Did you know that you are a spirit being? Man is a spirit made in the image of God, he has a soul(a mind or conscious), and lives in a body. When you are born again, it is your spirit that experiences the rebirth process, hints the name born again. But when you look at man and you see that he has been born again you really can't tell any difference just by looking at his physical features. This is so hard for many who don't believe to grasp, because they are looking for obvious changes. And at first there are no changes really to show, because the new spirit of man has just received the Holy Spirit, but still needs to learn to commune with Him. Now some have in the past and still do believe that the soul and spirit are the same, however I believe that we have scripture to support that they are different. Look in Hebrews 4:12 in the NLT it says,"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." So you see they are separate. But what is the difference you say? I am glad you asked.
If you look at probably the most asked question that everyone asks it has to be, Why do evil things happen to good people? Or something to that nature, but if you think about it, this truly explains why. This may get deep but follow along and I believe that you will understand if you are a believer in Christ Jesus. You see when you are born again, it is your spirit that is renewed, but your mind or soul is still the same just as your physical body or flesh. At this point, if you died right then and there, your spirit is going to make it to heaven. Now, what needs to take place for your soul or mind is you need to renew your mind. And the only way we can achieve this is by getting into the word of God. If you do not let the spirit man take over your soul (mind) and body(flesh), then you give place to the devil. So many bless their hearts think that demons find their way into the body which is actually just the clay pot containing the spirit and soul, but if you know anything about demons, they have no authority over the children of the light. So the only way they can possess our bodies is if we give them their place in our life. Ephesians 4:27 talks about how you give the devil place in your life.
Once we establish that there is a difference between the spirit, soul, and body, then it is easier to grasp the importance of keeping your mind sharp with the word of God. The blood of Jesus has bought and paid for the redemption of our spirit and we are now in the family of Jesus Christ, but you see Jesus said that He came so that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly(John 10:10). What this means is that there is power in the blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that Satan is a defeated foe. So as born again Christians we fall under the protection of Jesus Christ. Which means the only way that Satan can have any effect on us is out of our own consent. What I mean is if we give him place in our life. The only way Satan can get in to our lives after we are born again is through our mind(soul) and body(flesh). Our spirit has already been purchased with the blood of Jesus. What Jesus did on the cross was defeat Satan once and for all. That is why on the cross Jesus said,"It is finished." The path to Eternal Life has been paved by our Lord Jesus Christ, and He paid our dues, He died our death. He went through all that torture for us because He loves us that much.
Now in order to rest in our faith, we have to feed or nourish our spirit with spiritual food just like we need to nourish our physical bodies. The food for our spirit is being doers of the word of God(James 1:22). If you look in John 4:34 Jesus says,"My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and finishing His work." The nourishment we need for our souls comes from the word of God. This means reading God's word everyday. In order to keep our focus on God, we have to continue reading in His word. I am not saying that it is essential to your salvation to read the Bible, we already established the born again believer has already obtained that. No what this means is in order to keep the thoughts and deceitfulness of Satan out of your life you need to nourish your mind with the word of God. Then your thoughts become in tune with God, and you won't ever give Satan his place, because you are equipped with powerful packed words of faith. Philippians 4:8-9 says,"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you." You see all these traits are of our God the Father. If we let Satan have his place in our lives and we start focusing on things that are of the flesh such as hatred, sexual immorality, material gain, etc. then we fall in to the snare of the devil and the outcome of it brings evil things to our lives, even if we are born again Christians.
Saints lets keep our focus on Him and feed our spirits, soul, and body with the wonderful things of God. Do not give Satan any part of your life. Live life as God intended, more abundantly. Look to Him and His will for your life and He will make sure all your needs are met, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Glory be to God!!! Happy New Year to you all!!!
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Stay Focused On Him Not Wealth!!!!
I believe that God's promises in Deut. 28 are for the seed of Abram. And that includes those who are born again. Wealth is not a bad thing, God wants us to prosper in all areas of our life. Our world thinks that it is okay for Hugh Hefner that condemns millions of souls to have 10 mansions and 10 jets, but these ministers save thousands of souls every week and it isn't OK for them to have one jet and two homes? And on top of that they are doing good for the kingdom of God with it. I believe that they are honoring God with what He has given them. God never said that we are to be poor, but many preach that message and no one is quick to bombarded that doctrine.
The love of money is the root of all evil. That means covetousness, not wealth. Too many are quick to judge ministers when it comes to money, and if he spends a dollar on something that they don't think is a necessity he is persecuted by his own sheep. Yet we spend unnecessary money on coffee and other things and its OK for us. This attitude is what reflects badly on Christians. These are who Jesus calls hypocrites.
