Horse or Mule?

In Psalm 16:7 (KJV), David said that God steers him like a horse with reins. 

"I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons." 

In Psalm 16:8-9A (NIV), David spoke of feeling God’s tugs to the right or left which brought a grin to his face. 

"I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices." 

In Psalm 32:8-10, God spoke through David by saying, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; 

I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. 

Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. 

Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. " 

God doesn't like to direct with pain like the bit cutting into a horse's tongue, 

but He will if He has too. 

He would much rather be gentle and kind like with a horse falling in step by a rein placed gently upon his neck.

God's Vantage Point

For us to truly understand others, we must take their vantage point and ask ourselves what do they value, and how does their vantage point influence them? 

In the same way, if we are to truly understand God, we must look at life from God's vantage point, and how does that vantage point influence Him. 

For example in Romans 8:28 (NIV) Paul says, 

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (or God's vantage point)." 

What Paul does not say is that EACH thing that happens to God's people is good, but what Paul does say is that God can pull everything together and make good out of it, but how does God define good from His vantage point?

In the next verse, in Romans 8:29 (NIV) Paul goes on to say, 

“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” 

From God’s vantage point, His ultimate good is for you to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. 

In other words, good equals being like Jesus. 

Let’s continue reading in very same Chapter to hear Paul talk about some things that could happen to Christians that God can work together for good.

In Romans 8:35-37 (NIV) Paul says, 

“35Who will separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall trouble or hardship or persecutionor famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 

As it is written: “For your sake (God's vantage point) we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." 

Although God doesn’t author evil as James said in James 1:16-17, God can still use it for good, which is to make us more like Jesus. 

Now, let’s take God’s vantage point again. 

What would give God the greatest satisfaction? 

For us to be faithful to Him with nothing at stake, 

or for us to be loyal to Him in the face of everything His enemy Satan can throw at us?

One last thing, Paul said in I Timothy 2:4 (NIV) “who (God's vantage point) wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 

God wants everyone to know Him. 

Light is best seen in a backdrop of darkness, 

and God’s goodness best shines through in the heat of our dark battle against Satan. 

After all, didn’t Jesus say in Matthew 5:14-16 (NASB) 

14"You are the light of the world. 

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 

16"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (God's vantage point).” 

God wants everyone to be forgiven and restored to Him through your loyalty to Him in the heat of battle. 

Therefore, God can and does work everything taken together for good for them that love God to them that are called for His purpose (God's vantage point).

How faith sees it

Science is collection of information and attempting to understand the universe through this process. 

However, our understanding of the universe is limited by our ability to collect enough data,the perspective we use to view it, and ultimately process it. 

To understand the universe, we must view it from the perspective of He who made it to truly understand it. 

As compared to science, faith is accepting what an all-knowing and all-loving God says about the universe as true, and adjusting our lives accordingly.

(NIV) Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Service = Obey or Busyness?

Sometimes, it's difficult to communicate clearly in quotes because context matters.

For example, the context of Jesus in John 14:15... 

"If you love me, obey my commandments". 

In this context, Jesus' definition of service is obey.

"service = obey".

Therefore, in John 14:15, service is an act of devotion and is good.

However, in Luke 10:40-42, Jesus rebuked Martha for being overwhelmed by much serving. 

None of it was expected or even desired by Jesus. 

He actually commended Mary (Martha's sister) for NOT serving him, but instead intently listening to Jesus and sharing time with Him. 

Therefore, in the Luke 10:40-42 passage, Jesus' definition of service is busyness which is bad.

"service = busyness".

In this context, service was a lack of devotion and is bad. 

The context of the two passages clear up the different interpretations of "service". 

If you or I were quote Jesus as saying, service is good (or bad). 

We would be confusing 50% or more of our listeners. 

We must carefully choose our words, and provide enough context to communicate effectively & accurately what others have said.

James 3:2

Is your Faith Rich?

Jesus taught in Matthew 5:3 (NIV)...“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 

All that I have belongs to God. 

My body, my mind, and my stuff all belongs to God and He is just letting me manage it all for Him. 

In Luke 14:33 (HCSB) Jesus taught...

every one of you who does not say good-bye to all his possessions cannot be My disciple. 

