Lets discuss becoming....

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 John 1:12-13

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Romans 8:14

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

The context of this lesson is not about this, but in order to help to make a point here, I must say the following:

The phrase sons of God in Genesis and twice in Job refers to angelic beings that left their position and place with God in rebellion with Satan. They were, beforehand, God's choir. Satan had been their leader in heaven- second only to God himself. But the sons of God followed Satan into open rebellion and were cast down to earth to become demons. 

But, as born-again saints of God, we have been given the opportunity to take their original place in the cosmos and become God's new choir. 

But, being born again does not automatically make us part of the group! 

Being born again only gives us the opportunity to BECOME that. 

What we do with that opportunity will determine where we spend eternity. 

Matthew 7:21-23

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

In order for a person to do many wonderful works in his name they must be filled with his spirit. (Part of the new birth). Evidently, these people will be born-again believers. Yet Jesus says, "I never knew you." 

First, what does that mean? 

Jesus was God in human flesh. There's nobody that God is not acquainted with or does not know better than they could ever know themselves! If there were, then he's not all-knowing and therefore not God. 

The answer lies in Genesis:

Genesis 4:1

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

So Adam had an intimate, loving relationship with Eve and she conceived. 

So Jesus is saying on judgment day, "Yes, you received my spirit, but you never developed an intimate, loving relationship with me. Therefore, because you never developed our relationship, depart from me." 

But, brother Winskie, how could they have operated in the gifts of the spirit and not been right with God?

Easy.

Romans 11:29

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

In other words, If I get born again, and God gifts me and calls me in ways he can use me (worship leader, teacher, preacher, etc) and I do not keep up my relationship with him like I should, the gifts and callings will still work- even if I'm in need of renewal and repentance! 

And he could use me to heal thousands and teach millions because his gifts are still operating when I'm around someone who needs it! It's not because of me. It's because I'm a tool he can use to help a hungry soul- even if I myself am not right! If I stay in that state, I will hear him say depart from me when I die! 

So if I'm not a son of God when I'm born again, and he's only given me the power to become a son of God, how do I become a son of God? 

Romans 8:14

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

So, when we are born again, we receive his spirit. But, we must pray and actively work on our relationship with him to the point where we can a) hear his voice and b) are willing to obey his voice. 

And please do not try and tell me that we don't hear his actual voice. Really?

Two points:

1) The prophets and some people of old heard his voice and they weren't even born again!

2) Let's hear from the Lord himself:

    John 10:27

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

So, if the prophets heard his voice and Jesus said we are supposed to hear his voice, then WE ARE SUPPOSED TO HEAR HIS VOICE!

John 10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

There are many, many voices in the world. As a writer, we are constantly being told that we must find and market "our voice." Now, if every writer in the world has a voice, (and there are thousands) and if every singer has a voice (thousands more), and if every political person and group has a voice, and if every company has a voice, then there are literally millions of voices in the world! Movies and TV shows have voices. Even religious groups and personalities have a voice!

It's a cacophony of voices in this modern world. And all are vying for our attention, our support, our money, and our adherence to their ideals! 

It's no wonder that the voice of God is called a "still small voice." His voice is constantly having to compete with all the other voices in this world that try and lead and guide us. But, he doesn't use the tactics of the world to get our attention. God simply speaks to us and tries to get our attention, love, and obedience. 

In other words, other voices want something from us. But God wants us! Our whole hearts and our whole selves. He wants a real relationship with us.

Therefore Jesus says his sheep KNOW his voice and won't follow another.

But in order to KNOW (be intimately acquainted with and know well- with no doubts) his voice, and be able to differentiate between his voice and the millions of others out there, we must actively work at getting close enough to him to be able to hear his voice clearly! 

And in order to trust his voice, we have to allow him to talk to us actively and often. As we hear and obey his voice, we learn through experience that his words are true and his ways work best. When we do this, then when we hear other voices telling us to do things that God's voice and written word say are wrong, then we won't follow those other voices! (This is called discerning of spirits, by the way. When Paul heard the demon-possessed girl yelling out the truth about him, he recognized the demonic voice behind the truthful statements and cast the demon out. Why? Because he knew the voice of Jesus!)

Then we are his sheep. And guess what? We are sons of God because we are being led by his spirit! And as long as we are listening to, and following his voice, then we will remain sons of God. So, how do we gain that level in God? 

