What Money Cannot Buy

Feb 4, 2015

What money cant buy

Ephesians 1:3-14 New King James Version (NKJV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both[a] which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who[b] is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

We are to faithfully obey God.  Spiritual blessings in the heavenly place include salvation,  the gift of the spirit, and the hope of living with Christ.  Because we have an intimate relationship with Christ, we can enjoy all things.  Paul says that God choose us not because we deserve it.  He saved us according to His plan.  We can’t take credit for our salvation.  He thought of it long before we existed.  Because of Christ, we are holy and blameless in his eyes.  WE belong to him and God takes us as if we never sinned.  

Salvation was God’s idea.  He thought of it.  He instigated it.  He made it happen.   He alone attached value to our souls.  We did nothing to deserve it.  

What man values, like the upgrade of a prison cell, the cost of a doctor’s cell number and the right to shoot a rhino for $250,000 shows their shallow value system.  This is what man values.  But God’s values are completely different.  God’s value of purchasing our soul is the cost of HIs son.  So man will pay big money to shoot a rhino,... but God will pay the price of His son for our soul.     IN Him, we have redemption.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin.  The purchase price to redeem us from  the pits of hell was through Jesus’ shed blood.  That was the ransom.  So man will consider his doctor’s cell number as valuable.  The one thing that man’s money can’t purchase is his soul.  If he loses his soul to the devil and there is no way to redeem his soul from the devil, he is doomed and damned for the rest of eternity.

A famous man had liver cancer.  Because of his fame and wealth, he bought his way to the top of the waiting list.  He eventually got the liver.  But his body soon rejected the liver and he died.  He bought the liver, but his soul was doomed and damned because he placed value on temporal things due to his abusive lifestyle.  What he should have done was place value in Christ Jesus and use the gift of salvation to redeem his life from hell.  So the temporal value that man has is short sighted.  The eternal matters are of God is forever.  So while we are on earth, we ought to consider making investment of our material wealth that will sow into the kingdom of God.  

What are some examples of making investments into the things of God?

• Purchasing Bibles in foreign language and shipping it to different countries.
• Broadcasting the gospel on local radio station and drop ship Bibles in their local language.
• Sponsoring an orphanage a Bible base program and teaching the children about God

Summary/ the Big picture:

There are many things that money can buy. But the most valuable thing that we have which is our soul and eternal salvation is something money cannot buy.  But God bought it with the price of His only begotten son and all we need to do is simply accept the gift.   The purchase price was already paid.  But through God, we can redeem our soul by the blood of His only begotten Son.  We can purchase new cars and new houses.  Anything of this world we can purchase.  But the only thing we can’t purchase with our money is our souls.  So while still have time on this earth, lets consider to reevaluate our investments and place the right values into the things of God.

Work cited

Life application study bible, Wheaton: Tyndall house publishers. 2004  

Our daily bread Ministries, Feb 4, 2015

Miyagi

The Body of Christ Jesus Fellowship

Makaha, HI USA

Satan is the Defeated Adversary

Nov 17, 2014

Defeated Adversary

1 Peter 5:5-11  NKJV Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may[d]the God of all grace, who called us[e] to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 5:5-11 AMP Likewise, you who are younger and of lesser rank, be subject to the elders (the ministers and spiritual guides of the church)—[giving them due respect and yielding to their counsel]. Clothe (apron) yourselves, all of you, with humility [as the garb of a servant, [b]so that its covering cannot possibly be stripped from you, with freedom from pride and arrogance] toward one another. For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)—[and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble. 6 Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, 7 Casting the [c]whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, [d]once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you [e]watchfully. 8 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [[f]in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. 9 Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same ([g]identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the dominion (power, authority, rule) forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

Peter used “a roaring lion” as a metaphor for Satan. He is a confident predator, looking for easy prey to devour (1 Peter 5:8). In dealing with this adversary, God’s children must be vigilant at putting “on the whole armor of God” and thus they can “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10-11). (ODB)

The good news is that Satan is a defeated adversary. While he is a powerful foe, those who are protected by salvation, prayer, and the Word of God need not be paralyzed in fear at this roaring lion. We are “kept by the power of God” (1 Peter 1:5). James 4:7 assures us: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  (ODB)