Jesus taught that those who belong to Him really do. All their stuff belongs to Him.

On the other hand in James 2:5 (NASB) ...

did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 

Compare James 2:5 with Matthew 5:3 above. Jesus is saying that if all that you have belongs to Him then all that He has belongs to you 

"the poor in spirit will inherit the kingdom of heaven". 

By faith all of God's resources are available to the poor (and the rich) in accordance with God's wisdom if they surrender all that they have to Him. 

Then, they will be rich in faith.

Are you gods?

Jesus said in John 10:34, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”. 

This comment provoked a failed stoning attempt by the authorities. What exactly did Jesus mean? 

Actually Jesus was quoting Psalm 82:6 where Asaph said “You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High”. 

Moses even quoted God as saying in Genesis 1:27, “God made man like Him”. 

Even man in his present sinful situation Jesus’s brother said in James 3:9 “Man is made like God”.

In Genesis 1:26, Moses said that Man was made to have authority over all of God’s earth. 

However, in Matthew 4:9, Satan told Jesus that Satan had authority, and Jesus didn’t expose that comment as a bluff. 

In James 3:8, James went so far as to say that people can’t even control their BIG MOUTH much less all the earth!

In Psalm 82:6-7, Asaph said that man had fallen from a god-like position, lost his prince-like authority under the Most High God, and would die. 

In Romans 8:3, Paul said that God sent His Son into the world as a man to be a substitute for our sins. 

In John 5:19, Jesus said that He personally had no power by saying 

“I can do nothing by myself”. God was simply doing His works through Him.

In Romans 8:15, Paul said that through surrendering to Christ we are restored to our relationship, and we can even call God Daddy (Abba). 

Furthermore, in Romans 8:28-30 Paul said that those who belong to Christ, God’s plan is to make us like His prototype, Jesus.

In Matthew 28:18, Jesus said that “all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth”. 

In other words, what man lost, Satan stole, and then Jesus won back through His death on the cross, burial, and resurrection from the grave. 

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, we are a new creation in Christ (when we yield to the ownership of Christ). The past is gone. The new is come.

In Romans 10:9, Paul said that 

if you will confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord (Owner) and believe in the heart God has raised Him from the dead (He is risen to change you). 

You will be saved (from evil impulses and the resulting punishment).

If you surrender the control of your life to Jesus, Jesus said in John 20:17, 

I am going to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.

You, too can be like God. 

Furthermore, in John 14:7, Jesus said, “I’m coming back for you!”

How Obedience Happens

The Word of Faith movement derives its name from Romans 10:8, where Paul said 

“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart](that is, the word of faith which we preach). NKJV

Paul goes on to say that we are to… 

“confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and to believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead”, then you “will be saved” (Romans 10:9). 

In other words, we are saved from our sins by surrendering to Jesus the control of our lives, and believing that He is arisen in our hearts to change us. 

This is how God set salvation up as Paul explained in Romans 10:17 

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”.

Paul goes on to say in Colossians 2:6 

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” 

Word of Faith people say that if you received salvation from Christ by believing God’s Word about salvation and confessing Him, then we should receive God’s other promises the very same way. We are to speak them and obey them.

Let’s discuss Matthew 6:33. Jesus said 

“… seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” 

To qualify for that promise, 

“we must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”, and then we qualify for all these things shall be added to you”. 

Word of Faith people teach to “claim” a promise then we must first qualify for the promise. 

I agree. 

Our attention should be upon keeping our part instead of working on God to keep His part.

Word of Faith people say that we must align our speech, heart, and obedience to that promise by confessing, speaking, and praying that verse throughout the day. 

To qualify for that verse, it is my position that we must align our lives to Jesus teachings which He laid out in the context of the verse (Matthew 5-7) in its entirety. 

I’m sure that Word of Faith people agree with what I’ve just said;

however, I think that if we put more attention on obeying the passage rather than repeating and praying a verse out of the passage. Then, the answers to our prayers and confessions would actually increase. 

I, too, like to confess and align my life, speech, and prayers to God’s Word.

However, we must focus on a verse’s context and apply it in context to qualify for the reality of it.