We are more than circumstance. Who we are is no simple thing. Each of us is a living constellation of habits, desires, notions, memories, all shaped by the circumstances of how we’ve lived and what we’ve been through; blood, money, knowledge, marriage, death, discovery, who we serve and don’t serve, where we came from, where we’re going to, who we meet, and what we sacrifice. Literarily that all has a nice flow, but we are more than simply circumstances, we have free will and we choose. Don’t let yourself sink into being circumstantial. Above all that circumstance which shapes us, most importantly God has the final say in how we are defined. God, not the fallen world. i like that verbal visualization, “a living constellation”. Can you see it?

Knowing “we are” and having a clue as to where we are in Christ is of penultimate importance. The faith we walk in is largely governed by the establishing of who we are, as we are, what we are, and where we are according to God. Get that? According to God, not men, but God. i have come to believe more than a little twisted theology in the Body of Christ stems from a lack of identity, a misunderstanding of our identity, or the simple disbelief that our standing in Christ is real. We are what? And where are we? Today we’ll start with “we are”, as in who are we and who does God say we are?. Catch those three: lack of identity, misunderstanding of identity, and simple disbelief.

Foundationally, if we are believers, then, right off the bat, we are God’s image and reflection bearers, Genesis 1:26, made similar to God in fashion and form, more than merely how we look, but also how we are. We are placed, on purpose, in a broken yet still-beautiful world. Made from dust yet breathed into by the Holy Spirit and we carry eternal value and “inevitable mortality”, which is a nice way of saying we’re all going to die at some point, all that in the same frame. Did you see that? If it were anyone else saying such a thing other than God it would be oxymoronic, or seemingly self-contradictory. No one but God can create such a thing as having eternal value yet inevitable mortality in the same frame. Here it is again: We are living in this body that is inclined to corruption yet carry eternal value because of Jesus, all in the same frame.

That’s an awfully big picture, but true non-the-less. We are here, in this place we live and we are loved: simultaneously crowned with glory and honor, defined by Psalm 8:5, and suffer a fallen nature which is intrinsic to our flesh. Romans 6:23, ” For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Before Christ we were curved inward, so to speak, no choice but to be enslaved to sin and death, and though we are now free, we still struggle against our flesh and the influence of this fallen world. Da’ struggle be real my friend. Every human heart is a battlefield where the image and reflection of God wrestles against the image and reflection of Adam. Everyone looks so good at church, making all the right words, wearing all the right postures, yet we can not begin to fathom the war going on in each person.

“We are” is a phrase about who we are, as in 1 Corinthians 3:9a, “For we are laborers together with God“. When i think about the phrase “We are”, and the biblically famous reply of young Samuel in 1 Samuel “here i am”, to me, it’s deceptively simple, after all, it’s only two or three words, yet it carries layers of meaning across language related, time honored, literary, cultural, and philosophical contexts. Those two or three little words carry so much momentum. Jesus claimed His identity and equality with the Father in John 10:30 when He said, “I and the Father are one“, and He prayed in John 17:11 that believers “may be one, even as we are one“.

The phrases “we are”, “here i am” or “i am here” gained legendary status in children’s literature through Dr. Seuss’s 1954 book Horton Hears a Who!. In the story, the tiny inhabitants of Who-ville chant, “We are here! We are here! We are here!” to prove their existence to the larger world, which can’t see or hear them. Horton the elephant protects their speck-of-dust world, embodying the moral: “A person is a person, no matter how small.”

Lately, i’ve run into believer after believer who, at their core, feel small, unseen, unheard, and unnecessary. Sure, their mouths claim the promises of belonging and connecting to God and the body of Christ, they quote scripture, pray, and all the necessary elements of our faith… but in the late night, in the gray place between awake and asleep, often overshadowed by doubt and unbelief, they are at war within themselves as to their identity, as God sees them. Who are you? Have you looked up to see how God sees you?