A carefree life is not a careless one, and the Christian must be watchful as we are involved in a constant spiritual warfare. The facts of this are: there is an enemy, the devil (8); he seeks opportunities to destroy Christians (8); the way to overcome him is by resistance (9); such resistance is based on confidence in God (9); it is also backed by the knowledge that we are not alone in the struggle (9); the outcome lies with God, who, because of his ultimate destiny for us, will meet every need on the way (10); this God has the power for ever (11).  (Carson)

On being self-controlled see 1:13 and 4:7.  The word Alert is a striking reference to Jesus’ words to Peter (Mt. 26:41; Mk. 14:38).   The word  Enemy  is a legal term, a translation of the Heb. śāṭān, used of the adversary of souls (e.g. Jb. 1:6). Here, as there, Satan can be seen as the one who stirs up suffering and persecution in order to test and, if possible, destroy the faith of God’s children. Peter was familiar with this behaviour (see Mt. 16:23; Lk. 22:31).   The word devil is a Greek word meaning ‘slanderer’. In his role of undermining faith the devil slanders God to men (Gn. 3:1, 4–5) and men to God (Jb. 1:9–11; 2:4–5).  The term  Resist is the method recommended for dealing with the devil, as in Jas. 4:7 (cf. Eph. 6:11–17). It is the desires of the flesh that one has to flee (1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:22). The word firm describes the solidity of material objects. No superficial faith will do here, as it is the enemy’s desire to make apostates through persecution. Rev. 12:11 gives further advice for victory in such trials.  10 The call to perseverance is matched by the doctrine of preservation. Since God has called us to share his eternal glory in Christ, we can ultimately rely on him to bring us safely through to it (see Phil. 1:6; 1 Thes. 5:24; Jude 24).  11 Power (Gk. kratos, from which the adjective mighty in v 6 is formed) is not the usual word but means God’s overruling might which is guaranteed to bring the Christian through.  (Carson)

5:8–11. In the Old Testament, “Satan” was the accuser, the prosecuting attorney before God—the “adversary,” as Peter says. In Jewish tradition, Satan accused God’s people before God’s throne day and night (except, in later accounts, on the Day of Atonement). The “devil” is literally the “slanderer,” carrying the same connotation as the adversarial accuser. Jewish teachers recognized that, as in the book of Job (where he “went about” over the face of the earth—2:12), Satan sought in this present age to turn people to apostasy from the truth, although his power was limited because he ultimately had to answer to God. The Dead Sea Scrolls called the present evil age the “dominion of Satan.”  (Keener)

Lions were viewed as the most ferocious and mighty beasts, and from Psalm 22:13 (probably the background here) they came to be used as figures for enemies of God’s people. In the time of Nero, Christians were fed to some literal lions as well. The small, isolated Christian communities could take heart that their other spiritual siblings—starting with the churches Peter knew in Rome—were experiencing the same trials (1 Pet 5:9), until the end (v. 10).   (Keener)

Lions will attack sick, young and weak animals.  They will choose victims that are alone.  In this epistle, Peter warns us to watch out for satan when we are suffering or being persecuted.  If you are feeling alone, weak, helpless and cut off from other believers, and is focused mainly on your troubles and not being watchful for danger, you will be most vulnerable to satan’s attacks.  In those times of trials, tribulations and suffering, it is important to have a Christ-based support group with spirit-filled believers.  By the way, who created satan?  And what was the purpose?  (Life Application Bible)

In conclusion,  satan is evil and ferocious, but he is not invincible.  Jesus had already defeated satan at the cross.  We, as believers, are to continue to resist the devil, bind the Word of God against him and protect ourselves from his fiery darts.  Satan’s power is limited.  God’s power is unlimited.  Satan can only be in one place at a time.  God is omni- present.  Therefore, we need to fear God, not the devil.  For “greater is He (God) who is in me than he (the devil) who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)  

Miyagi

The Body of Christ Jesus Fellowship

Makaha, HI USA

Work Cited

Carson, D. A., France, R. T., Motyer, J. A., & Wenham, G. J. (Eds.). (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 1384). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.

Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (1 Peter 5:8–11). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Life Application Study Bible, Wheaton: Tyndall house publishers. 2004  

Our Daily Bread, RBC ministries, November 17, 2014.  Print.  

