by George Runyan | May 8, 2015 | Devotional, George Runyan
Philippians 3:3 – For we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh.
One of the theological battles today is whether the “kingdom of God” is in a natural people or in the Spirit. I have never understood why this is such a challenging area to understand. Paul is absolutely clear in this passage of scripture. The true circumcision are not those who have had the foreskin cut off, claiming to be the “the children of Abraham.” Rather, the true circumcision is those who worship in the Spirit. Jesus also made this abundantly clear when speaking to the woman at the well. She was confused about who the true worshippers were and where they worshipped. Jesus said, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshippers (John 4:21 and 24).
A contemporary song says “take me back to the heart of worship.” The heart of worship is not connected to a mountain in the earth, a natural city, or a natural people. The true worshipers are all those born of the Holy Spirit. This includes Jews (Acts 2), Samaritans (Acts 8) and Gentiles (Acts 10). In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in removal of the body of the flesh by circumcision of Christ” (Colossians 2:11). The Jews thought that the foundation was in “the law of circumcision,” but Jesus and Paul state clearly, it is a circumcision not made with hands, but of the Spirit, who creates a new heart. The heart of worship springs from what the Father did for us in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our flesh is weak. No matter how hard we try, we cannot meet God’s demands. On the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given, a new day began. A new breed was born in the earth on that day. A new nation came into being on that day. The power of religious bondage was broken forever. A new priesthood was formed. A new voice was heard in the heavens, the voice of redeemed saints worshipping the Father in spirit and in truth. It threatened all those who had confidence in the flesh. It was a whole new level of confidence, Spirit-led and Spirit-filled confidence. Emmanuel is with us. Yes, He is with us in the Spirit.
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where your confidence is rooted. If it is not in the Spirit of God, then repent of trusting anything else and surrender to the Holy Spirit as the One you have fully trusted, placing confidence in His presence.
by George Runyan | May 7, 2015 | Devotional, George Runyan
Galatians 5:24 – Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Jesus laid the foundation for the truth that Paul is giving to the believers at Galatia. “Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me’ ” (Matthew 16:24-25). Part of entering into life with Christ is the putting off of the flesh which is rooted in the old nature, also called the old man. Oh, the absolute genius of our God! God becomes human in the Son. Christ lives the sinless life; He dies in our place as our substitute. God the Holy Spirit raises Him from the dead, enthrones Him as a resurrected man seated at the right hand of God the Father. The Spirit of God is poured out in the earth to bring forth a new creation. We choose to put the old nature to death and we choose to receive the new man. We live life through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. What power has been given to man! What eternal joy is ours to possess! What victory over death and hell!
Once again, the Scriptures put the onus on our choosing to “crucify the flesh”. The ability to crucify one’s flesh is utterly impossible! You can hammer the nail into one hand, but someone else must hammer a nail into the other. That is why the Lord has set us into a community of believers. It takes another to finish the job of crucifixion. Sometimes it takes more than one, a few to hold us down while others drive in the nails.
Beloved, this is a serious matter and not to be taken lightly. In a marriage, often our partner has the hammer to help finish the job of crucifixion. Many run to another hoping to escape, but it does no good because our flesh still needs to be crucified. This is a part of Christianity that none of us like, but it is so necessary if we are to attain what God has for us in this life.
As the Holy Spirit was with Christ in His time of death, so will He be with us. God promises, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you, so that we confidently say, The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me” (Hebrews 13:5-6)? “I will never” literally means, “I will never, no never, leave you.” David declares, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4).
Let us be bold in the Lord and face our cross even as Christ faced His for us. Power will be released from His death on the cross and in His resurrection. Power will be released as we step into the new realms of His kingdom. By His power, we can guide others into the glorious freedom found in Christ Jesus our Lord!
by George Runyan | May 6, 2015 | Devotional, George Runyan
Galatians 5:21 – I forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
As we think about our relationship with the Holy Spirit, it should lead us to His nature. We know He is holy. We know He is spirit. Christ has given each believer His “holy” nature. In the early church, there were those who embraced forgiveness and eternal life, but who had not been fully converted. They did not understand that God, in the power of His Spirit, was raising up a new kind of man in the earth. Those born of the Spirit are now holy and not continuing to practice the base nature of the flesh.
The apostle John said, “No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him” (1 John 3:6). This is a pretty difficult Scripture to understand in the light of the normal battling of the flesh. John is saying, if you abide in Him, you no longer practice the habit of sin. Your nature no longer is a “sinful nature” controlling you. We have received His nature that should be dominant in how we conduct ourselves. If we insist on making a habit of continuing to practice sin, it is evident we have not truly seen the Lord and certainly do not know Him.