When Mary dumped the perfume over Jesus' head Judas had a fit and said we could have sold that and gave it to the poor, but he really would have just pocketed the money. Jesus said that she did a good thing because she did so to honor Him. If you don’t think the preacher man should have anything nice look who you are in company with.
When we get to heaven there is no award for who saved God the most money, God is concerned with us fulfilling His purpose for our lives. King David was rich yet he is known as a man after God’s own heart. Kenneth Copeland Ministries brings in over 100 million a year, but the funding and outreaches KCM provides around the world for God is amazing and all to bring glory to God.
I don't believe God wants His children to struggle, He just doesn't want us to love or desire money, but love Him instead. If we are blessed with wealth, we should honor God with it. If you think God's will is for you to struggle, then do without, but know this, that is not His best for you and He does want His best for you.
I believe that the reason why so many are against the word of faith circle is because faith ministers are wealthy and are not afraid to boast in the Lord for what He has done for them. The problem I see about putting too much emphasis on wealth is that it can take the focus off God and put it in material gain. Keeping up with the Jones' so to speak. Satan is good at deceiving our flesh so it is important for your spirit to constantly keep it in subjection. Stay focused on Him and His will for you and you won't have to worry about wealth. The blessings will flow supernaturally. God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus(Phil 4:19). Walk in love my beloved and not with bitterness. Let us all edify one another with God's word. (1 Thessalonians 5:23) Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
The love of money is the root of all evil. That means covetousness, not wealth. Too many are quick to judge ministers when it comes to money, and if he spends a dollar on something that they don't think is a necessity he is persecuted by his own sheep. Yet we spend unnecessary money on coffee and other things and its OK for us. This attitude is what reflects badly on Christians. These are who Jesus calls hypocrites.
When Mary dumped the perfume over Jesus' head Judas had a fit and said we could have sold that and gave it to the poor, but he really would have just pocketed the money. Jesus said that she did a good thing because she did so to honor Him. If you don’t think the preacher man should have anything nice look who you are in company with.
When we get to heaven there is no award for who saved God the most money, God is concerned with us fulfilling His purpose for our lives. King David was rich yet he is known as a man after God’s own heart. Kenneth Copeland Ministries brings in over 100 million a year, but the funding and outreaches KCM provides around the world for God is amazing and all to bring glory to God.
I don't believe God wants His children to struggle, He just doesn't want us to love or desire money, but love Him instead. If we are blessed with wealth, we should honor God with it. If you think God's will is for you to struggle, then do without, but know this, that is not His best for you and He does want His best for you.
I believe that the reason why so many are against the word of faith circle is because faith ministers are wealthy and are not afraid to boast in the Lord for what He has done for them. The problem I see about putting too much emphasis on wealth is that it can take the focus off God and put it in material gain. Keeping up with the Jones' so to speak. Satan is good at deceiving our flesh so it is important for your spirit to constantly keep it in subjection. Stay focused on Him and His will for you and you won't have to worry about wealth. The blessings will flow supernaturally. God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus(Phil 4:19). Walk in love my beloved and not with bitterness. Let us all edify one another with God's word. (1 Thessalonians 5:23) Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
What Are Your Intentions?
This message I believe the Lord showed me in a dream. The Lord showed me how critical it is not to fall into the teachings of Balaam and Niclaitanes. We will start in Rev. 2:13-16 (NLT): 13 “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city.
14 “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. 15 In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. 16 Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth."
The Lord spoke to me in my heart and I know that I have fallen into these doctrines of Balaam and Nicolaitans before. I have repented and now things are even more wonderful than I ever imagined. To further educate myself on the doctrines of Balaam and Nicolaitans, I did some research and this is what I found:
Balaam: (From the Encyclopedia) a non-Israelite prophet described in the Old Testament (Num. 22-24) as a soothsayer who is bribed by Balak, the king of Moab, to place a curse on the people of Israel, who are camped threateningly on the plains of Moab. Balaam states that he will utter only what his God Yahweh inspires, but he is willing to accompany the Moabite messengers to Balak. He is met en route by an angel of Yahweh, who is recognized only by Balaam's donkey, which refuses to continue. Then Balaam's eyes are opened, and the angel permits him to go to Balak but commands him not to curse but to bless Israel. Despite pressure from Balak, Balaam remains faithful to Yahweh and blesses the people of Israel. In later literature (specifically, the Second Letter of Peter 2:15), however, Balaam is held up as an example of one who apostatized, or abandoned his faith for the sake of material gain.
The problem here was that God knew that Balaam’s heart was in the wrong place and that he spoke for gain. Thus, God wouldn’t have him curse Israel in His name, which must have been Balaam's intentions. In Revelations Jesus foresaw and revealed that this would be the actions of some of the churches during the approach of end times.