In the mean time, i know the following is probably a little too detailed, but go with me and try it. Let’s dissect this little thing, “we are” a moment: 1^st word “We” – it is a first person plural pronoun, implying collectively “us” as a group identity. i use the word “we” to refer to some sort of collective unity or probably shared experiences rather than individualism, with our nation having veered far away from recognizing community to only recognizing the individual. i think our country has nearly lost the “we” which all of us have loved so much. This next is very interesting to me. It is the verb “Are” – which is present tense of a one of a kind verb, “to be”, often translated as the past/present/future “I AM” of Genesis 17:1. According to the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, or TDNT, the verb “to be” is affirming existence or state of being. When God says “I AM” He is directly declaring and affirming His existence, emphasizing His continual presence in the past, present and future, all at the same time. Wow!

When God says He is, considering we are included in the beloved, then we are also. Because Jesus first lived, we are alive. In 1 John 3:1-2 we are adopted into God’s family and it’s not only a future hope, it is very present reality. Do you believe it? We either believe that or we don’t. There is no “sort of” or “kind of” to it. Is you is, or is you ain’t? 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” The Greek there literally says “new creation is” but i hear Paul repeatedly using “we are” type language for our identity. New creation is as in “we are” and the time is now.

Did you know Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:9 that we are God’s fellow workers? Imagine, the King of the Universe includes us in His work but also calls us His fellow workers? 2 Corinthians 5:6 “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 5:11, we are known to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20, we are ambassadors for Christ. Is that you? God says you are but what do you say?

So far, we are fellow workers, courageous, we are known, and we are ambassadors. That’s who God says we are, and if He said it, it’s true because He is true. Psalm 95:7, “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice…” We are His, we belong to God. We may have terrible things in our past, but by the blood of Jesus, we who call on His name, we are free. Those things are dead, and if God has called them dead, then they are dead and there is no need, ever again, to dig them up just so we can reckon them dead all over again.

Isaiah 53:5, “we are healed”, Jeremiah 2:31, “we are free”, Jeremiah 7:10, “we are delivered”, Jeremiah 14:9, “we are called by your name”, Acts 3:15, “we are witnesses”, Romans 5:10, “we are reconciled”, Romans 8:37, “we are more than conquerors”, etc, etc. The list of who God says we are is a very, very long one. In spite of who God says we are, why oh why do we so often talk ourselves out of it? It’s a mystery to me.

Some of the following is a bit repetitive, but i think it is necessary to say as often as required until we get God’s word down in our head and heart. Romans 8:16-17 says we are children of God, not the offspring of the devil, but children of God, AND, we are also fellow heirs with Jesus Himself. In 1 Peter we are chosen, a royal priesthood, a holy nation made specially for God’s own possession. Every “we are” statement about believers is in the present indicative — it is “now” and is declaring what is already true because of communion with Christ, not what we must strive to become. We are who God says we are, present tense and a statement of fact. We are known, comforted, His workmanship or poetry, we are members of His house and we are surrounded by witnesses who testify we are who He says we are. We are waiting, we are in Him, of the truth, and from God. Gosh, in light of all that why oh why do we talk ourselves out of who God says He is and who God says we are? Say. Why is that? There are more “we are’s”, how many can you find?

How do you set the precedent for your day? For many years now, as has been my daily habit, i do my best to give God my first words every day, before i speak to anyone else. It is my idea of giving Him my first fruits. i’m sure you get it.

Jesus is the first person i speak to when i wake up, whether it’s the middle of the night or first thing in the morning, i make sure Jesus gets the, here it is — pre-eminence of recognition —. He is the first person i ask for help, my first source of information, etc. God gives us bread in the morning, Exodus 16:8, we exercise prayer in the morning, Psalm 5:3, I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning, Psalm 59:3. Friends, the Lord makes us a provision if we’ll have it.

Secondly, i present myself to the Lord first thing. Be ready to go. Exodus 34:2 “Be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain.” Do you see it? It was a call to a direct, personal and relational encounter with God in the morning. i figure if Moses should present himself to the Lord first thing, i should also.

You should know i don’t do these things always in that order, but i do try and accomplish these simple things in honor of the Lord everyday. In “honor of the Lord” is the point, always, and absolutely NONE of these things i do is about doing a sequence to make God come down, that’s useless. It’s my idea about my efforts to give God the pre-eminence and glory which only belongs to Him.

