Re-positioning Yourself In 2015

December 2014

Dear Friend,

As we cross over from 2014 into 2015, I was stirred in my heart that 2015 would be a year of re-positioning and re-direction for some of you who will be reading this letter.

2014 would have been a great year for many but for some of you, you feel as though 2014 was a trying time, that it was like you just found yourself going around in circles. Your internal GPS is messed up and for every decision you make, you find yourself back in the exact same place you were before you acted on that decision. I can even see you now just sitting there wringing your hands and wondering "Just how can I get out of this?"

It may not even be on a personal basis. Some of you may be running a business, pastoring a church or even be in itinerant ministry and still be experiencing the above. Doors that you thought were opened seems to have closed on you. Depression's sinking in and you see no way out.

THIS is what God has promised concerning you in 2015:

Isaiah 48:17 (NKJV)
17 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way that you should go.

He's identified Himself as your Redeemer, and your God.

You HAVE been redeemed or bought back by Him! You belong to Him because He paid an exceedingly high price for you: His only Son.

Colossians 1:13-14 (AMP)
13 [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
14 In Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins.

The word 'has' in English is what we would call a 'present perfect progressive tense'. It's a mouthful, but what it means is this: that it describes a past action that's still continuing into the foreseeable future. 

Never question the truth that you've not only been redeemed by God, you're still redeemed and you'll still be redeemed tomorrow and the days after; because you are THAT valuable to Him!

That just thrills me, knowing that I have a God who's FOR me, not against me! AND He's for you too! This is what He's saying concerning you right now:

Isaiah 41:10 (AMP)

10 Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice. 

If you've been in a state of fear and depression because of your situation, then don't fear. There IS a way out! God HAS promised that! He's even gone before you to prepare the way as He did for Israel of old:

Deuteronomy 1:33

33 who [being God] went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day.

He said He went before Israel to show them where to go. If that worked for them in the Old Testament, where they were under bondage to an Old Covenant; how much more would He show us where we should go; being His Children under a New and better Covenant!

Our God is omnipresent. He lives outside of time. Not only has He gone before you to prepare the way, He's WITH you, keeping His Promise that He'll NEVER leave you or forsake you! (Hebrews 13:8)

Your steps are ordered by God, and He delights in your ways!

Psalms 37:23 (NKJV)

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. 

The word 'ordered' in Hebrew means to be established, confirm, be fixed, perfect, prepared.

God has more than just ordered your steps, He's established them by fixing them into place, preparing and perfecting them just for you!

So as we enter 2015 together, begin to boldly declare this; that the good work started in you by Him will come to full completion before Jesus comes back (Philippians 1:6), that He WILL perfect that which concerns you (Psalms 138:8)

I call you blessed!

Ken

Running on Empty? Come Take A Drink!

November 2014

Dear Friend,

Have you ever been in a situation where you see your gas meter reaching "E" for Empty; and you start accelerating frantically, looking every where and hoping to find the nearest gas station for a refill? You start doing everything from chanting mantras to offering quick prayers that the gas will last you till the next station (I exaggerate).

I find that to be extremely true even among us Christians in the Church! Read John 7:37-38 with me:

John 7:37-38 (NKJV)
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

When Jesus proclaimed that 'rivers of living water' would flow out of the person who believed in Him, the word 'rivers' would; in my opinion evoke images in one's mind of a river that's gradually moving gently; being serene, peaceful.

Not so in this passage. The word 'rivers' in John 7:37-38 is the word 'potamos', which has been translated as rivers in various parts of the Bible, but can also be taken to be defined as 'floods'. Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words even defines it as 'torrents'!

Merriam Webster defines a torrent as:

1. A violent stream of a liquid
2. A tumultous outpouring

Water has the ability to alter the shape of things, if it moves at a speed that's extremely fast and has the pressure behind it to be able to have an impact on the object in question. We even have water jet cutters; industrial tools that use a very high-pressure jet of water to cut through various materials.

