GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION
Have you ever noticed that Jesus did not just say “Father,” but rather “Abba-Father?” The Hebrew word for “Abba-Father” is an affectionate term for addressing your Father used by a more mature child. It would be used by a child who was around 13 or 14 years of age and knew his or her father’s status, character and power.
For much of my Christian life, I struggled to see God for who He really is. I thought of Him as my “Master.” I felt like He didn’t really like me; He only tolerated me because of Jesus. Every time I made a mistake, it seemed that God Almighty angrily yelled, “I’m going to kill you!”
But then Jesus would fervently intercede, “The blood! The blood, Father!”
“Oh, I almost forgot,” God would say as He stayed His hand of execution.
Praise God that’s changed! Now I know that our Abba-Father actually loves and cares for us deeply. As long as we see Him as “Master,” we can’t experience Him any other way. Many Christians are still trapped in that Master-slave mentality. Even though a slave may know the status, character and power of his master, only a son or daughter can call Him “Abba.”
The Greek word for “master” comes from a combination of two other words: the first one meaning “to be the pilot or the steer man of a ship” and “to be the governor or the guide, to be lord.” Jesus is our Lord, but He doesn’t treat us like a slave-driving master!
The second Greek word means “to exercise lordship” or “to be down upon.” Jesus didn’t see God this way—He saw Him as Abba. In His view of His relationship with Abba, He (the Son) was equal to and loved by His Father.
Have you heard the terms commonly used in the church today vertical or horizontal relationships? We think of our relationship with God as vertical and our relationships with people as horizontal. This very terminology reveals the mentality that God is a “down upon” God. But to Jesus, being a Son was a horizontal relationship!
Jesus came to give us that same, horizontal, Abba-Son relationship with our Father! God will never point out your faults or failures. You can rest assured that you are accepted in the beloved!
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. —Ephesians 1:6
Have you ever noticed that Jesus did not just say “Father,” but rather “Abba-Father?” The Hebrew word for “Abba-Father” is an affectionate term for addressing your Father used by a more mature child. It would be used by a child who was around 13 or 14 years of age and knew his or her father’s status, character and power.
For much of my Christian life, I struggled to see God for who He really is. I thought of Him as my “Master.” I felt like He didn’t really like me; He only tolerated me because of Jesus. Every time I made a mistake, it seemed that God Almighty angrily yelled, “I’m going to kill you!”
But then Jesus would fervently intercede, “The blood! The blood, Father!”
“Oh, I almost forgot,” God would say as He stayed His hand of execution.
Praise God that’s changed! Now I know that our Abba-Father actually loves and cares for us deeply. As long as we see Him as “Master,” we can’t experience Him any other way. Many Christians are still trapped in that Master-slave mentality. Even though a slave may know the status, character and power of his master, only a son or daughter can call Him “Abba.”
The Greek word for “master” comes from a combination of two other words: the first one meaning “to be the pilot or the steer man of a ship” and “to be the governor or the guide, to be lord.” Jesus is our Lord, but He doesn’t treat us like a slave-driving master!
The second Greek word means “to exercise lordship” or “to be down upon.” Jesus didn’t see God this way—He saw Him as Abba. In His view of His relationship with Abba, He (the Son) was equal to and loved by His Father.
Have you heard the terms commonly used in the church today vertical or horizontal relationships? We think of our relationship with God as vertical and our relationships with people as horizontal. This very terminology reveals the mentality that God is a “down upon” God. But to Jesus, being a Son was a horizontal relationship!
Jesus came to give us that same, horizontal, Abba-Son relationship with our Father! God will never point out your faults or failures. You can rest assured that you are accepted in the beloved!
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. —Ephesians 1:6
In this video we take a moment to remind ourselves what it means to be an ambassador of heaven who carry the King’s Name to use His power and authority to bring heaven on earth.
As an ambassador, you stand in delegated authority. When you rebuke a demon, it is as if Jesus is rebuking that demon; when you rebuke a sickness, it is as if Jesus is rebuking that sickness – that is the power of delegated authority.
To give someone the right to use your name is to give them your authority.
That person is authorized to speak as your representative.
Presently, Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father, waiting while His ambassadors (the Church) put His enemies under His feet (see Heb. 10:12-13).
As ambassadors, our priority is bringing alignment between Heaven and earth.
Click on the image to watch the Vlog:
Jesus said that we are to pray that it would be on earth as it is in Heaven (see Matt. 6:10).
In Heaven there is no sickness, no pain, no poverty, no divorce, no broken homes, no death. In Heaven there is total peace, love, and joy.
