RECEIVING FROM GOD-THE WHATS OF RECEIVING

RECEIVING

THE WHO WHAT WHERE WHEN WHY AND HOW OF RECEIVING FROM GOD- WHAT ARE THE WHATS

What are some things we can receive from God? What can we expect and should we expect to receive from God?  Is life in Christ nothing more than salvation or just as we exchanged our life for his can we expect to receive of his fullness? Have we truly become children in his kingdom? Is he not our father now and us his children?  I’m going to cover just some of the WHATS that we can expect or that we have already received!

HIS FULLNESS

John 1:12-17

New King James Version (NKJV)

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.....

16 And[a] of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

We have already received him and gained the right to be called “the children of God.” Many people say that all of mankind are God’s children but the bible teaches that  receiving sonship comes through receiving his son, Jesus Christ. Only those who have received him, according to this scripture have the right to be his children.  Jesus himself said, “You must be born again,” and here John says we are those who have been born not by flesh and blood but by the will of God.

When you are a son, living in the house, the fullness of what the father has is yours so you can expect to receive from the hand of the father all that you need and all that he has. All of his kingdom is available and accessible to you!  You need to worry about your needs. You need only expect to receive.

Matthew 6:31-34

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

We need not worry about receiving from God. The key to receiving is seeking God. As we seek him and his ways, he will provide for all of our needs. He knows what we need. As we seek him and his ways,  “all these things” will be added. What things?  He’s speaking of needs- the need to eat, drink have clothes and other necessities. God will take care of us and we need to be in a state of expecting to receive of his blessings and in a state of casting all of our cares upon him!  In this passage we are told to be concerned with each day. As we walk in that state of expectancy we’ll see each days needs met.

FINANCIAL PROSPERITY

I posted in an earlier blog concerning sowing and reaping. This is a principle found in the bible. God wants to move through us and provide through us. He wants to establish his Kingdom through our hands.  We are vessels and if he knows he can get it through us, he will get it to us. This isn’t meant to be a thorough teaching on sowing and reaping or on finances but you can go here to read more: 

http://joyreaperlisa.blogspot.com/2013/01/receiving-from-god-and-why-some-dont.html

This is an area of contention in the body of Christ that shouldn’t be. While it is true that the love of money is the root of all evil, money is not.  Almost all churches believe in offerings and understanding God’s teaching about them is something every child of God should understand. The principle of sowing and reaping endures forever. I’ll just list a couple of passages showing the truth that God desires to prosper his people!:

3 John 2  Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Psalm 35: 27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

WE RECEIVE ANSWERS TO PRAYER

MATTHEW 7:8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Looking for something? Don’t stop until you find it.  The bible teaches that whatever we seek we will find.  We have to press in to God.  So many ask for an answer to prayer and give up when the answer doesn’t come right away.  We need to believe what the Word of God says and although we don’t have to beg, we also need to continually seek God and let him know in prayer we are believing and continually knocking until we see the answer.  Delay is not denial. Sometimes its just a matter of timing. God hears the moment you ask and you also receive the moment you believe. This is where standing in faith comes in.  Believe that you have received the answer from God and then wait patiently for the arrival, even unto death.  The bible says Abraham stayed in faith believing the things he heard from God’s Word. Some of what God promised him is even today coming to pass!

MATTHEW 21:22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

LUKE 11:10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

One sure way to receive from God is to not give up until you receive. Don’t ever back down. Don’t ever stop believing!

ETERNAL LIFE

One of the things we receive of his fullness is the promise of eternal life.  All Christians believe they will live in heaven forever.  The same way we receive eternal life, we receive the other blessings that flow from his fullness so why do we find it so hard to receive?

100 FOLD IN THIS LIFE AND ETERNALLY

MATTHEW 19:29 And everyone who has left houses or         brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.

When we gave up our life in exchange for his, we did receive the promise to inherit eternal life. What a great exchange! A promise that this life on earth is not all there is but we live a life that goes on forever. 

I’m thankful that not all Christians have to turn their backs on family members. Here, in America we don’t realize the persecution many in other nations go through just to be able to believe in Christ. Some are disowned by their families or threatened with death just to become believers in Christ. This scripture promises any person that gives up anything to become Christ’s can expect to receive from God in this life and eternally!  This is not only an American gospel. This gospel is for the world and while we are persecuted in America, some of us could not imagine what it’s like in other nations when you become a follower of Christ!

WE RECEIVE THE WORD SOWN INTO OUR HEART

 Mark 4 The Parable of the Sower Explained

13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word.15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

Some receive the Word by the wayside- they hear, but Satan takes it away immediately.

Some receive the Word on stony ground- they receive gladly but have no root or endurance through tribulation.

Some receive the Word on thorny ground- they are consumed with cares & the DECEITFULNESS of riches and desire for OTHER THINGS.  They pay more attention to the world than the Word and are unable to receive.

Some receive the Word on GOOD GROUND- they hear, accept, bear fruit- 30, 60, 100 fold.

