance. Remember, grace begins where human ability ends. It doesn’t take much effort to find the nearest alter at your local church to offer yourself as a living sacrifice and starting point in finding your true place and calling.