Therefore, as an ambassador of Heaven, these are the things that we pray into our surroundings.
It is time to move away from wimpy, weak-kneed, milk-toast, namby-pamby prayers like, “God, if it is Your will, would You please consider doing such and such?”
Ambassadors direct their authority toward the problem and demand results.
I am not saying that we make demands of God, but that we aim our authority at the problem.
For example, “Lazarus come forth!” or “Lame man rise and walk!” or “Demon come out!” or “Storm be calm!”
Like Jesus, ambassadors use their authority to address problems directly.
When you pray in the being of Jesus, you must be obeyed by demons, sickness, death, and circumstances as if Jesus Himself were commanding those obstacles.
I, Bas Rijksen, have no authority in my name, apart from Jesus.
In the natural, I am not a king, but as an ambassador of Heaven, I operate in the authority of the King of kings.
When I am praying, I am standing inside the being of Jesus, because that is where I find my authority.
Question: What in your environment needs to come into alignment with Heaven’s best: physical ailments, financial issues, your marriage, your children, your church, close friends, your employer and co-workers, and so forth.
Speak over each of these with authority as Heaven’s ambassador and watch it being transformed.
Have a splendishes day,
In this video we take a moment to remind ourselves what it means to be an ambassador of heaven who carry the King’s Name to use His power and authority to bring heaven on earth.
As an ambassador, you stand in delegated authority. When you rebuke a demon, it is as if Jesus is rebuking that demon; when you rebuke a sickness, it is as if Jesus is rebuking that sickness – that is the power of delegated authority.
To give someone the right to use your name is to give them your authority.
That person is authorized to speak as your representative.
Presently, Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father, waiting while His ambassadors (the Church) put His enemies under His feet (see Heb. 10:12-13).
As ambassadors, our priority is bringing alignment between Heaven and earth.
Click on the image to watch the Vlog:
Jesus said that we are to pray that it would be on earth as it is in Heaven (see Matt. 6:10).
In Heaven there is no sickness, no pain, no poverty, no divorce, no broken homes, no death. In Heaven there is total peace, love, and joy.
Therefore, as an ambassador of Heaven, these are the things that we pray into our surroundings.
It is time to move away from wimpy, weak-kneed, milk-toast, namby-pamby prayers like, “God, if it is Your will, would You please consider doing such and such?”
Ambassadors direct their authority toward the problem and demand results.
I am not saying that we make demands of God, but that we aim our authority at the problem.
For example, “Lazarus come forth!” or “Lame man rise and walk!” or “Demon come out!” or “Storm be calm!”
Like Jesus, ambassadors use their authority to address problems directly.
When you pray in the being of Jesus, you must be obeyed by demons, sickness, death, and circumstances as if Jesus Himself were commanding those obstacles.
I, Bas Rijksen, have no authority in my name, apart from Jesus.
In the natural, I am not a king, but as an ambassador of Heaven, I operate in the authority of the King of kings.
When I am praying, I am standing inside the being of Jesus, because that is where I find my authority.
Question: What in your environment needs to come into alignment with Heaven’s best: physical ailments, financial issues, your marriage, your children, your church, close friends, your employer and co-workers, and so forth.
Speak over each of these with authority as Heaven’s ambassador and watch it being transformed.
Have a splendishes day,
In this video we take a moment to remind ourselves what it means to be an ambassador of heaven who carry the King’s Name to use His power and authority to bring heaven on earth.
As an ambassador, you stand in delegated authority. When you rebuke a demon, it is as if Jesus is rebuking that demon; when you rebuke a sickness, it is as if Jesus is rebuking that sickness – that is the power of delegated authority.
To give someone the right to use your name is to give them your authority.
That person is authorized to speak as your representative.
Presently, Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father, waiting while His ambassadors (the Church) put His enemies under His feet (see Heb. 10:12-13).
As ambassadors, our priority is bringing alignment between Heaven and earth.
Click on the image to watch the Vlog:
Jesus said that we are to pray that it would be on earth as it is in Heaven (see Matt. 6:10).
In Heaven there is no sickness, no pain, no poverty, no divorce, no broken homes, no death. In Heaven there is total peace, love, and joy.
Therefore, as an ambassador of Heaven, these are the things that we pray into our surroundings.
It is time to move away from wimpy, weak-kneed, milk-toast, namby-pamby prayers like, “God, if it is Your will, would You please consider doing such and such?”
Ambassadors direct their authority toward the problem and demand results.
I am not saying that we make demands of God, but that we aim our authority at the problem.
