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From Scarlet to Snow
I came across a scripture from the Old Testament that promised and assured salvation. A loving God was speaking to one of his prophets that he loved. It was Isaiah.
But how could salvation be promised in the OT? To fully understand that, we must remember that He is not “I was” but is “I am.”
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18.
I think that there is a song brewing.
God is in the “reasoning” together when we are frustrated with sin. It is the thing that most Christians hate worse than anything – not being able to get the victory over it. He puts us in a place of grace and then tells us that His grace is sufficient until the process of deliverance has been accomplished.
And when we let Him faithfully complete that thing that he began in us, we yield with patience to process. We rest in the soft and quiet words of the “end of the story” which is simply and lovingly…
From scarlett to snow.
So… as for me as unperfect as unperfect can be … still in some “construction areas,” I wait inside the belly of that whale of Grace.
2026delap
Is God Changing Your Season Without Notice or Reason?
How is your heart today? I know that in the natural, the weather is always changing in North Carolina. I know that God can change your “spiritual weather”. Whatever it is that is troubling you today – God is fully awake and fully aware.
Psa 121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
I know that there are times when we want to question whether He understands or sees what we are going through, but rest assured – He can bring a warm rain in the midst of your winter… and He can change your seasons.
Dan 2:21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
The problem in any situation are thoughts of fear. The “what if” and the “what about” and the “what will happen” and the “what up”. They rob us of the peace that “surpasses” our own understanding. You see… it’s not enough to have you walk through something – we are humanity that needs to know why, for what reason, what is happening, what is going to happen.
Sometimes we need to be content to just keep walking when He has commanded us to go forward. WITHOUT His explanation or sharing with you the master plan or the architectural drawings. That is walking by faith and not by sight.
Most of us though, will be willing to do what He’s planned for us ONLY if He tells us “why” and “when” and “how” and “who” and “what”. That is where we fall short. That is where we stop short of our destiny and His desire. Isa 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
Many are willing, but won’t be obedient without a reason and unless they get some answers.
Do you know what? Sometimes there just simply ARE no answers. And the reasons remain hidden in God. Why? There you go again with the questions… lol.
Exo 14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
Here were the children of Israel – their backs against a wall. In a very precarious position as they were in the middle of a God ordained exodus from their yesterdays. In Egypt they had schedules, they had organization, they knew why they were going to do what they were going to do. They were slaves, but at least they knew the reasons and the purposes.
Now it was different. God was teaching them something new. Walking without knowing why. Going without knowing where. Simple obedience. Without that as a foundational cornerstone, there would be no need to build the rest of the building.
God told Moses to tell the people to go without shining a light on the plan. Because Moses himself didn’t KNOW the plan. And by faith… he went. And by faith… they followed.
These were not just mindless lemmings. They were children of God who could hear God just as clearly as Moses. I believe they had discernment. I believe that they too heard that voice of God telling them to “GO FORWARD”.
In the situation of your life right now… in the situations of my life right now as a leader – the prudent thing is to hearken diligently to the Lord. To listen carefully for His voice. To walk when He says to walk. To leave when He says to leave. To stop when He says to stop. To pray when He says to pray. ALL without having to have a reason.
Do you know why I don’t have all the answers? Because He hasn’t given them to me. Do you know why we are all going through what we are going through right now? If you say “yes” – then good for you… because I don’t.
You may have been going through a dark night by faith. Just as some were angry with Moses because he didn’t have all the answers and all the reasons and all the purposes… some may have gotten angry with you.
Refuse to panic as Moses did and tell the people to “STAND STILL AND SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD”. As he did that, he was rebuked by the Lord. What made sense to tell the children of Israel, didn’t make sense with God’s plan. And God stepped in and said… “GO FORWARD”.
We are going forward without much light on this journey. What we do have, though – is a promised land. A destination. An assurance that however we get there… as long as we’re obedient, we WILL get there.
And I would caution you – if you are offended that I don’t have the insight or the answers, then you are NOT seeking the Lord. If you are not happy with the direction we are heading, then again… SEEK THE LORD. Listen for His voice. If He is telling you to move on with us – then move. If He is telling you to turn back, then turn back. If He is telling to you go somewhere else, then by all means…. Go somewhere else.
Abraham was another Patriarch that had to learn to walk by faith, and I assume that is what God is trying to teach me at this point in my life. To refine my faith, to test me to see if I am not just willing, but obedient.
Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
Abraham WENT. Not knowing where he was going! Not knowing WHY he was going. He simply… went.
The promises get me through and the promises will see me through. I know that if I stay broken before the Lord and remain with a heart of humility – I will be able to go without fear. He gives us the end of the story. He gives us a “book of Revelation” for whatever situation we are going through.
How we get through the journey to the end, can at times, be a mystery. Suffice to say, we need to be content to know that HE WILL GET US THROUGH…. Even without knowing how He’s going to do it… or why He’s doing it the way He is.
Psa 34:18-19 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
The last chapter of any book I go through is found in Psalm 34:19… The last personal line of any story I walk through is: THE LORD DELIVERETH “MARK” OUT OF THEM ALL.
The bottom line to this current book of our Bible – we are His. We are walking through a great darkness. He has told us to keep walking and keep pressing in. He has told us to go forward. If He has told YOU something contrary to what He’s told me…. Then perhaps it is time that we part ways.
And finally… one last Patriarch… Joshua drew a line in the sand and told the people… “make your choice”. If what God has told me to do is not in line with what you want to do… then make YOUR choice. Joshua didn’t FORCE anyone to follow him or stay with him or worship as He worshipped. He told them… seek the Lord and make your choice.
When I have direction… I will let you in on it. When I have answers… I will let you know what they are. I will not, however make up something just because you are afraid of the journey. As God shares with me and He releases me to speak… rest assured – I will speak. Joshua finished with a strong statement… “as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15.
He may be changing your season. He may be bringing rain in the middle of your unusual weather patterns. He may be changing your direction. And…. He may not give you His reason for doing so.
Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Worship with me today:
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Meekness and Weakness
The lion of Judah. The lamb of God. Notice that you will never see the possession change. It can not be found… The lion of God or the lamb of Judah. Now, THIS has great significance in the story of redeemed creation.
Let’s review this a bit further. In the Old Testament, and the first time we see Christ as a lion is found coming forth from the mouth of the prophet Hosea when he is speaking a prophecy of the end times. It appears in the 5th chapter – truly a book of grace. It speaks of a church and of a world who want to retain their sin and at the same time, retain their religion. A church that worships on Sunday and sins on Monday. (Hos 5:6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.) It is to this specific group that Christ appears as the lion. And it speaks of the lion who departs as the trumpet sounds (Hos 5:8 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin).
Hos 5:14 For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.
The above scripture is in direct reference to a catching away. It also then speaks of Christ as the lion in the Old Testament even though it is referring to a New Testament occurrence. You see, Christ sat on the throne with His Father from the foundations of the earth. He always was the lion of the tribe of Judah. The head of all worship – both receiving and the institution of offering.
He was seated upon His throne as the Lion when the following events occurred on the actual timeline of history:
Luk 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, and Luk 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Jesus looked on with His Father from Heaven as their messenger delivered “word”. Ah… a messenger delivering “word” as deity watches from a distance. That gives me chills.
These were recordings of actual historic events in Heaven and in earth. I want you to see carefully the next moments in the timeline…
Luk 1:38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Luk 1:39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
Mary agreed to the purpose of her life. Agreement, however and willingness are not enough. She “arose” and “went” into a high place QUICKLY. A place of Judah (praise). A place of worship. A place where that “lion” of Judah received all the honor, all the glory and all of the praise. And in that place as the lion was receiving the worship from a lowly but chosen handmaiden, HE arose and went quickly to meet her in her very heart of hearts and literally to the womb that would hold redemption.
As she went into Judah… Judah came into her.
And in an instant… in a moment – can you see on that timeline of Heaven, the Father turning His head from the events of the earth to the throne of His son. And His Judah was gone. The throne for the first time… ever, was empty. The scepter and the crown of the lion were lying there motionless on the seat.
Christ laid down His lion to become The Lamb.
It was prophesied through another historical story in Genesis: Gen 22:7-8 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
He came to earth and at his appearing, He wore the garments of a lamb: Luk 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Articles on Roman clothing and cloth towels state: “Typically, Roman garments and cloth were made of wool. Only the affluent would have garments of linen”. Christ was wrapped in wool cloth. The garment of a lamb.
John the Baptist recognized Jesus as a lamb: Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
As He was preparing to leave this world and before His “departing” (Hos 5:15 I will go and return to my place) He was wearing the garments of a lamb and teaching His disciples that His entire life was purposed in the laying down of His Lion and taking up His lamb.
Joh 13:4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, (a Roman cloth most likely made of soft wool) and girded himself.
Joh 13:12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
Joh 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
In the end He was instructing them concerning their garments, their purpose and their character.
It is so intense to see that Jesus didn’t have to empty the armory of Heaven to defeat the enemy. He didn’t need to come to earth with guns blazing and all the power at His disposal. 1Co 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men; (created beings… including angels).
The weakness of God. Now we know that there is no weakness in God… but this means – “the very least amount of energy and power that God could exercise.” Jesus was teaching us this very valuable lesson in displacing and defeating the enemy. It is not in our own strength or in the strength or presence of ten thousand angels or in the termination with extreme prejudice.
