30.12.2010 Stange ES
By prayer, you can cooperate with God!
Psalm 2.8: Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as thine inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Thy possession.
God , who created Heaven and Earth, challenges us through this verse to pray to Him, not only about our daily needs, but even about nations and the promise that follows is: You shall get the nations as your inharitance and the very end of the earth as Thy possession.
God gave man great responsibility, but man showed up not to be the very best cooperator. But God didn't only give this responsibility as not real; he gave the man the task to rule upon earth... He gave man the earth. Therefore man had to take the consequence of his own wrongs.
But even man did wrong, God didn't quit to love; he is love. Throughout all history God has search for men with whom he can cooperate. And he has given us prayer as a tool.
Because of Christ man has got the possibility to come back in relationship with God,.. we need to start with that. But then we even can cooperate with God about His plans.
By prayer , you release the power of god on earth. God has created all human beings to live in relationship with him. Then man really can live with his full potensial.
Let us, together with God, stretch out for the nations; for the nations to experience the love of God. let that be your target also in 2011!
Stange 14.10.2010 ES
In Jesus we have become new!
2.Cor.5.17: Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come
I think the meaning of this verse is much more than we think the first times we are reading it. -As Adam was the head, the ancestor, of all human beings is Jesus the head, the ancester of a new family tree fo new creations.
other refrences:
1.Cor.15.22: For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.
1.Cor.15.45: The first Adam became a living soul. The last Adam(=Christ) became a life-giving spirit.
1.Cor.15.49: "And just as we were born in the image of the earthly; and as is the heavenly, so also those who are heavenly." Means: Now we are born as new creation in the image of the heavenly (=Christ)
Shortly: The old things which have passed away is: All the bad things which came into the world because man did wrong; was sinning. Through his death and ressurection Jesus took away the sting of death which is the sin(1Cor.15.55-56) Therefore it was getting possible for us to get back the relationsship which we had lost because of the fall of man, but also to be restored for the consequenses of the sin.
Jesus bore our sins on the cross so we should get back alll the things we lost through the fall.
As new creations we have got a new identity. We are forgiven. We are born again. We belong to Christ and are heirs to all the spiritual blessings which are in heaven: Ephesians 1.3. And as children, heirs, we also can take part of all the promises which is in the Bible. 2.Cor.1.20: For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they also are yes; wherefore also by Him is our amen to the glory of God through us.
Our relation with God was broken and we lost the purpose of getting part of what he has. In Christ we have got all these things back!
Stange 24.6.2009 ES
You are the light of the world
Matthew 5. 14-16: You are the light of the earth. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.
We are called not to live just as all others, but to live a different life. Actually all people are called to do this, and we are not really getting satisfied before we start getting into it. We are supposed to let our light shine for men. How? By letting them see our good deeds so that they can praise our heavenly father. If you have a living faith, you will start to act according to the bible. James challenge us in his letter (James 4.18): Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you mine by deeds. So let the gospel be visible through your life, even when it is holyday..
21.11.2009 ES
The spirit of the man is the lamp of the Lord
Proverbs 20.27: The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost of his being.
This is a very interesting verse from the Bible. Our spirit is a lamp of the Lord. Because of sin entered the word, darkness and death came also. The relationship with God was broken. Though, every man and woman has a conscience that tells us more or less what is right and what is wrong. But because the wage of sin is death, the lamp finished to give light as God had intended. Because of sin man has no relationship with God anymore, not before he is born again. Then the lamp really start to shine again and searching the innermost parts of mans being. Then we will know about all the rubbish we need to carry away and that we have to clean up the rooms in our heart. We need continually to be cleansed in the blood of Jesus and fill us up with the word of God and The Holy Spirit. Then changes will come!
Fix your thoughts on Jesus!
Hebrew 3.1: Therefore, holy brethren, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest, whom we confess.