The Peace of God

Date:  July 17, 2014

To:  The Body of Christ

From:  Miyagi

Subject:  Essay

Re:  The Peace of God

 

The Peace of God

The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate and show how the Scriptures and with other secondary literature support and fits with the theme of the “Peace of God.”   This essay will show how a believer can dispel fear, anxiety, doubt and worry through achieving God’s peace.  The challenge here is that when you hear a person say ‘I do not have the peace about  ….,” the question that comes to mind is that is this statement of God, of the flesh or of the enemy of our soul?   This essay will prove and demonstrate that the word of God with the Holy Spirit in convergence will reveal to the believer the truth of the matter.  It will identify what in particular about the believer is making him fearful, anxious, doubtful, worrisome and unpeaceful.  

One question to ask is “ who is talking here?”  Is it the Lord, the strongman, or the devil?  In the foregoing paragraphs, by Scripture and commentaries,  evidence will be presented to show  that a believer in Christ must know who is His Lord.   What I am about to present is the proposition on the subject of “The Peace of God”  through Scripture and personal testimony.  The results will contain enough substance to prove, not so much scientifically, but through revelation and Scriptures those things that have been proposed.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:6-7, NKJV)  

Commentary:

As believers, we are to live without fear, anxiety and worries.  This is so because the Almighty God is our heavenly Father.  He is more than able to care for all our needs.  We tend to be fearful, anxious, and worrisome when we take our eyes off of Jesus and place them on our problems.  When we do this, we are taking the place of God.  We become our own gods.  But when we pray to God regarding our problems and struggles, and we humbly acknowledge that we need God’s help in these matters, God will then step in to help us.  He will not leave us nor abandon us.  He will help us find a solution and He shall give us peace.  (Miyagi)

Because prayer is a vital part of the believer, there is simply no place for anxiety.  As believers, we pray, petition, make requests, but above all give thanksgiving unto God.  God deserves all the praise and faith comes when we remember what God has done for us in the past and we become thankful to Him.   Therefore, anxiety and praise cannot co-exist side by side.  When the believer replaces worry with prayer, he will have the peace of God.  This should be evident in the lives of the true believers (Carson, et al 1258)

“Be careful for nothing.”  The one essential cure for worry is prayer.  Through prayer, we renew our trust in the Lord,  casting our anxiety and problems on Him (Stamps 1883).

“...casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”   (1 Pet 5:7, NKJV)

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matt 6:33, NKJV).

The peace of God comes from God to guard our hearts and mind as the result of our communion with Christ Jesus (Stamps 1883).  

Isaiah 26:3  (NKJV)

You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.

Colossians 3:15  (NKJV)

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

God strengthens us to do all the things He desires of us.   According to Ephesians 3:16-21 (NKJV), it says

“16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

When we receive His mercy and grace in times of need, we are assured that in all things God works together for good to those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).   The peace of God….shall keep your hearts when you call on God from a heart that remains in Christ and His Word (Stamps 1883).  

John 15:7 (NKJV) says “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”    Then the peace of God will flood our troubled souls.  This peace is a tranquility mediated by the Holy Spirit.  It involves a firm conviction that Jesus Christ is near and God’s love will be active in our lives for good.  When we lay our troubles before God in prayer, this peace will stand guard at the door of our hearts and minds  It prevents the care and heartaches of life from upsetting our lives and prevents undermining our hope in Christ.  If fear and anxiety return, prayer, petition and thanksgiving will place us in the peace of God.  There, we are safe and we rejoice in the Lord.  We have the peace of God (Stamps 1883).    

The Hebrew Word for peace is “shalom.”  This word denotes far more than the absence of war, conflict and stress.  “Shalom” is the positive presence of harmony, wholeness, soundness, well-being and success in all areas of life.  It refers to one’s personal sense of wholeness and well-being, free from anxiety and fear, to be at peace within one’s own soul.  The disruption of peace came about from the sin of Adam and Eve (Stamps 1883).  

The result of the fall is the destruction of peace and well-being for humankind.  God planned to restore “shalom.”  Therefore, the story of regaining peace is the story of redemption in Christ Jesus.  Our personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior represents the degree of “shalom” that a person possesses (Stamps 1883).  

