Sovereign over us https://youtu.be/vw5osFG4WZk
We have been using a Devotional I got from Sylvia Gunter about removing bad roots and replacing them with good, Godly roots.
If we want good fruit, and we do, we need good roots.
An apple tree does not grow from a prune seed.
So we have been looking at couplets based on different scriptures.
I think our pivotal scripture is Hebrews 12:15
English Standard Version
15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;
Bitterness can take many forms. It always arises from a hurt. The hurt may be valid or just our perception but the pain is very real either way. If we cling to the hurt, as opposed to releasing it (usually by repentance and forgiveness) a bitter root will invariably spring up. We will be defiled. We will defile others. And the hurt/wound will be compounded rather than healed.
Who wants that???
We have discussed:
Removing all roots of prejudice (favoritism, discrimination, tribalism, tradition).
And replacing them with fear of God, Godly wisdom and the ministry of reconciliation.
Removing the root of walking in the flesh (carnality, divisions, envy, jealousy, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness).
And replacing it with walking in the Spirit and being rooted in love and filled with all the fullness of God.
Removing the roots of soulish talk, criticism, and curses And replacing them with speaking blessings and cultivating restoration.
Removing the roots of bondage (control, greed, exploitation, oppression).And replacing them with Christ’s humility and having no other gods before The Lord .
Removing the root of pride And replacing it with a heart of repentance and humility.”
Tonight we are going to talk about a GOOD one. One that is rampant in our cultures.
We are going to discuss removing the roots of deception (hypocrisy, lying).
Acts 13:10, 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
Dodi Note: Oh my, that is almost harsh. Let’s see what the context is. Paul and Barnabas had been on an evangelism mission of sorts. They had gone to quite a few places then..
6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.
7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
Next we see the consequence to Elymas…
11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.”
Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
So God did discipline Elymas. But in this example we see mercy and provision and redemption.
Elymas was trying to influence the proconsul away from the faith.
God set a temporary punishment on him.
But God did it in order to bring the proconsul, and who knows how many others, to saving faith.
Isn’t that interesting? While he was blind…others led him about.
Heb. 3:13, 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Dodi Note: I love the phrase…as long as it is called “today”. There will come a time for all of us when the window of opportunity can close.
It could be our death. It could be the death of someone we neglected to share Jesus with. Or it could be the Second Coming/ Return of Jesus. We don’t know.
But we do know that we are to speak truth in love as we exhort others to turn from willful chosen sin and turn to the Love of God.
And do you also see…. a side effect of chosing sin? Our hearts and minds can be hardened. Once that happens we may not even think of that behavior as sin.
We can easily see that in the culture around us…but…are….there…. possibly…areas…in our own hearts/minds/actions/choices where we have become hardened? And need a brother or sister to privately show us what we can’t see?
It could be as simple as being bossy, critical, neglecting quiet time, or any other thing.
I hope each of us have close personal relationships where we are free to speak the truth to one another in love. This is best done in a loving community in real life. If you do not have that I pray one day you will. It is a treasure to have such friendships where Jesus is the center.
2 Corinthians 11:3, 3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
Dodi Note: This feel like “oh my” to me again. How easy it was for Eve to be deceived and led astray.
Is there any area of our own life, where we have been, are being, or are currently being tempted to be deceived or led astray?
Especially in our thought life…which…can lead us AWAY FROM sincere and PURE devotion to God.
It could even be the “news”.
We can ask Holy Spirit to show us. To search our hearts and show us any evil ways or bitter roots.
2 Thes. 2:3-4, 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
Dodi Note: I can’t really discuss this because I am not studied up on end times.
But I can pull the preceeding verses and let the Word instruct us.
2 Thes. 2:1-2
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
It seems clear that we are not to be shaken or alramed by anything. But to entrust all that is “us” to the care of the Lord Jesus.
Then she takes us to:
2 Thes. 2:9-12 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Dodi Note: I see some key words…”activity of Satan”, power and FALSE signs and wonders, wicked deception (for those who are perishing because they refused to LOVE the TRUTH and so be saved…so that refers to non-Christians.
And it says that those who have/had pleasure in unrighteousness…We sure can see evidence of this.
But what if…instead of getting angry at “them”, at the culture, we prayed for them?
What if we recognized that they are deceived and need the Light of Jesus?
And what if we were able in all humility to model true Christianity…which the Bible says is in part to take care of orhpans and widows?
Would that make a difference?
Maybe not to multitudes, but maybe to the one God places in our sphere of influence?
Now we get to replace the roots of deception (hypocrisy, lying) with knowing and receiving the Truth.
Dodi Note: That sounds good, doesn’t it?
John 8:32, 36;
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Dodi Note: If we KNOW the TRUTH, then the TRUTH will set us FREE. Free from all bondage, all bitter roots, all habitual ways of acting and thinking which are NOT in line with the nature and character of God as revealed in the Bible.
So how do we do that?
And Who is Truth?
John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
We do it… by surrendering to the LORDSHIP of Jesus. One big step and then, I believe, many daily or moment by moment steps of obeidence.
We have the BEST promise ever. It is a Gift. It is found in John 16:13. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
Dodi Note: At New Birth we received the promised Holy Spirit and he will guide us into all the truth.
There is a verse that popped into my mind, as I read this. Being born again, we are spiritual babes. We GROW into maturity.
One verse says: Philippians 1:6
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
He who began a good work..in each of us on the day of our redemption….will continue it…
Could that be in part by revealing, and removing and healing “bad” roots and replacing them with God roots?
And the other verse is:1 Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
We gotta “grow up”.
Let’s almost end with Eph 3: 14-21For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
And lastly… may this also be our prayer as we go through the next days and weeks and months and years:
Psa. 31:5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
So then at the end of the Devotional Sylvia offers this prayer:
I choose to repent from each of these roots and any others you reveal to me in all my relationships.
I also cry out on the behalf of the church that we as the body of Christ would repent from these roots for the sake of the nations.
God, pull up these roots of the enemy and establish the names of our Lord who is the Victor and our Redeemer!
AMEN
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).
Colossians 1:10 - Amplified Bible (AMP)
<10> so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord <displaying admirable character, moral courage, and personal integrity> , to <fully> please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing in the knowledge of God <with deeper faith, clearer insight and fervent love for His precepts> ;
John 6:37 - English Standard Version (ESV)
<37> All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
Romans 10:9-11 - English Standard Version (ESV)
<9> because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. <10> For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. <11> For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."