Breathingbook

Let’s begin by looking at love at 1 Jn 4:8.

1 Jn 4:8 He that loveth (agapao) not knoweth not God; for God is love (agape).

Beginning with the word “agapao” we see its meaning is “the judgment and the deliberate assent of the will as a matter of principle, duty and propriety… being chiefly a matter of the heart.”

G25. agapao, ag-ap-ah’-o; perhaps from agan (much); to love (in a social or moral sense):–(be-) love (-ed). Compare G5368. (“…the judgment and the deliberate assent of the will as a matter of principle, duty and propriety… being chiefly of the heart” – From G5368’s note on G25.)

To put it another way, agapao is a decision one makes of their own free will to have an immovable love in their heart towards others. One might call this a regard, of sorts. One also might call it a “place” one sets aside. This is agapao love.

 Agapao love is a deliberate decision to regard continuously in love. It is a love that remains.

• It is like the love a very good mother always holds for her child, no matter what happens throughout their lives.
• It is like loving autistic children even though there’s none around you.
• It is like loving a neighbor you grew up with but, haven’t had contact with in years.

Agapao love is like that: a special regard. A “place” held in your heart with love.

G26. agape, ag-ah’-pay; from G25 (agapao); love, i.e. affection or benevolence; specially (plural) a love-feast:– (feast of) charity ([-ably]), dear, love.

When that love begins to move about, to or fro, from being more than simply a place or regard in one’s heart into becoming an “expression” of that love, then it becomes “agape.” The expression of love (agape) could be anything from:

• simply changing your expression on your face,
• offering your coat to one who is cold and in need,
• withholding alcohol from an alcoholic, or
• laying down your life for your friend.

Agape is the second word for love used in 1 Jn 4:8. Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s take a look at what it’s like to dwell in the anointing of God’s Word given freely to all believers. I’m not speaking here about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers – that’s a constant that’s given to all believers when they first believe in Jesus and receive Him as their Lord and Savior. The dwelling or indwelling anointing God’s Word is all about keeping of God’s Word. 

So, beginning with Psa 1:1-2, where we see the instruction to meditate in God’s Word day and night:

Psa 1:1-2 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.

So, right off the bat, we see there is a blessing for those who study God’s Word (Jesus is the Word) and meditate on it both day and night. What this speaks about is keeping God’s Words in your heart and mind, ruminating and chewing on them a bit… thinking to oneself, does this apply with that? Asking the Father, “Is this what you mean, or that?” Praying, “Lord, I don’t understand this right here, could you please help me to understand it?” or “Lord, could you please show me other scriptures that are related to this?” “Lord, could you help me expound on this right here?” Things of that nature, and such and such.

Studying God’s Word was a given for every Jew. Every Jew went to synagogue growing up and as an adult was expected to take their place in the rotation of reading God’s Word on the Sabbath to the other men in the Synagogue, such as when Jesus stood up in Lk 4:16-19 to read. In a nation God’s Word was supposed to reign supreme, any male Jew who didn’t take up keen interest in scripture would be an outcast.

The Lord Jesus, being the Savior and “Word of God made flesh,”took this even Further. In Jn 14:23-24, He told believers, if you love Me, you will keep My Words.

Jn 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My Words (logos): and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.

And then He said, those who “do NOT love Him” will NOT keep His Words.

Jn 14:24 He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings (logos): and the Word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me.

(The Greek word “logos” can mean “words” or “sayings”).

You see, Jesus IS the Word of God (Jn 1:1-5,14). This means God has supernaturally placed Himself within His Words. Therefore, reading the bible isn’ the same as reading a newspaper or studying for an exam. Rather, it’s a supernatural experience.
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God’s church is tempted in many ways, none the least than when they are given gifts from a supernatural God, but are not given understanding.

The obvious place any Christian should look for any explanation is in God’s Word, but if someone is unskilled as to how to find that information, it can be a challenge. No more challenging than when an unskilled believer sees scriptures pointing to the gifts in the bible, but then someone tells them it’s not good to ask such questions or God doesn’t use those gifts anymore, because they’ve become obsolete. It is true that a new believer asking questions about spiritual gifts is not what’s most important for them to learn first – basic doctrine is far more important – but every believer needs to know the scriptures about spiritual gifts and understand them. Unfortunately, if they don’t, they’re very likely to go looking where they ought not go for some kind of answer.

We need to love all the brethren with compassion and gentleness.

