Comments on: Four Spiritual Interventions (Intro)

By: david johnson

david johnson — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:18:16 +0000

hundreds of years of arguements have been built up for and against the idea of “free will” I just think the two words do not belong together G_d extends to each of us the same freedom He enjoys freedom for me is so much different then free will ……..till next time

By: Len

Len — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:44:18 +0000

I must concur with Daniela and Jeanine’s comments as the Bible continuosly speaks of those who willingly choose or reject God. God chose ancient Israel to be His people, yet the majority rejected Him. Jesus wept over His rejection by Jerusalem, even though He desired to take them under His wings. God seeks those who agape love Him, that is, are totally surrendered to His good will, a spiritual sacrifice. Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. Total love and surrender are given up by those who are given the light of understanding and wisely chose God’s goodness, grace, and mercy, who understand that life emanates from God alone. Yet there are virgins who are foolish, who were given oil (Holy Spirit), the light, yet chose not to surrender their hearts, their thrones, to His Lordship. And without giving Him Lordship, manifested by obedience, there is no salvation.
True love comes with freedom. If forced, it is hollow, meaningless. Forced obedience is what goats do, not sheep. Sheep, like little children,come to a place of understanding that fallen, earth man, is without heavenly wisdom, without discernment, without the ability to do righteousness and so take that man of stone to the cross, so that the new life of Christ can be born within. God seeks those who seek Him and who trust Him, having faith in God’s Shepard, manifested by following where ever He leads, which starts at the cross.
God gives us our heart’s desire. When ancient Israel said let us die in the desert, die they did. If, after receiving His light and love, we refuse the gift of the new life, of eternity in His presence as Father, because we are so in love with self and this world, then this temporal earthly existence is all we will have and after that, the desolation of eternity without God, i.e.death in hell. This does not deny God’s definite absolute sovereignty. God’s perfect creation is complete when He has a family, His increase, that is wholly devoted to Him. A devotion birthed in love. And we love Him when we finally realize how much He first loved us–Christ’s cross!
You have to meditate on why God, having made a perfect Adam and Eve, would allow satan into the garden. Why place the forbidden tree there. Why send Israel to pagan Eygpt and Judah to Babylon, whence much false doctrine and worship was born. Why so much false teaching today. Certainly, God has given much advantage to satan, in collusion with our flesh nature. Yet know that throughout eternity we will sing the praises of His miraculous victory through love. He will be glorified and His power proclaimed through His righteous character and His mighty right hand-Jesus.
Finally as regards earthly dominion. God does not change. He gave man dominion of the earth. Spiritual God, abiding in physical man would extend Himself into His physical creation through man. Problem is, Adam temporarily signed the deed of this earth’s kingdoms over to satan. A perfect man, not under the curse, of sin, won the dominion back. His name is Jesus. And to all in whom He is truly Lord, not in imagination, but in truth, to them also is given the inheritance. And by this God will increase His Holy character, His Name, into all the earth. And He will succeed.

By: Linda Simmons

Linda Simmons — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:03:15 +0000

Chip, some teach that since God gave man dominion over the earth, He cannot move in the earth without man’s permission. Almost the same thing you’re saying in your article: “God’s hands are tied.” So He would be bound by His own creation. They don’t see that God NEVER relinquished His sovereignty over the earth in giving man dominion. Just because the earth is the sphere of man, it does not mean that God has no jurisdiction. He is Lord of all; nothing or no one has power over Him. To say that man does because of what God has given him is to theoretically “strip” God of His sovereignty.

By: molly

molly — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 06:29:02 +0000

Thanks for the msgs that enrich me daily through you who really use you as a strong vessel for the world. i pray these msgs work powerfully to transform the human kind to recocile in one unity in christ as Jesus need one shephered and one flock and not many churches as we see now. pray you be used in a mighty way .amen

By: Bob McCullough

Bob McCullough — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:00:27 +0000

Thanks Brother Chip for bringing back Christology Journal and current article Four Spiritual Interventions. It would be great to be in a group having a open fellowship about such things. There are so much to learn and therefore experience life in Christ.
Your brother,
Bob McC.

By: Marjorie House

Marjorie House — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:02:48 +0000

Hello Chip

I am in agreement with you when you stated that if you believed in reincarnation you would believe yourself to be Paul. I can really see that. God Bless you brother.

By: Jeanine

Jeanine — Sat, 30 May 2009 07:07:05 +0000

Perhaps it would be clearer to say that God refrains from imposing His Will on us because He wants us to chose Him. Scripture makes it clear that God is all powerful. “All things are possible with God.” His hands are never ‘tied’ against His Will, but He can decide to allow us to make a choice for or against Him. He’s looking for people who will love Him and be obedient to Him, and that means he allows us to have the free will to decide whether or not to love and obey Him. If a person decides not to obey God, he doesn’t defeat God, but he does show God that he is not a person God wants to be with Him for eternity.

Thank you for your teaching, Chip, and for giving us an opportunity to make comments.

By: Peg

Peg — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:50:33 +0000

While praying last night the Lord tied up “my” hands.

By: Daniela W.

Daniela W. — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:02:35 +0000

As I said, God has many ways in which He reveals Himself to people. In Paul’s case, it was not God that he didn’t believe in (we know he was a very zealous Pharisee), but Jesus. On the Damascus road, it was Jesus who revealed Himself to him. Paul was chosen by God as a vessel of honor, to fulfill His purpose.

In Christ, God chose us all, for Christ died for each and everyone, but this is not the same as being saved by faith. It is our response to what He did for us that brings us into a relationship with God. It is possible for God to choose someone as a vessel of honor (and cause them to do good for His purposes) but that is not the same as becoming a vessel of mercy. Vessels of mercy are only those ones that accept the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. And we are told that only those who receive Christ have the right to become children of God.

In Acts 26:12-19, we read the story of what happened to Saul on the road to Damascus, as he tells it. And we read what Jesus said He chose Saul for ( Acts 26:16): But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you (NKJV). So we see that Jesus chose Saul for ministry, not for salvation. Acts 9:22 says: But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ. Paul’s ministry to the Jews was to make known the fact that Jesus was the Christ.

When it comes to ministry, it is GOD WHO CALLS US AND CHOOSE (FOR) US. But this is not to be confused with His call to salvation, and with OUR CHOICE to respond to it and accept it (and God gives us the grace to do that)… This was Jesus’ message all along…

Paul did choose Christ (as Lord), and Christ chose Paul as a vessel of honor. God finds us, but we still need to respond to His calling by faith and receive Jesus as our Lord and God, just as Paul did.

By: Clare

Clare — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:02:37 +0000

Dear Brother Chip,
Thank you again for such a wonderful teaching.
Quote, “this Living Word says, “Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of Me in the scroll of the book” (Heb. 10:7, ESV).” You say, and so does the Word of God that the Scriptures are the very WILL of God. I believe they are His thoughts and reveal His very Heart.
There are some teachers today, wolves in sheeps’ clothing, who are teaching that if the voice of the “holy spirit” that you hear contradicts the Word, then you must obey the voice of god which has just spoken to you..IE, if “god” tells you to travel at 120mph on the road in breach of the traffic rules, then you must obey god! But GOD tells us in His Word that we must obey the laws of the land and those in authority over us! These people are leading God’s people into error! We are truly to beware of heresies, and obey the Word of God.

God bless you, brother. I look forward to the next installment.