For this verse is good to know how it is written in the basic text in Greek. The meaning then will be that Jesus is the high priest and the apostle of our confessions. It means; what we confess on the earth, he brings further to God the father and when we confess his word on this earth it will happen accordingly. When we believe and confess....
A word has power in it selves and if we read in Proverbs 18,.21 we find: "The tongue has the power of life and death and those who use it, will eats its fruit." It means, when we speak words they will be for life or for death. Read also about the power of the tongue in the letter of Jacob.3.1-10!
09.05.2008 ES
Money is ment to be used for the good things
Luke16.9: And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
Here we find some very interesting words from Jesus himself. He challenge us to use our money to make us friends that can receive us when we enter into his heavenly places. Then we also need to tell these friends about the His kingdom and how to come there!
It is easier to give the gospel to friends that know they can trust in us than to people who don't know us. So then, we need to take time with people to be their friends and to give them the gospel of salvation!
31.03.2008 ES
About marriage.
Genesis 2.24: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
From the very beginning God made man and wife for marriage with one man and one woman, who should be united to one. And he gave his instructions too, so we shouldn't doubt what to do!
God is love. He wants the very best for each one of us. As a manual always follow a car, when it is going out for sale, a manual is also there for the human beings. We are made too valuable, to be taken care of, without a manual. So God himself has throughout the history inspired men and women to write down this instruction book, the Bible.
So to get in function in the very best way, we can simply follow the manual and experience the freedom of following the great saviour of this world; Jesus Christ.
To break the marriage is a very serious matter and it takes time to be restored. The very best is to get help from the creator himself to come through all the challenges we are facing in our marriage. It will always be possible, so we don't need to change partner.
Adultery and homosexuality take us out of harmony, and to tell others that it is okay, it is also to sin. It is to lead others in wrong direction, like into prison.
But our saviour Jesus Christ, has shown us the right way and told us exactly what is the very best for us. The good message is, that it is possible by God, to come onto freedom by confessing sin, repent and choose Jesus as Lord; it means to follow him also by knowing his word and doing accordingly.
When we learn to know the truth, we will have our freedom!
04.3.2008 ES
We can have confidence, even on the day of judgement!
1.John.4.17:In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment,...
When we have got the love of God into our hearts, this love is able to take all kind of fear away. In the love of God there is no fear(1.John 4.18). We even can look forward to the day of judgment, in the end of times, because we are born again and washed clean by the blood of Jesus. So when we meet the judge, the creator of heaven of earth, on that day, we can have confidence, without any kind of fear. We are going to be in heaven with him for all eternity!
06.11.2007 ES
Good teaching can make the good changes.
Deuteronomy 32.2: Let my teaching fall like rain, and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants..
Our teaching can be like the rain, that make dry spiritual ground to give growth again. After months or years of drought God will bring live and revival!
But it is very important, when we preach the word of God, that we speak it out without doing changes from the Bible.
When we don't compromise, towards the written word of God, in our teaching and teach with living faith, in love, we will see that God will confirm his word, also by signs and wonders.
October 2007 ES
Money is ment to be used for the good things.
Luke16.9: And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
Here we find some very interesting words from Jesus himself. He challenge us to use our money to make us friends that can receive us when we enter into his heavenly places. Then we also need to tell these friends about the His kingdom and how to come there!
It is easier to give the gospel to friends that know they can trust in us than to people who don't know us. So then, we need to take time with people to be their friends and to give them the gospel of salvation!
September 2007 ES
A secret, how to easier live a holy life!
Psalm.119.11: In my heart I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you and Psalm 119.32: I run in the path of your commandments for you have set my heart free.
Hear we can find the key how to better resist temptation and how to have a heart free from bondage:
If I keep his words in my heart I will be more resistant towards doing sin. When temptation comes; I can be standing. Satan’s purpose with temptation is to get us do sin, but God’s purpose for our lives is to overcome sin and do his will instead!
And when I run in the path of His commandments my heart will stand free from all kinds of bondages as fright, envy, bitterness and depression.