That tells me one thing when I read John 7:38, that the 'rivers' pouring out from us should be literally torrents of living water that have the force necessary to change our circumstances to reflect what God wants it to be! Those torrents should have an influence not only on our own lives, but also the lives of those around us!

However, that is not the case for some of us; even you, possibly! We get so drained and tired that we literally feel like we're the vehicle that's running on 'Empty'. We focus so much on how we should have those rivers moving and changing our circumstances that we completely miss what Jesus said prior to His promise that those rivers would flow from us.

You cannot give what you don't have.

Isn't it amazing that we want verse 38 to be made real in our lives and we mentally put it before verse 37 in our order of thinking, whereas verse 37 comes just before verse 38?

Read John 7:37 again:

John 7:37 (NKJV)
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

It's that simple. Instead of you focusing on what's coming out from you, just do what Jesus said; go to Him!

When you put it in that order, the emphasis shifts from you having to draw from within to give out to others to you being able to give out of the overflow that you receive from just being in His Presence and drinking in of Him.

As you go to Him and drink from Him, you'll find that you'll get what you drink, more of Him! And as He fills you with Himself, you'll begin to find that what comes out of you will be the overflow of what He pours into you; His Goodness, His Glory, His Presence!

And as you keep drinking from Him, you'll see torrents of living water pouring from you; changing not only yourself but those around you!

So if you're running on empty, go to Jesus and take a drink!

Blessings

Ken

Change Your Focus!

October 2014

Dear Friend,

Have you ever felt like your life's in a mess? You try to have it all together but somehow, somewhere, things end up way beyond your control.There are some things you want to do, and you can't seem to do it; on on the other hand, there are things you DON'T want to do, yet you find yourself doing them?

And to top it all off, the more you try to get your life straightened out, the worse it gets; until you just feel like throwing in the towel and calling it quits. You just decide to let it loose and just do whatever you feel like doing, because you don't see any way out.

I have.

That changed when I made a choice to shift my focus from looking at the problem to looking at someone who could solve the problem. Read Proverbs 29:18 with me in the Amplified:

Prov 29:18 (AMP)
18 Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.

The word 'perish' in the text above, can also mean to 'be let loose', 'show lack of restraint', It could also be translated as 'to make naked', in a more literal form. 

... That really sounds like life doesn't it? You lose whatever restraints you had, and you feel like your life's just laid bare and naked for everyone to see!

If we look at it from the reverse however; when you have a revelation of God's overwhelming redemption; you WON'T perish!

What do I mean by having a redemptive revelation of God?

I strongly believe that the Bible is a unfolding depiction of God's Redemption Plan for us; all the way from Genesis to Revelation. And by following that plan closely, we will know three things about us:

1. What Jesus did for us through the Cross (Redemption)

2. Who we are in Him (Identity)

3. What we can and will do in life (Purpose)

Too many times we look at the three items in reverse. We think that what we do (our purpose) will establish who we are to God (our identity), and that would make us fit to be accepted by Him (Redemption) We try following that order; we get frustrated and tire ourselves out before givine up. We perish!

Know this: The order set for us is not from (3) to (1), it's from (1) to (3)!

Your identity in God is not defined by the actions that you do (or don't do), it's defined by what Jesus paid for you because of what He sees in you!

And when you get it settled that your redemption is secure, you'd also find out who you are in Him; and that would naturally progress to doing what you know you get (not have) to do: fulfill God's purpose for your life!

Change your focus! In Numbers Chapter 21, we read how Israel complained against God and Moses for taking them out of Egypt int ot he wilderness. As a result, judgement came in the form of venomous serpents that came and killed many of them.

Notice how God's Redemption Plan came into effect when Moses was instructed to do the following in verses 8-9:

Num 21:8-9 (NKJV)

8 Then the LORD said to Moses,"Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live."

9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. 

It reads that whoever looked on the bronze serpent, they lived. The bronze serpent on a pole is a representation of the work that Jesus would do on the Cross 2,000 years later, taking our sin upon Himself. Whoever looked at the serpent lived. The Amplified version reads that whoever looked at that serpent attentively lived. It implies that they didn't look at their bites but just focused on that serpent.