The third thing i do concerning setting the precedent of the day, i also take communion, declaring devotion to the Lord first thing. It’s a simple thing and we don’t have to tightly close our eyes as if we’re in pain, and move our mouths in some silent, pensive focus. It’s not hard and neither should we make it hard. Some would ask, “why do you do that?” To eat the bread is to participate in the body that was given on the cross and is now enthroned in glory. To drink the cup is to participate in the blood that ratified the new covenant and now cleanses, gives buoyancy and resilience to, and seals us as God’s own. We are His. This is not magic, nor is it a trivial memorial of something from long ago. It is a Holy Spirit-fashioned communion with the entirety of Christ as a whole — crucified, risen, ascended, and present. Friends, that’s a big deal. Honestly, all of this is easy to do so i see no reason to not, other than a heart full of “don’t want to” sometimes.

So where is prayer in this? Consistent and repeatably, everyday, i talk to the Lord and walk. Yes walk. It is a personal and relational conversation just like two friends walking and talking together. Yes, as in Luke 24:13-35, walking and talking together. Psalm 133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” And that “together” part includes our daily walk-around-conversation with God.

So. there we’ve got three things, yes four — giving God the pre-eminence of recognition, presenting myself before the Lord thereby setting the precedent of the day, then declaring devotion with communion, and lastly, prayer. Spend time cultivating your every-day-walk-around conversation, tell Him all of what’s on your heart and keep pursuing the Lord, and read your Bible. We often say we’re devoted to Jesus, but does our life reflect that? We must choose.

So, there’s my habit as a devotion and here’s the challenge.

i love the roll of conversation that happens when i meet people. But they always seem to want to meet early, early in the morning. i’m not objecting here, but i started noticing that if i meet someone for conversation and coffee on Monday, and a different person on Tuesday, then another on Wednesday, and a Bible study on Thursday, skipping my personal devotion, after a while, week in and week out, i started noticing an odd feeling of being spiritually out of breath, literally becoming breathless to spend time with God, who is my source of all goodness, wisdom, righteousness, strength and hope. Breathless after God. As an example, if we don’t read our Bible it makes hearing God a real challenge. Similarly, if we don’t spend time with God, one on one, walking and talking together but, instead, settling for a quick, run down my prayer list and calling it koinonia, which is participation, communion, and fellowship with God, my life with the Lord starts to lose it’s luster and high shine which i cherish above all things.

i easily keep the first part of pre-eminence of recognition, presenting and communion, but the prayer time is lost in my not keeping my full devotion. Over time, being in a hurry and for lack of prayer, i started noticing my spiritual vision was muddled sometimes, i began to feel out of sorts more and more often, little by little i began to feel like a boat, once tightly tethered to the dock but had somehow gotten loose from what kept it steady to now floating away. Little by little. Over time, there it was, my panting after the Lord in breathless pursuit was fading. It was horrible!

Psalm 143:6, “I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.” That word, “thirst” represents a desperate reaching toward God, literally to “breathe after God”. When David was in the wilderness he wrote in Psalm 63:1, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”

          In those two verses there is expressed a spiritual longing as a physical necessity — breathing after, panting after, thirsting after — emphatically pointing out the fact that true satisfaction comes only from God. There is no lasting, true satisfaction outside of Christ. You may not believe it all together, or maybe you’re still struggling to even believe Jesus is alive, real, listening, and present, but my hard won wisdom is that my first priority is Jesus, and my last priority is Jesus. To say i am “breathless after God” is my way of expressing an intense longing, panting or yearning for God’s presence, similar to when we breathe heavily like someone desperate for air or water.

i needed to rework my priorities. Visiting with members of the body is indeed important, but the bottom line answer, i say, more important than anything is Jesus, every time, consistent and repeatable. To say we “breathe after the Lord” is like saying, “breathless after God”, though not a direct scripture quote, it has the same theme as in Psalm 42:1-2. It’s important to know that deer have a survival tactic of when being pursued by predators, they often run to water where it’s scent and tracks are lost in the water and it finds safety, so the writer is saying, “i’m breathless after you oh God, i breathe after you, for you alone are my sustenance, my hope, and salvation, and there is not another. “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