HOW TO RECEIVE INTO GOOD GROUND? Be constant. Receive gladly AND endure. Don’t be distracted. Grow roots into the kingdom.

This may be the most important thing we receive from God. When we receive the Word into good, attentive, soft and yielding soil in our heart, we can expect to receive the fruit that Word brings.  When we tend to our heart as a good farmer does his soil and we place God above all else, and yield to the teachings of his Word, there will be lasting fruit in our lives.  You may say, “What fruit?”  The fruit produced by believing all things found in the Word of God. The Word of God is a life changer. The Word of God is alive and able to bring needed change to the person who is willing to listen and learn.

HEBREWS 4:12,13 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Let’s commit to allowing the Word to do a living and powerful work in our heart, changing us into vessels for his glory!

In Christ, there is healing, finances, answers to prayer, and many blessings too numerous to mention.  Let’s follow the most important teaching and that is to allow his Word to work. Seek it today, find out what it says and allow it to be planted deeply into the soil of your heart.  The blessings the Word will bring are too numerous to mention!  Amen!

A CALL TO REPENTANCE & A PROMISE TO RESTORE

A CALL TO REPENTANCE, A PROMISE TO RESTORE

Joel 2:25

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.

What do I hear the Lord saying?  We live in a nation in turmoil. We’ve gone the way of ungodliness.  What started as a nation built on godly principles of freedom to pursue happiness and dependency on God has turned into a nation of dependency on man, man’s systems and man’s government. Every time the nation of Israel turned away from God and to their own fleshly desires & pursuits, they suffered great consequences.

Now I know people will say this is archaic thought- that it was about a nation existing thousands of years ago that was a theocracy and it doesn’t apply to us today, here, and in the natural.  I say God cared about nations then and he cared about nations now.  If you know anything about bible history, you would understand Israel was God’s chosen people.  It wasn’t that they were favored but it was the nation he would bring to the world, his Son Jesus Christ and his Word through.  Through his Son and the truth of his Word, the entire World would have the opportunity to become his chosen people. I can’t go into depth to teach that but it is true that through Christ we are grafted into the Olive Tree of God’s people.

America is a nation made of people who love freedom and was also a nation that was large in part Christian.  The founders left places primarily in Europe because they were forced to be a part of specific churches.  They wanted the freedom to worship at the place of their choice.  Until Christ returns there will always be various sects of Christianity.  While God would rather us all be united into one body (as we are in the Spirit,) we are mere humans and will gather according to our likenesses until Christ returns.  Until then we come together around the central theme of salvation through the sacrificial & substitution  offering of Christ on the cross.  Yes, I know there are those that say America wasn’t founded on biblical principles but I’m not here to argue that point. Our nation was founded upon recognizing the one true God and his ways.  He was welcome in our public places and meetings were opened in prayer. Preachers cried out for righteousness not only to their members but also to their nation and its laws. Our founding documents open with God and reference dependency upon him.  Most accepted the bible as the teachings of God and careful search of our initial laws were formed upon principles that were right and in agreement with biblical teachings.

No matter the outcome of a debate of that argument, non-Christians have always been welcome here and indeed some of the founders were not Christian. Most still recognized there was one true God.  They still made laws that were based upon what was right!

No matter the outcome of that debate, there is a God and he only cares about truth. He doesn’t care what the outcome of the debate is. He will one day judge the nations based on righteousness.  When he returns he will divide the nations based on right and wrong. This has nothing to do with individual choices of whether to serve Christ or not.

To the Christians, I believe God is calling out. He’s calling us to repentance.  Based on the scripture below, God cries out to his people who have slipped away from him to return with repentant hearts.  There are many in this nation who name the name of Christ but their ways are far from him.  There is a clarion call by the Spirit of God going out for all to come home! If every person who names the name of Christ in this nation alone returned to him with repentant hearts, bowed on their knees in prayer for forgiveness and determined to walk in his ways, this nation would experience a great turnaround in righteousness. 

Those that understand this scripture know that it applies to both Israel and Christians.  Later in the chapter the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the upper room on The Day of Pentecost is prophesied (not included here.)  This passage is a prophetic passage having to do with that and with an end times revival in which God’s people return to him in repentance.

Yesterday was a day of prayer and I hope millions of Americans bowed their heads in prayer for this nation.  Let’s as a nation begin to examine our own ways, read our bibles, searching out the scriptures to see if our lives are lining up with righteousness.  Let’s return to God with all of our hearts, minds, soul and strength.  If that happens, as Christians turn back to God in their own hearts, there will be a great revival in this nation and a return to righteousness.  With over 70% of our people claiming to be Christian, can you imagine if each one began to put God and his Word first in their lives. Can you imagine if all of their own personal decisions were based on what is right in the eyes of God and how that alone would reflect in this nation? It would have far reaching effects!

When true repentance happens restoration takes place.  This scripture addresses a people who had fallen away but encourages with a promise of restoration to those that will humble themselves, pray, seek the face of God and repent of their ways.

