green apple with the red one standing out from the crowd – over a white background with reflection

Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.

Proverbs 29:18

Probably no topic is more fraught with ‘divisiveness’ than the subject of ‘separation’.  The idea of being separate from another has with it the connotation of doing something better, or, by many people’s estimation, ‘being better’, than someone else.  But, that simply is what it is.

Paul pointed this out himself, even while explaining that we should be unified.  He said,

For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.

1 Corinthians 11:19

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Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way.

Luke 10:4 NASB

When Jesus sent out his disciples here in Luke chapter 10, He gave these instructions, that they should not greet anyone on the way.  Various explanations are proposed for the reason why He gave such specific instructions, but the rationale can be found in both understanding the Scriptures, and the power of God (see Mark 12:24).

Jesus introduced this command with this statement, “Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” (Luke 10:3 NASB).

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Because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.

Deuteronomy 28:47-48

All throughout the Old and New Covenant, poverty is a part of the curse.  It is said, it doesn’t take much time of the hunger of famine to humble a man.  The same is true of poverty.

Christ’s Kingdom, Paul writes, consists of Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17).  When Paul wrote of not muzzling the ox that is treading out the grain, he said that the reason was that the plowman should plow in hope (1 Corinthians 9:10).

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But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Luke 10:42

Jesus told the disciples, concerning Mary, that only one thing was needful, or needed.  This one thing, sitting at His feet, listening to His words in humility, is all that was necessary.  This could be likened to the mustard seed, the simple seed of faith, willingness to hear His voice, as it says in the Proverbs, “Wisdom cries aloud in the street” (Proverbs 1:20).

But, let us consider another time in Jesus’ life, when there was something that seemed vital, but proved not necessary. Read more…

Who Christ Is In Me

Christ is the hope within.  He is the hope of Glory within us.

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Colossians 1:27

He is my high priest and apostle.

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession;

Hebrews 3:1

He is my Rabbi, Teacher, and Leader.

But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Matthew 23:8-12

He is the Head of the Body, First-Born from the dead.

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Colossians 1:18

He is the Head over all things for the church.

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Ephesians 1:22

He is my judge, lawgiver, and king.

For the LORD is our judge, The LORD is our lawgiver, The LORD is our king; He will save us–

Isaiah 33:22

He is King of Kings and Lord of Lord.

 which He will bring about at the proper time– He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

1 Timothy 6:15

What Christ Does In Me

Christ within us is our Advocate, our Comforter, Strengthener and Standby, abiding forever.

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—

John 14:16 AMP

Christ, who is both within and in heaven, lives to make intercession for me.

Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 7:25

He helps me in my weakness, and prays for me through unutterable.  And, when He does, He prays perfectly, always according to the will of God.

 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27

He reveals all things, even the deep things of God.

For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

1 Corinthians 2:10

He produces fruit in me.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

He brings me conviction, reprove, and correction.

And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;

John 16:8

I am His property, His possession. He owns me.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

2 Peter 1:9

He teaches me all things and reminds me of it when I need it.

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 that I said to you.

John 14:26

He anoints me with power, and makes me a witness.

[B]ut you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.

Acts 1:8

He is the strength of God.

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:11

He gives me strength so I CAN do whatever I need to.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

He guarantees my portion in God’s promise.

[W]ho is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:14

How Christ Is In Me

Christ Himself is the mystery of God.

[T]hat their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,

Colossians 2:2

He is my glory.  He lifts my head.

But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.

Psalms 3:3

He is the image of God.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Colossians 1:15

He is the radiance of God’s glory, resembling in every way.  He has become better than the angels.

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high

Colossians 1:3-4

He is my Beloved.  I am His, and He is mine.

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine, He who pastures his flock among the lilies.

Song of Songs 6:3

He is my Beloved, and He desires me.

I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me.

Song of Songs 7:10

He is my righteousness.

In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’ [Yahweh Tsidkenu].

Jeremiah 23:6

He, in me, is Love–the very flame of God.

Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the LORD.

Song of Songs 8:6

If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Isaiah 58:8b-12

Desire is the key to self-discipline.  If you want something, you are motivated to obtain it.

Consider the promises.

God will always guide you.  He will meet all your needs, even when in dry places.  You will never be in darkness–even in your darkest moments, it will be like noon day.  You will be well-watered, prospering in everything.  And, you will restore the things that had gone before, that have fallen, and been destroyed.  That which was from generations past, you will rebuild.

If that is the promise, what is God requiring?  The removal of the yoke.  The removal of the pointing of the finger.  An end to bad speech.  And, instead, to assist those who are oppressed, and to spend yourself on behalf of the hungry. If this is the requirement for that, shouldn’t we be devoted to it?

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For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Matthew 6:14-15

Jesus’ words on the subject of forgiveness are well known by many, and yet, still, the root of so many difficulties within the life of a believer stem from this issue of forgiveness.

The truth is, the heart is a complex, and very deep matter.  As Jeremiah said, the heart is deceitfully wicked, who can know it?  (Jeremiah 17:9).  But, speaking a little while later, the prophet wrote, “Heal me, and I will be healed;  save me, and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.” (Jeremiah 17:14).  I do not believe we have a wicked heart, as believers, but we do have one that requires the faithful purification of a loving savior. Read more…

The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.

John 17:22-23

True unity consists in obeying the first and second greatest commandments, in proper order.

One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’  On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 22:35-40

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Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 2:13-14

Hence lies the mystery of Jesus’ words regarding the Gospel.  As the Kingdom lies wholly within the realm of the Holy Spirit, and does not exist outside of the context of it, Jesus came as one teaching on a subject that no one could understand.

Think about it.  The natural man, the one without His Spirit, cannot receive spiritual truths.  They are utterly foreign to him, and he simply cannot discern them.  But, for the man with the Spirit, they speak of spiritual things using spiritual words.

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For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 2:11

As Peter wrote, we have become partakers of God’s divine nature through His precious and magnificent promises (2 Peter 1:4).  Now, we are His children, and as His children, we have the right to become ‘like God’, in the degree that He makes available.

Paul makes it clear that we are growing.  We do not begin in perfect faith, but we grow in faith, and mature, both individually and corporately, until we reach maturity.  This implies change, and this implies growth.  It is enough to be like Him.

[U]ntil we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:13

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