What are your priorities? Is Jesus the first and last of your day, everyday, or is He a “when i get around to it — i’ve got important stuff to do”. What is more important than Jesus? Be honest. i’m not saying disregard life, c’mon, we all have important things to do, but more so, i’m posing we look at our heart posture and are we actually pursuing the Lord as we say we do?

i’m Social Porter for living in His Name Ministries

Romans 1:18-21, “For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”

God is not hidden and we are still hiding. From the days of Genesis when Adam and Eve hid themselves in the garden, even though man was hiding from God, God was not hiding from man. His works are visible for anyone who is interested in seeing them. i suppose the key operative phrase there is “anyone who is interested”.

Let’s talk about the idea of “wrath” a little. In our weekly Bible study in Romans, i’ve been re-re-re-re-reading it all. When i got to Rom1:18, i stopped, and struggled at the word “wrath”. For the first time, as i read the word several times out loud, i actually paid attention to my mental picture. Ugh! Not pretty! Where did i get this idea that i’m seeing? Yup, more than likely right out of the southern church pulpit of fire and brimstone. My focus isn’t on what “they”, the infamous “they” got wrong, but how i have a twisted view of the Lord. i can’t be responsible for them, nor will i waste my time being offended by anyone’s doctrine, but i can do something about myself.

It is the truth: There is no excuse for not believing in God, although many of us have got tons of excuses, and some are even quite convincing. Many are literally working to deconstruct their faith, which in the classical sense is more about our epistemology, what we believe, how we came to that idea, and why we think it’s a good idea. BUT! The modern day meaning of deconstructing faith is merely a cover to deconversion ourselves and embrace the ever popular agnosticism and even atheism, thereby making ourselves our own God, we are our own standard, our own beginning and end. We are choosing. Sad.

The truth: the Lord has clearly revealed Himself to the world and to each individual’s conscience. i believe we have to be interested enough to look and see. Simply looking up at the stars at night should convince anyone there is a Creator, or looking at flowers, or the intricacies of leaves and seasons. It is obvious the unintelligent universe could not possibly have devised such complexity. In addition, i am convinced all people know deep inside themselves that there is a God, and there is a universal standard of right and wrong. However, they suppress the truth because, again, i am convinced, they don’t want to believe.

“Don’t want to” is at the core of the matter, just a heart full of “don’t want to”. Believing would put unbelievers face-to-face with themselves … they would have to reconcile their nature to give power to their flesh over their spirit, and would have to deal with their systemic rebellion. Our need to come back to God seems more than most are willing to bear. Maybe the need for Christ isn’t acute enough yet … it will be.

Therefore, they deny the facts of God’s existence and play little mental games, trying to rationalize away the truth. Because of this, God’s “wrath” is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness.

“Wrath”, now there’s a word we never hear anyone casually use in conversation. In this case, it isn’t just raging anger as we’ve been taught … that is a teaching which has cast unkind shadows on the heart of love. The Greek word implies a “lavish swelling of sap and vigor,” a “thrusting and upsurging”. It implies a “decisive action” with a “specific focus”, not “blind anger” just snapping at anything that moves, but is specialized as a powerful passion of God’s heart, as in a driving passion to avenge injustice. Oh, how we often misconstrue God’s heart and intentions, and i think we really need to do something about that. i think most of what we’ve been taught is that God’s “wrath” is more a predominantly negative judgment, like saying, “If you don’t do right, God is gonna’ git you!” The Lord never, ever operates in “blind irritation”, nor is ever filled with “irrational emotion” with the intent to hurt anyone who is in His way. That’s not it. It is a word used of righteous soldiers and men of high valor defending against evil. The raging angry gods of the Greeks, THEY were the ones who were unswerving, pitiless and terrible, and that my friends, has been overlaid on the character of our God and King. The deities of the Greeks were the ones brimming over the top with divine “payback”, always calling for retribution, eyes on fire with resentment, always making sure that “punishment closely followed fault”, over and over till we’re pounded to dust, with no mention of grace. Isn’t that how many see God these days? That was the Greek gods, but that is not who we serve … never did, never will. This transference of character from the Greek false gods, lo eloah, not gods, lo el, not divine, upon the one and only God is yet, another twist created to make us view the Lord as spiteful and bitter. It is a lie.

