Dunamos - Explosive Power: July 2008

Prayer The Final Element of The Full Armor of God

The Full Armor of God - Ephesians 6:10-18

Ephesians chapter 6 is a command to action:

1. Twice we are told to either “put on” the Full Armor of God or a particular piece of armor (6:11,14)
a. v.11 – The full armor of God;
b. v.14 – The Breastplat of Righteousness.

2. Four times we are told to “Take” or “Take up” a piece of armor (6:13,16,17)
a. v.13 – The full armor of God;
b. v.16 – Taking up the Shield of Faith;
c. v.17 – Take the Helmet of Salvation; and
d v.17 – The Sword of the Spirit.

3. And four times we are told to either “resist”, “stand firm” or to “stand your ground” (6:11,13,14).
a. Each of these phrases carry with them the idea of resisting or opposing something or someone. It’s a call to fight against the enemy without surrendering ground.

4. There is a Seventh Element of the Armor of God. This is the most important of all the pieces of armor. This is the piece of armor that brings all the others together. And this piece of armor is found in verse 18: “With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints.”

v. 18 – To “Pray” and “Be Alert” - Both are instrumental, loosely connected with all of the preceding instructions. As such, they are not additional commands to do but instead are the means through which the prior instructions are accomplished.

In this verse we are commanded:
a. To Pray with all prayer and petition;
b. To pray at all times in the Spirit;
c. And to be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.

I believe that this is the final and most important of all the pieces of armor listed in this chapter. To be fully equipped with the Full Armor of God we need to exercise this final element. It is prayer that infuses power to the other pieces of armor to make you virtually invincible to the enemy and his schemes.

It’s interesting to note that the Ephesian church which is urged to put on the Full Armor of God - some 30 years later receives a letter from Jesus through the Apostle John in Revelations Chapter 2:1-7 indicating that they had left their first love.

I believe the reason that the church at Ephesus turned into a stagnant orthodox church is because they failed to put on the final armor of God as found in verse 18 – to pray at all times and to be on the alert with prayer.

So to be a victorious Spirit Filled Christian you need to put on the Full Armor of God - which includes PRAYER!

Determine today that you will be a Prayer Warrior of God.

Is Your Church Pastor Dependent or Leader Dependent?

The mentality of some in the church is that of:
1. "We pay the Pastor to work"; or
2. "Our Pastor can do it, he went to school, he is trained, and I am not";

Still others believe that our trained and educated Pastors are supposed to do everything.
1. They are supposed to teach at every service;
2. Lead every ministry;
3. Be the church jitney service for the members, etc.

But the result is that when the Pastor does it all the church decreases or grows by addition. As opposed to when the entire congregation does the work the church grows by multiplication.

So whose responsibility is it to work within the church? - Everyone's/The whole body of Christ (1 Pet 2:9-10; Eph 2:10; Rom 12:4-5).

Here are 5 results when the church body excercises the gifts collectively as a body:
1. The church is benefited (1 Cor 12:7)
2. The church is strenghted/edified (1 Cor 14:26)
3. The saints are equipped for ministry (Eph 4:11-13)
4. The body of Christ is built up (Eph 4:12)
5. Above all - God is glorified (1 Peter 4:10-11)

Is Your Worship Worthy Of A King?”

As we enter this Holiday Season ask yourself this question - "Is Your Worship Worthy Of A King?”

In this lesson we will be covering how the Magi worshiped the Child Jesus.

Notes and Historical Background:

How Do The Gospel Writers Present Jesus?:
1. The gospel of Mark:
a. Was written to the Romans and depicts Jesus as a Servant.
b. Here Jesus is depicted as the one who comes to serve and to suffer.
c. Mark does not give a genealogy for Jesus? Why, because men are not interested in the genealogy of a servant.
d. More miracles are found here than in any other gospel. Romans cared little for words; far more for deeds.

2. The gospel of Luke:
a. Was written to the Greeks and sets forth Jesus as the Son of Man/the perfect man.
b. He is the one who comes to share and sympathize.
c. Since Luke presents Jesus as the perfect man he takes His genealogy all the way back to Adam, instead of Abraham.
d. And as a perfect man, in the gospel of Luke Jesus is seen much in prayer and with angels ministering to Him.

3. The gospel of John:
a. Was written to all who believe, with the purpose of leading men to Christ and depicts Jesus as the Son of God.
b. Here Jesus is the one who comes to reveal and redeem.
c. And as the Son of God John by passes the genealogy and takes Him all the way back to the beginning as being with God and being God.
d. Everything in this gospel illustrates and demonstrates His divine relationship.

4. The gospel of Matthew:
a. Was written primarily for the Jew and depicts Jesus as King.
b. In this gospel Jesus is the sovereign who comes to reign and rule.
c. Everything in Matthew focuses on the sovereignty of Jesus. In the very first verse of Chapter 1 we are given His royal genealogy – “Jesus the Messiah/Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
d. And then in Chapters 5-7, in the Sermon on the Mount, we have the manifesto of the King, containing the laws of His kingdom.