I used to think, "What can God do for me?" or "If I do this what kind of favor will I get from the Lord?" This is the wrong kind of thinking and is considered to be very much a part of Balaam's doctrine. Just like Balaam, even though I was faithful to God, my intentions were to better my position and not to edify the body of Christ. It is very important to never lose focus or lose sight on the places of need in the body of Christ. We need to make sure that we don't focus or determined our ministry in terms of "my need."
God does want us to prosper in all things, but that is not to be our intentions or reason why we serve Him. God knows our heart, and if we are not serving Him with all of it, He knows. God sees right through our intentions. Lip service gets you no where in the kingdom of God. If our only purpose to serve God is for material gain like Balaam, then we will never truly prosper the way God intends for His children to prosper. The way I came to deliverance of Balaam's Doctrine was like this: My best friend and I were talking on the phone one day, and I was feeling like my faith was becoming stagnate. And I believe that the Lord spoke through my friend and he said, "When you feel stagnate in your faith, just start moving around doing the will of the Lord and God will be the rutter directing your path." This piece of wisdom has done wonders for my walk, and has helped me find out the true purpose of what being a Christian is all about.
Don't Get caught up in finding out what God can do for you, instead find out what you can do to glorify God and His kingdom. Find out His purpose for your life and follow the path that He paves for you. Let His perfect love have its place in your heart, and let it shine through your works. This Christmas season reach out to those who need Jesus Christ in their lives. Giving is the best way to show God's love. For God so loved the world that He gave...
Merry Christmas to everyone!!!
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
14 “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. 15 In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. 16 Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth."
The Lord spoke to me in my heart and I know that I have fallen into these doctrines of Balaam and Nicolaitans before. I have repented and now things are even more wonderful than I ever imagined. To further educate myself on the doctrines of Balaam and Nicolaitans, I did some research and this is what I found:
Balaam: (From the Encyclopedia) a non-Israelite prophet described in the Old Testament (Num. 22-24) as a soothsayer who is bribed by Balak, the king of Moab, to place a curse on the people of Israel, who are camped threateningly on the plains of Moab. Balaam states that he will utter only what his God Yahweh inspires, but he is willing to accompany the Moabite messengers to Balak. He is met en route by an angel of Yahweh, who is recognized only by Balaam's donkey, which refuses to continue. Then Balaam's eyes are opened, and the angel permits him to go to Balak but commands him not to curse but to bless Israel. Despite pressure from Balak, Balaam remains faithful to Yahweh and blesses the people of Israel. In later literature (specifically, the Second Letter of Peter 2:15), however, Balaam is held up as an example of one who apostatized, or abandoned his faith for the sake of material gain.
The problem here was that God knew that Balaam’s heart was in the wrong place and that he spoke for gain. Thus, God wouldn’t have him curse Israel in His name, which must have been Balaam's intentions. In Revelations Jesus foresaw and revealed that this would be the actions of some of the churches during the approach of end times.
I used to think, "What can God do for me?" or "If I do this what kind of favor will I get from the Lord?" This is the wrong kind of thinking and is considered to be very much a part of Balaam's doctrine. Just like Balaam, even though I was faithful to God, my intentions were to better my position and not to edify the body of Christ. It is very important to never lose focus or lose sight on the places of need in the body of Christ. We need to make sure that we don't focus or determined our ministry in terms of "my need."
God does want us to prosper in all things, but that is not to be our intentions or reason why we serve Him. God knows our heart, and if we are not serving Him with all of it, He knows. God sees right through our intentions. Lip service gets you no where in the kingdom of God. If our only purpose to serve God is for material gain like Balaam, then we will never truly prosper the way God intends for His children to prosper. The way I came to deliverance of Balaam's Doctrine was like this: My best friend and I were talking on the phone one day, and I was feeling like my faith was becoming stagnate. And I believe that the Lord spoke through my friend and he said, "When you feel stagnate in your faith, just start moving around doing the will of the Lord and God will be the rutter directing your path." This piece of wisdom has done wonders for my walk, and has helped me find out the true purpose of what being a Christian is all about.
Don't Get caught up in finding out what God can do for you, instead find out what you can do to glorify God and His kingdom. Find out His purpose for your life and follow the path that He paves for you. Let His perfect love have its place in your heart, and let it shine through your works. This Christmas season reach out to those who need Jesus Christ in their lives. Giving is the best way to show God's love. For God so loved the world that He gave...
Merry Christmas to everyone!!!
