The further you go with God, the less you can take with you. The Acts 5 church walked in great power and favor and none came to them lightly. We need to host the Presence with conscious awareness. The enemy wants you anxious because you create the environment around you that is inside of you. Try to live in such a way that nothing gets bigger than the presence of God in your live. You are only good for a problem if you go with knowledge that the spirit of the Lord is upon you.
In 1 Peter 2, faith is contrasted with disobedience, not unbelief. Where there is no faith, there is disobedience. Faith does not grow by striving, it grows by surrendering.
The church thrives in opposition, the greatest difficulty is how we perform in blessings. A person is tested by the praise that is given to them. He will bless the world before will bless the carnal believer.
He looks for those who can handle the honor and praise. If you cant handle honor you will have nothing to place at his feet.
You have not been modified, you have been transformed. God doesn't just want to reform the church, he wants to transform the world.
In Acts 15, the apostles had gathered because Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles. The Pharisees (those who understood the Law) wanted the Gentiles to follow the Judeo Law. After the meeting in Acts 15, it was decided that the Gentiles were not required to follow the Old Testament Law. In the same way, as those from the New Age movement encounter God, are we going to hold them to our standards or only the key things that could adversely affect their relationship with God?
God favors both the righteous and the unrighteous. We are called to love our enemies and bless those who persecute us. We need to love in a felt way that has action on it. How does a holy nation behave to other nations? Honor all people, honor the king.