My friend, the bites of life will come to all of us, but choose to fix your eyes on Jesus and His finished work, get a revelation of it, and you will live! 

Blessings

Ken 

Honor The Gifts God Gives To You!

September 2014

Dear Friend,

Normally I write a monthly letter that I hope is a blessing to you, the Reader. I've been stirred to write an additional one as we enter October in less than a week.

It may not be known to those of us living outside the U.S.A but apparently October has been recognized by churches in America as "Clergy Appreciation Month" where (I assume) ministry workers and pastors are recognized for their work towards caring for their congregation and the people who they reach out to.

The Apostle Paul, in his writings to the church in Ephesus, writes about the ministry gifts given by Christ to them (the church); and the purpose for those gifts. Read Ephesians 4:7-8 with me:

Eph 4:7-8 (NKJV)
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.8 Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He (being Jesus) led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men."

When Jesus ascended back to the Father, it's an obvious statement to make that He gave us the Holy Spirit, who is our primary or main Teacher. But at the same time, He also gave us other gifts; men and women specially called, separated and anointed by Him to be a blessing to us! Read also Ephesians 4:11-16:

Eph 4:11-16 (NKJV)

11 And He Himself (being Jesus again) gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -- Christ --

16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The two main purposes I can see why He gave us those gifts are:

1. To equip us (the saints) to do what we're called to do.

2. To build (edify) us up (the Body of Christ).

And by doing so, I see three things coming about as a result:

1. We come into maturity as sons and daughters of God. (v13)

2. We don't get carried away by deceitful doctrines designed to stumble us. (v14)

3. We are more than able to build each other up in love, adding our individual supply to further edify the body. (v15-16)

Paul writes of himself and other workers, addressing themselves as we read in 1 Corinthians 3:9

1 Cor 3:9 (NKJV)

9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.

Not only should we remember that these gifts are given by God to us; we should also remember that these gifts are also people; men and women who give their all so as to do what they're called to do: Follow God, Preach the Gospel, Teach the Word, Love People.

We can say that when they serve, they serve God and not men (Ephesians 6:7). Sometimes we see them as infallible, and we expect them to be perfect. We should remember this however: They're still human. They still have feelings, tough situations like the rest of us! Some of them have to bear not just their own burdens, but other people's burdens too (especially the pastors!) But they still carry on, doing what they're called to do in spite of it!

So as we enter October, take time to just honor these gifts; these men and women who God has placed into your lives. Love them, appreciate them, be a blessing to them!

Paul encouraged the church in Galatians 6:6:

Gal 6:6 (NKJV)

Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.

Context wise, it could be referring to helping meet the financial needs of those who teach and preach the gospel; but it's MORE than just money (although it helps!).

You could do some of the following:

1. Pray for them

2. Call them up and tell them just how much you appreciate them (or use social media like FaceBook!)

3. Help out more in the church  (my recommended one as it makes life easier, having more hands helping out!)

4. Bless them financially (sticking to context - it doesn't have to be a big sum)

I'll close with an instruction Jesus gave His disciples in John 15:22:

John 15:12 (NKJV)

12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

To those of you who choose to follow the call God has for you, I just honor you for who you are and pray for you; that you will not only run that race set before you with joy, but that at the end when you stand before your Father, you'll hear, "Well Done". I'm believing that your needs will be met as you follow Him and His call.

Love,

Ken

> P.S: I'm just a layman, so I can afford to wax eloquent in this letter. I'm dependent on God to meet my needs as much as anybody else is, whether in ministry or not. So this is NOT a letter aimed at appealing for money for my own personal needs. Thanks!

You Are Greatly Loved, Dearly Prized!

September 2014

Dearly Beloved,

It may seem odd to you that I address you; the Reader, so intimately, though I may not know you personally but I have a perfectly valid reason for doing so, as you will come to realize.