The enemy was not defeated by the Lion, but by the lamb. The Apostle Paul said, “when I am weak, then am I strong.” II Corinth. 12:10. And Jesus, perhaps in His most profound illustrated sermon, told them, “you should do as I have done to you.”
In the coming weeks I am going to be launching forth with some study and teaching on “weakness and meekness” to displace an immoveable foe. Together we will explore ways to get “us” out of the way… to remove ourselves from thrones of our own power… to lay down our lion in order to pick up our lamb.
Joh 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
And… one last look today at the end of the book.
In the book of Revelation after Christ’s ascension we see that He once again takes the crown and scepter and majesty and power of the Lion. The Lion had prevailed even in the midst of taking on the office and purpose of a lamb.
Rev 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
And I find it interesting that in verse 5 He is seen by the elders as a Lion, but in the 6th verse, John who was a part of that “tribe” would ever see Him as The Lamb. And from that point forward, Christ in the book of Revelation would no more be referred to as a Lion, but would be recorded 28 more times as “The Lamb”.
Rev 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
And who are we?
Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
Lambs are not married (or joined to) lions. They are with lambs.
Worship with me today: (Awesome worship for your day)
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“Hold your ground… stay your course”
I believe that today in midst of great adversity due to the lateness of the hour in the history of man, God is trying to encourage us to “HOLD OUR GROUND”. Now… Christ came, revealed Himself as King, revealed His Kingdom – and enlisted us to the battle that would ensue as we declared a side. Until HE comes back to this earth or we leave it… the battle WILL rage. The victory at Calvary gave us the right to declare a victory side, but it did not give us the right to a battle-less life. I believe that today in midst of great adversity due to the lateness of the hour in the history of man, God is trying to encourage us to “HOLD OUR GROUND”. We are to be even as the tribe of Zebulun.
Zebulun is the sixth son of Jacob and Leah. It’s name is derived from the words “gift, honor and sacrifice”. When I think of the sixth son, I am reminded that we are in the sixth day of our history. The day preceding the millennial period.
Now… add to this the description of an end time army that will not break it’s ranks – found both in the following contexts:
1Ch 12:33 Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not of double heart. (Jas 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. Jas 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. Jas 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.)
Joe 2:7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
We are a part of this end time army and we must KEEP OUR RANKS closed and tight. We must follow in the disciplines of the Lord and we must not let the enemy separate us from the Army of Christ through the seductions, allurements, cares and schedules of the world and of the flesh.
There is a mighty battle going on right now and I don’t believe that it is leading up to the Passover of 5775. (2015 in the Gregorian calendar) The enemy is coming to separate us. He is coming to steal us away. He is coming to make our own agendas greater and more prominent than the mission He has placed within our hearts.
Again I heard in the high command war room this morning…. “Hold your ground mighty army.” Don’t let the shelling or noise of the enemy confuse you or cause you to panic. Don’t let a cut supply line make you retreat. Don’t let a fallen soldier scare you. Stay the course and maintain your battle position. A good soldier does not run because of what he sees in front of him. He awaits the command from his commander.
He listens for the voice of the one who owns him. My father bought and paid for me. I must listen for His voice and not grow nervous or faint of heart or go into a panic at the noise of the battle.
If you will listen, you will HEAR.
Joe 2:11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
How can we abide the battle? Where IS the battle? It is in your secret garden. Here is sound “advice” from the Lord as to HOW CAN YOU STAND FAST AND NOT RUN FROM THIS BATTLE?
Joe 2:12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
Joe 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
Joe 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
There is an army that will be delivered TO THE BATTLE and not TO THE RETREAT. We will be delivered “to the battle” and then “in the battle” and unto the victory. Hang on. Don’t waver. Don’t break ranks.
As I said Sunday… “Find His eyes. Ask for His heart. Borrow His strength.”
Stay the course and hold your ground for a sweet victory is just beyond the noise and smoke of the battlefield.
Worship with me today:
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Persistence and Perseverance
Persistence: the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people. Also, the state of occurring or existing beyond the usual, expected, or normal time
Perseverance: steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. Also the continuance in a state of grace to the end, leading to eternal salvation.
Synonyms: doggedness, tenacity, pertinacity
One of the great ways to make it to the end of any trial, temptation or task is to be “persistent” and to “persevere”. The two “p’s” that will bring the power. Not only persistent and persevering in the flesh, although that is a part of it, but in your mind as well. (Pro 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…”) It is faith combined with your works that will bring forth life and will bring forth power.
When we have a healthy definition of “faith”, knowing it is a fresh and on time word from God, we can go forth with great victory. This morning in study, I came across the following verses and from them, put together something encouraging for your day.
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Col 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
I want to concentrate on Revelation 3:10 because that is the scripture that hit he especially hard this morning. “Because you have KEPT the WORD of my patience”. That is an impressive and powerful few words SPOKEN by Christ Himself.
So many times we find ourselves embattled, beaten, defeated and depressed because of our failings. We lose our joy to circumstance and can lose our very will to go forth due to the outcome of THOSE circumstances.
Now, we know from this particular passage in scripture that Jesus is on the Island of Patmos speaking to John who is “in the Spirit”. The church that is being discussed is the church at Philadelphia. From first glance you might think that this is the best of all the churches addressed. Not too many rebukes, a good amount of praise, but look a little deeper and read between the lines of this great church.
It is a church that has perhaps had a problem with “doors” and going through doors to places they shouldn’t go and not going through doors that have been ordained. This speaks directly to the spirit of vacillation. Fence sitting, hesitation, being led in and out by our own flesh and by the enemies of our minds.
It speaks to a church that has perhaps wandered away due to the hurts and offences caused by people AND circumstance. Obviously the big picture and the bottom line is that Christ is speaking of sparing His bride from the great tribulation period. There is a promise to be separated from those things that shall come upon “all the world”.
But how does this apply to you today? How can we be an overcomer against the great opposition we are facing in this final dispensation? How can we contain when the world promises such delightful delicacies? How can we be safe when the enemy has seemingly become more crafty and incredibly empowered?
The clue is held in that 10th verse of the 3rd chapter: Keeping the word in the midst of the battle. Standing when you’ve done all to stand. Believing when everyone around you has faltered. Making up YOUR mind that no matter what comes, you will be found holding tight to the word that was given you. Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Today, more than ever we need to hang on to what He’s told us. We must stand in the storm. We must be persistent in our grips and persevere when our persistence is challenged. God told Joshua when he was chosen to take over for Moses… be strong and very courageous. God spoke it to Joshua THREE TIMES in that first chapter. Translated out… it parallels Revelation 3. Be strong. châzaq. (grab a tight hold) And Courageous. ‘âmats. (don’t let go).
In all the things you are facing in your lives today, take a fresh hold of God’s spoken word to you. Hold it tight and whatever comes, whatever circumstance, whoever opposes you – DON’T LET GO!
Keep the word of HIS patience. His persistence. His perseverance. His power. Protect it like your life depended upon it. Because… it does.
Tether yourself to the tree of life when the dark and dangerous storms blow through.
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In The Hands Of God
Psa 4:4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Ah, just a hint of a chill in the air this morning reminding us that we are in another change of seasons. We look back and smile at the memories created in the present season and grateful that He has taken us through it. And now, we have great anticipation as to what is coming next. To me it almost feels like that last night of a vacation. The sun is going down over the lake, the winds are calm, and the weather is pleasant. Psa 113:3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name is to be praised. In the morning there will be a flurry of activity to pack, clean up and head to the next chapter.
But we are not yet at that morning flurry. We need to be people that can relax in these transitional moments. The times when God makes us lie down in the green pasture and where we can be at rest from the activities of the day. Psa 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. It is that special quiet time with Him.
He tells us to be still. Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Jas 4:13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
Jas 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Jas 4:15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
It is your Father’s good will to hold you now in the midst of the transition of humanity. In the transition of the season. In the transition of your day. In the transition of your hectic life.
I feel that one of the greatest regrets we will have when we leave this world is that we will not have taken the time to rest during the transitions. We are stressed from the day at hand and worried about the day to come. We lie awake nights and plot and plan for the coming day – and we just don’t stop to let Him just hold us.
Isa 41:13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Psa 73:23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
Psa 139:10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
Exo 33:14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
When was the last time you just sat in His arms, put your head into His chest and left everything else behind? Those are not just heavenly times for you… but for Him as well.
There is a transition in every day. Don’t miss Him in the transitions because we are straining looking behind us or struggling to look ahead. Don’t miss the “right now” with Him. The “right nows” could change your life.
Worship with me today:
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Listen To Him Sing
There are many things here in the last times that can take us away from the Lord. I think that perhaps each dispensational period of time had its challenges for Pastors and leaders. And I am sure that in each period of history there was a preacher who was wishing he could be preaching in an earlier point of history or perhaps a later portion of history.
That being said, I do believe we are in the end times and the enemy is making plans to try to accomplish a hostile takeover. We are about to enter the enemy’s “grand finale” of the fireworks.
Our challenge in this dispensation is the excess and depth of sin that has been so readily made available. We have also been given many toys to play with and the Bible is explicit when it tells us that there shall “come a falling away”. We have become politically correct and fearful to stand for the truth. We have been become tolerant to the point that sin is so accepted and in fact, if you don’t fall in step, you are about to be ostracized.
