The Jabez Experience

10 He (Jabez) was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, "Oh that you would bless me and extend my lands! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!" And God granted him his request. (1 Chron. 4:10, NLT)

Before you impugn this request as being too “me” centered, consider the following. According to Scripture Jabez was a man described as honorable. And as to motive; a deeper look will reveal a very God-centered heart. Jabez clearly reveals that it has always been God’s desire to bless and prosper His children.

Let’s consider an expanded (amplified) version of his prayer. This is a look behind the words ‘bless me’ to their shades of meaning. Jabez’ prayer actually provides a window into the true heart of God. And it reveals that our only true route to being a blessing for God is by embracing all of His blessings toward us. Consider this version as a revelation of some of the multitudinous ways God desires to Bless His Children Daily!

 “Lord, bless me indeed. Do something so big in my life that it is obviously from you. Increase my influence and opportunity for you, and give me a sense of your continual presence and direction. Protect me from falling into Satan’s traps. I will always await and receive YOUR answer with great child-like anticipation, joy and gratitude.”

Would you characterize God as one who only richly blesses and prospers you and me at all times? If not, why? Could it be that we need an adjustment to our view into the true character of God? The weight of God’s Word bears this out beyond any doubt. And Jabez was the norm not the exception! God’s thoughts, motives, actions, intentions and will are always to bless, provide for, protect, and prosper all.

Paul expands on these truths in his letter to the Church at Rome.

“1 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

2 Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

3 I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.” (Romans 12: 1-3, Msg.)

Could I be so bold as to challenge you to pray this prayer for a week and journal the answers or changes you experience? If for no other reason than to become more sensitized to God’s blessings and thereby become more grateful. I suspect you’ll be glad you did!

Living the Jabez experience! Ron Ross

True Change

“When he (Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:  in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. (John 16:8-11, NIV)

At first glance this passage might seem to be harsh or difficult to understand. Quite the opposite is the truth. First the word convict or conviction is directed toward the unbelieving world and simply means they have yet to “become absolutely convinced by irrefutable argument” of the finished redemptive work of Jesus.

And second this function of Holy Spirit’s work in all (unbelievers and believers) is called ‘prevenient grace” or the grace that draws us to saving faith in Jesus. And third, the best news for and of all is that the “prince of this world” is already judged and condemned for all eternity.

Holy Spirit convicts the world of where it is falling short; in “sin,” in needing Christ’s righteousness and God’s total judgment of the prince of this world. Contrary to popular religious thinking, the Holy Spirit "convinces" Believers of truth and reveals lies we have believed. His primary ministry is not to convict us of sin but convince us that Jesus has cleansed us of our sins and that we share in his righteousness. This convincing of truth allows us to "change our minds" (repent) and think differently. Every time we believe the truth it sets us free!

"True convincing (conviction) leads to a change of thinking (repentance), and it happens in an atmosphere of love and acceptance without the presence of condemnation."(Pg. 107 Pure Grace).

In the grip of Glorious Change, Ron Ross

In Summation

“Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don't really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don't let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me.

This, in a nutshell, is that will: that everything handed over to me by the Father be completed—not a single detail missed—and at the wrap-up of time I have everything and everyone put together, upright and whole. This is what my Father wants; that anyone who sees the Son and aligns with him will enter real life, eternal life. My part is to put them on their feet alive and whole at the completion of time.” (John 6:39-40, The Message)

What is meant by summation? Summing up is to bring to a conclusion-the final say! Following are some definitions for a Summation:

1.     Final argument in court

2.    Summary of something said…a summary of something said and/or written

3.    Total…the total amount or aggregate

4.    Addition…the process of adding something up to find a total

5.    In conclusion-bringing to a close

Jesus used some very strong words in this passage that got me meditating on why we worry so much. If in fact; if these definitive words of Jesus are true, (they are) then we need to adjust our system of belief. Yes, is the right answer according to the words of Jesus! Let’s take a closer look at His assertion of completion.

In these days of explosive uncertainty, we need an anchor for our dreams, hopes and faith. Jesus is that anchor of certainty! He knew we would go through very uncertain and difficult times and provides us with unshakable assurance. Can we finish this race with a certain excellent outcome? YES!!!

Jesus hit the bulls’ eye that obliterates worry, uncertainty, doubt and unbelief. His declaration on Calvary’s Cross is the foundation upon which all faith is built: “It is finished”.

That means His redemptive work is complete. He summed up everything needed for our salvation, hopes, destiny and dreams. We have a brand new reality! The old is gone forever and the “NEW” has come forever! “Everything handed over to me by the Father is completed-not a single detail—missed—and at the wrap up of time I’ll have everything and everyone put together, upright and whole.” You can rest in His peace, grace and love.