Philippians 4

5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

This is where the vast majority of us live. We pray and ask. We offer thanks. We drift away. Then we find ourselves in a crisis. We begin to really cry out! We repent and ask God for forgiveness and deliverance. He then comes through and delivers us. We find ourselves at peace in the world because of his intervention in our lives. Then, we chill and begin to fall away again. 

Read the book of Judges. 

This is the same seemingly endless circle that Israel followed. And most of them didn't make it! Their country and promises wound up being lost because they continually stopped listening to and obeying the voice of God. 

The same can happen to us if we stop with being born again and do not actively work at our relationship with God so thatwe can become what we were recreated to become! 

So how do we get out of the endless cycle of chaos that becomes a slippery slope to losing out with God? 

Philippians 4

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

It's simple really, and to the world, it seems harsh. 

We continue praying to and praising him. But, instead of only doing that at church or in rough times. We do that daily. Paul said, "I die daily." He "put (his) flesh under subjection."

1 Corinthians 9:27

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

How do we keep our body (flesh) under subjection?

It begins in our thought life, but that begins in our actions. 

Psalm 101:3

I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

That means we keep his word foremost in our minds ("whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."). And because of that, we will not purposely set anything evil (according to God's definition) in front of our eyes. 

Yes, we will sometimes accidentally come into contact with evil. We are to reject those influences in Jesus' name and go on with him- leaving those things behind.

Why? Because the eyes are the window through which we see the world. And what we see affects how we think. And how we think affects how we act. And how we act, affects how we live. And how we live affects our eternal destiny! (Thank you Bishop Jeff Arnold for burning that thought process into my mind!)

So, we are to be careful what we look at, what we watch, what we read, what we listen to (for hearing adds another element that makes what we see that much more powerful), who we hang around (because they can influence how we think and act), what we become involved in, etc. 

2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

So we are to judge what we see, hear, etc by the word and voice of God. If what we see/hear disagrees with what God says in his word and to us (note: his voice will never disagree with his written word), then it is exalting its ideas against what God says is true and just. We are to understand that and cast down that idea out of our thoughts and lives in favor of God, his word, and his ways. 

As we learn to obey his written word and rid ourselves of nonbiblical distractions, the other voices begin to lose the hold that they once held on our lives. This has the effect of having the voice of God grow louder to us. 

The more we practice this, the more we cut out the world's voices and cling to his word and his voice, and the more we can be led by God. 

If we will saturate ourselves with the things of God, prayer, and working at hearing his voice, then the world will lose its grip on our lives and we will become what he wants us to be (the sons of God). We will have not just the peace of God, but we will have the God of peace actively working in and through us to change us and reach out to others!

That's when miracles begin to happen. That's when people begin to be reached. That's when cities, towns, and individual homes begin to be changed into what God wants and ordains.

Lord Jesus, grant us repentance to the acknowledgment of and obedience to your truth. Help us to become.... what you have called us to become! 

In Jesus' name, we pray!

To and Fro, to and fro, which way will you choose to go?

Galatians 6:7-10

King James Version (KJV)

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

2 Chronicles 16:9a

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

Job 2:2

And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

James 1:8 

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

James 4:8

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Ephesians 4:14

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

This thought hit me today, as I was in church and listening to my pastors sermon. Honestly, it came partly from the scripture he read (Galatians 6:8) and partly from my habit of reading around the scripture being quoted. So, I read verses 7-10. 

At that point, these thoughts began to come to me in rapid fire succession. So, we're gonna put the fruit of the spirit on hold for a few days and concentrate on this thought. 

Verses 7 and 8 read: 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

There are two distinct choices listed here. 

A) We can sew to our flesh and eventually reap corruption. In order to be a child of God, we must be born again (Acts 2:38). In order to remain a child of God we must crucify our flesh and strive to be like him (with his help, of course). If we allow our flesh to have free reign in our lives, we will once again begin to practice the works of the flesh: 

Galatians 5:19-21

King James Version (KJV)

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

In so doing, we separate ourselves from the spirit of God and we can lose our salvation and wind up in hell. After all, even Paul said: 1 Corinthians 9:27

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

B) Or, we can sew to the spirit. We do this in many ways. Prayer, Bible Study, public worship, hearing the taught and preached word, being careful what we read, watch, and listen to, being careful who we hang out with, etc. Sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn't. 

Becoming a Christian is a lifestyle change. We MUST turn away from the world and our flesh. We MUST seek God first and his righteousness.

