Author: Hal Hollister Ministry

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.” Romans 3:21-22

God spoke to me last night about the subject of righteousness apart from the law.

For the moment, please forget about religion. How can a mere mortal like you and I live with God? First of all, you can only come to God through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This is the starting point. There is no other way.

God is perfect and without any sin. His characteristics are greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty. He has power and dominion over all things in heaven and earth.

You have to recognize you are unclean and can never match up to the holy standards of God. This condition will never change so you need a mediator to forgive your sins (or blot out your transgressions) and restore you to God. Jesus is your mediator and you live in oneness with Him through the Holy Spirit.

God does not want your righteousness. It has no value to Him. And, you cannot do anything to earn His righteousness. This includes all aspects of religion. There is not any list of laws or works you can perform that will bring His righteousness.

You have to live with Jesus by faith. Trust Him for your every need and live in obedience to His voice. Live by faith not by sight. Your hope is in the promises of God.

Your genuine expression of faith will bring the righteousness of God. The Holy Spirit will sanctify you with the precious nature of God.

Demonstrate your faith in God through your thoughts, your words, and your actions. God measures you by your faith not by your works.

The righteousness of God is a gift that will come to you through your unyielding faith in the Son of God! Jesus loves you!

 

“The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” Psalm 9:9-10

Oppression is prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control. As an example, the Israelites lived in oppression in Egypt for forty years.

The world brings oppression because it is not aligned with the precepts of God. Sin is the cause of oppression and the conflict is between light and darkness. People prefer to live in darkness and find their satisfaction in the things of the world. You can easily get caught up in this conflict and at times see no way out.

You can be oppressed in the workplace or by a spouse or relative. In the United States, another form of oppression occurs through our government which continually passes laws that contradict the laws of God.

God hears the cries of the oppressed and is a refuge for all who seek God when in trouble. He desires to be your safe refuge and a place of peace and comfort.

When in trouble, you can examine all your options for help however there is only one viable option that you can trust with all your heart. God is infallible and has power and dominion over all things. He will never forsake you in time of oppression.

God lives by His Word and promises to help those who put their trust in Him. Reach out to God by faith and He will rescue you just like He did with Daniel who was facing death in a den of lions.

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and accepting it in your heart! Jesus lives so you can live!

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 16:24-25

If you walk with Jesus you will be baptized in the work of the Cross.

The dynamic of the Cross is both death and life. You die to self which at times can be very painful and you live the resurrected life of Christ Jesus.

The Cross makes you give up the right to yourself. You lose the privileges of a self centered life and begin to live for Jesus. In reality, your life is no longer yours; it belongs to God and He can do with you as He pleases.

You lose your life because your priorities change from earthly values to spiritual growth. You have to reach the point in the deepest part of your heart and soul where you can say “Not my will but Yours be done”. At this moment, you have been crucified with Jesus and the life you now live is to please Him.

The Cross causes you to be transformed from a self sufficiency lifestyle to a life of faith. Your help comes from the Lord and He becomes the source for providing for your every need.

When you look into your life and see emptiness or desolation, you believe the work of the Cross calls things that don’t exist as if they did.

The Cross also redefines your definition of a role model and changes your value system. The personality of Jesus enters into your life and you develop humility and compassion for others.

The Cross changes your approach to securing prosperity and a quality lifestyle. Your priority becomes to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. This act of faith pleases God and will bring an abundant life filled with the goodness of God.

The Cross is a new way of living without compromising to the values of the world!

“Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

It was impossible for almost anyone to come into the presence of God until after the death of Jesus. God erected a veil to distance Himself from the sins of the people. He would not allow His holiness to be contaminated by man.

God spoke to Moses and laid out a plan for how He would forgive sins through animal sacrifices. He also created a library of complex laws the people were compelled to obey.

These laws are referred to as the Old Covenant. They are perfect but no one can keep these laws and they brought condemnation and death upon the Israelites. The laws proved that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Even today, if you try to please God through keeping His laws and doing works you will fall into condemnation and fail God.