Entering into the kingdom of God is not exclusively some future event, but it begins now, by entering into His life under His authority. This is evidenced by the fact that our life is to be lived under the control of the Spirit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus only lived to do the will of the Father. He demonstrated a kingdom of God walk throughout His entire life, even by His death on the cross. Heaven becomes the end of the journey which ends at His Throne. It is there at the Throne “we will all appear” (2 Corinthians 5:10). There we will give Him an account of our life and the works done. Repentance and forgiveness bring us to the Throne. Kingdom work brings rewards from Him. When all is said and done, only Jesus stands worthy to receive all the praise, honor, and glory.
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any practices of the flesh that are hindering you from entering fully into His kingdom. Repent, and forsake any such practices. Ask the Lord to fill you with His Holy Spirit to help you in yielding to His Kingly rule.
by George Runyan | May 5, 2015 | Devotional, George Runyan
Galatians 5:16 – But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
Walking by the Spirit is a choice one makes on a daily basis. Once you begin to practice walking by the Spirit, it becomes something like breathing. You don’t have to think about every decision or choice you make. Supernaturally, you just do it. It is supernatural in that you know it is the Holy Spirit who is leading your decisions and lifestyle.
The Spirit desires to make us a lover of people so we will instinctively respond in love. He wants to produce in us peace so that no matter what disturbances are happening around us, we are at peace. The Holy Spirit does not automatically produce these qualities in us. We choose to allow Him freedom to work and guide our lives for the glory of God. His nature is made up of the qualities Paul lists in Galatians 5 known as “the fruit of the Spirit.”
First, we allow the Holy Spirit to deal with our issues. That include our hurts, unforgiveness, perhaps childhood wounds, and whatever others might have done in the past to harm us. He wants to heal our heart. Secondly, He wants to establish us in the Word of God. It is the “washing of water with the word” (Ephesians 5:26), that renews one’s mind. This begins to help us think correctly. Many years ago, an early mentor of mine would say “God is a do right God and we must therefore do right.” In essence, he was teaching me to be led by the Spirit because the Spirit of God always leads us to do the right thing. Thirdly, we must establish “Spirit-lead habit patterns.” We choose to love another, we choose to be at peace and rest in God, and we choose to allow joy to be predominant in our lives. The Spirit of God will quicken our choices and empower us to live above the natural realm in His supernatural ability.
These three basic areas must be applied in our lives as we learn to be led by the Spirit. As we learn to allow the Spirit of God to lead us, the flesh begins to be brought under control. Paul expresses it like this: “You will not carry out the desires of the flesh” (emphasis is mine). Many saints struggle with “being led by the Spirit”. Many still carry unforgiveness toward people who have inflicted past wounds. There are those who read the Word of God as a religious obligation, rather than for application purposes. Finally, many have not broken old habit patterns and are still being led by their carnal, fleshly nature rather than the new nature which the Holy Spirit gives at the time of new birth.
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas that are hindering you from being led by the Spirit. Forgive, forsake, and surrender to Him, as He reveals the objects which hinder your growth in the life of the Spirit.
by George Runyan | May 4, 2015 | Devotional, George Runyan
Romans 15:30 – Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.
Paul is writing to a church that he has not seen. He had longed to go to Rome, but the Spirit of God has had him focused on the Eastern Mediterranean. Many of Paul’s friends, and fellow laborers were there in Rome with the Roman saints. Paul is strongly calling for them to join him in his labors by praying for him to be rescued from those that are disobedient in Judah. That was a nice way of speaking about the Jews who wanted to kill him. He asked for prayers concerning his outreach to Jerusalem. He also asked them to pray about giving money to the poor saints living there. He asked them to pray for his ability to come to them in joy, by the will of God and to find rest in their company.
His request to the Roman Christians was in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit. Jesus is reigning as Lord in this present time. The Spirit has come to administrate the love of God in the earth. The Spirit always has unity in love as the core of His purpose. It is the love of the Spirit that makes unity possible. Unity must have as its purpose the will of God in order to be accomplished. Today, we hear a lot of talk about unity. It is awesome to see pastors throughout a city joined together in prayer. It is tremendous to sing songs from a great variety of streams. It is always a joy to know that denominationalismis taking a back seat. Many different groups are being joined together in the unity of the Spirit to accomplish God’s purposes in the earth. Paul is requesting prayer for himself from a large church in Rome. In fact, it was the only church in Rome. According to Paul’s greetings in the sixteenth chapter of Romans, it appears the believers gathered in houses, but related as one church in the city.
The Lord is at work restoring His Church to the simplicity of those early days. He is continually at work through His Holy Spirit, raising up His servants all over the world who are laboring for the same cause. That cause is the advancing of His kingdom in the earth. Today, prayers are offered for poor saints, and the suffering church around the world. Large amounts of money are being raised in the same spirit in which Paul raised money for the poor saints in Jerusalem. We are living in apostolic times, as God the Father, by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit prepare an end-time church to fulfill His purpose in the earth.
Ask the Holy Spirit to enlarge your vision for what the Lord is doing in these days. Ask Him to guide you in your prayers and to fill you with “the love of the Spirit” for all saints. Be generous toward the poor, especially those of the Household of God.