If there is one core thing that people continually search for, no matter which part of the world they are in; whether they be American, Chinese, Middle Eastern, or any other race: it's to be loved and accepted.

I strongly believe that this lack of genuine love is the core reason for the aching void that is ever present within us; and we seek to fill that void using any means possible. We search for love in all the wrong places, somewhat hoping that if we found 'The Right One', we'll fill that hole. In this fruitless search, we go from relationship to relationship, from one bed to the next, only to be thrown back into despair at our failure to obtain love, or what we perceive to be love

The truth of the matter is this: we ARE LOVED!

By using the Bible as my point of reference, I see it as a story of God's Love towards us, His creation. As we look at it through His eyes of Love, we'll get a clearer picture as to the depths of His Love for us personally, as a father has love for his children!

In Genesis, we see Man's fall from grace as a result of disobedience. Judgement follows as a result of that fall. However, we still find the love of God even in the midst of Man's Fall. Read Genesis 3:21 with me,

Gen 3:21 (NKJV)
21 Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

For God to make tunics of skin to clothe Man, the blood of animals had to be shed. In this, we see a shadow of what was to take place almost 4,000 years later at Calvary, where Jesus shed His own blood once and for all, that we too could put on clothes; robes of righteousness as was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 61:10:

Isa 61:10 (NKJV)
10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

The word 'Righteousness' is a heavy word in theology, but I like to simply define it as 'right standing'. We have right standing with God because of what was paid for us 2,000 years ago on the Cross!

The Son of God came to die for all of us; as frail as we are; that we could be reconciled back to God. John 3:16 is the most familiar passage in the Bible:

John 3:16 (NKJV)
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

I really like how the Amplified Translation renders John 3:16,

John 3:16 (AMP)
16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten ( unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

You and I were (and still are) so greatly loved and dearly prized by God that He was MORE than willing to give up Jesus for us! A Divine Exchange took place: He (Jesus) took our sin and we received His right standing with God, where we are righteous because of Him, as the Apostle Paul write in 2 Corinthians 5:21

2 Cor 5:21 (NKJV)
21 For He (God) made Him (being Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

What was the main motive behind all this? LOVE.

Read John 15:13 with me, where Jesus speaks to His disciples:

John 15:13 (NKJV)

13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

He, being Jesus; laid down His own life willingly in order that you and I could live, loved by God as His very own children. Paul expresses it passionately in Romans 5:8,

Rom 5:8 (NKJV)

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, CHRIST DIED FOR US.

Because the New Testament was written in Greek, there are a number of meanings for the word 'demonstrates', where some of it means to show, prove, establish, exhibit. 

I like that! It tells me just how much my God loved you and I, that He not only said He loved us and left it at that; He made a public display (exhibit) of it! He set it up on a firm and permanent basis (establish) that can't be denied! He PROVED His own Love for us by having His very own Son die for us!

So know this; that you and I ARE LOVED by God! We have a privilege to be called 'Dearly Beloved'; because that's how God see us: as His Beloved!

My prayer for you as we enter October in less than a week is as Paul prayed for the Church in Ephesians 3:18-19 (I'll use the Passion Translation for this one), that:

Eph 3:18-19

..you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences - the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is His love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement, beyond academic knowledge - this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with all the fullness of God!

Know that you are deeply loved by God.

Love,

Ken

Guard Your Heart With Deposits of Life!

August 2014

Dear Friend,

As of this writing (Aug 31), two thirds of 2014 have come and gone, and we see ourselves entering the final four months for the year. It's been an eventful 8 months for many countries, especially for Malaysia as it attempts to cope with the recent airline tragedies of MH370 and MH17; and for the Christians going through persecution in various places, where some are even being martyred for the sake of the Gospel.

In all these things, the temptation is strong for you and I to lose heart; give up and complain at the injustice we see rampaging through the world. It's even stronger if you keep following the latest in the news!

God has been dealing strongly with me to share what Solomon said in the Bible in Proverbs 4:23

Prov 4:23 (NKJV)

23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

That may be a bit obscure to you, given that I'm fond of quoting the New King James Version (NKJV), but I like what other translations have to say about this verse:

New Century Version (NCV)

23 Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.