In the grip of Papa’s certainty! Ron Ross

How is it Working for You?

Is Jesus not enough? Does what He accomplished on Calvary fall short? Can we add anything to our salvation? Can we study enough to figure a strategic path to wholeness? Does doctrinal purity overcome sin and fleshly appetites? Does the Magnificent Love of God fall short in wooing us into pure inner motives? Is the Great Grace of Jesus a ‘nice’ and ‘sweet’ ideology? God forbid!

"Because helping people control their flesh through human effort and adherence to rules is not only a thankless but never ending task, most leaders employ any strategy that promises even a measure of success. Guilt, shame, condemnation, and threats in God’s name are presented by the enemy as viable options. The church has swallowed this lie hook, line and sinker!" (Pg. 106 Pure Grace)

If helping people manage sin is the goal of our discipleship process, and it seems to be in many cases, we will employ almost any strategy to help accomplish the goal.

Instead of trusting the power of Christ to internally transform, we attempt to change behavior through external applications of law. Until one believes that Jesus' work was finished and He is capable of thoroughly transforming human lives, the treadmill of performance is the only solution.

How are these religious strategies working for you? Would you like to get off the treadmill of correct and enough always falling short? Would you like to trade somehow ‘pleasing’ God in your own futile effort for walking by faith in ‘pure grace’?

2:1 Picture where God found us. We were in a death trap of an inferior lifestyle, constantly living below the 1blueprint measure of our lives. (1Sin is hamartia, which comes from ha + meros, meaning without form or without our allotted portion.) 2:2 We were all part of a common pattern, swept along under a powerful invisible influence, a spirit-energy that adopted us as sons to its dictate through unbelief. 2:3 Throughout that time every one of us were warped and corrupted in our conduct snared in a jumble of forbidden lusts, driven by the desires of the senses, totally engaged in an expression of a life ruled by mind games; it was as if a twisted passion parented a universal breed of people. 2:4 None of this could distract from the extravagant love of God; he continued to love us with the exact same intensity. 2:5 This is how grace rescued us: sin left us dead towards God, like spiritual corpses; yet in that state of deadness and indifference, God co-quickened us together with Christ. Sin proved how dead we were (the law confirmed it!) Grace reveals how alive we now are (the gospel announces it!) Before anyone but God believed it, he made us alive together with him and raised us up together with him. (We had no contribution to our salvation! God’s master-plan unfolded in the mystery of the gospel declaring our joint inclusion in Christ’s death and resurrection; God found us in Christ before he lost us in Adam! [Eph 1:4] In the economy of God, when Jesus died we died. God saw us in Christ, in his death and resurrection before we saw ourselves there! He declared our co-resurrection with Christ 800 BC “After two days he will revive us, on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in His presence.” [Hos 6:2]!) 2:6 (As much as we were co-included in his death,) we are co-included in his resurrection. We are also elevated in his ascension to be equally present in the throne room of the heavenly realm where we are co-seated with him in his executive authority. We are fully represented in Christ Jesus. (Our joint position in Christ defines us; this can never again be a distant goal to reach through religious devotion or striving, but our immediate reference).

Toit, Francois Du (2012-07-02). Mirror Bible (Kindle Locations 4077-4085). Mirror Word Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Herein is the power and eternal hope of the Gospel! Tell me, what else is needed? You can walk in this power! It is more than enough! You can become an Overcomer in Christ! He and what he has done is always ours in faith!

8:33 God has identified us, who can disqualify us? No-one can point a finger; he has justified us. (He has placed us beyond the reach of blame and shame, guilt and gossip!) 8:34 What further ground can there possibly be to condemn man? In his death he faced our judgment; in his resurrection he declares our innocence; the implications cannot be undone! He now occupies the highest seat of authority as the executive of our redemption in the throne room of God. (See v 1, also Rom 4:25.) 8:35 What will it take to distance us from the love of Christ? You name any potential calamity: intense pressure of the worst possible kind, cluster-phobia, persecution, destitution, loneliness, extreme exposure, life-threatening danger, or war? 8:36 Let me quote scripture to remind you, “Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.” (Ps44:22) 8:37 On the contrary, in the thick of these things our triumph remains beyond dispute. His love has placed us above the reach of any onslaught. 8:38 This is my conviction, no threat whether it be in death or life; be it angelic beings, demon powers or political principalities, nothing known to us at this time, or even in the unknown future; 8:39 no dimension of any calculation in time or space, nor any device yet to be invented, has what it takes to separate us from the love of God demonstrated in Christ. Jesus is our ultimate authority. (Romans 8: 33-39)

Toit, Francois Du (2012-07-02). Mirror Bible (Kindle Locations 1442-1447). Mirror Word Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Become a Jesus person filled with His Holy Spirit! Ron Ross