For example, “Lazarus come forth!” or “Lame man rise and walk!” or “Demon come out!” or “Storm be calm!”
Like Jesus, ambassadors use their authority to address problems directly.
When you pray in the being of Jesus, you must be obeyed by demons, sickness, death, and circumstances as if Jesus Himself were commanding those obstacles.
I, Bas Rijksen, have no authority in my name, apart from Jesus.
In the natural, I am not a king, but as an ambassador of Heaven, I operate in the authority of the King of kings.
When I am praying, I am standing inside the being of Jesus, because that is where I find my authority.
Question: What in your environment needs to come into alignment with Heaven’s best: physical ailments, financial issues, your marriage, your children, your church, close friends, your employer and co-workers, and so forth.
Speak over each of these with authority as Heaven’s ambassador and watch it being transformed.
Have a splendishes day,
As a rule, the majority of believers in the church do not really understand faith. Many have come to believe that living by faith is virtually inaccessible for them and only really meant for the Super Saints. Others believe they have to “grow faith.” Still others feel that they are too weak or fallible to ever experience something good from God through faith. But nothing could be farther from the truth!
Whether you are cultured or uncultured, educated or uneducated, rich or poor, strong or weak, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is for you and will work for you! I like what Paul says in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth;…” But guess what? He also says that faith comes by hearing the Gospel or the Word of God!
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Our word for salvation comes from the Greek word soteria which speaks of "a condition where nothing is missing, nothing is broken and nothing is withheld—wholeness.” It is more than simple forgiveness and going to Heaven; it includes deliverance, protection, prosperity, peace, and healing. And according to Paul, faith is the agent that activates it in our lives.
“But I just don’t have that kind of faith,” you say. That’s the beauty (and power) of the Gospel—it’s not about you! It's about Jesus!
I remember a time in my life when I was just beginning to grasp this concept. One spring while we were still living in South Africa, I realized that no one in my family had been to the doctor all year. (This was very unusual for our family.) It stopped me in my tracks. Because as a faith preacher, I realized that I hadn’t purposefully believed God for healing, so I couldn’t understand how I was experiencing the benefits of salvation without “fighting the ‘so called’ good fight of faith.” That’s when God revealed and explained the true definition of our fight of the faith to me. He said, “Arthur, the scripture says when you are rooted and grounded in my love, you experience the fullness of my benefits!” (Eph. 3:17-19) I realized it wasn’t so much about my “faith,” but it was about me becoming fully persuaded and absolutely convinced of God's extravagant, unconditional love for me in and through what Jesus did for me on the cross!
So I stopped trying to do faith and began to believe and rest in the fact that God completely and unconditionally loves me. Because faith and living by faith will not make any sense, unless in the depths of our hearts we become fully persuaded that God "LOVES US UNCONDITIONALLY AND EXTRAVAGANTLY—without respect, boundaries, caution, limits, and without regret!
This is the true message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
No matter what has happened in your past, or what is happening right now, or what might happen in your future, God cannot and will not (He refuses to) stop LOVING YOU!
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love.Micah 7:18 (NASB)
This is a beautiful verse declaring the character and nature of God—who pardons our iniquity!!
Iniquity is a word that describes our fallen state and is closely connected to the idea of "indebtedness" or to be in debt!
How many of us know exactly what “in debt” feels like? When you owe money to someone it changes your relationship. You do things you wouldn’t ordinarily do because you feel indebted, and that sense of indebtedness ultimately turns into obligation. And eventually that obligation, if not relieved, will turn to hate.
For example, if Tom wanted to buy a house but could not afford the down payment, his wife’s parents might step up and say, “We’ll loan you the money. No interest. Just pay us back as you can.” It sounds like a good deal, so Tom agrees. They’re family, so no paperwork is drawn up. Tom and his wife buy their house and start enjoying life.
Soon it’s Easter, and Tom and his wife begin making plans to visit the in-laws. “Oh no,” thinks Tom, “I owe them money, and I can’t pay it. This is going to be awkward.” And even though the parents don’t mention the money, the money Tom owes remains in the back of Tom’s mind. Their relationship is changing.
Before Tom realizes it Thanksgiving is here, and it’s time to see the in-laws again. “We’ve missed you guys,” Mom says opening the door.
“Yeah,” Tom replies, “we’ve just been so busy.”
“Before dinner, would you mind helping me?” Dad asks. And although what Dad wants isn’t too difficult, Tom agrees because indebtedness obligates him to help—thinking that in some way he is paying his debt. But in the back of his mind he is thinking. When are you guys gonna move into a retirement home where you belong? They have people there who get paid to help you.