New International Version (NIV)

23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Isn't it interesting, that Solomon emphasized watching what we keep in our hearts instead of simply watching our mouths? Most of us, at some point or another; have had the bad luck of having our mouths run way ahead of our heads, and wonder why we said what we said; or even regret the words we said.

It can be established that the words we speak and the actions done will always be the product of what we had in our hearts at that time. Read with me what Jesus said in Luke 6:43-45,

Luke 6:43-45 (NKJV)

43 "For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.

44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.

45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

The fruit that you and I produce will always be intimately connected to what we deposit in our hearts! Not only that, read also what Jesus said in Mark 11:23,

Mark 11:23 (NKJV)

23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

It's a scary thought to realize that the situations you find yourself in could be a result of the things you said, which was a by-product of what you had in your heart!

Thank God however that He gave us the solution to the problem even before He gave us the warning! Read with me Proverbs 4:20-22,

Prov 4:20-22 (NKJV)

20 My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.

21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart;

22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.

To those who will read the Word of God, meditate and feed on it, it'll be LIFE for them! Jesus said likewise when speaking to His disciples in John 6:63

John 6:63 (NKJV)

63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

My encouragement to you as we enter September is this: Spend time meditating on the goodness of God, feeding on His Word for life. Let it be a deposit of life in your heart; from which words of life can flow out when you need it the most. In Paul's words in Philippians 4:8-9,

Phil 4:8-9 (NKJV)

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things.

9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

My prayers are with you.

Love, 

Ken

Led By God - Led By Love

Rom 8:14
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
NKJV

1 John 4:16

16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

NKJV

My Comments:

It's been a while since I last posted about being led by God (or anything for that matter!).

One way in which we can determine whether we are being led by the Holy Spirit in the decisions we make would be to decide whether Love is guiding us in it or not. What do I mean by that? 

Read 2 John 6 in the Amplified:

2 John 6

6 And what this love consists in is this: that we live and walk in accordance with and guided by His commandments (His orders, ordinances, precepts, teaching). This is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you continue to walk in love [guided by it and following it].

AMP

We can see that we can be guided by God as we go through the processes of our daily lives. We also know that God is Love as we saw in the verse above (1 John 4:16). Read also Romans 13:10

Rom 13:10

10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

NKJV

God's love is such that it (or He, because love is a Person!) won't put itself ahead of the needs of the other, or behave in such a way that hurts them. The word harm is the word kakos which is defined to be 'of a bad nature'; but can also refer to 'a mode of thinking, feeling, or acting wrongly'

When you're trying to make a decision, and you need guidance, check whether that decision will bring any hurt to the people around you. That's one way of being led by God, or being led by Love. It'll work in any situation, be it between child and parents, or even husbands and wifes!

John Osteen called it the Divine Flow, in which God's Love just streams out of us towards another man, woman or child. His encouragement concerning this is simply this:

"God is love! Where love flows, where love is streaming, God is going. Follow and be guided by love."

- John Osteen (1921-1999)

Don't Just Talk - Demonstrate!

1 Cor 2:4-5

4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
NKJV

My Comments:

If there's anything we need now more than ever; it's a demonstration of God in His Glory and Power in the church, especially as that we draw nearer to Jesus' soon return with every day that passes. 

The word for "demonstration" is the Greek word "apodeixis", which is derived further from the word "apodeiknumi" which means "to show off i.e. exhibit, to accredit or demonstrate". God's in the show business! He's in the business of displaying Himself to the world to show them just how real He is. It's like He 

The word for "power" is the word "dunamis", from which we came up with dynamite. Dunamis refers to either a literal or figurative force, and is used usually for the phrase 'miraculous power' I personally believe it refers to the working of miracles done that can't be explained away by human reasoning, and is a visible sign of the existence of God. To me, dunamis is simply God in action!