Notice the blending and contrasts in the depictions of Jesus from the Gospel writers:
a. In Matthew He is the Sovereign / in Mark He is the Servant.
b. In Luke He is the Son of Man / in John He is the Son of God.

Each Gospel writer gives their own unique description of Jesus the Messiah/Christ.

Verse 11 - "After coming into the house," – Please note that they came into the house and not the manger or stable.

"After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His Mother," - whenever Mary and the baby are mentioned, in verses 11, 13, 14, 20, and 21, the baby is always mentioned first. This is because the focus is on the child.

So they entered the home "and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him" Remember these are the king makers of their time. And they finally find the Child who would not only become the King of the Jews but of the whole world and not just a King but a Saviour as well. So they bow down and give Him the honor due Him as a King.

“Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts…”

Let’s finish by covering how the Magi Worshiped:

1. They Fell To The Ground And Worshiped:

In a commentary by John McArthur he states that following regarding the word used here for Worship:

The word used for worship is proskuneō and means to stoop to kiss. It was a word that spoke about the way you paid homage to a monarch, you stooped down and you kissed his foot. The word proskuneō finally came to mean any internal attitude of adoration or worship to someone greater than yourself.

Whenever the word proskuneō is used in the New Testament, it is always used of something truly or something supposedly divine, it is a word that is only fit for deity.

In Revelation 22:8-10 - When John tried to worship the angel the angel said, “get up don't do that, proskuneō/worship God.”

Matthew reinforces the use of this word later on as we'll in Matthew 4:8-11 in Satan’s third temptation of Jesus. After showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory – Satan says to Him – “All these things I will give You, if You will fall down and proskuneō/worship me.” To which Jesus responded – “Go Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall proskuneō/worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”

2. “Then opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts…” – Following are 7 points I want you to consider regarding presenting our Lord our gift of worship:
1. The gifts were tangible;
2. The gifts were of high value and worth;
3. The gifts were meaningful; Each gift was symbolic/representative of something.
4. The gifts were worthy of a King;
5. The gifts were freely given;
6. The gifts were varied; and
7. The gifts were presented/given to Him. – Col 3:17

Motives For Ministering

2 Corinthians 5:9-21

I. Historical Data:
1. Date Written = A.D. 55
2. Where Written = from Macedonia
3. To Whom Written = To Christians in the city of Corinth.
4. Why Written/Purpose:
a. To defend his apostleship (Chaps. 1 – 7);
b. To exhort the Corinthians to resume preparations for the collection for the poor at Jerusalem (Chaps. 8,9); and
c. To confront the false apostle’s head on (Chaps. 10-13).
5. Key Verse = 5:17 – Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold; new things have come.

Some have suggested that the real watch word or theme for the book of 2 Corinthians is that we must all be loyal to Christ, not to human personalities.

II. Define Today’s Topic – “Motives For Ministering”:

Motive = Is defined as something that causes a person to act in a certain way, do a certain thing / it’s the goal or object of a person's actions.

Ministering = Comes from the word minister which means to give service, care, or aid.

So by combining the two we can define Motives For Ministering as the goal or object of our actions that causes us to want to give service, care, or aid.

III. Three Impure Motives For Ministering:
1. Some minister because they have the King Nebuchadnezzar syndrome - They are full of pride – (Dan 4:28-37) – They are to full of themselves. They think that it is their ministry and if they don’t do it no one else will or no one else can.
2. Some minister because of Misguided loyalty – (1 Cor. 10:31) – But many are ministering as unto The Pastor, others as unto the Ministry Leader, and some as unto themselves – but not as unto the Lord;
3. Some minister because they love the lime light – They want and crave the attention of others. – (Is 42:8) (Ps 115:1)

IV. Seven Pure Motives For Ministering:
1. We minister because of our ambition and a desire to please God – v.9;
2. We minister because of the recompense/reward we will receive for our service – v. 10;
3. We minister because we desire to expose our sincere motives before God and man – v.11 – 13;
4. We minister because we are controlled by the love of Christ – v.14 – 15;
5. We minister because it is our nature as new creatures in Christ – v.16 - 17;
6. We minister because we have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation – v. 18 – 20; and
7. We minister because we are the righteousness of God in Christ – v.21.
Ambition - in our world today is an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment.

V. Explanation of Verses:

5:9 - Ambition = To love what is honorable - worthy of honor and high respect; estimable; creditable.
To be pleasing to Him = Describes a slave who is passionate to please his master. Paul’s goal/his passion was to live for Christ
(Rom 14:8) & (Phil 1:21)

5:10 - For we must all appear before…may be recompensed… = This phrase describes one of Paul’s deepest motivations in wanting to please God - the realization that we are all ultimately accountable to God for our actions and that we will be rewarded for our works.

…whether good or bad = this does not talk about condemnation for sin but rather recompense/reward for what we have done whether good or worthless. (Rom 8:1 & 2) / 1 Jn 2:1 / (1 Cor 3:13)

5:11 - knowing the fear of the Lord… - A deep reverence, a fear that grows out of respect.