June 2007 ES
The indwelling words of God can help us to be changed into God's kind of fridom!
Jacob1.25: But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues do do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does.
We are not reading the bible just to read it, but to get change by continually to learn from it. As we are reading, the Holy Spirit is there to guide us, so it's important to be alert so we understand and get it out in practical deeds in the very best way.
The word is there in the bible to change us and to help us to do the right things in the eyes of God. It makes it even more exiting to live!
June 2007 ES
Learn to cooperate with the designer of heaven and earth!
Isaiah 40.29-31: He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the week. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary, they will walk and not be faint.
If we learn how to wait on the Lord and how to listen in his voice, we have a great privilege! Then we don't need to do things on our own.
We can cooperate with the great designer of heaven and earth!
In addition to listen to what he says, we can get help of his spirit; The Holy Spirit to carry us into and through the tasks that he gives us. Then we will see his power in a tremendous way, working through our lives. We will see in daily life that the gospel is the power of salvation for everyone who believes; both Jews and gentiles. (Rom. 1.16)
Mai 2007 ES
God is waiting for your cooperation!
Psalm.2.8 : Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.
God gave the earth and all that belong to it to man, and he don't take it back by force, because he can't. He gave it to man so to get his plans through on earth, he has to cooperate with man. Man need to invite God back in his life and start to ask him to do his will on earth. First then man can be fully satisfied. Because we were created to have relationship with God, we are reduced according to the original purpose of God when we live without him. As a petrol car get spoiled, when I put diesel into it, and a diesel car get spoiled when I put petrol into it, man get spoiled without the spiritual life of God.
Prayer is a tool, with witch we can cooperate with God. And when we pray according to his will, we already has what we have prayed about!(1.John.4.14-15). When we pray about people into the kingdom of God, we can be bold, because then we know we pray out the will of God. That is a way to invite him back to the areas of mans life. Now, we are talking about mission. We can be bold and frank and just go further and further on. With God and by faith, everything is possible!
April 2007 ES
Authority
Luke 10.19 : I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you!
As Christians, we are born of God, we are born again and that means; we are heirs also. Because we are children we are co-heirs with Christ Jesus. It means that we even have got his authority in life!
For us, to be sure about this, The Holy Spirit is given us as a seal and that is a guarantee for all our inheritance! (Eph.1.13-14)
In Ephesians 2.6, we can read that we are seated with him in the heavenly reams and it means above all rule and authority, power and dominion! (Eph.20-21). So, be bold and use this authority. Always be above and not underneath! All things is possible, in God, for they who believe in him!
Mars 2007 ES
Confidence in prayer
1. John. 5.14-15 : This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us -whatever we ask -we know that we have what we asked of him.
When we know his promises for us, we can have confidence in prayer. Here we find a supposition to get answer; we need to pray according to the will of God! Therefore we have to learn to know it! This remind me about how Jesus teaches us to pray: Our father in heaven, holy be your name! Let your kingdom come, let your will be done, as in heaven so also on the earth... Jesus teaches us to be concerned about his kingdom, and this kingdom focus, we need to take with us, in our daily prayer life. Then we will see greater results; the one who pray, he will get! But do notice that to get part of the promises; there are always suppositions. But it is only to cooperate with God, then we will experience that he stands behind his words!
So have confidence in God and be bold before the throne of God. He is listening YOU, when YOU pray!
Mars 2007 ES
Our task; to preach the gospel for all nations!
Matthew 24.14: And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole word as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Here, we find the challenge in being a believer of Christ! Before the end can come and Jesus come back to establish his kingdom, the gospel shall be preached in all the world as a testimony for all nations - or all peoples as some bibles explain. Let this fact motivate us to all the time stretch out to reach new people groups with the gospel! The gospel is the power from God to salvation for all people, without exceptions.. It is up to you and me to get the message out in the world. When we preach the words from God, without compromising, the holy Spirit create faith in they who listen, and the world get changed!