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Love One Another
As we live in Christ we begin to see how His love shines through us. We see the compassion He has for the world as we the body reach out to those who are in need of Him. These days there is a lot of evil things happening, and it is easy to focus on them. As Christians we should not get caught up in all the negativity around us. That is what Satan wants us to focus on, but we need to be strong and not fall into that snare or over that stumbling block if you will. Matthew 7:1-5 says, 1“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye." Folks before we spout off and say something harsh about someone else, lets be slow to speak and show the love in our hearts we have for Jesus Christ. Luke 6:45 says, "A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart." Many times you hear in the Christian circle people say, "God knows your heart, and that is really what He is concerned about, not our works." However it is not uncommon to hear some of these same folks gossip about how things make them so mad," and how "such and such deserved what they got," and "I hope such and such fall short of their goals." This is what Jesus was telling us not to be like. People who say these such things about people have not the love in their heart that they should. The NKJV says it like this, "...For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." This is why it is important not to surround yourself with and focus on negativity.
There are times when you can't avoid being around a negative person such as at our job. It is important that we seek the Lord through out the work day, and always shift our focus on God's word. When I am trapped on a train with someone who is negative I always find things positive to shift the conversation. You see a Christian can always find something to be thankful for. When you learn to praise God regardless of the conditions, you release His power to take over the situation. It could be raining all around you, but from your view it is bright and sunny. Like He says in Psalm 91:7
Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
This also carries over into our personal relationships with our husbands and wives. If we treat our spouse with disrespect then we are disrespecting the one God gave us to walk through life with. This is why God dislikes divorce. Also this is why it is important not to rush into marriage. When we give up on our marriage God views it as disrespect to Him. Marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman and God. It is sacred. When you break that covenant you disrespect the creator of that covenant. So before we get married we need to make sure that we pray and seek God's wisdom before we rush in on marriage. Fools rush in, so don't be a fool and be led by your emotions, because if it is not God ordained then you won't be happy. It is God's will for us to be happy in life not stressed. If you don't seek His will for your life but your own, then the outcome will be that you get your will and not His. But it is no different staying married and treating your spouse as your property instead of with love. Ephesians 5:21 says, "And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." In other words show your respect for Jesus Christ through your relationship with your spouse. Let His love shine through your love for one another. Others will notice if your disrespectful to your husband or wife, but they will also notice the love and respect you have for him/her too.
In closing, our relationships and attitude towards others is a direct indication of our own love for Jesus Christ. For out of the abundance of the heart our mouth speaks. Be conscious of what comes out of our mouth. Our bodies are supposed to be the temple, so don't let evil come out of the temple but let the love flow from your heart like living water (a river). To help us edify our walk in love we need to read our Bible and apply it to our lives daily. Faith is a way of life, not just lip service. We are to be examples of the love He has for us so let's all join together in love and tighten up and show the world that even though they may despise and hate us, we are going to love and bless them even more than ever!! Glory be to God!!
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye." Folks before we spout off and say something harsh about someone else, lets be slow to speak and show the love in our hearts we have for Jesus Christ. Luke 6:45 says, "A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart." Many times you hear in the Christian circle people say, "God knows your heart, and that is really what He is concerned about, not our works." However it is not uncommon to hear some of these same folks gossip about how things make them so mad," and how "such and such deserved what they got," and "I hope such and such fall short of their goals." This is what Jesus was telling us not to be like. People who say these such things about people have not the love in their heart that they should. The NKJV says it like this, "...For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." This is why it is important not to surround yourself with and focus on negativity.
There are times when you can't avoid being around a negative person such as at our job. It is important that we seek the Lord through out the work day, and always shift our focus on God's word. When I am trapped on a train with someone who is negative I always find things positive to shift the conversation. You see a Christian can always find something to be thankful for. When you learn to praise God regardless of the conditions, you release His power to take over the situation. It could be raining all around you, but from your view it is bright and sunny. Like He says in Psalm 91:7
Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
This also carries over into our personal relationships with our husbands and wives. If we treat our spouse with disrespect then we are disrespecting the one God gave us to walk through life with. This is why God dislikes divorce. Also this is why it is important not to rush into marriage. When we give up on our marriage God views it as disrespect to Him. Marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman and God. It is sacred. When you break that covenant you disrespect the creator of that covenant. So before we get married we need to make sure that we pray and seek God's wisdom before we rush in on marriage. Fools rush in, so don't be a fool and be led by your emotions, because if it is not God ordained then you won't be happy. It is God's will for us to be happy in life not stressed. If you don't seek His will for your life but your own, then the outcome will be that you get your will and not His. But it is no different staying married and treating your spouse as your property instead of with love. Ephesians 5:21 says, "And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." In other words show your respect for Jesus Christ through your relationship with your spouse. Let His love shine through your love for one another. Others will notice if your disrespectful to your husband or wife, but they will also notice the love and respect you have for him/her too.
In closing, our relationships and attitude towards others is a direct indication of our own love for Jesus Christ. For out of the abundance of the heart our mouth speaks. Be conscious of what comes out of our mouth. Our bodies are supposed to be the temple, so don't let evil come out of the temple but let the love flow from your heart like living water (a river). To help us edify our walk in love we need to read our Bible and apply it to our lives daily. Faith is a way of life, not just lip service. We are to be examples of the love He has for us so let's all join together in love and tighten up and show the world that even though they may despise and hate us, we are going to love and bless them even more than ever!! Glory be to God!!