We are going to see more and more “pop stand” churches with a quick song and dance and a microwaveable word.
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
They say that the last thing someone tells you before they depart is perhaps the most important. Right before the Apostle Paul departed, he warned and admonished the redeemed: 2Ti 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
This is a message for all of us – those in the pews, those in the pulpit and those on the outside paving a road to perdition. We have to be so careful now. The enemy has pulled out all the stops and will “stop” at nothing in his reign of terror, stealing, killing and destroying.
He is marching toward Armageddon and he has amassed a great army. We must remember that before the conquest began in 1939 of Poland, the Nazi regime was touted as a “friend to all”. Buying, preparing, singing lullabies of peace to the world, picking up the tabs and telling everyone to be at peace.
Don’t believe the lie of “I’m ok, you’re ok”. We must be:
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
So… today. If you have fallen into a snare. If you have fallen prey. If you have turned your back to watch the parade of humanity with all it’s panache and fanfare. If… remember that as long as you have breath in your lungs and can find your way to your knees, you can find your way back home.
If… you are thinking that you are just fine and God understands that you have to live like you do because of the “times we live in” – I bring to your remembrance the third chapter of Zephaniah which is a portrait that was painted for THIS GENERATION. For this time we live in. For such a time as this.
Although I won’t publish all of that first portion of Zephaniah 3, you would do well to read the first 11 verses and honestly ask yourself if He is speaking to you. I will, however share the verse with the weight of the sin. The weight that we turn our heads to and pretend not to see.
Zep 3:2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.
The good news? Coming home is simply making up your mind to turn 180 degrees and RUN. Drop to your knees, open your heart and ask the Holy Ghost to get you safely home.
Back in good graces with God? It’s like sleeping on clean sheets. Nothing like it. So fresh. So pure. So new. So secure.
If you don’t come willingly? And someone is praying for you? And you really do have a heart for God, but can’t seem to find the time to get to Him? Again… read Zephania 3. God has a way to get to the heart of your heart. To rid you of all of your encumbrances. To strip you of everything that you’ve used as an excuse as to why you can’t seek God.
That should scare some of you to the bone.
And when the Lord gets done removing the obstacles and the stuff and the fluff and the fanfare and the glory – you are ready to enter and be a part of the promises in Zephania 3:12-20.
Zep 3:12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. (When God gets done with you and prepares you for promise, the only thing left in the midst of YOU will be a humble and dependent servant)
Zep 3:13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
Zep 3:14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
If you break down verse 14, you will see that there are three separate places God is speaking to and dealing with. They are NOT the same, and they do not translate out as the same. ZION. ISRAEL. JERUSALEM.
In fact, God is addressing the “daughter” of each. The church of these three oh so important facets of God. Stay with me here.
Zion – PASSAGE. It speaks to steps ordered and a guiding pillar.
Israel – POWER. It speaks to almighty. Strength. Authority.
Jerusalem – PEACE. It speaks to a flowing peace, safety and security.
In the inheriting of these most precious promises here in this chapter, there is a recipe for success. Sing through the passage. Shout with the authority. Be glad and rejoice with ALL THE HEART in the peace.
If you are passing through rough times in your life right now – think of how the enemy has attacked these three areas. Confusion as to your direction. Fear as to your enemy. Worry as to the “what if”. God gives us direction with this word on our way to the promises. And we MUST follow those directions.
If you having a problem with your direction and your path… it’s time to sing. If you are having problems with your authority – it’s time to be a breaker. It’s time to shout unto God with the voice of triumph. If you are having a problem with your peace, you need to surrender ALL of your heart and in that place of surrender, you MUST be glad and rejoice instead of depression and complaining.
When you begin to enter into promise and covenant, it will look something like the following:
Zep 3:15 The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.
Zep 3:16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. (To your safety… do not fear. To your power – let your ministry pick UP the sword of the Spirit!)
Zep 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
Zep 3:18 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.
Zep 3:19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.
Zep 3:20 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.
I have learned that one of my most powerful prayers though the years of trial in ministry and temptation in my walk is, Lord, give me the hours to be still and know. The hours to “listen” and refrain from incessant talk. LET ME HEAR YOU SING. LORD… LET ME HEAR YOU SINGING. Over me.
I know that all my life… He is singing. I just haven’t stopped to listen. What a voice our Father God has. What a booming voice in battle. What a soothing voice in the dark of night. What a joyful sound. What a voice of lament when I am yielding to something evil. What a voice. What a song.
Psa 32:7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
Worship with me today… As He sings… join in. Songs of Agreement… think of that.
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Trust and Rejoice
Psa 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
The heart is heavy when it is afraid.
Have you ever done that old “exercise in trust” where you have one friend fall back into the arms of another friend without looking to see if they are there? The level of fear and indecision is in direct proportion to the level of trust.
Isa 33:21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
The heart can rejoice when the heart can trust. If your heart is unable to rejoice today, perhaps it is a trust issue. Do you know for sure He will help you? Do you know for sure that He is aware of you? Do you know for sure that He loves you?
We turn to that quiet place of prayer each day for those answers. To HEAR Him say that He’s close. To Hear Him say that He has a plan. To Hear Him tell you how much He loves you.
When I was I child I loved summer vacation more than anything. I had so much to do, so many things to explore and so many goals to achieve. I also loved to sleep in. My dad would leave for work early and when I woke up, he would leave me notes.
Sometimes a note that included a list of chores, sometimes a note reminding me of appointments, sometimes a note letting me know what time he would pick me up FOR those appointments.
If the note said, “I’ll be there at 4 PM to take you to basketball camp” – I would always wonder if he would remember. I stressed about it. Even when he would show up, I would get in the car and say “I was hoping you wouldn’t forget”. Hope. That was good, but not as good as “TRUST”.
On the days when he would call and find out how the day was going, he would say, “don’t forget I will be there at 4 to pick you up”. It was with the voice that my hope turned to trust. And with the trust, my heart would rejoice. I didn’t have to focus on the worry about “not” getting there… I could focus on the excitement of being there!
Spend some time with your Heavenly Father today and release the trigger of trust by listening. He has much to say and although He’s left you a note of scripture… there is nothing like the voice.
Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Rejoice with me today:
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Did You Wash Their Feet?
I have been doing some study on “the great betrayal” and I believe that I have seen some great things concerning the disciple Judas Iscariot who wanted to create a name for himself. He accomplished what he had set out to do and for all the notoriety he sought, he secured for himself a name forever in the annuls of infamy.
Those who seek to build their own kingdoms and desire to lift up their own names will secure places in that infamous hall of fame. Those, however who see to build a Heavenly Kingdom and desire to yield their own name to the name of Jesus will surely secure their place in a hall of faith.
That being said, I have found from the hub of betrayal many spokes and many diverse teachings. Today I am fixed upon the ministry of securing the name “servant” by way of humility and GRACE.
First of all, when we see the ministry of the washing of feet, it is good to know the background.
From Wikipedia: The root of this practice appears to be found in the hospitality customs of ancient civilizations, especially where sandals were the chief footwear. A host would provide water for guests to wash their feet, provide a servant to wash the feet of the guests or even serve the guests by washing their feet. This is mentioned in several places in the Old Testament of the Bible (e.g. Genesis 18:4; 19:2; 24:32; 43:24; I Samuel 25:41; et al.), as well as other religious and historical documents. A typical Eastern host might bow, greet, and kiss his guest, then offer water to allow the guest to wash his feet or have servants do it. Though the wearing of sandals might necessitate washing the feet, the water was also offered as a courtesy even when shoes were worn. I Samuel 25:41 is the first passage where an honored person offers to wash feet as a sign of humility. In John 12, Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus’ feet presumably in gratitude for raising her brother Lazarus from the dead, and in preparation for his death and burial.
The Bible records washing of the saint’s feet being practiced by the primitive church in I Timothy 5:10 perhaps in reference to piety, submission and/or humility.
What I would like to add is the fact that in today’s health standards, much has been said concerning taking care of the feet for a healthy body. It is widely reported that toxins are released from your feet and when the pores are allowed to open, toxins are readily released from the entire body. It is also common practice to relieve stress in parts of the body by foot massage.
That being said, and knowing that Jesus always had a deeper and complete meaning to everything He did, let’s look further. When you wash the feet of another, it is as if you are opening them up for detox! Spiritually speaking you are bringing grace for the release of sickness and sin. It represents a spiritual cleansing that they “allow” God to do through kindness. (“…not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” – Romans 2:4)
Let’s also look with that in mind at what Jesus said in the Gospel of Luke: 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. It’s the basic teaching of doing unto others.
I find a very poignant place in scripture where a woman who was “a sinner” came into a place where religion lived. She found no welcome in that home from the religious, but found a place of repentance in Jesus. She came broken hearted and washed His feet.
Luk 7:38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
He then put out a warning to those who were Godly in title but not in their hearts.
Luk 7:44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
A religious spirit feels no need for repentance. (In other words, they don’t need to reap repentance, so they neither sow seeds of “do unto others”.) A religious spirit feels no need for an altar. A religious spirit feels no need to provide that goodness of God for the repentance of others.
