by George Runyan | May 2, 2019 | Devotional, Fit For Engagement, George Runyan
Paul talked about understanding that all the saints are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone. The foundation came from the prophets in the Old Testament as they looked ahead to the coming of the Messiah. The apostles understood, by the Holy Spirit, what the prophets had prophesied so they laid the foundation for the house of God which was made up of believers who were called living stones by Peter in (1 Peter 2:5). Everything must be squared with Christ, the Chief Cornerstone, for the building to be perfectly lined up. Paul wrote:In whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.Ephesians 2:21–22 NKJVPaul used words like fitted, grows, and built with great intention. In another place he used the words “every joint supplies.” Through the different metaphors, Paul drove the point home that we are not independent from one another. God fits us with other saints who are also fitted. As we picture an army, we see one fighting unit and not just individual soldiers fighting independently. The spiritual battle in which we are engaged is no different. It is meant to be fought together with other believers, as a well-trained unit in rank and file.
by George Runyan | May 1, 2019 | Devotional, Fit For Engagement, George Runyan
Throughout the New Testament many metaphors are used to describe Christ’s people: His body, family, church, holy nation, army, and many more. The point being, Jesus did not save us to go it alone, but to be fitted together with other believers for the battle and the mandate which He has given to His church to the disciple nations.In Acts 1, Jesus gave the final instructions to His apostles to whom He had presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, by being seen of them for forty days, and by speaking of the things pertained to the Kingdom of God. He told them to wait in Jerusalem until they “received power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” (Acts 1:8 NKJV).Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 15:6, that Jesus was seen by over 500 believers at one time. Acts 1:15 states that 120 people waited in the upper room for the Father to send the Holy Spirit as Jesus had promised. Acts 2:41 states that on the Day of Pentecost more than 3000 souls gladly received Peter’s message and were baptized. The body of Christ began to grow; the community of God was being established.Throughout the New Testament we learn of the many cities and regions that received the Word of Christ. The church began to impact cities and regions throughout the Roman Empire. A mighty spiritual army began to rise. Through corporate prayer, corporate proclamation, and corporate demonstration the church of our Lord began to make headway in binding principalities and powers, and seeing thousands freed from the control of the world, the flesh, and the devil. The fame of Jesus was spreading everywhere.The Lord’s plan for a new creation coming out of the old creation began to take shape. The world saw both Jews and Gentiles, but the Lord was bringing forth one new man in the earth. A new man out of everyone who had been dead in their trespasses and sins and were now born of the Spirit and made a part of a whole new kingdom, the Kingdom of God. Paul clearly laid all this out in Ephesians 2. For brevity I will not go through the chapter, but if you study it you will begin to see God’s great plan for all mankind.
by George Runyan | Apr 30, 2019 | Devotional, Fit For Engagement, George Runyan
In Luke 9, Jesus called His disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure disease. Jesus had modeled His ministry to them and then empowered them to go and preach the Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. They were sent as a unit to learn together what it was like to minister with Jesus’ authority and power. They had their first opportunity to represent Christ to the multitudes. When the apostles returned to Him, they told Him everything that they had done.In Luke 10, Jesus appointed seventy other disciples and sent them two by two into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. As He prepared to send them, He envisioned for them the harvest and the challenges they would face from many hated Jesus. He gave them strict orders on what to take with them. He instructed them with whom they should stay and how to handle people, both those who received them and those who did not. Jesus instructed them to heal the sick and declare, “The kingdom of God has come near you.” (Luke 10:9b NKJV).Jesus also said that some cities would not receive them. Jesus told the disciples, “But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.’” (Luke 10:10 NKJV). He pronounced judgment on the cities of Israel that reject His apostolic company which He was sending to them. This continued for a generation after the resurrection of our Lord.When the seventy returned with joy to Jesus, they said, “Lord even the demons are subject unto us in Your name.” (Luke 10:17b NKJV). Jesus then instructed them further, and underscored their authority by saying, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19 NKJV).
by George Runyan | Apr 27, 2019 | Devotional, Fit For Engagement, George Runyan
The Salvation of Our BodyLastly, we must consider the salvation of our body. Even as Christ’s body was raised from the dead, each believer’s body will be raised from the dead at the physical return of Christ. “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11 NKJV). This part of our salvation is known as glorification.The body has five natural senses that God gave us to help us navigate our physical lives. They are necessary for maximum functionality. We are aware of the world and all it has to offer such as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, which are all fed through these senses. These natural senses must be brought into subjection to Christ through the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. This begins with seeking God through prayer, giving ourselves to the Bible, spending time with other mature believers, and bearing witness of our faith to a lost world.Having taken the time to look in detail at the three-fold salvation which our Lord has provided to us, we should understand the connection with the First Principles that make up the foundation of our life in Christ. My hope is that you can:Comprehend why repentance from dead works is so necessary.Understand why we apply faith toward God.Know that faith toward God leads to the baptisms commanded in the Bible.Know that the laying on of hands is a means of impartation to give what God has available to give through other believers.Know how important it is to understand the resurrection of the dead and how it applies in our life in the now, not just in the future.Understand the subject of eternal judgment that declares how an account to the Lord must be given.Our salvation is built upon these principles and when properly applied will produce maturity in us and in our ability to fight the good fight of faith.