God is the God of truth. The God of the Bible is not a god of myth or legend. Jesus Christ is truth, after all, He said in John14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He is the ultimate reality, the very personification of the way the truth and the life; He is what is truly real in the universe; He is what is real in a world full of deception and lies. Likewise, the Bible is not just some made-up book of religious fantasy; rather it is true spiritually, historically, and scientifically.

God is not hidden. We are. We were hiding in the garden of Eden, and we are still hiding today. The Lord is bidding us to come out of hiding, to humble ourselves and be honest, to throw open the doors of our heart and tear down our fences. Christ is visible and willing to forgive us all our darkest secrets. We’ve simply go to be willing to come out of our hiding places.

i’m Social Porter for Living In His Name Ministries.

A little technicality right off the bat, but please do bear with me. Communion: Greek koinōnia (koy-nohn-ee’-ah), from G2844; partnership, as in someone you have things in common with, which is, (literally) participation, communicate/communication, communion, and fellowship. The idea of communion is also very closely associated with another really important word, koy-no-nos’ , meaning someone who shares, that is, a companion, partaker, or a partner, as seen in 2 Corinthians 1:7.

In the Eucharist, which is “the blessing” or, according to Vine’s Expository Dictionary, one of several definitions is to “speak well of”, the bread and cup are not mere symbols that point to an absent Savior. It is not merely bread, and not simply a cup and should never be minimized down to just a “thing we do”. Communion is symbolic and is the God-given means by which the risen Jesus unites himself to his people. To eat the bread is to participate in the body that was given on the cross and is now enthroned in glory. To drink the cup is to participate in the blood that ratified the new covenant and now cleanses, gives buoyancy to, and seals us as God’s own. We are His. This is not magic, nor is it a trivial memorial of something from long ago. It is a Holy Spirit-fashioned communion with the entirety of Christ as a whole — crucified, risen, ascended, and present. Friends, that’s a big deal.

i think, we, as believers, have somehow trifled over communion. The idea is one of partnering with Jesus in His livingness and freedom, to participate with Him in fellowship as a son and daughter, not as a cousin or uncle. This may seem odd to a few, but communion to me is much like the idea of renewing wedding vows. i heard a woman say once, “It is more than union, it is communion”. More.

If we are “in Christ” we are living and free, and freedom is not just something we dreamed of long ago, but is a reality in Christ through the washing and regeneration of His work on Calvary, on our behalf. We, who, by His body and blood through faith, are in Christ, we are partners, associates, and companions of God. Jesus has made us FREE!

This is a true story: In Zambia in the late 80’s, there was a group of gorillas at a zoo. The gorilla’s had been in captivity so long it had become their residence. The walls were painted, the gorilla’s had hung pictures, had hot and cold running water, probably even had phone service so they could call out for pizza. All silliness aside though, many hadn’t known anything else but that place behind bars, with ceilings and tall fences, and concrete barriers. At some point in the later years of their captivity, the zoo management decided to turn them loose, set them free. So, they opened the gates. The gorilla’s didn’t leave. They tried to shoo them out, but they wouldn’t leave. Eventually, as the story was told to me, the authorities even tore the fences down, but the gorilla’s still wouldn’t leave. It was as if the idea of freedom was only something they had dreamed of long ago but was only now just a vague notion and impossibility. Even when the wind of freedom blew through the compound, it was the smell of something un-recognizable, so foreign to them it couldn’t possibly be true, and they refused to act but elected to stay in captivity, or what is called, “government by consent of the governed”. That is a real principle and is when authority is only legitimate when it is born from and remains subject to the will of those who are being ruled. It is in direct opposition to God’s divine right. When sin rules the lives of people, believe it or not, they are choosing to be ruled by death whether they are ignorant or fully cognizant and informed. i choose to no longer be ruled by sin, darkness, death, hell, or the grave. i do NOT consent.

Romans 6:16 “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”  Under the tyrannical rule of hell we have no rights, except the right to suffer and mindlessly obey.