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Stay Protected
A couple of weeks ago or so I was listening to my pastor preach a message that really helped drive home how God views His children. He said something like this, There are three bags if you will and one is labeled will do, another will not do, and the third wants to do. After I heard this analogy I thought that was a good way to explain how God works in our lives.
God Has The Plan already, and He already told us how it is going to end. There is no amount of praying or bad decisions or worrying any of us can do to change the outcome of this plan. It is already done and set in stone. However, Jesus said He came so that we may have life, and have it more abundantly! And that is where the bag of "wants to do" comes in to play. Once you accept Jesus in your heart, you are in the family of Christ. And now you are eligible for what is in that bag of "want to's." As children of God we are to live in obedience to His word. And just as we should do with our children, if we step out of His love and sin, then there is discipline involved. Someone who is a christian was taking about all the negative things that were happening to him and his family, and as he was complaining to me, I got word of knowledge from God through the Holy Spirit. God told me it was because of this man and his family's disobedience to God, that these things were happening. And I could tell it was after I had received that word from the Lord because all of a sudden I could really see the bitterness in this fella's heart and the abusive language that was flowing out of his mouth was truly ungodly.
Folks when you step out of obedience to God's word, you step out from underneath that shield of protection. This is not God's will for His children. He wants to pour out His grace upon you, but sometimes we yield to our flesh and it doesn't come without some kind of consequence. Bad things happen in this world that were never the will of God because sometimes we chose to leave the security of God's word to follow our own lustful desires. And as a result we are disqualifying ourselves from God's bag of things He wants to do for us.
The great news is, that we can get back in the running if we repent and receive God's forgiveness. No matter how many times we miss it God is always just to forgive us. And what really happens when this takes place is just what happened in the parable of the prodigal son. Luke 15:21-23 in the NIV, "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' Pause right here. Can you see the humbleness in this son's heart? He truly has repented and the Father knows. Read on; "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate." This parable shows us that God's love for each one of His children are very near and dear to Him. Every time one of His sheep strays and comes back, God celebrates! And so should we! If you read on in this parable you'll see that the son that did not stray was resentful and full of bitterness. Don't become tied up in that type of sin, because that could result in the hardness of your heart. But that's another message for another time.
Stay focused on Him and His word. Give God your praises and walk in obedience, and you will see more grace and favor in your life and your family's too. Love one another as your father that is in heaven has loved you. Pray without ceasing and He will manifest His will for you without ceasing. Glory be to God!
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
God Has The Plan already, and He already told us how it is going to end. There is no amount of praying or bad decisions or worrying any of us can do to change the outcome of this plan. It is already done and set in stone. However, Jesus said He came so that we may have life, and have it more abundantly! And that is where the bag of "wants to do" comes in to play. Once you accept Jesus in your heart, you are in the family of Christ. And now you are eligible for what is in that bag of "want to's." As children of God we are to live in obedience to His word. And just as we should do with our children, if we step out of His love and sin, then there is discipline involved. Someone who is a christian was taking about all the negative things that were happening to him and his family, and as he was complaining to me, I got word of knowledge from God through the Holy Spirit. God told me it was because of this man and his family's disobedience to God, that these things were happening. And I could tell it was after I had received that word from the Lord because all of a sudden I could really see the bitterness in this fella's heart and the abusive language that was flowing out of his mouth was truly ungodly.
Folks when you step out of obedience to God's word, you step out from underneath that shield of protection. This is not God's will for His children. He wants to pour out His grace upon you, but sometimes we yield to our flesh and it doesn't come without some kind of consequence. Bad things happen in this world that were never the will of God because sometimes we chose to leave the security of God's word to follow our own lustful desires. And as a result we are disqualifying ourselves from God's bag of things He wants to do for us.
The great news is, that we can get back in the running if we repent and receive God's forgiveness. No matter how many times we miss it God is always just to forgive us. And what really happens when this takes place is just what happened in the parable of the prodigal son. Luke 15:21-23 in the NIV, "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' Pause right here. Can you see the humbleness in this son's heart? He truly has repented and the Father knows. Read on; "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate." This parable shows us that God's love for each one of His children are very near and dear to Him. Every time one of His sheep strays and comes back, God celebrates! And so should we! If you read on in this parable you'll see that the son that did not stray was resentful and full of bitterness. Don't become tied up in that type of sin, because that could result in the hardness of your heart. But that's another message for another time.
Stay focused on Him and His word. Give God your praises and walk in obedience, and you will see more grace and favor in your life and your family's too. Love one another as your father that is in heaven has loved you. Pray without ceasing and He will manifest His will for you without ceasing. Glory be to God!
