Blog of Paul Hersee
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April 07, 2011
Spiritual Growth

I have come to realize an important factor of spiritual life which I was once not at all aware of.  I always had the theory that either one was either spiritual or not.  In my understanding there was no grey area.  You either were or you weren’t.  This, however, was a very immature perspective.  And it is in this immaturity that I realize that spiritual life is a growth period.  It has a beginning, but is fairly open-ended.  There doesn’t appear to be a limit as to how far you can progress and how much you can grow.  Spiritual growth is infinite. 

I like to think of spiritual life as a process which begins in this earthly life, and carries us through what time we have left on this earth, and well into our eternal lives in the Kingdom of God – heaven.  I really only became aware of the levels of spiritual maturity once could be at, when I found myself sharing experiences with another believer, only to find that they had little to no understanding of what I was talking about.  This is not a negative thing on their part.  It merely means that their experiences thus far, have not led them to such wisdoms as my experiences have.  And, by the same token, I have met many a believer who have had spiritual experiences which are far beyond anything I could have ever imagined. 

Peter describes it this way:

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. (1 Peter 2:1-3 NLT)

I have learned that sometimes we must be cautious of what we share with the world and also with our fellow believers.  I have discovered that we must tread with discernment and understanding so as to not alarm or deter people from pursuing the Father.  God only has greatness in store for us, and He will reveal His wonders to us at the times which He sees as the right times.  Know who you are in Christ, and respect the journey.

God bless

Dear Heavenly Father,

I ask that you will, each and every day; pour out your blessings upon your people.  I pray that you will fill us with your wisdom to overflowing, and open our eyes to that which you want us to see.  Surround us with angels and open the floodgates of heaven over our lives.

With all our love and honour we thank you.

Amen.


By: Paul Hersee - April 07, 2011 - Public
Category: My Blog
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March 01, 2011
The Lord's Prayer

The modern day version of the Lord’s Prayer is:

 

“Out Father, who is in heaven; hallowed by your name.  Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us for our transgressions; as we forgive those who have transgressed against us.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For your is the kingdom, the power and the glory now and forever.”

 

What is the origin of this prayer"  When I was growing up in the Catholic Church, it was never clear to me.  It wasn’t until I found Matthew 6 that I discovered it’s true origin and meaning.  Read Matthew 6:2-11.  Here we see Jesus instructing His disciples in wisdom & correct living.  Jesus instructs His disciples in how to be humble and not concerned with things of “self”.  Matthew 6 is a continuation of Matthew 5 where we see Jesus teching on the correct way to pray.  Think of that!  The people of God asking how to pray.  And, imagine the honor of being taught by the Son of God!  You see, prayer is the communication channel through which the Christian speaks with God.  It is the way that we receive God’s council and blessing and it is the medium through which we achieve closeness with Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus says: “And when you pray, do not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen.  I say to you, they already have their reward.  But when you praye, enter into your closet (quiet play), and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father in secret.”

 

It is at this time that Jesus Christ recites the Lord’s Prayer.  How beautiful!

 

I encourage you to read the previous chapters of Matthew where we see Jesus speaking further on hoe selfless people of God do not seek God for themselves, but for the glory of the Heavenly Father.


By: Paul Hersee - March 01, 2011 - Public
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January 25, 2011
Power Of Suggestion

Has anyone ever found themselves worrying about something that they know in their heart of hearts; is rediculous"

 

The power of suggestion is an extremely strong force.  This concept dictates that the mind will follow it's thoughts.  A great deal of sdvertising uses the power of suggestion to make people remember their jingles and their products.  They will flood us with their literature and TV commercials and eventually you have it in your head.

 

This power can also be used for malicious and terribles means.  For example, say you were at home and your husband/wife was driving to a country town that night.  Later that evening you hear on the radio that there has been a major accident on the freeway which your partner was driving on.  In  your mind you start to worry about them, so you call them on their phone.  There's no answer.  Now your mind will start to find ways to justify that worry.  It will build scenarios and draw connections and conclusions which reinforce the idea that your loved-one has been killed in that accident.  Now you start to panic.  In fact, the reality of the situation is that your partner had stopped for a coffee on the way to their destination and the reason why they didn't answer the phone is because they left it in the car while they were in the coffee shop.  Do you see how the mind can work against us when worry and fear are involved.

 

The enemy knows how our minds work, and can set such chainreactions in motion.  The enemy can implant images, concepts and thoughts in your head and will try to make them seem like the truth and more than that; the truth about you.  The more you worry that a lie is true, the more your mind will try to find ways to reinforce and justify those lies to make them seem like the truth.  Revelation 20:10 refers to Satan as the deceiver of the brethren:

 

"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

 

He will take your worst fears and tempt you to believe that they are a reality, so be on guard!  As Christians, it is our duty to put on the full armour of God everyday.  The armour is described in detail in Ephesians 6:11.  I would like to draw special attention to the helmet of salvation.  The helmet protects your mind from the enemy and the fleshy thinking of our human bodies.  The thoughts and attacks of the enemy are what Paul referes to in this book as: "firey darts".  Use your shield of faith to deflect these arrows.  Know who you are in Christ and know that who the enemy says you are, is an absolute lie!

 

In this same defensive manner, be careful about what you think about.  The power of suggestion is powerful and can lead yout o be deceived and confused about who you really are and what is really happening around you.