Without Christ living in us, we are slaves to our master “sin”, and we MUST obey our master. When people live without Christ, they consent to darkness, and no matter how good they look or how good their works are, it is “government by consent of the governed”, they are consenting to be slaves. It doesn’t have to be that way. God has a better idea. There are no fence riders in this incredible battle, no “on lookers” who are neutral; there is no room for sitting on the fence. Every person is either for or against Him, whether they realize and acknowledge it or not. The more obvious the “Line of Choosing” becomes the more obvious it is as to who is on the left and who is on the right. This is not a contrast of “us versus them”, but a contrast of “God and us” and how we commune with God. Sometimes we ask the Lord a question, and His answer corners us, and we then try to find a way out in order to still the voice of our conscience. Those who consent to the government of sin are becoming more and more uncomfortable as God presses the question of eternity closer to them. When all is said and done what or who do you commune with? Heaven or hell? And you can’t escape the question by not choosing, because to not choose IS to choose. Friends, there is only “express consent”, which is deliberate, unmistakable, and clear agreement, as in when we take Communion. And then there is what is called “tacit consent”, which is implied agreement by our non-action, our silence and simply being good little doggies who go-along-to-get-along. “Express consent” says, “I actively say yes”, and “tacit consent” says, “I stay and accept benefits, therefore i am assumed to say “yes”.

TODAY, I BRING YOU TIDINGS OF GLADNESS AND JOY!!

We are no longer captives to sin, but are free, for we, by God’s kindness which leads to repentance, have partnered with God and are His companions, His fellows, heirs with Christ, “we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” And it’s NOT just some vague dream we had and can’t relate to. We are no longer slaves but have freedom in Christ who is alive and relevant for today. Therefore, we take the broken bread, His body as was “given for us” on the cross, Luke 22:19, and receive the cup, His blood “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”, Matthew 26:28. By this we are in solemn agreement as to the death and resurrection of Jesus and do hereby testify of His life.

Deuteronomy 19:15 reads, “…at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.”   So here are two witnesses:

Romans 6:16-17 “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

It is not ingenuously chewing nor passively drinking but entirely about our heart-trusting, life-surrendering, gladly receiving His once-for-all sacrifice, which never again needs to be repeated. Communion is symbolic of the theme of Christ’s breaking, pouring, and giving and we respond by receiving with open hands, sharing one cup and one loaf, the visible signs of Koinonia with Jesus and each other. In taking communion we agree with grace and grace is a gift, not an achievement, and is in three dimensions ( i know that’s strange to say but it’s how i see it). Yesterday, Calvary remembered, today, Jesus is present, and tomorrow the coming marriage supper of the Lamb in glory. Do you see it? Communion is never mere ritual; it is a living, symbolic parable of the entire story of redemption. God has torn our fences down and told us we are free.

By the blood and sacrifice of Jesus, God the Father declares we who believe have the blood bought right to communion with Him, the King of the Universe. You are standing on legal ground, so don’t let the enemy talk you out of what God has given you.

And just how did we come to have such a right to communion with God  and have complete legal ground to stand on? Again. Behold, the ultimate court case:

Because of the choosing that happened in the Garden of Eden, sin entered in. Because of that choosing, satan held an apparent (not actual)-supreme power over humanity. We need to know that The Supreme Judge in the Supreme Court of Heaven is sworn to uphold the demands of the law in every case.

In order for man to be free, by law, an innocent and willing substitute had to be found to take his place who could fully meet the demands of the law and represent both God and man. The only solution was for God to become man, paying the penalty, thereby letting man go free. Because God loved us from the beginning, He saved us from the legal penalty of death due to humanity’s transgression.

Redemption means that one who is capable of redeeming and taking the place of another actually meets the demands of the law and becomes the legal substitute by paying the redemptive price for those who are condemned to death because of breaking the law. God decided that through the atonement and the substitution of an innocent victim to take the place of fallen man, He would free it from satan, thereby legally and forcefully evicting him, restoring man’s dominion so as to carry on the eternal purpose, as it was intended from the beginning, and we’re not talking of “power”, we’re speaking of dominion and authority: Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Jesus was sent to pay the price for the death penalty man incurred in the garden, thereby breaking the power satan had. It was a redemptive work based on the principles of redemption for man who being under the penalty of death, was unable to pay.