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
Monday, December 14, 2009
Peaks and Valleys
As we walk in the light as children of the light, sometimes people think that it is always going to be peaceful and nothing is going to effect them what so ever as long as they are in the perfect will of the Lord. So when trials come they believe that there was something they did specifically to bring on the trial. I don't believe that there are any scriptures in the Bible to support that way of thinking, yet it sounds good if it were true. I can see how many could lean that way, because God is good. Yes God is good and God is love, but sometimes we focus in on what is in front of us and not what is a head for us. You see God has a plan for each of us to follow, and if we follow that plan He has prepared for us, then we will reach the rewards that He has set a long the way. God has given us all free will to chose which path we want to follow. Our own paths look to be the easier path to follow, but you don't get to choose that path without paying a price. The narrow path looks more difficult, and it is if you attempt to go down it without the guidance of the councilor, the Holy Spirit. But you see Satan has deceived many in to thinking this way, so people chose their own paths without seeking the truth about the narrow path. Friend do not make this decision based on your knowledge alone. I encourage you to talk to someone who has walked down each path and then compare their lives. Then make a decision on which path you want to follow. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Even though from the outside looking in it may seem like a hard road to follow, Jesus assures us that it is not hard and His burden is light. Compared to the heavy burden and destruction sin brings to your life.
As we follow the path God has laid before us, it will take you through peaks and valleys. Sometimes it is easy when you are on the peak to glorify God and to praise Him and give Him the victory. Then on the flip side when you are in the valley it is easy to feel that you missed something or God is trying to teach you something. I don't believe that God ever leads you in to the valleys to teach you anything, I believe that He tests our hearts during these times of trials, but God never temps you to stray. A good example in the Bible that explains what I am talking about is Joseph the son of Jacob. His brothers wanted to kill him for he had favor from their father over them, but instead they turned him over to the Egyptians for slavery. This would be a valley. Joseph never questioned God but kept faithful to Him and eventually became overseer of his masters house. His master sat him in charge over all the things of his house and gave him authority over it all. This would be a peak. Then his masters wife wanted Joseph to have an affair with her while his master was away, but Joseph ran away. The masters wife lied and said Joseph tried to force himself on her, in turn his master had Joseph put in to prison. This would be a valley. Joseph still remained faithful to God. While in prison God graced Joseph with the gift of interpret dreams, and he interpreted two dreams for two of the servants of Pharaoh, and his interpretations were correct. One servant was killed, the other was restored. The one who was restored was supposed to tell the Pharaoh about Joseph but forgot. Then two years later, Pharaoh had a dream that none of the magicians and wise men could interpret but the servant remembered that Joseph could interpret dreams. So Pharaoh called for Joseph and Joseph rightfully interpreted Pharaoh's dream and was set higher than all the people of Egypt and only second to the Pharaoh. This is a peak.
So we see that just because you are walking in the perfect will of God doesn't mean it is going to be all peaks and no valley's. If Joseph would have just focused on what was in front of him and didn't trust in the Lord, he could have altered God's plans. So many times people spend more time in the valleys than they need to. For instance, if Joseph would have temporary got off the path and started to curse God while in prison he probably would have been in the valley longer than he was. Joseph did trust in the Lord and never doubted God's plan, and as a result he not only came out of the valley, he was exalted head of the nation under Pharaoh. God is a big God. He can work it out for you, even when you can't see a way out. God knows the way out and he will show you. All you have to do is trust in Him. So don't go through life expecting to never encounter trials, and when you do encounter trials know that the Lord will deliver you from them like He did Joseph. Stay faithful to God and trust in Him for He is the problem solver for all our problems. God is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him. Be thankful and praise God through it all, and He will pour out His grace upon the humble, but the proud will receive resistance. Glory be to God!
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
As we follow the path God has laid before us, it will take you through peaks and valleys. Sometimes it is easy when you are on the peak to glorify God and to praise Him and give Him the victory. Then on the flip side when you are in the valley it is easy to feel that you missed something or God is trying to teach you something. I don't believe that God ever leads you in to the valleys to teach you anything, I believe that He tests our hearts during these times of trials, but God never temps you to stray. A good example in the Bible that explains what I am talking about is Joseph the son of Jacob. His brothers wanted to kill him for he had favor from their father over them, but instead they turned him over to the Egyptians for slavery. This would be a valley. Joseph never questioned God but kept faithful to Him and eventually became overseer of his masters house. His master sat him in charge over all the things of his house and gave him authority over it all. This would be a peak. Then his masters wife wanted Joseph to have an affair with her while his master was away, but Joseph ran away. The masters wife lied and said Joseph tried to force himself on her, in turn his master had Joseph put in to prison. This would be a valley. Joseph still remained faithful to God. While in prison God graced Joseph with the gift of interpret dreams, and he interpreted two dreams for two of the servants of Pharaoh, and his interpretations were correct. One servant was killed, the other was restored. The one who was restored was supposed to tell the Pharaoh about Joseph but forgot. Then two years later, Pharaoh had a dream that none of the magicians and wise men could interpret but the servant remembered that Joseph could interpret dreams. So Pharaoh called for Joseph and Joseph rightfully interpreted Pharaoh's dream and was set higher than all the people of Egypt and only second to the Pharaoh. This is a peak.