by George Runyan | Apr 25, 2019 | Devotional, Fit For Engagement, George Runyan
MemoryJesus told His disciples in the upper room, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14:26 NKJV).Paul made known the Gospel to the Corinthians. They received the Gospel and he told them: “in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast (keep in memory) the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:1b–2 NKJV).Over the years I have met people who at one point believed but did not keep in mind what they received, and their faith turned out to be vain. David instructed us when he wrote:How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.Psalm 119:9–11 NASBDavid treasured God’s Word by committing it to memory and applying it in his daily walk. Solomon reminded us: “the memory of the righteous is blessed.” (Proverbs 10:7 NASB).Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would bring all things to their memory. Paul told the Corinthians that salvation is rooted in remembering what he preached. That is why we should study, review, memorize, and meditate upon the Word of God.ConscienceOur conscience is a very important part of our five soul senses. Paul told Timothy that:The purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.1 Timothy 1:5 NKJVThis constitutes a healthy mind. Paul contrasted this when he spoke of latter times:Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed todeceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.1 Timothy 4:1–2 NKJVIn the Garden of Eden, Eve believed a lie when she was deceived by the devil and had her conscience seared. This is implied, as she no longer had a concern for God’s will, but only for her own desires. Thank God for the blood of those innocent animals and their skins that covered Adam and Eve’s sin. It is implied that their conscience was healed at the moment that they accepted the shed blood. They looked ahead to the promised seed of the woman: Christ, the son of David, the Son of God. The writer of Hebrews declared: “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleans your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:13–14 NKJV).A good conscience is necessary for us to be able to navigate our lives with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If our conscience is dull from not being listened to, it produces an inability to hear the guidance of the Spirit. The writer of Hebrews made the contrast between the Old Testament sacrifice of the blood of goats and bulls and the New Testament sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. The writer stated that the sacrifice of animals was “sanctified for the cleansing of the flesh.” (Hebrews 9:13 NASB). Then he asked, “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14 NASB).Your conscience gives you an awareness of God’s will. Many years ago, I walked through a very difficult period in my life. Because of my hurt, I made some poor decisions. In my choices I disobeyed God when I ignored my conscience. I found that it became easier and easier to choose a dead work over obeying God. One day I came under deep conviction, turned my will loose, and declared, “Lord, I only want Your best!” Immediately I experienced the “blood of Jesus cleansing my conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” My conscience was back in full operation and once again, I was able to make difficult, but correct decisions. I thank God for the cleansing blood of Jesus! That experience taught me that the Word of God is true regarding a “seared conscience.” (1 Timothy 4:2 NASB).Our conscience becomes our guidance system because it is cleansed by the blood of Jesus and surrendered to the Holy Spirit. I believe that the conscience was part of the “Divine DNA” given to man when God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life as recorded in Genesis 2:7. When man fell, the divine life departed, and man was left with a natural life. The conscience remained and carried a sense of right and wrong. It helped give man a moral guidance but was very deficient without the Spirit of God. Man was left to his own devices. Through the new birth, the conscience once again is connected to the “Divine DNA” through the Holy Spirit.In our awareness of God’s presence and His will, the Holy Spirit can release spiritual gifts. A good conscience is vital for us to be sensitive to the Spirit’s guidance through gifts like wisdom, knowledge, and discernment of spirits. Ask the Lord to search your heart and show you any areas in your conscience that need cleansing. Allow the Spirit to apply the blood of Jesus to any areas of your life which He reveals to you. A fully operating conscience will cause you to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s will in guiding your life.These five senses are part of the soul and are directly related to the many Bible verses that deal with the heart of man. When you read the Bible and it mentions the heart, consider these five senses and how those verses relate to each part of your soul.
by George Runyan | Apr 24, 2019 | Devotional, Fit For Engagement, George Runyan
Affections Paul instructed us to set our affections on things above. Other Bible translations say mind, but the mind is too broad a term. I believe affection captures the deeper meaning of what Paul is saying: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which...