Moses would meet with God and after leaving His presence he wore a veil to cover his face. This was to prevent the Israelites from seeing the fullness of the glory of God. They were an unworthy people and not justified to be near the glory of God.

This veil between man and God was broken when Jesus died on the cross. This was the final sacrifice for sin and allowed man to be restored to God and to live in His presence.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the only mediator between you and God. When you make a decision to live for Jesus the veil is removed and you can see the glory of God.

You are freed from all the laws and have liberty through the ministry of the Spirit to come to the throne of God with confidence and boldness.

The glory of the Old Testament has faded away and has been replaced by the splendid glory of Jesus Christ. This glory exceeds anything in the past and is a gift to you from your Father in Heaven.

You now have an unveiled face and it is like looking in a mirror and seeing your transformation into the image and glory of God!

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

I was laying in bed last night and God spoke to me about the despondency of His people and how many have lost hope in almighty God.

The Holy Spirit explained to me the action of “truancy” is widespread in the body of Christ. You choose to take a leave of absence from God and become non compliant to the covenant you made with Jesus.

Truancy happens for many reasons however the root stems from unbelief in the promises of God. You develop a lackadaisical attitude towards God.

Like the Israelites, believers fall into unbelief and judge God on the circumstances of their life and not on His Word. Your conduct becomes an act of reprisal towards God because life is not going your way.

To overcome truancy, the correct approach is to reexamine your commitment to God. When you make a decision for Jesus you are agreeing to die to self and live for your Creator. Your life no longer belongs to you. It belongs to Jesus. And, you live to please God!

As a new creature in Christ Jesus, you are born of the Water and the Spirit and old things pass away and all things become new.

God is very lenient and full of compassion. Ask Jesus to cover you with His blood and restore you to Himself.

The act of truancy only hurts you and those around you and will eventually lead to misery and death. The reality of the Living Christ is He wants to give you an abundant life in an imperfect world.

Invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life and He will increase your stature and comfort you on every side. Jesus desires to give you more than you ask or think!

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” Romans 8:5

Many times you and I create our own problems. What happens you have a desire to do something which sounds good and you proceed. Then things go crazy and you find yourself out of the will of God.

There is a very subtle change that occurs in your inner being when you make decisions out of your feelings and ignore the counsel of the Holy Spirit.

You rationalize this seems like a good idea but the end result turns out to be misery and destruction. In reality, you are accepting a temptation from Satan who makes you think all is well.

It is like shifting gears from God to self and when this happens you lose the protection of almighty God. Remember, your human mind operating out of self is an enemy against God and is not subject to the laws of God.

If you choose to live in oneness with God through the Holy Spirit you will experience life and peace. This happens because you are disciplined in this spiritual truth; “In Him we live and move and have our being”. You are grounded in the Living God and pleasing Him with your actions.

The best course of action is to take every thought (or decision) captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus.

Jesus is omniscient and He wants you to have clear sailing ahead!

“These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:8-9

The Holy Spirit has prompted me to confront and speak out on the demise of Christianity.

The definition of “subterfuge” is deceit used in order to achieve one’s goal. Unfortunately, Christianity is filled with this condition.

The church is the worldwide Body of Christ and where two or more are gathered God will be present. Never restrict the definition of a church to a specific group of believers worshipping God in a building.

The sole purpose of a church is to draw people into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. It is never about promoting the leaders in the body or a specific church.

The church is a filling station. You enter to be filled with the life of God and then you leave to go out into the world to be a light for God. It is never God’s plan for believers to become ingrown in a church body. The reality of the gospel is sending people out to proclaim the truths of God.

The priority of God is for you to live by faith trusting Him for your every need. You have to express your faith as you journey through the challenges of life.

Your works will come out of your faith and intimacy with God through the Holy Spirit. If you walk with God you never have to be directed by anyone into doing the work of God.

Christianity is filled with subterfuge and many leaders use deceit to accomplish their goals. The New Testament church is never concerned with recruiting new members, raising money, or creating a large campus.