So we see that just because you are walking in the perfect will of God doesn't mean it is going to be all peaks and no valley's. If Joseph would have just focused on what was in front of him and didn't trust in the Lord, he could have altered God's plans. So many times people spend more time in the valleys than they need to. For instance, if Joseph would have temporary got off the path and started to curse God while in prison he probably would have been in the valley longer than he was. Joseph did trust in the Lord and never doubted God's plan, and as a result he not only came out of the valley, he was exalted head of the nation under Pharaoh. God is a big God. He can work it out for you, even when you can't see a way out. God knows the way out and he will show you. All you have to do is trust in Him. So don't go through life expecting to never encounter trials, and when you do encounter trials know that the Lord will deliver you from them like He did Joseph. Stay faithful to God and trust in Him for He is the problem solver for all our problems. God is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him. Be thankful and praise God through it all, and He will pour out His grace upon the humble, but the proud will receive resistance. Glory be to God!
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
Monday, December 7, 2009
Keep Checking In
Please keep checking back I am waiting on the Lord for more direction till then keep your sword sharp by reading the word on your own and praying. God is wonderful!
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
Friday, December 4, 2009
Cleaning Up The Body Of Christ
God is Love. God Loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Praise God! Talk about a verse worth shouting for this one would qualify. Man! To think Jesus laid His life down for me so that I could live for eternity in His glory. That to me is worth more than all the money in the world. If you are like me then you probably asked yourself how do you ever show someone that did this for you that you truly appreciate them? Well the truth is you can never out give God, but you can submit yourself fully unto Him and that would please Him. In fact in we show God that we have received His free gift of eternal life by diligently seeking His will for us. Many have jumped my case and talked down to me and say, "You don't get salvation by your works but only by the grace of God!" And they expect me to argue with them over this. I never said that you have to earn your salvation. I was and still am saying if people continually seek those things of the flesh, they will reap those things that the flesh bring, meaning death. Romans 6:7-8 says, "the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." Therefore if a sinful mind doesn't submit to God's law then it can not qualify for what God's law brings, which is everlasting life. The point is, is that God doesn't want us carnally minded. He wants our focus to be on the things of the spirit.
This world has a lot of evil corruption and sexual immorality. Our government is full of extortion and lawlessness. Drunkenness now days is look upon to be a fun pass time among our very own people. The very same people that are supposed to be representing the body of Christ. Our government has taken what God has ordained between one man and one woman and has slapped Him in the face with mockery, going against God's Word and stating that same sex marriage is an honorable covenant. Religion is getting in the way of what God says in the Bible. Religious people are proclaiming that the grace we are under allows us the free ticket to sin because the grace of God is greater than the sin, when this is not what He said, but many have heard this and liked it so they chose to believe it because they cannot loose. Well sorry to burst your bubble folks who believe in this nonsense but my Bible says if you love God you will keep His commandments. My Bible says in Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." If you are walking according to the flesh then you are not His. And if you are born again and are back sliding away from God, then you need to repent from your sins and get back to Him. If you don't, it could cost you your inheritance. And yes I am talking about everlasting life. God's mercy is manifested now through the forgiveness of sins now, don't wait thinking that you will have time to make up for it outside of this life, because you don't. This is our time to glorify God. Don't blow it! Saints it is time to step up and clean up the Body of Christ! Everyone can find somewhere in their lives to tighten up at. And we all need to lift each other up in the word and edify one another. Be patient with each other and continue to love one another. Jesus warns us in Matthew 24:12-13 when He talks about the end of times, "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." So lets make sure our love stays fresh and we endure to the end so we will remain saved. Hallelujah!