Now… let’s look at that last supper. It didn’t begin with the foot washing. Hmmm… odd. That usually took place when someone was entering into a house. It was after the supper that Jesus began to wash feet. Perhaps a great spiritual door was there and they didn’t see it. They were desiring to enter into His Father’s house – and He was preparing them. Offering them a chance to open the spiritual pores and detox the spiritual body.
Joh 13:12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
Joh 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
Joh 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
Notice that not one of them offered to wash His feet… but the warning was to wash each other’s feet. No matter how black. No matter how dirty. No matter how vile.
And then He did something amazing. He washed the feet of one who had allowed the enemy into his heart. He didn’t shun him. He wasn’t afraid of him. He didn’t cast him out. He wasn’t offended by the sin. He was offering the goodness of God unto repentance.
To someone who He knew was not going to repent. He loved Judas right where he was – and he was telling all to be at the ready to offer that same kind of grace. Not only to Judas, but to all the others as well. To love someone not knowing whether they will change. And that step further… loving someone, KNOWING that they will not.
That’s a level of grace that most of us can’t wrap our heads around. Loving someone who you know betrayed you or is going to betray you. Offering them the goodness of God unto repentance.
I look at a bigger picture here. Some say that if Judas had not betrayed Christ… WHAT? Christ would not have gone to the cross? You are not seeing the truth. He was going to the cross and laying his life down in spite of what Judas did. It wasn’t Judas’ fault. The timing was right for Christ to go. The timing was wrong for Judas to sin. It brought a condemnation that would not be overcome. He also did not see a bigger picture and being the narcissist that he was, put the blame of Christ’s death upon his own shoulders. Judas died on a tree on the other end of town under the weight of his own sin. Jesus, moments later died on a tree on Golgotha and paid the price of a sin that no longer could be redeemed by Mr. Iscariot.
Jesus knew what that condemnation could do. He knew that even in Judas’ death, the other disciples would begin to feel guilt… unless they too were there to offer him the goodness of God unto repentance. “You ought to wash one another’s feet”.
It’s the free will of a man that will put him at the tree of Calvary or the tree of Judas. We can not make or force or coerce. What we can do is pray. What we can do is offer a better way. What we can do is wash feet – not literally, but in the way we love.
Worship with me today:
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How much love?
How much love does it take to save a man? It takes it all. Nothing held back, nothing left in reserve, nothing left for another day. Those words from a Don Potter song continue to waft through my mind this rain-soaked summer morning.
He loved you with His life. We love Him with our words. In today’s busy world, it’s just easier to “say” than to “do”.
If the steps of a good man are ordered, (Psalm 37:23) and He gives us command to “GO” (Mark 16:15) and we do not obey… how can we continue to tell Him how much we love Him.
Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Some go forth not only calling Him Lord, but boldly sing that little chorus… “I love you Lord, and I lift my voice” which is a great song to sing, but we find it so easy to lift our voices in the Kingdom without feeing the need to “lift a finger”.
When we sell out… when we become the temple… we come to a realization.
1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Paul is telling us that all we have is His – and that includes our time and possessions. We no longer belong to ourselves. This is a great and a mature revelation. It’s what the disciples called… “a hard saying”.
To glorify God, you can not just glorify (obedience unto discomfort and even death) Him in your spirt (your mind and your words). Paul says that you must glorify Him in YOUR BODY. With your actions. Your acts.
When my life is over, how shall the “Acts of the Apostle Mark” be written? How will your story read?
Our prayer this morning should be… “Lord, let me love you with my life”. How much love? It takes it all.
Worship with me this morning:
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Crazy Faith
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith IS. And if you can equate and translate the definition of FAITH to His Audible voice – you’ve got something more powerful than silver or gold. Sometimes CRAZY.
God does not work in terms of the impossibility of man, but the possibility of Himself.
In the very definition of itself, we see that it is not something you can see or read or quote or speak. You MUST HEAR HIS VOICE. When we “move” and are children of voice command, we can be children of power.
Faith is hearing. Living faith is acting on what we’ve heard. Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. When we add obedience to what we hear – there is a generation of power, propelling us through and past the boundaries of humanity and even the natural laws of nature. When faith is in action – there is no boundary. Natural or supernatural. Nothing is impossible. Nothing.
The kicker. The real definition of faith. The real definition of “hearing”. We must be children that have learned to come face to face with their Father. And when He speaks, we must have the courage to obey.
Some observations of Peter in the boat… in the storm.
- He didn’t step out on his own “gut feeling”
- He didn’t step out on what he “knew” about the nature of God
- He didn’t step out to try to prove anything to anyone
- He didn’t quote anything 21 times to “get it into his spirit”
- He didn’t step out in anticipation of what Jesus “would” say
- He didn’t call for the winds and waves to cease
- He didn’t step out when he “saw” Jesus
- He DID call for the surety of A VOICE.
- He said… “IF” what I am about to do is you – speak to me
- He knew the voice of Jesus – a voice that can’t be drowned out by circumstance
- He didn’t need to ask for a confirmation – He had spent time learning to KNOW that voice
- The others didn’t leave the boat on Peter’s invitation
- The others didn’t leave the boat on Peter’s “faith”
- He didn’t take one step until he “HEARD”
- He mustered courage to step out in what he heard. To step out in faith is to step out into a voice
- He didn’t listen to the voices of those of those still in the boat
- He “walked” before he succumbed to the wind and waves
He didn’t walk by sight, but he walked by faith. So… the question is why he reverted to sight when it couldn’t get him past the circumstance. It will be faith that will give you the permission. It will be courage that will give you the obedience. It will be wisdom to remind you what got you there.
Joh 2:5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
It’s crazy! Some of the things you are asked to do. But IF it is truly Him… do it. Just… do it. How crazy is it to maintain peace in the midst of all of your confusion today?
We know the stories in the Bible of those who stepped into the impossible… into the uncomfortable… into the implausible…. into the crazy – and had unbelievable results. But your history books are FILLED with this kind of crazy. Our nation today is also filled with it – you just have to look around and SEE that someone HEARD SOMETHING CRAZY – and went for it.
JC Penney gave 90% of all his income…. Living on 10% and making him one of the richest retail moguls in America. His statement is striking. I heard God tell me.
Here is a book that outlines the lives of others who have had “crazy faith”: http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Faith-Ordinary-People-Extraordinary/dp/0817015310
And for today… here is a great song. LET’S GET CRAZY IN GOD!!!
For more crazy faith stories: http://www.mycrazyfaithstory.com/stories.html
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Sleeping with one eye open
Going along with what I wrote yesterday, I want to focus in on the moment the knock on the door comes. The knocking of the enemy. There is a portal to your mind. It’s the front foyer to your heart – a place where the enemy comes and leaves a calling card.
As a review, I used the scripture yesterday: Mat 12:44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
The enemy once had a foothold in all of us. We all needed a savior. There was never a person born who, after they had come to age of accountability, was found worthy or good enough to get to Heaven on their own righteousness. John the Baptist who was called by Jesus “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:” (Matthew 11:11) was a man in need of and looked for a savior – and when he found HIM, he commented… “But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?” (Matthew 3:14)
Col 1:21 And you, that were at one time alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Col 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
Col 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
All enemies must come through the door of our mind. That is where enemies gather. That is where decisions will be made. That is where, as Christians, we need the utmost strength. Accompanying each demonic presence are gifts. Gifts for the flesh. Things that will appeal to the natural senses. He may bring the scent of a Pumpkin Pie to one that is fasting. He may bring a scantily dressed person to a Christian struggling with lust. He may bring a plan of vengeance to someone who has been hurt. He may bring an accusation against someone that is greatly envied. He may bring something in his many envelopes marked “URGENT” and give you the choice to “lend your attention” by “worry”. He may come with one of his henchmen and may bring threats. How many bad decisions have you made at this front door of your life.
The decision is ultimately… 1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
The way of escape is easier said than done. The enemy is persuasive, can be quite charming, charismatic, fearful, relentless and persistent. When you say “no” to the enemy, he doesn’t take it lying down. He doesn’t take it well. You become his newest and best challenge.
And when you “resist” – it’s going to cost you something. You are going to “miss out” on something very valid and very pleasurable to your flesh. The lies are twofold: 1. you can’t live without this and 2. this offer is ONLY for a limited time.
David penned this most excellent Psalm outlining what this decision process was going to entail. It is also important to realize that David wrote this Psalm as he was being pursued after his infamous sin with Bathsheba. He knew the sting of not making the right decision. Many say that the enemy was on the king’s roof, but in essence, the enemy was at the entrance to the king’s soul. And what a show he brought to the front door of David.
Just as it is a sacrifice to give a tithe when the water bill is due, and a decision is needed to be made whether to plant seed or take a shower – it’s the same and just as serious, the decision to offer a sacrifice of righteousness.
It’s hard. That’s why they call it a sacrifice. It’s a “nevertheless, not my will… but thine be done”. It’s going to cost you. It’s going to prevent you. It’s going to possibly be awkward or uncomfortable. It may as some say… “make your skin crawl” to not accept the bribe of the enemy.
To fully understand this, we can define righteousness as “doing the right thing in a critical situation. Taking a high road when it would be more comfortable or convenient to take a lower path.”
And the flesh pops up… “What do I get from all of this?”