By going through the New Testament, we can find that Jesus did more than just teach; He demonstrated the power of God through visible signs and wonders. Healings happened. A woman suffering from a blood disorder was healed through that dunamis power working through Him. (Mark 5:30) Multitudes wanted to touch Him because that dunamis power was more than able to heal them all (Luke 6:19)

In Acts, Peter describe Jesus as a man approved ("apodeiknumi" again meaning accredited) by God through that dunamis power working in Him. (Acts 2:22). Jesus was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and with power ("dunamis") to go about doing good, healing all who were oppressed (Acts 10:38). God worked a special miracle ('dunamis') through Paul, in that cloths that came in contact with his body had the power to cast out devils and drive out disease.

Jesus promised us that we'll receive dunamis after receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). He is the Head, we are the Body. If the Head was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and dunamis, the Body should also be anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and dunamis!

I have nothing against theologians and apologetics in general. I appreciate what they're doing. But debating theology with people of other religions won't get you anywhere. A visible demonstration of God will! 

Being Led By Integrity

Prov 11:3

3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the willful contrariness and crookedness of the treacherous shall destroy them.
AMP

Mal 3:6

6 "For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

NKJV

My Comments:

One of the ways in which we know we can be led by God is by checking whether whatever decisions we make has integrity in it.

Merriam-Webster defines the word integrity as follows:

firm adherance to a code of especially moral or artistic values

Webster's 1913 Dictionary refers to it as "moral soundness; honesty; freedom from corrupting influence or motive"

Note that God says of Himself that He does not change. We know that the Bible says He's the same yesterday, today and tomorrow (Heb 13:8). Therefore, that moral set of directions that He's given us won't change either.

It is foolishness for a Christian to make a decision or perform any action that violates the very nature of God, and then claim "I was led by God to do said action". God won't contradict Himself and lead you into doing things that He told you not to do. It would be unjust then for Him to judge you for doing the thing He "led" you to do in the first place!

I'll use a classic example from the Ten Commandments of "You shall not steal" to illustrate the point. As above, we defined integrity as firmly adhering to a moral code. Given that God has said "You shall not steal", we can use that as a measuring rod to judge any impressions or leadings we may have. If we find ourselves having a leading to steal something that doesn't belong to us, we can know that that is definitely not God telling us to do it!

At times we may have a supernatural leading from God, at times we may not have a supernatural leading from Him. But we know that with or without that leading, as we walk in integrity; it will be one of the guiding points in us determining whether we will be led by Him or by another.

Being Led Because We Are His Children!

Rom 8:14

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
NLT

My Comments:

This would probably be the first of a few posts that I'll do concerning getting direction from God. I believe this is necessary as we start off the year. 

As much as we enter 2014 with a lot of hopes and expectations, we also know that there is much uncertainty about how things will be in the future. In times of uncertainty, any major decisions that we make will be crucial and of utmost importance in the shaping of our destiny.

We have a promise given by God however, that we can be led by Him! 

Paul, in writing to the Church in Rome, made this profound statement, that children of God would be led by Him! [paraphrased Romans 8:14]. The question would then be who would qualify to be a child of God, in order to be led by Him?

John gives us the answer in his Gospel:

John 1:12

12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

The Bible tells us that this "he" that John speaks about is none other than Jesus, because if we were to read John 1:1-16, we can see that the mentioned portion of Scripture refers to Jesus, the only begotten Son of God.

In the third chapter of John's Gospel, we also see John writing the verse that everyone who is a Christian (and even those who aren't Christians) would know:

John 3:16

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Therefore because we believe that Jesus came, died for our sin, paid the price for us to be brought back to God, and rose again for us, we can be children of God! Notice also that in all three verses that I've put up, the phrases "to all", "everyone", "all" have been highlighted in red. This means that as you choose to believe in Jesus and make Him your Savior, you qualify to be led by God as much as I qualify to be led by Him! God has no favorites in the sense that He chooses to lead someone in a "better" way than others. He'll lead all of us without any bias!

And as such, we can be led by Him in all areas of our life, whether big or small!