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
This world has a lot of evil corruption and sexual immorality. Our government is full of extortion and lawlessness. Drunkenness now days is look upon to be a fun pass time among our very own people. The very same people that are supposed to be representing the body of Christ. Our government has taken what God has ordained between one man and one woman and has slapped Him in the face with mockery, going against God's Word and stating that same sex marriage is an honorable covenant. Religion is getting in the way of what God says in the Bible. Religious people are proclaiming that the grace we are under allows us the free ticket to sin because the grace of God is greater than the sin, when this is not what He said, but many have heard this and liked it so they chose to believe it because they cannot loose. Well sorry to burst your bubble folks who believe in this nonsense but my Bible says if you love God you will keep His commandments. My Bible says in Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." If you are walking according to the flesh then you are not His. And if you are born again and are back sliding away from God, then you need to repent from your sins and get back to Him. If you don't, it could cost you your inheritance. And yes I am talking about everlasting life. God's mercy is manifested now through the forgiveness of sins now, don't wait thinking that you will have time to make up for it outside of this life, because you don't. This is our time to glorify God. Don't blow it! Saints it is time to step up and clean up the Body of Christ! Everyone can find somewhere in their lives to tighten up at. And we all need to lift each other up in the word and edify one another. Be patient with each other and continue to love one another. Jesus warns us in Matthew 24:12-13 when He talks about the end of times, "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." So lets make sure our love stays fresh and we endure to the end so we will remain saved. Hallelujah!
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Religion vs Faith
Wonderful is the Lord Jesus whom I place my faith in. His mercy is more than we deserve, and thank you Jesus for not giving us what we are deserving of. Growing up in the faith much later than most do I consider myself blessed that religion has not presented hurdles in my walk. So many have been deceived by false theories of man that they are so blinded by what the scripture is telling them. These deceived believers hearts have been so hardened that you can point out 25 scriptures to them but they still choose to disbelieve. These same people believe that because they have been saved for 30 years that they know more about truth than a new believer of 15 months. This is a terrible tragedy. What many think Christianity is differs from what it really is. These who's hearts have been hardened get so caught up in trying to prove you are wrong and it is all for their self gratification. You could say they want to feel that they are right and you are wrong and rub your nose in it. Sometimes to the point where they go to far and start calling you horrible names such as false brethren or a false prophet. Well I am truly sorry that these people have been deceived but I can not change that. What I can do is submit to what I believe the Holy Spirit has led me to do and inform them of what the scriptures say. I can not make everyone believe. I haven't been a Christian very long at all, but one of the first things the Holy Spirit taught me was to be quick to repent. You see this is the biggest thing that people have a problem with. No one likes to admit that they are wrong, and especially when they have been believing the wrong way for 30 years. It isn't an easy thing to do. This is what is called spiritual pride, and religion teaches it. Faith teaches to be quick to repent. And what happens is these religious people slip away from serving the Lord and start serving themselves. Puffing themselves up with pride and seeking the praise of man instead of praising God. Religion teaches that democracy is the way, because "if we don't like what you say we will get someone else that does agree with us." And the product of this is disrespect for authority and rebellion. Faith teaches dictatorship, and Jesus is the King whom we serve. Faith worships and serves God. Not its own image of what they think God is like. Some religious people believe that you do not have to change anything in your life but only say that you believe in Jesus Christ and you will be saved no matter what you do, and your way of life has nothing to do with you making it to heaven. This is what the enemy wants you to believe, but that is not the message of Jesus' ministry. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" These again are the words of Jesus. People who choose their own meanings behind the scriptures and proclaim it as the truth when really it is their opinion, these are really the false prophets Jesus was referring to. In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." If all we had to do is "say we believe" and nothing else this statement that Jesus said would not be true. If someone gets saved, then that person's soul is renewed. This means there is big change taking place within this person's spirit. If nothing changes for this person then they did not receive their salvation. Some religion teaches that you do not have to have works to be saved, and faith teaches the same, but you have to hold on to your salvation by doing the will of the Father. God knows our hearts, however believing is not going to stand alone and get us there. James 2:19 says, "...Even the demons believe-and tremble!" No you have to have faith. And faith never stands alone. James 2:17 says, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." These works do not gain you salvation, that was already bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ. No these works would be what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 7:21 when He said ...only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. If you walk the broad path in this world and do not do the will of God who is in heaven, then you will not make it. I realize that this is not a popular subject preached at the pulpit for it sounds very harsh. But I refuse to keep quiet of how costly false teachings could be to someone who believes once after they have obtain their salvation by being born again, that they can do whatever their will is and not God's and still make it in to heaven. No that is why there is so much sexual immorality and disobedience in the world today. And many of them claim to be Christians who are engaging in this type of behavior. God will not stand for it and neither should we. Many need to realize the deceitfulness of sin causes the hardness of their hearts and in turn causes spiritual death. That is why children of God are no longer sinners but doers of righteous deeds. If you sin you do need to repent from it in order to be forgiven of your sins. Hebrews 10:26 says, "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins," Saints, do not wager rather or not you will make it. If you do not know for sure without a doubt that you would make it to heaven if you died tonight then know that it is God's will for you to repent from your sins and come back to Him through Christ Jesus. Do not risk it. He paid to big of a price for you to gamble it away on foolishness.
In Christ,
Eric R Cox
In Christ,
Eric R Cox
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