Unfortunately, this is the same mentality that many people have in their relationship with God, they serve God under a sense of indebtedness and obligation! Feeling that they owe God, and therefore need to do things for Him to pay back some of their debt!
Is there hope for this kind of relationship? Only if the debt is forgiven. Like the old song says, “We owed a debt we could not pay; He paid a debt He did not owe!” Praise God, Jesus has removed the debt of sin between us and God. Today, we can enjoy a debt free relationship with Him without fear, and without obligation. Our debt is forgiven!
Take a Mulligan
Have you ever played golf with a serious golfer? It can be intimidating. They have rules for everything! There are so many rules, they keep them in a little book and treat it with almost the same authority that Christians treat the Bible.
The first time I played golf in the United States, I realized that very few players
really paid any attention to the rules. It seemed like everyone I played with carried about six balls in their pockets, and every time they sunk a ball into the water or hit out of bounds they’d cry, “I’m taking a Mulligan!” and reach into their pockets for another ball. I couldn’t understand it. “You mean you just get to do that over without a penalty?!” I’d ask. “Yeah,” they’d say. “That’s taking a Mulligan.”
Now where I’m from, no serious golfer would consider using a Mulligan. And how many of us as believers feel that no serious Christian should get a penalty-free do-over in life either? But the Gospel of Jesus Christ shows that God is a God who gives us a do over without penalty, when we trust in His Son Jesus Christ!
"For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." ( "For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.]" (Romans 11:29 AMP)
All of us need a second, or third, or sixteenth chance for a do over along the road of life. And with God that chance is also possible without penalty! God’s never had anyone qualified working for Him yet:
But it was never about them. They weren’t the message, only the messenger. No matter how badly you have failed, or how far you have fallen, or how deeply you hurt today, with God there is always another "Mulligan" or another opportunity for a do over! Like Paul, we need to “forget what is behind,” (Phil. 3:13) take a Mulligan, and keep pressing forward in Christ!
The Goodness of God
God has always been after personal relationship with man—that’s why we were created. When God began dealing with man, it wasn’t enough for Him to just become “Abraham’s God.” God desired that each generation would know Him for themselves. He had to become “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” And how did He do that? By making Himself available for each man to experience—by showing each generation His goodness.
It’s not enough for us to know Him in a detached way either. We can’t just know about God—we need to experience Him for ourselves. He must become our God.
The Bible tells us to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). Taste is an experience born of expectation. When you sit down to a meal, you develop an expectation of what the food will taste like—before you ever eat it. You smell its aroma, it looks appealing decorating your plate, you even remember its taste from the last time you ate that meal, and your mouth begins to water in expectation. The problem is, someone else may have cooked that meal you’re salivating over, and your expectation may be wrong!
Experiencing God’s goodness is much the same. The “expectation” you create of what God will do in your life is often based on what others have told you about Him or how others have treated you in His name. But that expectation may be wrong!
1 Peter says, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3). It is our experience of God that becomes the catalyst for our spiritual growth. Without experiencing His goodness, we can’t make Him our personal God. And with a wrong expectation, we won’t want to experience Him. Are your unconscious expectations of God hindering you from experiencing His goodness?
Every time I teach on Divine Healing and show from the Bible that it’s always God’s will to heal everybody, 100%, all the time, inevitably someone will ask, “But what about Job? God allowed him to be sick!”
In other words, many people ask themselves “Consider Job: isn’t suffering God’s will?”
The answer: NO!
The Bible book Job has been the cause of much blame to fall on God.
Misunderstanding the story of Job and his friends has caused many Christians to view God as the cause of evil or even allowance of evil in their lives, therefore blaming Him for anything bad that happens to them, thinking: “if He allowed it to happen to Job, He’ll allow it to happen to me.”
Some will even go as far as saying, “Job was tried and tested (assumed by God) to see how steadfast his faith in God would be.”
I cringe hearing such accusations against God…
In this video we’ll cover a few things like:
Click on the image to watch the Video or click HERE to watch on YouTube.
You might wonder by now…”Why is Job’s story in the Bible?”
It is not there so we can look to him as a role model (we have Jesus!) but so that we might learn from his example. Those who don’t learn by example tend to learn by experience and experience is a harsh teacher.
For those of you who would rather not learn the hard way, here’s the lesson: It is always Satan’s intention to harm us; it is always God’s intention to bless us.
When you confuse the latter with the former, your reality will be defined by a lie making it virtually impossible to receive all that God has for you.
Yours till the cow mooooooooooooos,