When satan put to death the sinless, innocent Son of God, the High Court of Heaven cancelled all satan’s claims against humanity. The Lamb of God, the Righteous Son of Glory paid the penalty of ransom, thus meeting all the demands of God and the Holy Law, defeating satan and his host with his very blood. Because we are “alive to God, in Christ”, as in Romans 6:14 “…sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

Therefore, if we confess our sin and believe in our heart, satan loses his case in the High Court of Heaven, and man comes away from court with power and authority by the blood of Jesus, and we are made representatives and officers of God’s law, and can dispossess and cast out, can heal and  strengthen, and do what-so-ever the High King of Heaven says for us to do. Because of the work of Jesus Christ, it is our legal, redemptive, blood bought and divine right to be free and resist the enemies of Heaven until the intimidating grip of false authority on mankind is brought down to the ground. The walls of hell WILL fall, all the way to hell!

Christ has once and for all hurled satan from his position of power, so that he is a conquered enemy. (stop fighting with the devil and start talking to God) The might of satan, the prince of all diabolical powers, is already broken. Our greatest strength against the enemies of Heaven, is not to fight against the devil, who is beaten and cast down, but to come into the likeness of The Son, Jesus, the Christ of God. Jesus, all by Himself, has broken the powers of satan and defeated every demon everywhere forever, so that those who look to Jesus in faith are liberated from the influences and bondage of darkness.

i’m telling that account in order that we would see and comprehend that we have every legal right to enter into real communion and stand in righteousness before Him. The Father, God, said because of the blood of the Son, God, you and i are able to receive what He has given us and we will !not! allow hell to talk us out of what God has given us.

We — are — FREE! Do you get it? Can you sme  ll the wind of freedom! TODAY, I BRING YOU TIDINGS OF GLADNESS AND JOY!!

The idea of Communion, or Belonging, Connecting, and Friendship is a theme which runs through Matthew 6:9-13 and Romans 12:18-21. i expanded The Lord’s Prayer, as seen in Matthew 6:9-13, so see what you think:

Holy God, You are The One who is near us in mercy and love and at the same time You are high exalted above us, for your Name is the expression of Your Being, the Name who is sanctified in all creation. Let Your divine rule come, Your divine sovereignty, which more and more fully attains it’s rightful place in the heart and life of mankind, as in Heaven where your will is obeyed, spontaneously, with perfect joy, in a perfect manner without a shadow of unfaithfulness. Lord we ask for Your supernatural aid and blessing in our lives where Your dominion is perfect and all the real needs of man are replenished, not solely for us as individuals on our own merit but in reliance on the grace of God. We ask for forgiveness as we absolve and acquit those who are indebted to us, who act wrongly towards us, we absolve and acquit them on the full ground of Your grace, the sweeping grace of God. We are conscious of our own weakness and ask that You would direct our path away from circumstances in which we are exposed to evil temptations. We celebrate and are glad in You who gives us the victory and causes everything to contribute towards the good of those who love You. Help us that our prayers and life habits would not degenerate into mechanical, and ceremonial formality. For You are the Glory and power, the Perfect Friend who reigns forever. Amen.

As a summary, the Lord’s prayer is a picture of a friend and companion as God sees those two words, and in the Hebrew idea of “companion” is the idea of communion. Psalm119:63, “I am a companion of all them that fear the Lord, and of them that keep your precepts.” There where the writer uses the word “companion”, it is a picture of belonging, and connecting as friends who keep in close communion, as those who live in the continual fusion of Himself and us, who inwardly keep His commandments, as distinct from other people who may or may not adhere to the Lord’s preferences and standards. And that is “keep” in the sense of someone who keeps a garden or a wife. They cultivate those standards, and cause them to prosper and be fruitful, allowing His words to change our hearts. When we take communion this is what we are declaring of ourselves by our actions. It isn’t merely going through the motions of some religious ritual, but representative of a legal partnership with God like a grafted branch participates with a tree. Get it? That is communion.