Well… hmmm. From a seed you get more than enough. Let’s look at what David listed as the “pay-outs” the flesh can not understand. What is sad is that David wasn’t reaping the benefits of a sacrifice of righteousness because HE MADE A WRONG DECISION AT THE KNOCKING OF THE DOOR.
Psa 4:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
Psa 4:6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Psa 4:7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
Psa 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
God tells us to offer the sacrifice without moaning and complaining or wanting ANY credit. The sacrifice is to be offered with TRUST. Believing that God KNOWS what He is doing and that He is a rewarder of them the diligently “seek Him”… “Obey and Trust in Him”.
Look at verse 6. The voices of the enemy when we begin to close the door on his offers. The enemy is saying… “There is nobody that can give you a deal like this… and I guarantee it!”
David was telling us here just HOW the enemy talked him into the sin of his life.
And… the second half of that scripture, David, running out of that burning building is LECTURING US on the violence of the fire when he himself had experienced that very GREAT DEAL!
I mean… it’s easy for you to tell us that we shouldn’t take the bait – you already ate your portion of pleasure. But David, his scars showing, his heart beaten is pleading with us and teaching us HOW TO ESCAPE.
He tells us what we will reap if we offer this sacrifice of righteousness. Gladness and joy in heart. Peaceful sleep. Safety and security. DURING the time when we witness the great prosperity of the unrighteous and those who do NOT sacrifice.
David is a man who for all intents and purposes had everything he needed. More money than he could ever spend. More armies than he could ever assemble. More food than he could ever consume. And yet, in these Psalms after the fall we find a man who is depressed to the point of death, he has not been able to sleep, he is afraid for his very life – and he realizes that all he possesses can not be pleasurable to him without those three all important commodities.
Gladness. Peace. Safety.
The enemy conveniently forgot to mention those side effects to the pleasure of sin for his season. The enemy failed to mention that all he would be given would never be able to be enjoyed.
It’s a sacrifice. It will cost you something to resist the enemy. The trinket is something that was never promised to you anyway. It’s something that can never fully belong to you. It will never satisfy you. And it will forever after cause you to sleep… with… one… eye… open.
The problem with history is that we don’t learn from it. Even when those who are burned by it’s fires are warning us with tears. Do THEY have a right to preach to us? More so because they have been ravaged by it. The enemy will never tell you the truth about the price. The scars of the wounded can tell nothing BUT the truth.
Adultery. Fornication. Lying. Stealing. Gossip. Backbiting. Vices that ravage the body… the hits keep coming. And there is spirits that are being sent to your door today – and they know JUST WHAT YOU CRAVE. Or so they say.
The decision to sacrifice. It’s yours. And the help? Psalm 4:6 “…LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.” Be with us – fully illuminated to help us make YOUR decision.
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DON’T OPEN THE DOOR!!!
It is a relatively easy thing to come to the Lord when you are miserable and when you’ve hit bottom or when your sin has found you out and you’ve been knocked off of a horse on a Damascus road. Peter, when he was engulfed in the sea cried out in an instant, “Lord save me!”
From those examples, I want to use one in particular. When Saul’s heart changed and he converted to Christianity – there was a cleansing and a healing done in his body, mind and spirit. Some of you can remember the day when that happened to you.
The lies you told, you didn’t want to tell anymore. The things you did, you didn’t want to do anymore. The places you went, you didn’t want to frequent anymore. There was no denying that something changed “inside”.
As we walk from the cross and go on with our lives, and don’t retain the change within us, we can at times fall prey to the world and the enemy who is constantly striving to get us back. He longs to claim us as his possession. He wants to steal our conversion, kill our confidence and destroy our bridges back to God.
They say that we are creatures of habit, and although God cleaned out the clutter of the worldly hoarders who have stacks of memories and unclean paraphernalia, we still have that mind to “re-stock” ourselves with new clutter.
Paul, a man who had been delivered from “himself” finds trouble in paradise in his letter to the Romans. The thing that attacks all of us… calamity after conversion. It attacks us all because very simply… the enemy wants his possession back. He wants our life. He craves our destruction. He blows our testimony. He is trying to use us to get to God!
Rom 7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
If God cleaned out a mountain of worry, the enemy will bring you a new circumstance to worry about. If God prompted you to forgive someone who hurt you and you were blameless, the enemy will bring someone to hurt you again. If you poured out all the brandy on Sunday night, the enemy will offer you just a little shot with your friends on Friday afternoon.
So, what’s wrong with a little worry… or a little hurt… or 122 crock pots in your bedroom. You see, the enemy doesn’t just bring you a “little” worry, but he’s after your focus and your faith and thus, your ability to please God. He doesn’t just bring you a harmless little hurt, he’s after something deeper. He is more concerned with tainting you with unforgiveness that can prevent your very salvation. It’s not just little shot of alcohol, it’s a taste of destruction that you can not control when you slip behind the wheel of your car and drive into perdition. (You can stop any time you want? Then how come you can’t refuse that first shot?)
As I said earlier… when things get out of control, there is little choice but to go screaming to Jesus for help, and that is ok, but can we live a life that keeps us from getting to that wasted place? Can we find the strength to stay away from the destruction?
The hardest place for a Christian is not after the fall and after the degradation. The hardest place for a Christian is standing in the battle for the “clean”. The hardest place in your life will be refusing the knock at the door. It was easy to answer the door when Jesus was knocking in your pain. It’s just as easy to answer the door when the enemy comes back. It should be the scariest thing a Christian has to face. It should be a place of extreme caution, a place where self can NOT think itself infallible, a place where your arrogance will tell you “I’ve got this”.
If the Holy Spirit is not answering your door after you’ve given Him cart blanche’ in your body, you are in serious trouble.
Mat 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
Mat 12:44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
Mat 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
If you read carefully, you will notice that the enemy stakes YOU as his own. You were his dwelling place. If he comes and finds it “empty” – he will talk you into coming back inside. If he finds it FULL of the Holy Ghost, he can NOT enter.
The trouble begins when we listen to his reason. After taking you from a $500 a day alcohol habit or drug addiction, he reasons that you are now clean. You are now normal. You are now in control. You are now certainly strong enough to handle ONE LITTLE SHOT of alcohol. One little line of cocaine. After all… look at what you used to do… it’s nothing in comparison.
The enemy is a slick salesman who brings “memory samples” of his goods. Things that have given you pleasure in the past. He talks a mile a minute. He convinces you that you are good enough, deserving enough, strong enough to let him in.
But when he comes, he brings friends. After each cleansing, the sin seems to get easier and easier and the depths of degradation becomes deeper and deeper.
We need to come to the place of total dependence upon God through the Holy Ghost. We must remember that there is “no good thing” in our flesh. Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
We underestimate the power of sin and it’s peddlers while we overestimate our own strength. It’s one thing to have confidence, but when your confidence turns to arrogance, nothing good can come of it.
Paul ends the 7th chapter of Romans with this:
Rom 7:24-25 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord…”
And, then of course, we find the 8th chapter of Romans to those of us who have opened a door to strangers… or worse, to old familiar friends, habits and vices. Lord, today close and lock my doors. Close the windows during the tempest and let me find it to be “my house” and not the possession of the enemy. Let “my house” be called the house of prayer.
Luk 19:46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.
The times that define our character are not the times when we call for help after having gone too far, but those times we call for help in the moments of decision. Every sin in the Bible represents a person who did NOT choose the way of escape provided. A great escape is where we can call upon Him to lock the door behind us.
Isa 22:22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
Love this song sung by Barry McGuire:
“I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chatted all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow;
And ne’er a word said she;
But, oh! The things I learned from her,
When Sorrow walked with me.”
-Robert Browning Hamilton
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Our Path is Not Their Path
Psa 43:1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
Psa 43:2 For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
Psa 43:3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
Psa 43:4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
Psa 43:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
The children in the 1940’s would ask their parents, “Why do they hate us and treat us so adversely?” The answer was simple. “Because we are the chosen of God”. It was the same in 1463 BC. When we make ourselves the friends of God and take our rightful place as the chosen of God we make ourselves enemies with the world – and with the adversary of our soul.
Any Christian in the direction and obedience to God, worth his salt will never dare ask, “Why am I going through this?” Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
We may never have some of the things the world is able to possess and we may not be able to go where the world is able to go because it is a “members only” club. To reap a world harvest you need to be sowing in a worldly field. It shows no mercy to those who don’t have their names on their membership roles.
But we reap a Heavenly harvest because we choose to sow into Heavenly fields. There are times in scripture when even the most high worshippers and lovers of God look at what the world has. Psa 73:2-3 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
We are oppressed at times because we are part of an army. When we said “yes” to Him, we were issued armor. Not to hang in our fine closets, but to wear into bloody battlefields.
I have been at the deathbed of those who loved God and I have been at the bedsides in the midst of families that had no concept of who God was. Where one goes out in peace, the other goes out in torment. I have heard some go out with shrieks and screaming – and as loud as those cries were, it was matched by those who remained in torment on this side of eternity that had surrounded the bedside.
Asaph writes in that same Psalm about going to a place of sanctuary when earthly wants and desires can drive the mind to envy. When you desire what the world has, God brings you to a place where they get off the train… into a place so vile and so dark that to even glimpse it will make you want to sleep with lights on from that point forward.
When you choose to envy and desire the world’s goods, you will inherit the world’s end.
