Today we will be looking at the importance of those defining moments that make or break us in this life. The Bible teaches us that we should above all else guard our hearts for the issues of life flow from it. Unfortunately, just like you I have witnessed the many lives that have failed to see the seriousness of this protective effort on their part to govern the affairs of their hearts with biblical wisdom and discretion. The perils that often afflict their lives are due to this neglect of something that the Bible says that we are to watch carefully over. Our hearts!
 
There is recklessness in many of the believers in Christ today that just never seem to get it. Why? They presume that if anything good is going to happen concerning them then it will be because of luck or the sovereignty of God that has nothing to do with them. However, the Bible teaches that whatsoever a man sows, that shall he reap. You cannot see any viable proof in the Bible concerning man that did not require man's attendance, attention, yielded ness, surrender, participation, or any other kind of agreeing action on his part with God. You can't even get saved without getting involved through believing and confessing. Everything requires our participation if there is to be a real expectation for good in our lives. Once again, the Bible teaches us that without faith it is impossible to please God.
 
Our opening text is the beginning point, for the "new you." If you then be raised in Christ, then you will pursue things above rather than the beggarly things of this world that you once aggressively chased and allowed to diminish and limit your life. The developing and divine perspective that should be established within all of us; is that our life has become new due to the work of Christ in us who has also raised us up above the lower and base things that we once walked in. Our new found liberation in Christ is not an uncensored, undisciplined life that produces the illusion of freedom either, which simply becomes free acts that lead into more bondage. No! To be raised with Christ is to walk in the newness of the spirit, soul, and body which is being transformed by the washing of the Word day by day. In other words, your old nature has been wiped away by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the new you has been born into the very likeness and image of God.
 
I often wonder why there are so many preachers that preach to the believer as though he were still the old man. If I am always being presented the idea that I still have the image of the old man, how in the world will I ever be able to put on the new man? According to the Bible, the infallible Word of God, "As a man thinks, so is he." Here lies a truth that cannot be disputed. Therefore, if the Word is negatively being preached to reveal nothing but the old in me, than I cannot move beyond that old nature because that is how I perceive myself to be. Therefore, the strongest thing that would most rest upon our thoughts: will in fact produce the definition of how that man or woman will see themselves. You cannot help but emulate the very person that you see in the inner man. The Word was sent to define and clarify the real you. The truth is: His thoughts towards you are not for evil, but for good. The positive Word of God will move you more inline with who you really are if you do not allow man or your associations to redefine you based on their carnal interpretations. This brings us to our next passage of Scripture.
 
Colossians 3:9-10 (KJV)
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

 

I hope you that are reading this article know that when you were in the fashion of that old nature that you produced many deeds that were not exactly pure in their motives. Therefore, because we are a new creation through Christ Jesus we should no longer lie to one another based on those same lower judgments and assessments that we tend to use when we walked by the flesh in the image of the old man. We lie to each other when we propose to judge and act in a manner that is contrary to who we really are if we have in fact been raised in Christ Jesus. What do I mean? I can no longer look at my brother or sister in Christ and define them as anything less than whom they are in Jesus. Scriptures teach us plainly that we are to know one another by the spirit and not by the flesh.
 
Another point of reference that I would like to make is on the fact that Scripture should interpret Scripture and anything taken out of context leaves room for disastrous error. As we read above in Colossians, we are to put on the new man. But exactly how do we do this? According to this same theme or context in this passage we put on the new man through being renewed in the knowledge of His image who also created Him. Where do we find this knowledge? In the Word of God of course! No other document in all the world can validate or secure the description that fully and best reveals who God is but through His own Words of infinite wisdom. God's Word is reliable and expresses the intricacies of His purposes in much detail, and reveals the essence of His perfect character. This same Word illuminates in the hearts of men and women that receive its truth; and imparts into them the ability to be transformed as they become renewed in the knowledge of Him that has called them as His own.
 
Therefore, how many things do the saints of God have in common with each other? According to the Word of God they have all things in common (Acts 4:32; 2:44). As a deeper fact, the Bible teaches that all things are ours, whether that is a special teacher whoever he or she may be, the world, life, death, things present or things to come; all our ours (1 Corinthians. 3:21-22) and for our benefit. I have witnessed sadly, way too many believers that just fail to gain the right kind of knowledge consistently that could produce in them the attributes and characteristics of the person they really are in Christ. These pacifists ignore the revelations in God's Word that fully show and reveal the nature of Christ incarnated in us who believe. Old things have passed away and all things have become new as the Scriptures plainly teach us. Therefore, this is the divine clarion call that commands us to come out of the old and into the new by identifying who we are through the knowledge of that image to which we are born of, Christ Jesus. This is why we must quit lying to one another that are in the faith by referring to each other as anything less then what God says we are as His sons and daughters.  
 
Colossians 3:11 (KJV)
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

 

This is a passage that often just gets read over without considering the depth of what it is really saying. Here we find that the apostle Paul understood that there is neither Greek, Jew, religious advancement, Barbarian, intellectual, slave or free, black, white, brown, or yellow; Christ is all, and in all. The superiority or prejudices that often show up among the brethren is a diabolical spirit that desires to confuse and obscure the truth of who we all are in Christ. We have no problem believing that Christ is over all things; but we have a real great problem seeing Him in all, because we often focus on the flaws of our brethren rather than Christ in them. There is nothing that can trump Christ who is all, for that is settled forever in heaven; but we can easily not see Him in all, if we continue to lie to one another through carnal assessments that choose to look on the faults, skin color, wealth, education, or some other outward attribute rather than the person of Christ in them. Let's dig deeper in this teaching.
 