In 2 Corintheans 10:5, Paul says:

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

 

This MUST be done on a mental level and spiritual one!  I cannot stress this enough.  Allow the Lord our God to be in control of our thought life.  Plead the blood of Jesus over you and the Holy Spirit into you at the start of every day to be one with God in his strength, His truth and His wisdom.  Remember, he IS the way, the truth and the life of each and every Christian.

 

I leave you this week with one of my favourite scripture from Philipians 4:8-9:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

 


By: Paul Hersee - January 25, 2011 - Public
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January 09, 2011
Righteousness of Man

Righteousness is defined by the Dictionary as: “Adhering to moral principles”.  We are told to be righteous as Christians, but let me ask you this; can we be righteous in our own rights and abilities"  Do we have the internal discipline to get up one morning and simply say: “From today forward, I choose to be righteous”" 

 

Indeed we are supposed to live righteously, but how do we obtain righteousness"  We obtain it as a gift from God on that very special day that we make the decision to live for Him.  It is only through faith in God that we discover the true meaning of living a righteous life.  It is in the pursuit of God that we discover the goal of living right and we give it everything we’ve got.  Paul said, in Romans 2:21:

 

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”

 

I have always thought it interesting to see believers who say that they believe in God, but then proceed to live a life of debauchery and weakness.  Friend, indeed it is true that God is all forgiving, but it is also true that he is not a fool.  He knows you better than you know yourself.  It is a blessing to know God, but it is a blessing to fear and respect Him also.  I am not saying that we should fear Him like a cowering child, but live with a profound and pure respect for the creator of all things.  Righteous living comes from a godly life and from the pursuit of moral and correct methods of living.  Righteous does not come from merely attending Church occasionally and living a faithless, godless life for the other six days of the week.  Jesus never told us that Christian life would be easy, but He did say that the blessings would far out-way the adversity. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

 

Believe me when I tell you that we do not have it within ourselves to be everything that God would like us to be.  His standards are so high!  But, what impresses God the most is that we draw near to Him and follow Jesus Christ and do our very best to mimic His teachings to be everything He has called us to be.  Paul goes on the say:

 

“There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,i through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”  (Romans 3:23-26 NIV)

 

We live a life which is opposed to the world, and in the pursuit of righteous living we find righteousness in Jesus Christ.


By: Paul Hersee - January 09, 2011 - Public
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January 02, 2011
Grace

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrew 4:16 NIV What is grace"  How many times in our Christian lives have we been taught about grace"  To truly understand grace and to grasp what it means to us, we must first understand the difference between Old Testament gospel and New Testament gospel.

 

What is grace"  Some would define it as the prayers spoken before a meal.  We are taught in Church to pray for God’s grace.  So what is it"  In the Old Testament mankind was presented with the Ten Commandments.  God revealed the commandments to Moses, who presented them to man as the laws of God.  We have all seen these commandments before:

 

ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.'

TWO: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'

THREE: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'

FOUR: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'

FIVE: 'Honour your father and your mother.'

SIX: 'You shall not murder.'

SEVEN: 'You shall not commit adultery.'

EIGHT: 'You shall not steal.'

NINE: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.'

TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour’s.'

 

In the New Testament, God saw that mankind was incapable of fitting into these rules and guidelines.  God sent Jesus Christ, His only begotten son, to be a living sacrifice for the sins of man.  Understand and think about this concept for a moment.  Before Jesus, followers of God would sacrifice animals to God on an alter.  They would slay a calf or a lamb and offer it as an offering to God.  In the temples, the alter was often separated from the people by a sheet and only the holiest of clerics were allowed inside that partitioned area.    Jesus Christ came to earth to offer Himself as a living sacrifice for the sins and death of man.  Now, before I go on, please allow me to make it clear that I am not by any means stating that Jesus made it okay for man to sin.  Not at all!  In fact, it is in the forgiveness of God that man discovers the unattractiveness of sin.  Man does not have what it takes to be worthy to enter into the kingdom of heaven.  He are not righteous in our own abilities.  The rule of law and religion dictates that in order to enter into heaven, one must impress God with good works.  And yes, indeed good works are essential in a Christian life, but they are not what save us.  The gift of salvation is only by Jesus Christ.  Grace is Jesus Himself.  Grace is a gift.  It cannot be earned or achieved by will or effort.  If someone gave you a free holiday to Hawaii, but then informed you that you must pay them $5 a day for the rest of your life, this would no longer be an act of grace, but an act of law.  This is why many Christians today, do not completely believe that they are forgiven when they repent.  They believe that simply repenting is not enough, that they must mope around and have a “pity party” for the next few weeks just to show God that they are really sorry.  Romans 11:6 NIV says: “And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.”  Grace must be selfless and given without repayment.

 

Jesus offered grace for our sins so that we would not be damned by them.  He so loves us that He defeated sin and death for us.  In Church we are told that we are “covered by the blood” of the lamb of God.  What is meant by this"  This means that when God looks at us, he does not see you, but His son, His daughter, His precious gift.  We receive this grace when we surrender our lives to God and allow Him to work in us and fill us with the Holy Spirit.  Some may think that this is the easy way out, but I beg to differ.  Surrendering one’s sins to God is more than just words, it is faith at its most potent and knowing without a shadow of a doubt that you can let go of all your transgressions.  It is only then that God’s grace becomes known and is felt inside.

 

What should be taken away from this blog"  Grace is not what is earned through religious, structured and enforced means.  Grace is not achieved through works and intentions.  Grace is a gift from God, the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, which sets us free and allows us to fulfil a life of good works.

 

I’m sure I will speak on this more in the coming weeks.


By: Paul Hersee - January 02, 2011 - Public
Category: My Blog
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