Look into the faces of those screaming and panicking in death and ask yourself, “Do I really think they are better off than I am? Do I honestly desire to have their lifestyle? Do I want to serve their gods?”.
We may not eat at the finest place that the world has to offer. We may not be privy to the clubs that the world frequents. We may not have an earthly bank account to rival the Jones’ that you’re trying to keep up with.
But we have Jesus. And when we have Him, we have it all… including the finest Heaven has to offer. World’s goods vs God’s goods. There IS no comparison.
We do not walk where this world walks. We do not lounge where this world lounges. We are not invited to the swaray that the world is invited to… and we are not invited to the death parties that they throw at the end.
We did not choose Him, but He chose us… and as such, we “choose” to follow Him – whether it be into a storm on Galilee or a cross on Calvary. Ultimately we have made our choice to put our feet on the golden streets of jubilee.
Worship with me today:
Your Promises Revealed
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
Have you ever wondered… “what is God doing?” or “what’s on the other side of this storm?” or “what is beyond the portal to eternity?”
It’s as easy as sticking your head through the window. The revealing is “by His Spirit”.
Stick your head into the secret place today and find your revealing.
Psa 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
In the secret place, answers are revealed, eyes are opened, ears are unstopped… and there is great amazement.
We CAN see what He’s prepared for us. Today and tomorrow. You can only find that treasure in the secret place.
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A Pleasing Primary Purpose
1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
There is not one penny that I don’t have. There is not one problem that I do have. There is not one project that I need do. There is not one purpose that I need to accomplish. There is not one place I need to be….
When I am in the Presence of the Lord in my time of prayer. All the world fades away when I find myself in that palace of His perception. When I seek Him first… all other things are “added”, or, translated out to – “taken care of”.
When you care for Him… He cares for you. When you cast all your “cares” upon Him… He takes care of the cares.
Oh what a joy for me to go home each morning to that place of His presence.
My prayer is that you find time to find Him today.
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Sheep HEAR His voice… Are you one of His sheep?
Yesterday I commented on the media and hundreds of pages of ignorant comments in response to the FACT that Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks “heard God’s voice”. Not only is the church encouraged to hear HIS voice, but is commanded to do so. Question NOT the Christianity of the ones who are hearing – but the ones who are not.
Jesus said “my sheep hear my voice”. As a Christian you either believe that or you don’t. That makes a strong determination as to whether the “title” you go by is valid.
Yesterday a dear brother came and added a strong scripture to the teaching on “hearing God’s voice”. It is found:
Mat 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Not only did they HEAR God’s voice (and by the way, He’s no respecter of persons – so if He speaks to one, He can speak to all) but God commanded them to HEAR THE VOICE OF HIS SON!!
I don’t believe ANYONE has a spiritual “deaf” spirit. I just believe that people aren’t recognizing the voice, they are ignoring the voice or they are rejecting the voice. I do NOT believe that standing before Him one day the excuse of “I couldn’t hear you” will be a valid excuse.
Lord… speak to me and let me hear and obey you!
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God is Pursuing You
Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
The Garden of Eden. A perfect place for His creation. Not an acre of land in the outback. It was a vast expanse. Full of every creature and vegetation known to man.
The vast expanse of Eden. How easy would it be to blend in. How easy would it be to be lost in there. How easy would it be to hide there.
But the VOICE of the Lord pursued them. God didn’t drop pamphlets from an airplane. He didn’t rain Bibles into all the land. HE pursued them with His tangible presence and His voice. Interpersonal communication.
I don’t care how big this world is. I don’t care how blended into it you think you are. I don’t care if you think you’ve found an acceptable hiding place. HIS voice is pursuing you.
If you are running – there is no place you can hide. If you are lost, there is no place you can’t be found. If you are wounded and can’t go any farther – there is no place that you can’t be rescued. He pursues His own. Stop in the cool of this day – in the vast expanses of the forests of your Eden – and listen.
He loves you. There’s no place that grace won’t go. Just stop. Put the fig leaves down, come out from among the trees and fall into His mercy. He loves you. If God pursued and provided forgiveness to the two who killed all of humanity and wounded His dream – He can surely do the same for you.
Your sin is no greater than theirs and your Eden is no larger an area. His voice will find you. The question is… will you listen?
Psa 32:7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
Don’t seek to hide from Him… seek to hide IN Him.
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It’s On!
Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Isa 5:30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.
In the day that we call ourselves “Christians” and find excuse and justification for sin – there will be chaos and devastation. God can not bless those things we “hush” in secret and “cover” with excuse.
Whether it be adultery, gossip, criticism, lying, drunkenness, idolatry, witchcraft, rebellion, strife, seditions – or giving in to such things as laziness, depression, complaining and a refusal to battle.
Sin must never be something acceptable. You can never decide to quit fighting that battle. Sin will Always be a threat to your life… Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. You can’t “outgrow” it or hope it will leave you alone. Someone who grows weary in the fight may take a weary stand… “perhaps I just can’t beat this and so God must be allowing it”.
We must be careful to EVER call “evil” – “good”. From the small sins to the great… from the great back down to the small. Faith tells us to fight. It is a “good fight” – a “fierce fight” – a “lifestyle”.
The enemy fought Christ right to the end and we must remember that HE told us… “if they hated me…. they WILL hate you”. In enemy-speak – hatred always involves a fight. Fight on people of God.
A refusal to fight is a day that will “roar” and a light that will be “dark”. Isaiah 5:30
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When God Says “NO”.
Have you ever prayed for something and then years down the line were thanking God that He didn’t answer that prayer? It’s because of His VETO power over your desires in the light of where you are heading. There are simply some things we can not see that, if we added this “thing”, would not bode well to where we need to be and who we need to become. It just hurts at the moment when all of our time and investment and blood, sweat and tears have gone into something that is either a “no” or a “wait” in the arena of prayer. All prayer is answered if you are His.
Sometimes it’s “yes”. Sometimes it’s “no”. Sometimes it’s “wait”. In all times, we have to respond with rejoicing because we trust HIM with our future. Do we? A good litmus test is to see your reaction when He tells us something adverse to our plan.
Until you walk into YOUR future “perfect”, you will not understand why the seemingly present perfect isn’t allowed.
God has a plan and a purpose for you. He goes out of His way to remind you: Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jer 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
He goes out of His way to remind you of that BEFORE you faced what you considered defeat. That means, He knew that you would be disappointed, but was already trying to remind you that HE HAS THINGS IN HIS CONTROL.
He is putting things together. A perfect plan. What if His perfect plan doesn’t include a current idea or venture? Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
It’s when life’s setbacks occur in our perfect plans that we need to take a step back, regroup and listen again intently to His heart’s desire. The prayer of Gethsemane quickly comes to mind… “not my will – but thine be done”.
He saw something up ahead that could have possibly destroyed you… but you will never know until you get past that point. You will never know until you can get to your “future perfect” and look back on what was crumbling on that path you would have chosen to have taken.
I found two great articles that I believe will minister in the midst of what looks like defeat, but is actually God’s favor and victory. How loving is God… HE DIDN’T LET YOU GO DOWN A PATH THAT WOULD HAVE LEAD TO YOUR DESTRUCTION.
When God Says No Chrystal Evans Hurst
September 26, 2014
“For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NASB) We were running errands.
My 5-year-old son was in his spot in the back seat chatting away, mostly asking me for stuff. “Mommy, can I have …?” “Mommy, can you take me …?” “Mommy, can we go to …?” You know that place somewhere between kids being so adorably cute and totally driving you bananas? Yup. I was there.
Every answer to his questions was “No.” I was on autopilot: No. No. No. Then that boy of mine said … “Mommy, I wish that every time you said ‘no’ you really meant ‘yes.’ That would be more funner.” “You mean that I would always mean the opposite of what I actually said?” “YES! Just like that! Come on Mommy let’s p-r-a-c-t-i-c-e.” I agreed to the rehearsal request. I mean … why not? All I had to do was keep giving the same response I’d been giving for the last 15 minutes.
“Mommy, can we go out for lunch?” “No.” My son raised a fist of victory in the air and said, “ALRIGHT!” “Mommy, can you take me to the store?” “No.” He broke into applause. “Mommy, can we go to the park to play?” “No.” That cute boy waved his hands in the air while saying, “Yeaaaaaah!”
And then it dawned on me … my son was on to something. He was choosing to believe my “no” was actually a “yes” and that changed his attitude. It changed his response. It changed his reaction. It made me wonder: What if we responded to God in this way? What if we believed that even when He said no, it was because He was really saying yes? Because He is. We have a good Father in God, who, just like a good earthly father, desires to give His children what’s best for them later even if He has to say no to something they want right now.
The question is: Do we really believe that He’s good? If we did, wouldn’t that be cause to celebrate, whether He says no or yes? It’s hard when prayer requests go unanswered or desires go unmet. I can easily feel deflated and frustrated with God. Hope turns to hopelessness, confident expectation becomes disappointment and faith turns to despondent despair. But what if we really believed God was good? What if we believed that He was always saying yes — maybe not to what we are asking Him for right at that moment — but saying yes to His best.