Communion is more than just the Lord’s supper with a shot and a wafer, c’mon, who actually wants to be part of a shot and a wafer fellowship? The act of communion is outwardly confirming of our faith in Christ, and we do it in remembrance of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

Communion with God is not merely asking Jesus into our life, going to church, giving a tithe, and being part of a club. Personally, i have no interest in artlessly and unaffectedly being in a club any longer. It should be and truly IS more, so much more. Again, the New Testament word for “communion” is “koinonia”, and is used in 1 Corinthians 10:16 in the sense of “implying fellowship or sharing with someone”. Look at this though, “Sharing with each other” is more than small talk, it’s more than agreement, and means we must be honest and emotionally available in order to do the give and take of real fellowship.

Fellowship and sharing are a two way street which is God’s intent for His relationship with you and i, more than harmony but unity. i’m speaking of communion with God that demands our separation from the world, not fellowship with darkness and the dead, meaning we can’t be sort of saved. Hey, let the dead bury the dead.

But as i said, righteous communion paints a much bigger picture than simply a shot and wafer with solemn music playing in the background. According to the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, “communion”, or “koinonia”, is where our bond is that of holy love, which implies sharing a “common enterprise” as fellow-workers and a participants, and that “common enterprise” is as we are rowing the boat together in the same direction for the same high purposes of God. The main idea of communion is that of fellowship, meaning it expresses inner relationship.
And as if that wasn’t enough, God’s intention is to share with us, who love Him, a close bond, as close as a branch and vine are of the same root, taking part in His life and the cross confirming our vows and faith.  Do you see it? Where the vine goes the branch goes, and where the branch goes the vine goes and they share attributes back and forth. That’s communion.

Maybe i can paint it slightly different like this: Communion is confirming what has been   deposited in us by our faith in the Son of God. There is ownership in saying “our faith”. By the Lord allowing us to be in communion with Him, He is calling us “companion” or “friend” with a sense of trust, joining Him in His work advancing the Father’s house and all it stands for. See Luke 11:5-8. It is an expression of the closest and truest fellowship with God, not as Him over there and we are over here, but as two who go together, labor together, rejoice together, sharing life and times like inseparable friends who belong, connect, have friendship and call each other “home”. Do more than simply read the words, study to see the theme. Look at this: The way Philemon1:4-6 is worded it is a word picture of communion. “I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.”

John 16:15, “All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” That is the liberal sharing of the vine with the branches, without holding back or keeping some of Himself in reserve incase things don’t work out. The Lord never holds out on us. He is willing for continual communion, are you?

It is extremely short sighted of us to make a solemn face, walking all poised looking to the front of the church to take a bit of bread and wine, calling it communion, yet never really buying into all which God has for us. This is a big deal friends.

Ruben Studdard pointed out our upright heart posture in communion, the “koinonia”, is the continual fellowship and walking together with God. “All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In his presence daily live. I surrender all, to you Jesus I surrender all, all; All to thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.”

Think about it.

Not just common union but communion! Not just knowing about God, but knowing God. i can say, i know God. i — know — Him. i know what makes Him glad, what makes Him sad, His preferences and standards, how He feels about situations, and that He loves me and even likes me. i don’t know Him as well as i’d like to, nor can i say i know Him very well, but i can say i do, indeed know Him, and that is the result of communion, which is more than just union. Can you say, yes, I know God, and He and i go together?

Thank you for lending me your ears, joining me here at Outposts, a fine establishment by the Ockluhwahhah River, where the trees gently lean over the rivers edge and every evening is pleasant.

i’m Social Porter and this program has been brought to you by Living In His Name Ministries, Area 22 Guitars, Miss Alma Green, Hide and Tallow Slaughterhouse who’s rather morbid company slogan is, “The hand of God and mankind’s self-inflicted blows seem equally heavy … giving a strong cumulative impression of the world as an abattoir”. Let’s not forget Allador Wise at Duncraggon Inn, all those Owenby’s out in Balfour, the world famous Paul Powers, and Trinity Bakers where there’s always something good in the oven.

Be strong and courageous this week, extend yourself to the Lord, it’s an extension of yourself you’ll never regret. Live in constant communion with God, sit up straight, don’t mince your words or mumble, the world needs to hear what God has given you to say. i’ll catch you next time, amen.