…we persuade men = To seek someone’s favor, to get the other person to see you in a certain favorable or desired way. Paul was persuading the Corinthians not about salvation but about his own integrity.

5:12 - The false teachers took pride in externals and showy hypocrisy.

5:13 - For if we are beside ourselves = Since his false critics were saying that Paul was insane or a fanatic he then uses this expression to describe himself as one dogmatically devoted to truth.

5:14 - For the love of Christ controls us = Christ’s love for us in dying on the cross motivated Paul to serve him.

5:15 - How do we live for Christ? – We live for Christ through our relationship with him and service to him. (Ef 2:10 / James 2:17 & 18)

5:16 - We no longer judge people by worldly standards but see their spiritual need. And we no longer see Jesus with carnal eyes but through spiritual eyes recognizing him as Lord and Savior.

5:17 - Key words in this verse are “in Christ” – If you are in Christ then you are a new creature. - This describes something that is created at a qualitatively new level of excellence. It refers to regeneration or new birth. It’s a miracle or metamorphosis – an inside-out transformation.

5:18 & 19 - Now all these things are from God… – What things? Everything spoken of in the previous verse, this verse and the couple of verses to follow. John 6:44 & 65 / Eph 2:8 &

Ambassadors spend their lives on foreign soil. They speak a different language than the people. They have different traditions, customs, cultures, and lifestyles. They always feel somewhat like a stranger. They speak on behalf of their country, conveying its ideals, its politics, its decisions. And…the reputation of their country rests in their hands. For good or for bad, their country is judged by their words and by their actions.

5:20 - We are Ambassadors for Christ - We are messengers representing the King of Heaven with the gospel, pleading with the world to be reconciled to God, who is their rightful King.

5:21 – The Doctrines of Imputation and Justification. To impute is to attribute something to another or reckoning something to the account of another. He bore our sins so that we could bear His righteousness. God treated Jesus as if He committed our sins, and treats us as if we did only the righteous deeds of the sinless Son of God.

What is the goal or object of your actions that causes you to want to minister?
Why do you minister? / Who are you trying to please? / What are you trying to achieve?

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Live In An Attitude Of Trust

As adapted by Damaris Rios

1 Peter 2:22

-Trust keeps us from worrying. Without trust you have no: JOY or PEACE.
- In personal relationships TRUST is the foundation.
-Trust in God in every kind of situation.

LIFE IS NOT FAIR. We are going to be mistreated and have problems even when we have done nothing wrong. We are under the misguided conception, that if we are good, we will never be mistreated or have problems. What we need to remember is that we need to cast our cares on HIM for He will take care of us. Trusting in God is what opens the door for Him to work in us. God promises us Justice. That is one of His attributes. Justice is to take what is wrong and make it right...if you trust in Me Jesus says.

If you do not like something go to the person and discuss it. NOW, when you get into an argument, then you need to learn to walk away, pray, and let GOD handle it. Ask God to help you: Stay quiet, get over your anger and to forgive.

Luke 22:42 - This is an amazing demonstration of trust. Your will be done - is the ultimate statement of trust...in God.

If you really want to be a vessel of God understand that some day and just sometimes...God IS GOING TO ASK YOU TO GO THROUGH SOMETHING HARD AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU. IT IS FOR SOMEONE ELSE AND HIS GLORIES SAKE.

We give up on people too soon. We jump ship too early and do not realize God's will for someone else. By leaving too soon, we miss out on God's complete mission for our lives. We need to understand that someone, some where along the lines has paid the price for our good times...by prayer, suffering, intercession, sacrifices...understanding this should make us more aware of how blessed we are when we live in peace.

We can enjoy life while we are waiting for our breakthrough. We choose Christianity and we choose to live a life of Joy or unhappiness.

So choose today to LIVE IN AN ATTITUDE OF TRUST.

Be Blessed,

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Do You Have Confidence That God Hears Your Prayers?

These little daily comments aren't going to be in depth teaching sessions on prayer but rather are given to cause you to think a bit.

Today we will focus on Jn. 5:14 & 15:

v. 14 - "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."

v. 15 - "And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him."

So let me ask you a question or two:
1. Are you confident that God listens to you when you pray? God loves you as His child. If you don't have the confidence that He listens to you ask yourself why you feel that way. Is it because of your life style? Is it because you don't have a relationship with Him? Are you living in sin?

2. When you pray are you more concerned about what you want or about fulfilling His will? God has no problem in supplying your needs and giving you abundantly more than you ask for but He is not your cosmic bank account or butler bowing to your every want and desire. He must be glorified through whatever He does or gives you.

Be Blessed,

Your Brother In Christ,
Richard

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Hello my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

A lot has been going on in my life and ministry over the past couple of weeks so don't think that I haven't forgotten about the study on Prayer - it's coming.

Until I start the series I will leave you with some versus over the next couple of days to meditate on.

Jn 15:7 -"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."

Repeat this verse to yourself over and over again and answer this question - What are the two key points Jesus is stating that must first take place in order for you to have whatever you wish for?

Be Blessed,

Your Brother In Christ
Richard