What if we trusted His heart, even when His hand seemingly withholds the very thing we so desire? What if we chose to celebrate all of the previous yes answers He’s given us despite His current no? I think it would change how we respond. I think we would find joy, keep hoping and smile despite what we see. I know how badly you want your yes but hang in there. Keep hoping. Keep praying. Keep believing. And if God says no? Choose to give thanks. I have been walking with God long enough to know that many times God has said no because He had a greater yes in store for me. I have been walking with God long enough to know that even if I don’t like His answer, I can respond to Him with expectation, hope and joy. I have been walking with God long enough to know He’s good and although He doesn’t always give me what I want, He always gives me what He knows I need. In some way, shape or form, He’s always saying yes. Father God, today I choose joy because I believe You are always saying yes. Sure, there are places of disappointment in my life and there are things I would like to be different, but I choose to give thanks. Starting today, I choose to respond to You as if You are always good — a
Father who has my best in mind. Because You are good. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. TRUTH FOR TODAY: Matthew 7:9-11, “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (NASB) Psalm 100:5, “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (NIV)
RELATED RESOURCES: Kingdom Woman by Tony Evans and Chrystal Evans Hurst
When God Says, “No.” by Jamie Atchley
Have you ever prayed for something fervently—prayed with faith—then sat back and waited for God’s answer? You waited…and waited…and waited. Until one day you began wondering “Why hasn’t God answered my prayers?”
After all, we have all heard sermons that give us the keys to an effective prayer life. Follow the steps, one, two, three, and you are guaranteed an answer. Indeed, God will answer all of our prayers; but what those sermons, and we, often forget is that “no” is an answer, too. What do you do? What does it mean? How do you handle it when God says “no”?
Over the last two years, God has been saying “no” to me in response to a prayer that is very dear to my heart. I have taken great comfort and instruction through these years from examples God has given us of other prayers He did not grant.
One of the most touching examples of prayers denied is the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah. In the first chapter of Luke, we are introduced to this couple. Luke tells us the situation very succinctly in verse 7: “But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.”
Imagine the years of tearful requests this couple made to the Lord. Try to feel the pain and frustration each month when they realized their prayer had been rejected again. As the months turned into years, the prayers must have grown more and more desperate, for each year as the couple grew older, they knew their chances of having a child grew dimmer.
And yet, after all these years, well past the age of having children, that is the request they continued to make of God. Until one day, as Zechariah, who was a priest, was burning incense in the Temple, an angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son…” (verse 13)
At this point, you may be thinking that this story is a poor example of God’s rejecting a plea, for He granted their prayer. In fact, the child He gave the couple grew up to be the prophet that “prepared the way” of the Lord (Luke 7:27). The fact is, Zechariah and Elizabeth almost certainly did not pray in their for God to wait to give them a child until their old age. they wanted a child right away. And God’s answer to THAT prayer was “no.”
Even though God had plans for them to ultimately have a son, Zechariah and Elizabeth were unaware of those plans. Yet in the face of years of Divine denial, they were still individuals of faith—people who believed in praying for the desires of their heart and in a God who listened to those prayers. What are some lessons we can learn from this couple?
- God Always Has an Answer
Like it or not, “no” is an answer, too. Although it is safe to assume that the couple was grieved at receiving this answer, it is apparent that they still viewed God as one attentive to their prayers. Just because God did not grant their prayer, Zechariah and Elizabeth did not give up on praying. They may have wondered why He did not grant it, but they never confused a negative response for a lack of one. If they had, why would they have persisted in praying?
In fact, sometimes for our own good, or that of others, “no” is the only answer that a loving God would give. Probably all of us can think of prayers in the past which we are very grateful now that God did not grant. When Elijah, for example, was discouraged by attempts on his life, even after his incredible victory over the priests of Baal, he prayed to God that he might die (1 Kings 19:4). God did not grant that prayer. Instead, God sent Elijah sustenance for a journey, and forty days later, God met with Elijah in a cave. Do you think Elijah regretted God’s “no”? Perhaps the “no” for which we should be most grateful, though, was in response to a prayer made in a garden one night. As a result of that “no”, one man died so all can live.
- God Sometimes Says “No” to Good People
Certainly, the Bible indicates that sometimes our prayers are not granted because of sin in our lives (James 4:3; 1 Peter 3:7), but it is also true that sometimes our prayers are rejected for other reasons. For example, Job’s problems, as well as the fact that God would not answer his pleas for relief, were attributed by Job’s friends to sin in Job’s life (Job 4:7-9). God’s apparent unresponsiveness, they reasoned, had to be because of sin (regardless of the fact that they could not identify the sin), because their theology did not allow good people to suffer.
What the friends could not know because of their human perspective was the conversation to which we are privy in Job 1:6-12. This passage shows us that God’s refusal to grant Job’s prayer for relief had nothing to do with Job’s sinfulness. Quite the contrary, Job was chosen because of his righteousness. rather than punishing Job, God was showing Satan and teaching Job a lesson: that it is good to serve God whether or not you receive any physical benefits from your faithfulness.
And what of Elizabeth and Zechariah? Had God said “no” to them all those years because they were sinful? Luke 1:6 tells us “…they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” But, verse 7 continues, “they had no child…”
It is wise, when it appears that the effectiveness of your prayer life is being hindered, to examine your life to see if you are walking in sin and God is trying to prod you back into His way. But if after honest self-evaluation, you know you have repented of any sin in your life and are trying to walk in God’s way, do not continue to castigate yourself for some “unknown sin” for which God must be punishing you. Remember that the only truly righteous person who ever lived was denied a fervent prayer.
- God Always Has a Purpose
We may not know that purpose while we are receiving our “no.” In fact, we may never know His purpose for saying “no” while we are here on this earth. When God closed Rachel’s womb, for example, there was no divine message to her explaining why. But Genesis 29:31 tells us that this was the Lord’s way of comforting Jacob’s other wife, Leah, for the fact that Rachel was loved by Jacob and she was not. Indeed, opening Leah’s womb and closing Rachel’s may have been the only way to secure Leah’s conjugal rights, for Jacob needed offspring, and only the wife he despised could give him children.
Elizabeth and Zechariah may have never seen a reason for God’s delay, but read farther into Luke 1. When the angel of the Lord explains to Mary what is about to transpire in her body, she is incredulous. It is very difficult for her to believe that what the angels says will happen, is possible (verse 34). What proof does the angel offer Mary that God has the power to do what the angel has said? He tells her about her kinswoman Elizabeth’s pregnancy. His point to Mary is that if God can do what is biologically impossible and make Elizabeth conceive when she is too old, He can do what is biologically impossible and make Mary conceive while she remains a virgin. Would Elizabeth’s having a child at the age of twenty have helped Mary believe the angel’s message? God always has a purpose.
Just as He did to these people—and they were real people—God sometimes says “no” to our prayers. Studying God’s “no’s” in other peoples’ lives, though, is much easier than applying the lessons to our own. Ungranted prayers will always disappoint us, but here are some suggestions to keep them from disillusioning to us:
When God says “No”…
- Affirm His Presence
“No” does not mean that no one is home up there. We may get a negative response, but any response necessitates a responder.
- Affirm His Power
Just because God will not, does not mean He CANNOT. He is able to do abundantly more than we can ask or even think (Ephesians 3:20-21).
- Affirm His Purpose
We do not always know what this purpose is, but we can affirm THAT it is; and because of what God has revealed to us of Himself, we know that His purpose is all-loving and all-wise.
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Today the church had a major wake up call.
Perhaps, had we prayed as fervently BEFORE the decision as vehemently as we complained and cried AFTER the decision, things may have gone the other way.
We have got to learn that our loud voice of disapproval after infamy is mute if we did not have a loud voice into Heaven beforehand.
Just as we can choose salvation…. we can choose to pray. A majority simply chooses not to.
In any event… sin is sin. Whether it’s a law of man or not… sin is sin. Sin is a law of the flesh. The Supreme Court acknowledged and endorsed a law of sin. It’s part of the world we live in but ARE NOT OF.
The high court of man can pronounce sin a law… but the high court of Heaven will NOT. Just because man makes it legal, doesn’t make it moral. God will NOT be moved by the supreme court of the United States, nor will HE change His mind or His heart concerning righteousness.
1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
I heard that preached today at Rev. Clementa Pinckney’s funeral. Ironic that a 531 miles north that scripture was speaking loud and clear.
We’ve just given this sin a new strength today. If you haven’t prayed beforehand… it would be a good time to do it now.
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How much of a threat are you to the devil?
Does the enemy lie awake nights worrying about you? Concerned at the power of your walk or your ministry?
Or are you one that is easily subdued if you rise up into even the smallest threat.
I am convinced that some (the few that are on narrow paths) Christians keep Satan on his toes, making him devise new plans and new snares to stop and destroy their walks.
Then there are others who, when they begin to rise up, all Satan has to do is pull out the same stoppers out of a tiny drawer to make them fall into snares and then into condemnation to their own destruction.
For some, it’s the one cigarette to the one who can’t stop. It’s the one cookie to the one who craves sugar. It’s one image on television. It’s one little hit of pain or thought of tiredness. It’s just a well planted thought or a carefully crafted image or a word spoken in weakness. What is that cookie that Satan can always depend upon concerning your life?
Some need to realize that he can take them out whenever he chooses. He’ll make us too tired to pray, too busy to praise, too frustrated to forgive, too angry to listen, too full of lust to hold on to a blessing, too weak to be a threat to fight back, too much of a procrastinator to study a word today.