I believe God wants to restore this nation- to make her “a city on a hill,” for all to see with respect and admiration.  I believe God wants our nation to be the example of what can happen when people are free to choose him and they do!  I hear the Lord calling out to his people in every land to come home! Come back to God! 

I’ve included this passage containing a call to repentance and a promise of restoration. This is a passage applying to the nation of Israel and Christians.  I’ve included two versions.  Please read both and let’s not make prayer a one day event but let’s all together commit to pray often for our nation and to reform our own lives to reflect his ways! Amen and God bless!

Joyreaper

Joel 2:12-25 New King James Version (NKJV) A Call to Repentance 12 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” 13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. 14 Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him— A grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; 16 Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room. 17 Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” The Land Refreshed 18 Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, And pity His people. 19 The Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations. 20 “But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things.” 21 Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the Lord has done marvelous things! 22 Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength. 23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully,[a] And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month. 24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. 25 “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust,[b] My great army which I sent among you.

Joel 2:12-25 New Living Translation (NLT) A Call to Repentance 12 That is why the Lord says,     “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts.     Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. 13 Don’t tear your clothing in your grief,     but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God,     for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.     He is eager to relent and not punish. 14 Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve,     sending you a blessing instead of this curse. Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine     to the Lord your God as before. 15 Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem!     Announce a time of fasting; call the people together     for a solemn meeting. 16 Gather all the people—     the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters     and the bride from her private room. 17 Let the priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence,     stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar. Let them pray, “Spare your people, Lord!     Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery. Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say,     ‘Has the God of Israel left them?’” The Lord’s Promise of Restoration 18 Then the Lord will pity his people     and jealously guard the honor of his land. 19 The Lord will reply, “Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive oil,     enough to satisfy your needs. You will no longer be an object of mockery     among the surrounding nations. 20 I will drive away these armies from the north.     I will send them into the parched wastelands. Those in the front will be driven into the Dead Sea,     and those at the rear into the Mediterranean.[a] The stench of their rotting bodies will rise over the land.” Surely the Lord has done great things! 21     Don’t be afraid, my people. Be glad now and rejoice,     for the Lord has done great things. 22 Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field,     for the wilderness pastures will soon be green. The trees will again be filled with fruit;     fig trees and grapevines will be loaded down once more. 23 Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem!     Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness.     Once more the autumn rains will come,     as well as the rains of spring. 24 The threshing floors will again be piled high with grain,     and the presses will overflow with new wine and olive oil. 25 The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost     to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts.[b]     It was I who sent this great destroying army against you.

Scripture references from: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=joel%202:12-25&version=NKJV;NLT

CHOSEN TO BEAR FRUIT THAT REMAINS

John 15:16 New King James Version (NKJV) 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

You may think you woke up one day and just decided to start drawing nearer to God but that's not the case. The bible says he chose us not that we chose him and that no person can come to Jesus unless drawn by the Holy Spirit. It is God that decides to draw you. You simply respond to the call of him. If you're thinking about him and if your mind is constantly considering drawing near to him, it is because he is calling and wooing you to draw near. He's gently encouraging you to yield your steps and walk in his direction.

We also need to know we are chosen by him to be fruitful. That means increasing in every area of our lives; whether finances, emotions or growing in him in spiritual maturity. Fruit is also described as the characteristics of God, i.e., joy, love, peace, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faith, & patience. Fruit is also described as being growing in the knowledge and likeness of God; growing in your relationship with him as well. Remaining fruit means his Word takes root in your heart and produces fruit that will grow outwardly and last. In addition, you bear fruit by adding people to his kingdom through both your life and your outspoken witness (testimony) of him. The gospel of Jesus Christ is something that spreads. It's not a fairy tale or a figment of imagination but a true story that is alive and carries great promises. The bible is the world's top seller and the story & life of Jesus that many tried to squash and put down is the greatest story of all time! It's the gospel message that is not only true but has the power to change lives and give eternal life. It sounds to good to be true but the truth is it's beyond and better than our minds can imagine.

The scripture says it is his desire that you bear fruit that remains. God doesn't want us to come to him, believe him, accept Christ and stop there. He doesn't want his work in our lives to be temporary but he wants our fruit to remain. This means he wants to do both an enduring work in us and an enduring work through us. He doesn't want us to be fruitful for just a moment in time. Just as Jesus expected to see fruit on the fig tree as he was passing by, he wants to see fruit in us; fruit that remains throughout our lifetime and is also effectual in the lives of others.

Many come to Jesus but then fall away at the slightest trial but true increase only comes over the long haul. Let's not fall away at trials but let's through our trials grow stronger and even more fruitful!

For those that have slipped into complacency and barrenness, it's a new day. It's never too late to make a new commitment to him.

Know for certain that you were chosen to be born, chosen to be in relationship with him and chosen to bear fruit! He's chosen you for purpose and as we walk in relationship we grow! He's called you for a purpose which is highly valuable!

Let's make a commitment to be fruitful! Amen!