Seek to maintain unity with other believers through your thoughts, attitudes, love and purpose.  The agape love of Christ’s attitude of unselfishness, servanthood, and obedience are demonstrated with the Body of Christ.  So when Jesus Christ was questioning Peter,”do you love Me? …. Then feed My sheep,” He was extending agape love to Peter, but Peter was carnal.  Because Peter’s response was  “of course I love You,”  it only confirmed what Jesus already knew which was the condition of his heart.  His heart wasn’t in servanthood. (Spirit Filled Life Bible 1808).

Matthew 25:40 (NKJV) states,

“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”

As we do to the least one of these, we are serving the Lord Jesus Christ.  This agape love is manifested when we do for the least one of these (Spirit Filled Life Bible 1808).

Perfect love casts out all fear.  So without “agape love,” fear is prevalent and the believer will always be in bondage to fear with no expression of God.  For one to express God, he must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Man’s love is shallow, like Peter, and cannot come to terms with the Lord.  There is always an excuse.  “I have no peace.”  This statement really indicates that there is no agape love because agape love has no fear  Perfect love cast out fear and perfect love IS agape love (Miyagi)

Therefore, ministry philosophy, personal revelations, and religious dogma, when converged together in the Holy Spirit, will develop a person’s personal theology of God.  This personal theology of God defines his personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  The dimensions or dynamics of all these components describe the status of his spirituality.  It could be elementary, carnal or mature.  He must know that he know that he know who Jesus Christ is.  For some, it may take twenty years to come to this great exchange.  It may require years of study, years of walking with the Lord, years of trials and tribulations of testing and perfection to develop one’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul  reminds us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12).  The doctrine of “once saved, always saved” cannot be found in Scriptures at all (Miyagi).    

True fear of the Lord is lacking in churches today and so when you hear statements like “ I don’t have the peace about this or that,” it is because agape love and the fear of God is missing.  The peace of God that surpasses all understanding comes from Jesus Christ (Miyagi).

On the other hand, if the Holy Spirit is being grieved, and stirs up a believer, this is a warning:  “Beware, evil is at the front door.”  A believer without the gift of the Holy Spirit cannot discern if this is of God or the devil.  The fear of man produces a snare but the fear of the Lord produces liberty.  So one must carefully discern what comes out in the tongue because life and death are in the power of the tongue as per Proverbs 18:21 (Miyagi).  

So when God sends His message regarding ministry opportunity through His messenger, when the response is “oh, we have already done that” or “we have no peace about that” or “that’s not my calling,” this is typical of one who is walking in the flesh instead of walking in the Christ.  This is an example of the inability to discern that this is a message from God through His appointed messenger.  When a stranger appears at your church, usually it is because there is sin in the camp and God wants to address that sin.  If a pastor is unable to discern why this stranger appeared in his church out of nowhere, but instead rise up to control or put a muzzle on the messenger, he is actually coming against God Himself.  Beware of Psalm 105:15  (Miyagi).   

Summary Conclusion (Application):

In Conclusion, the peace of God will dispel all fear, anxiety, doubt, and worry.  To get this peace, one must have the fear of the Lord and agape love.  

Shalom and blessings,

Miyagi

The Body of Christ Jesus Fellowship

Makaha, HI USA

808-772-8215

P.S.  Although this essay may appear to have some personal components, the content of this essay was inspired by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of edification, exhortation and comfort.  If the foregoing essay cannot be a stand-alone with scripture and personal revelation, then it may be a false teaching.  We all have the right and the power to judge.  Righteous judgement is called “discernment.”  We have the power of God to ascertain that what we have read is true and not mere man’s interpretation.

The ministry that God has given me is Isaiah 61:1-3 and that I was led to create this essay because I am operating  on point and purpose.  The Bible is our standard of measure.  If it doesn’t  line up with the word of God, we must recheck it and label it false teaching.  

As always, feel free to share any comments and impressions that may edify the Body of Christ at large.  The foregoing essay contains personal revelational knowledge of what the Lord has shown me through the last 25 years.

Miyagi

Work cited

Carson, D. A., France, R. T., Motyer, J. A., & Wenham, G. J. (Eds.). (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 1258). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.

Stamps, Donald C., The Full Life Study Bible King James Version, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992. Print.

Spirit Filled Life Bible New King James Version.  Ed. Jack W. Hayford Litt.D.  Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers. 1991.  Print.