The leaders in the Body tend to whitewash the scriptures to influence believers to help accomplish the goals of their church. They define God incorrectly and minimize the judgment and retribution of God.

Christianity neglects to teach about the importance and purpose of the Holy Spirit. They prefer to teach about religion and keeping the laws of God. They avoid the Holy Spirit because He will expose their actions and hidden motives.

Jesus is at work to rectify this repulsive condition in the Body of Christ. Many churches will crumble in the days ahead as God restores the New Testament church. You will once again experience the mighty signs and wonders of our majestic God!

There is a new wave of salvation and the glory of God coming! Praise the Living God!

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world” Ephesians 3:1

The definition of reclamation is “the process of claiming something back”.

You and I were born in bondage to sin. We conducted our actions according to the lusts of the flesh and we lived under the influence of Satan and allowed his spirit to lead us into disobedience.

However, God who is rich in mercy and love reclaimed us from death as a result of our sins to come alive with Christ Jesus and to be raised up to sit in the kingdom of heaven. You are saved by the love of God through your faith in Christ Jesus. This is a gift of God which can never be earned.

The miracle of reclamation is you move from death to life in Christ Jesus. This process is at work right now in all believers. It’s not just about forgiveness of your sins through the blood of the cross. Jesus will forgive you but this will not prevent you from returning to sinful actions.

The Holy Spirit is at work to transform your inner being to take on the life and personality of Jesus. This is accomplished by the deep work of the Spirit and your willingness to live in oneness with God through prayer and dwelling in His Word.

The secret is to abide in the “Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”. This will set you free from the bondage of sin.

When the desires of the flesh become aroused in you, take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus.

Remember, Jesus lives in you and He wants to lead you into the transfigured life of a disciple.

 

Father, I adore You
Lay my life before You
How I love You.

The Holy Spirit sang this to me as I was waking up this morning.

I got to thinking why would anyone lay down their life for Jesus, a Jewish prophet who lived over two thousand years ago. Jesus was poor, a carpenter by trade, and hated by the religious leaders of the day.

What would cause anyone to lay down their life for this man who claimed to be the Son of God?

You can only come to this decision when you discover Jesus is alive and wants to have a personal and vibrant relationship with you.

Open up your heart to Jesus and you will quickly discover He desires to make you a better person and help you achieve an abundant life. Jesus wants to bless the desires of your heart.

Jesus is not some esoteric figure from the past. He is alive and wants to enter into every aspect of your life and enrich you with His goodness. He wants to give you more than you ask or think.

You have to personally experience the greatness and glory of God and then you will understand without any doubt how weak and hopeless you are without Jesus. (If you’re still not sure, just hold up your hands to Jesus and ask Him to show you who He is.)

In closing, you can lay down your life for Jesus with confidence knowing He will give you a better life than you can ever achieve on your own. And, you will live with Him forever!

I have been with Jesus and there is no one who can compare to Him. Invite the Living Jesus into your life!

 

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” 1 Corinthians 6:19

It is impossible for a believer to keep his individuality and walk with God. And, if you try to maintain or save your individuality, God will bring pain and suffering into your life.

When you make a decision for Jesus, you are accepting Him as your Lord and Savior and turning over the right to your life to Him. Jesus now has ownership over your life whether you like it or not. He controls your destiny and you follow in His footsteps.

You are living for God and He will bring you to your knees to get your attention and cause you to surrender your will to Him.

Your body is a holy temple and Jesus lives in you in the essence of the Holy Spirit. He wants to live through you!

As a new creature in Christ Jesus old things have to pass away and all things have to become new. You cannot continue to live as in the past. Jesus has to be a reality in your life.

You have to become broken to be an effective vessel for God. Your pride and ego have to diminish and God has to increase in your life. Self sufficiency fades away as humility enters your personality.

The whole issue of ownership can be expressed in one simple word—willingness. Are you willing to submit your will to the will of God?

This is all God is asking of you!