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How To Recognize God’s Leading (part 2)

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Welcome back to the second part in a series exploring how to recognize God’s leading and direction. There are many theories floating around in Christian communities regarding God’s leading, ranging from the common to the obscure, causing a lot of confusion, but the only thing we’re interested in here is what the scripture says. Because to know what God is saying to us, we first need to know how He communicates. If we don’t understand the basics of this, then we are left wide open to all manner of deception.

In part one, we touched on the subject of “placing God in a box” unduly, and also how God placed some restrictions on Himself based on His covenant promises. The scriptures teach us the proper way to communicate with God and how to recognize His leading in our lives, so let’s dive into these ideas further and let the scriptures instruct us on how this works.

How To Recognize God’s Leading (part 1)

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We all have GPS apps on our smart devices these days. Our phones, watches, tablets, and cars all tell us exactly how to get from one place to another. Modern GPS not only guides you from point A to point B, but also helps you avoid delays, hazards, tolls, and even warns of speed traps. Without a GPS, many of us would be left wandering around aimlessly in unfamiliar territory.

GPS today is similar to the ancient idea of a shepherd, guiding their flock to a particular destination and guarding them from traps and harm. But what happens if you don’t hear or understand the directions?

A lot of people find God’s leading confusing or indecipherable… and that can be extraordinarily frustrating. However the scriptures and Jesus Himself give straightforward instructions for clearly identifying the directions of our divine shepherd. The trouble is that typical religious thinking and indoctrination has clouded the issue and muddied the spiritual waters, making things more complicated and mysterious than they truly are. So today we’ll be cutting through all of that to see the where God is directing, without religion getting in the way.

The Blessings of the Gospel

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There are many struggles among Christians today; battles between Grace versus Law, Old versus New, and lies versus truth. There are extremes on both sides of the isle, and I’ve seen a disturbing trend over the years of each side, so zealous for purity, that they throw out the proverbial baby with the bathwater— eliminating relevant portions of God’s message to support their particular position.

One such casualty that I’ve specifically taken notice of recently, are the blessings of the Gospel. Even among the more charismatic crowd, the blessings of the gospel are starting to be ignored because of the abuses which have been in the spotlight… and I don’t necessarily  think that’s accidental.  If there’s one thing that the devil hates and fears, it’s Christians that know what they have in Christ, and are willing to stand on those truths!

You see, the devil often can’t stop the flow of the gospel message, or the truths it contains; but his primary weapon is influencing people, to doubt what they hear.

But God tells us through the scriptures that He wants us to know what His blessings are, and stand firmly on them. His blessings are designed to strengthen us against the pressure of this world, and moreover they teach us our true spiritual identity in Christ.

Let’s check it out!

Avoiding the Trap of Works

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Works is a fascinating topic among believers. Depending on who you ask, you may receive vastly different definitions or answers about what works are, or their importance in the Christian life.

The desire for good works, usually comes from honest intentions; we all want to do good. There’s nothing wrong with wanting that, and there’s nothing wrong with desiring good works. But for some, this whole desire can be subtlety turned and misrepresented into something destructive. 

The trap of works is nothing new— we see it repeatedly in the scriptures. But even though it’s very common, our natural self continually gravitates towards works in various ways. While you might be tempted to think it’s not that big of an issue, the scriptures warn us about how works can be very detrimental to our success, for one simple reason: the reliance and focus on our self.

You see, there are two types of works in the scriptures… self works, empowered and reliant on our self-effort, and the works of God, which are empowered and reliant upon His Spirit.

Christians often confuse and conflate these two types of works, opting for more self, while erroneously thinking that they are doing God’s will; thus the trap.

Discerning Spirits in the New Covenant

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Spiritual discernment is an essential skill for a Christian. Throughout the years there have been books, conferences, even entire seminary courses on how to discern between good and evil spirits.

But for something so crucial, God has actually made discernment quite simple. I think that in many ways, this is just another example of how man has complicated the straightforward truth of God.

So today, we’re going to explore some simple, easy, uncomplicated truths regarding spiritual discernment in the New Covenant, through the lens of Jesus Christ.

Healing Truths From Jesus (part 2)

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Last week we began to explore the topic of healing through the lens of Jesus Christ, and by looking at some truths about God as the healer.

Now today, with the basic foundational truths of healing in place, we will look at one of the accounts of Jesus healing the paralyzed man in Luke chapter five.

I’m going to highlight some details in the account that I believe God has shown me, and I hope that it will strengthen you to receive the healing that Jesus paid for you to have.

Healing Truths From Jesus (part 1)

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Healing is a fascinating topic in modern Christianity. Depending on who you ask, you might hear a range of perspectives from “healing is hogwash” to “oh it happens every day”

It’s easy to get emotional when discussing healing because we all know someone who has needed healing at one time or another, or we might even need healing ourselves right now. 

Although the topic of healing evokes powerful feelings, it’s critical to not be driven by emotion, but allow the Master Healer to guide us in this realm… It is God Himself who identifies as our Healer, and later I will share with you some things I saw in the account of Jesus healing the paralyzed man in Luke chapter five.

How To Defeat Sin (part 3)

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Over the last two weeks, we’ve been exploring the “elephant in the room” of sin, and how we can have victory over sin through Christ.

We began with the foundation of the cross, and saw how the only way to bear good fruit is to change the type of tree we are. 

Next we saw how this change occurs— not through striving and self effort, but through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and living your new identity in Him.

Today, we will look at the practical side of how to apply these truths in daily life, using real examples from scripture to experience the victory over sin that Jesus paid for us to have.