Knowing scripture is vitally important, but let’s reign in all the scriptures together to a full knowledge of them and include what the Bible says about spiritual gifts. As we stand upon the infallibility of Scripture, let’s look at all of it as current for today and not allow fear about past abuses of the gifts to thwart us in our cause. God is a good God and He will supply what we need according to His will (Phil 4:19).

Let us not turn from the challenge of teaching proper doctrine about Spiritual gifts, but instead embrace it. Let us not retire to traditions of the past, as the Jews did in their day, and missed the coming of their Messiah, but boldly approach the throne and lay this issue at Jesus’ feet and follow through faithfully.

Not only is inquiring about gifts not a bad thing, but it’s very important for believers to approach God for answers. Howbeit, His answer might sometimes be “No” but we learn none the less.

Due to the fact that spiritual gifts can be counterfeited by fallen angels, (evil angels can give special powers and authority to mankind Lk 4:5-7, Gen 6:2-4; Job 1:6,2:1; Psa 97:6-9, or Demons, Fallen angels, Little gods), it is imperative that those who have been given gifts or currently operate in the gifts know God’s Word for themselves so they cannot and will not be deceived. For whenever a believer doesn’t understand or know the scriptures about the gifts they operate in, they become more at risk for pure deception from darkness.

Read the rest of this entry »

Striving is trying to achieve something you think God wants you to achieve under your own timetable (Mat 6:25-34).

But what if it’s not something God wants you to achieve?

There once was a man and God came up to him. Soon they were standing in front a a very tall building. God hands the man a ball and pointing to a window up very high, tells him, “I want you to throw this ball up and aim at that window right there.” The man eagerly replies, “Yes, Lord! I’ll get right on it!” And so the man starts throwing the ball up towards the window. After some time has passed, God went back and stood before the man who now was looking very depressed. “What’s wrong?” God asked. “Oh, Lord! I threw the ball just as you told me – over and over, up towards that window – but try as I might, I was never able to strike the window! I’m so sorry, Lord. I let you down,” and the man hung his head in sorrow. ”Son,” said the Lord, “you have not let me down. I instructed you to throw the ball and aim at that window, and you did just that – I never once gave you instructions to strike it. I just wanted to see if you would be faithful to my instructions and not strike out on your own accord.”

Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

What else is striving? How about thinking if you achieve something, you’ll make God “happy.”

In the first place, it’s not us achieving anythingthat God does. Jesus did it ALL, and that means that He gets ALL the credit too! A bondslave might be commended by his Masterfor something he achieves, but the Master OWNS the bondslave and DESERVES every bit of the accolades for providing the bondslave with ability to do anything at all! The bondslave works the Master’s ministryand never presumes to claim the accolades of any venture as his own. No. The good bondslave gives glory to his Master.

Jn 16:13-14 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 show you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.

In the second place, God doesn’t need us to be happy. God is Joy, Peace, Patience, Faith, etc. (those fruits of the Spirit are fruits of HIS Holy Spirit – they describe HIM!). Read the rest of this entry »

Hello.

What do we call God’s generosity? God’s benevolence? We call it God’s Grace.

What the Holy Spirit “DOES.”  What do we call it?

We call it God’s Grace.

And you say, Grace is what the Holy Spirit “does?” Well, yes!

When the Holy Spirit “moves,” when the Holy Spirit “comes;” when the Holy Spirit “draws” people to the Lord; when the Holy Spirit “manifests;” when the Holy Spirit “speaks;” when the Holy Spirit “provides;” when the Holy Spirit “heals;” when the Holy Spirit is “generous;” when the Holy Spirit is “meek;” When the Holy Spirit “loves;” when the Holy Spirit pours out “faith;” when the Holy Spirit pours out” patience;” when the Holy Spirit abides in the specific letters or the ink on a page of the Bible or in a verse….. This is ALL Gods Grace. Read the rest of this entry »

Hi there! Welcome to Breathing Book. Please forgive the changes you might see in the site itself as I figure things out and move things around. With God’s help, I will keep this site up and in current form (one way or another). I just moved from my old hosting plan to a new provider, and I apologize for the delay that has caused.

You may have noticed the title and slogan, Breathing Book: It breathes and it’s all about Jesus. Allow me to give a bit of background on why I chose that. The book – the only book – that breathes is God’s Bible; God’s Holy Word. I say that because through prayer, life’s experiences, as I’ve made my way to where I am now in my understanding, every time I turn to God’s Word, I gain something new from God. That might be faith, hope, peace, revelation in the form of insight, whatever. The process by which God breathes on me is wholly mysterious. Bottom line is I know it doesn’t come from my own knowledge.

God breathed it. Read the rest of this entry »