I love my wife. As such, I try to discover her likes and dislikes. Why? I want to keep my relationship with her and I want it to become deeper and stronger. Therefore, I try to do more of what she likes and try not to do what she hates. I begin to modify my behavior because I love her. Why should I do any less for my Lord and Savior? 

As part of his bride, my purpose is to learn his likes and dislikes. Therefore, I change my behavior in order to deepen and strengthen my relationship with him. 

The problem is that we, as humans, sometimes are double minded. We want God sometimes, but sometimes we want to feed our flesh. This makes us unstable in all our ways. 

Both God and Satan are going to and fro. Satan does it seeking whom he may devour. If we choose to sin, we step into his trap and are ripe for the eating. God does it (with is eyes- he's everywhere, so he doesn't have to move about to see what we are doing. He's already there) to look and see who is loving and serving him (and who is ready to love and serve him). He also does it to see what the sinners are doing as well- he is the righteous judge, after all.

So, obviously, Both heaven and hell are vying for our attention. Both God and Satan will do everything within their power to help us to choose their sides and to help us to stay there once we get there. So, who decides whether we make heaven or go to hell? 

We do! 

And we daily must decide whether we will follow Jesus, or follow this world. With some of us, Jesus must become really frustrated. Did you ever have a relationship where the one you wanted sent mixed signals to you? One day they wanted you. The next, they wanted someone else. Eventually, you grew tired of it and gave them up- if they didn't stop playing both sides and chose you, right?

Eventually, if we don't make up our minds, God will give us over to a reprobate mind. Why? Because we "received not the love of the truth." We have a choice to make. God will not always strive with us. And he doesn't hold onto the double minded for very long.

We must stop being blown about with every wind of doctrine. We must stand firmly on the word of God and seek him first.

The more we go to and fro, the higher the chance of our being lost. 

So: James 4:8

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 

It is high time for us to stop flirting with both sides. We must choose. I choose Jesus. What about you? 

If Jesus is Lord, ......?

Luke 6:45-46

King James Version (KJV)

45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say.

John 10:26-28

King James Version (KJV)

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Matthew 5

King James Version (KJV)

5 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

This truly is a book review. I realize that this is a different way to start a book review. However, this is no ordinary book. 

I became a fan of Davis Bunn through his Marc Royce trilogy (Lion of Babylon, Rare Earth, and Straight of Hormuz). These books were adventure stories- fast paced with intricate plots. Yet, the main characters were struggling with real issues just like we do. So, I was unsure what to expect in "The turning."

I knew the writing would be good. But what could a story with that title be trying to convey? 

"The turning" is a beautifully crafted story that shows what can happen when Jesus' sheep hear his voice and truly respond to his call. Five people from different back grounds experience the Lord's call to step away from their own plans and follow his leading- even though it appeared to make little sense to them. The first step was to do something difficult that each of them had avoided doing for a long time- make peace and try to repair broken relationships.

From there, bonds are formed and new trails are blazed that shake the nation and stand in the way of corporate greed. Five ordinary people against the world's system and message. All because they had the faith and strength to hear and obey the call of the Lord.

This book should sound a clarion call to a world gone crazy. But, more than that, it should speak to believers. How different would the world be if we, as followers of Jesus, would spend our time listening to Jesus? How much better would our society be if we would spend our days obeying his voice, rather than chasing after selfish gain.

Our nation has turned it's back on God and his ways because we, his people, have ceased being the salt of the earth. Yet, we have the gall to complain when the world steps on us and tries to destroy us. We are in a culture war and it's high time we got out of our comfort zones and became engaged.

It's not an easy path. It's definitely a very narrow way. But, if God can use 120 ordinary and uneducated people (beginning on the day of Pentecost when the church was born) to turn the world upside down, how much more can he change our modern world?

If the thousands and millions in the earth today that claim the name of Jesus would allow him to be Lord (supreme controller) of our lives, a revival like the world has never seen is possible. Jesus gave his all for us, can we not give our all to him in return?

We are his hands and feet. We are the light of the world. Like it or not, our lives are glass houses. When we claim Jesus as our Savior people start watching us. We need to pray the words of John the baptist, "I must decrease and he must increase." Let's allow Jesus to be Lord of our lives so that others can see him in us.

Thank you Davis Bunn for sending us a wake up call. I pray that God will use this book to stir his people and help to spark a major revival. May the church arise in the power of truth and mercy and change. Remember:

2 Chronicles 7:14"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

In Jesus name!