My Cup Runneth Over
MY CUP RUNNETH OVER[i]
God's promises are for His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.[ii] This is true for every aspect of heart, mind, body, soul, spirit, circumstance, family, culture, nation and church. By appearances, it is obvious that we, as a Christian culture, have not experienced the ultimate of God's promises. The aim is the fullness of Godly Fruit evident in every aspect of life. Apparently we have not yet fully embraced the means by which God assures those objectives.
Well intended, though we may have been, we have fallen short. What seems important is to observe those who are obviously fruitful and not merely those who claim to be fruitful. The fruit are the only proof.[iii] What seems important is to observe those who are increasingly fruitful in every aspect of their lives, not merely in some aspects of their lives nor merely maintaining the status quo. The proof is not merely the quantity of fruit but the quality of fruit and diversity of fruit. The proof is also in the fruitful ways by which we seek to cultivate Godly fruit. Godly fruit are not cultivated by ungodly means.[iv] The end does not justify the means.
The harvest is ripe.[v] It is possible to distinguish the good fruit from the bad fruit. The standards are clearly depicted throughout scripture.[vi] The standards are not debatable. The fruit is either good, or it is not good.[vii] God's Spirit is with us to lead us in all truth; consequently, we can know the heavenly standard.[viii] We can know what does not meet the heavenly standard. We can know what is essential to attain the heavenly standard. And we can seek to bear the fruit of those heavenly standards on earth in every aspect of our lives.[ix]
It involves a process, and it is a journey, as we seek to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect.[x] It begins with what we manifest as "Christ within our hope of glory."[xi] And it continues as Christ being formed in us.[xii] The redemption process is the same for all; however, the pathologies are unique to each individual. For some it may be likened to being healed of a cold. For others, it may be like being healed of a flu. For many, it is like being healed of a cancer. Regardless of how complex our scenario may be, we are assured that as we seek God first and His heavenly way, all else is added.[xiii]
If we are willing, God is able. If we believe, we may enter in more fully to the heavenly promises.[xiv] If we trust God by His Spirit to lead, we can rest assured that where God leads, God provides. If we continue faithfully one step at a time, we are assured of ever greater fruitfulness in every aspect of our lives. That is not only true here and now, it is true hereafter. God's blessings are eternal, just as God's heavenly life is eternal.
WHERE DO WE BEGIN?
It is important to pursue God's seeds of truth. However, if we have done so and the fruit have not appeared, it is important to discover why not. It could be that what we perceived to be the Godly way is not. Or, it could be that there are things that are interfering with the cultivation of those Godly seeds. The only proof is in the fruit.
There are countless words to try to describe what could be interfering. The simplest word is sin. It is all that is not of faith.[xv] It is all that is not consistent with God's Will and Way, Highest and Best. Just as partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not God's Will and Way, Highest and Best. One byte can evolve like a virus into endless pathologies of complex patterns that do not bear heavenly fruit. These are characterized by any and all deficiencies of heart, mind, body, soul, spirit, circumstance, family, culture, nation and church. They are self-evident and not to be accepted as God's will for us.
Unless these manifest pathologies are dealt with in God's ways, they continue to cripple us as individuals and communities of individuals. It takes more than knowledge, more than lip service, more than fleshly attempts to accomplish Godly objectives, more than scolding, blaming and condemning, more than walls, barriers and bombs.
It takes discernment and discernment is only possible with knowing, trusting and testing the leading of the Spirit of God to reveal the pathologies and deal with them in God's way. Anything less is merely superficial or temporary. We have already proved countless wrong ways. Let's cultivate God's right way and grow fruitfully together in unity and love.[xvi]
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS
- Prayerfully
affirm
Godly standards
God's Spirit to assure the Godly standards
God's Spirit to discern ungodly standards
Simple sin
Complex sin
mental
emotional
spiritual
generational
cultural
historical
- Prayerfully extricate all that is substandard
Snares of pathologies
Root patterns
- Prayerfully anoint with God's Spirit
Healing
Transforming
Inspiring
- Prayerfully give thanks for the Godly fruit
Conspicuous
Increasing
Unshakable
Everlasting
ENDNOTES:
[i] Psalm 23: 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
[ii] Matthew 6: 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
[iii] Matthew 12: 33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
[iv] James 3: 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
[v] Matthew 13: 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
[vi] 1Corinthians 13: 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
AND James 3: 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
[vii] Matthew 12: 33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
[viii] John 16: 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
[ix] John 10: 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
[x] Matthew 5: 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
[xi]Colossians 1: 25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; 26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27 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: 28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
[xii] Galatians 4: 19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
[xiii] Matthew 6: 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
[xiv] Hebrews 3: 18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
[xv]Genesis 3: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
AND Romans 14: 23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
[xvi] 2 Corinthians 4:1Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Matthew 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
The intent of CRA is:
>NOT to demean other religious perspectives but to share the rationale for a better way;
>NOT to insist but to proclaim what is perceived to be a more excellent way;
>NOT to convince but to reveal the perceived Truth and allow the Spirit of God to convict the hearts and >minds of those who are receptive;
>NOT to force feed but to share
>NOT to intimidate but to encourage;
>NOT to coerce but to invite;
>NOT to argue but to dialogue;
>NOT to divide but to unite.