Matthew 14:35-36 (KJV)
35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

 

I can't help but reinforce this point of being renewed in the knowledge of the image of God by which we are born from. That image of course is Jesus Christ. We are not suggesting an earthly knowledge about Him that so many reach for in the name of religion and scholastic achievements. No! That kind of knowledge puffs up the individual because it is based all on what he can intellectually obtain with his mind, so as to be able to promote himself pride fully by what he knows. The knowledge to which we are referring to in this renewal process that the Scriptures speak of is becoming a replica of the original image of Christ Himself in us. This passage in Matthew will show undeniably what I mean by this. These men in this place were filled and convinced with the knowledge of Jesus Christ that He was able to do everything that He had said He could do. The proof of this renewed knowledge in them was their willingness to gather all the sick and diseased from around their country and bring them to this miracle worker that they knew would not fail to produce the divine manifestations that they had expected.
 
Let's focus on that very word, "expectation" for a moment. I like this word, especially as I reflect on the valuable knowledge that I have received from God's Word as it entered my heart. It breathes in me an expectation for what it has declared to be in me and what it promotes to exude from my life to others. Like these men who had expectations of miracles for those who were diseased, they infected them with their enthusiasm of hope. What were the results? They sought the Lord that He might allow these diseased folks to touch the hem of His garment and be made whole. Jesus didn't come up with that idea, their faith created an opportunity to draw on the Anointing. These men moved by the knowledge of Christ who was among them, and they worked the meeting to create opportunities for divine outlets for the Anointing to touch lives.
 
As I ministered to my congregation this past Sunday I suggested strongly the importance of taking ownership of the gifting or ministry that Christ has disbursed to you and you alone; and allow no one to alter its intended manner of operation or administration except the One who put you overseer of it. You will be the steward over what God has given you and no other will be held accountable for what God has released to you to manage. Therefore, protect with your life that which has been committed to you for His purposes even when well intended persons oppose it or take fault in it. The ministry that I have is mine to use for good, or for bad, and I will be held accountable to God for its production in this life, whether that production is little or great, good or bad. For when the time of accountability shall be called upon to give back to its rightful owner; there should be an increase of what it has produced under my watch. So it is for you and the ministry that God has placed in you. It will either be a glad day, or a sad and regretful day, depending on how you handled what you were responsible for.
 
My particular ministry is one that involves equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry. This is to promote the Word of God and help others to understand its teachings so as to enable them to be renewed in the knowledge of that same image without variances. In other words, helping people know what they have in Christ where their confidence will be on God rather than man, so as to produce an agreement between them and God's Word; which produces a manifestation. This does not mean that I will tell you what your gifts are, nor how you flow in them. I never read once in the Scriptures where Jesus held clinics or workshops on how to flow in the Holy Ghost. The requirement has always been the same that we are to yield to the Holy Spirit and His directives for our life in faith.
 
I never went to school to learn how to pastor or start a church. I believed, and then acted on that inward inspiration to be faithful to do what it was saying in me to step out and do. However, I must warn you there are many out there who feel they have a calling on their life to tell you how your ministry is supposed to function based on their ideas! My ministry is not theirs, and their ministry is not mine; therefore, attend to what God is doing in you and for the good of the kingdom instead allowing others to criticize or fashion the ministry that God gave you. I will make one more deliberate jab for those who prey on the ministries of others rather than tending to their own work. We do not study the Word of God to find out who isn't getting it right! We study it to see what is possible and at our disposal to promote Christ through bringing the kingdom up close and touchable.

 

Matthew 15:21-28 (KJV)
21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

 

I will close with this last observation from a most enlightening truth from an account where Jesus was confronted by a Gentile woman. We are still on this theme: The defining moment of who you are. Notice that Jesus was on a mission to which He would not detour from its intended course. Remember that Jesus said that He never said anything or did anything except what the Father was saying or doing. This is important to note as we read the above Scripture. When this Gentile woman cried out to Jesus to heal her daughter notice that Jesus did not answer her for He was headed to His commanded purpose from the Father. What was that purpose? We find that answer in verse 24. Jesus said He was called to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The time of the Gentiles had not began as of yet, for we know Paul would be sent to preach to the Gentiles and that would be later on after the death of Christ.
 
But notice the persistence of this Gentile woman as she pursued the Lord for her miracle on behalf of her daughter. The reason she was bold to reach for her miracle was because of the knowledge that she had of Jesus. What was that knowledge? Verse 22 gives us the answer to that question. "Have mercy on me, O'Lord, thou Son of David." Do you see that she had knowledge of something here? She knew He was the Son of God. This woman's knowledge catapults her right into an unauthorized area for a Gentile at that time to be able to ask for anything being considered as nothing more than a dog to the Jews. Yet, even though the Lord repeated this opinion that was in the hearts of the Jews prejudices against the Gentiles in verse 26, she responded back with such faith that it pulled her miracle right into her possession for her daughter. I tell you friends, there is no way that Jesus will ever send a Bible believing faith away empty handed! This woman had a defining moment that revealed who she was; a privileged child of God.
 
We are defining with every moment what we really are by the things that we are willing to let go of, or hold on to. Knowledge eliminates the obstacles of what may not be seen at the moment; but to those who believe it with great expectation there will be a performance of your faith when it has a promise to which it can speak from. Each of us that are believers has a ministry of reconciliation that we have received from Christ Jesus. Therefore, stop every spirit from stopping your expectations of what that ministry is here to accomplish for the kingdom of God. Your defining moment will be the things that you allow to influence the person that you are meant to be! Amen!