And in our weakness we don’t lean to the Lord’s strength, but take our cookies from the enemy and scurry away to dark corners and eat like starving people. Then we lay there in the bloat of our condemnation in that place of darkness. And we think that somehow, some way… tomorrow will be different.
Satan has a cookie jar with your name on it and you are no threat to him or to his kingdom. We always say… it’s our last cookie and then we are going to be able to overcome – but we never do. Too weak to change. Too weak to be a threat to the kingdom of darkness. Sad, but very true.
The enemy giggles when we say “In the name of Jesus” because our lifestyle can’t back up the boast. Before we get the bold statements out of our mouths, you can hear the top coming off of that cookie jar.
There was a kingdom of darkness that shuddered at the thought of God’s people in God’s presence. People of God who were a snare to the enemy instead of being snared themselves:
Exo 10:7 And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?
How many have ever experienced such a presence and power with God that the enemy wanted to turn you loose? Careful with your answers – you have cookie crumbs all over your shirt.
The problem is, the enemy plays to our weaknesses. He knows how to attack those weak areas of your life and he and you BOTH know it’s a snare, but you can’t stop. You have no power to resist.
1Sa 18:21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.
Words can be a very influential snare to us. We are often snared by the words of the enemy – especially if he can make us speak and desire his words. He paints pretty pictures, he convinces us to be logical, religious and self absorbed. He reminds us of what we need, he reminds us of how we feel, he tattles on what others think of us, he makes us feel more invincible than we really are as well as reminding us of how tired we are. He convinces us that we “deserve”… we have a “right to”… we have “earned”. And he not only formulates a plan for us, but gives us direction as to how to carry out those plans.
Pro 6:2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Whenever you begin to do something good. No matter how small or insignificant. It is a spark that the enemy goes to extinguish. It is a law to extinguish any spark of good in man:
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
We must as Christians reevaluate our threat levels. The enemy must begin to see us as more than the court jesters in the King’s courts.
I hear this word resonating through Heaven concerning His church today: 2Sa 1:27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
We can’t resist the cookies. The gossip cookies, the complaining cookies, the anger cookies, the lust cookies, the pleasure cookies, the tithe cookies, the fame cookies, the esteem cookies… oh, Satan’s minions are busy baking their delights JUST FOR YOU.
Threats to the kingdom of darkness:
Luk 21:2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
Mat 11:6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That you haven’t resisted evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
We need to pray for God to take that taste of that sin out of our mouths. We need not be an easy target for the enemy. We need to quit being such pushovers in the body of Christ. Where is the one who will stand as a Joshua and say… And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
But Pastor Mark… it’s so hard and I am so weak. Ah yes… there is what the enemy is counting on. Have you ever done something so radical in Christ that it made the enemy take a double take? You made a choice for righteousness that made the enemy say… “huh… didn’t see that coming”.
To do this, we need to realize that we WILL be led into temptation… and with the way of escape, we must NOT be bought off easily with cookies. As we are led into temptation, we must at that very hour be “led” and “overtaken” by the Holy Ghost. We must listen to what He tells us to speak and we must NOT rely on what we know or what we’ve read or who we are… we must rely on HEARING HIS VOICE. And we must LET HIM speak what HE HEARS.
Mar 13:11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
As I have been preaching on overcoming in a crisis. The first step is not to walk to your phone or walk to your Bible or walk to your church. In fact, it’s a place where you are NOT ABLE to take a step at all.
It is an immediate drop to your knees where you can’t take any steps… and in that place you MUST LISTEN FOR HIS VOICE. God said. God said. God said. This has great power in the word – but if it remains on the pages of your Bibles, it will be for naught.
God is still “saiding” today. What is He “saiding” to you? If you don’t know, don’t take that next step! Don’t put yourself in a place to reach for another cookie. We’ve both had quite enough already.
Worship with me today:
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Blinded Eyes Man of Faith
He walks with me. And He “TALKS” with me.
What if you’re wrong concerning faith? What if you are hanging on to things that sounded good at the time and that you’ve invested your life into believing – but you saw only a shadow of the fullness. What if you’ve eaten the rind of the watermelon not knowing that there was fruit inside? Are you willing to hear the truth even when it is not comfortable?
I think that one of the smaller points that I taught on yesterday bears repeating today. It is concerning Saul. We all pretty much know the story. Jesus said, if they hated me, they will hate you – and Saul is an excellent example of the hatred for the followers of Christ. And as such, there is a hatred for Jesus Himself.
Act 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
Act 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Act 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Act 9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Act 9:7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
Act 9:8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
Act 9:9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
This is one angry man. Jesus took care of him… personally. Now, Paul was a very educated man. Loyal to his cause and to his religion and was not only a Jew, but a Roman Citizen. A double hatred for Christ.
As an educated, logical and extreme man of the flesh, the question was how God was going to teach him faith when he was so used to walking by sight. A man who put all of his pride in his ability to read the written word and quote from the pages of the law – that which he’s seen.
Jesus came in a very personal and powerful way. Saul and his cohorts had no lack of words to expound against the church and against Jesus were now… as it says in verse 7… “speechless”. They heard a voice but saw no man. It was a teaching on HEARING HIS VOICE.
And then something miraculous happened. Jesus took his sight. A miracle to lose one’s sight? If this was going to be a man who would change his understanding from what he read and what he saw – he had to know firsthand in the flesh and in the spirit, what it would be like to walk by faith and not sight.
His eyes were his livelihood. How could he know except he had the ability to read? This is a great message to us all. It’s one thing to be able to read and study – just as Saul was able to read and study the Torah and the law, but to KNOW HIM – you have to be able to hear His voice.
As Saul was filled with the Holy Ghost, it is known that his name changed. He became “Paul”. “Saul”, a name that meant “demanding, begging, accuser, having to have things his own way… control freak” He now yielded to the Holy Ghost after his encounter with Jesus (again, separate experience – and a message for another day). The name “Paul” translates out to “yielded, paused, coming to the end of himself”.
A man who had the ability to read God’s word now had learned how to HEAR God’s voice. It’s no wonder that Paul wrote: 2Co 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Paul is so clear here. We are “made” able ministers – not of the letter, but of the Spirit. And AS able ministers of the new covenant, we are able to read, understand and use the letter to prove His voice. Voice first. Word follows and proves Him.
We get that mixed up. We use the letter and then expect God to honor it in all situations because He wrote it. VERY dangerous.
Look again carefully at every time the enemy comes. He doesn’t come with a bifurcated tail and a pitchfork, but comes with the written word. Quoted exactly as it was written. Quoted. Confessed. The powerful word of God spoken OUT OF SEASON AND OUT OF CONTEXT.
Mat 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Mat 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Read it for yourself… the enemy came and quoted verbatim the precious, Holy Word of God – as many do today. The spirit of antichrist quotes it often IN and OUT of churches and in the name of religion and in the name of Jesus.
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. I John 4:3
The devil quoted well the word. The devil quoted a truth. The devil quoted and told Jesus to “confess” and “demand” and “require” it to prove the voice of God and the will of God.
Psa 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Psa 91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Well then… God, didn’t you say it? Didn’t you write it? Doesn’t it have power? Is it a lie because Jesus didn’t quote it? Was it a “lack of faith” because Jesus didn’t speak it. Did it not happen simply because He didn’t believe it?
Oh thank God He had the sense to discern sound. Voice. And He also had the good sense to realize that He couldn’t apply the Father’s word without the Father’s timing and purpose.
When Jesus told the disciples what He was going to go through, it was adverse to the flesh, contrary to a healing and compassionate God and surely, the Son of God could just speak a word and it would be well. Especially in front of the congregation – you have to preserve your reputation as a man of faith. “JESUS – do a search on all the times your Father spoke about healing and apply it to your life. Apply it now. Let me repeat it to you a hundred times a day so it gets into your spirit that you might believe. Keep repeating it, keep quoting it, keep confessing it… keep…”
Jesus was talking about suffering and pain and dying and Peter would have none of that “nonsense”. I mean… They were MEN OF FAITH. Jesus was THE man of faith. They spoke what they wanted and God would automatically be impressed and HAVE to bless them for it.
Peter got rebuked.
Mat 16:22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
Go ahead. Tell God what HE needs to do. Tell God what you won’t do. Tell God that as an educated, learned man of faith, you DON’T HAVE TO GO THROUGH ANY ADVERSITY. You can walk in divine healing.
Nothing more divine, folks, than the Lord Jesus Christ.
And, seriously, I mean, couldn’t He just turn a stone to bread? I mean… if He really WAS the Son of God and believed what He preached… Luk 11:11 “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?…” Why can’t we just take it upon ourselves to quote a scripture in order to meet a need? And call that faith?
I always have to remind myself… if Jesus didn’t “assume” anything, if Jesus didn’t speak “anything” unless He HEARD the Father speak it, then why do we think we can get away with it?
Don’t speak a wrong word into my season. Don’t speak a right word when it’s not the correct season.
You can search the scriptures, you can read the word, you can confess the snot out of circumstance – but if you are led by what your eyes have gathered and not included your ears in that gathering, you will often miss a great word in scripture… “purpose”.
Joh 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Joh 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
The Jews thought that eternal life came in the searching of and the reading of and the teaching of scripture. Jesus told them that the letter without the Spirit is incomplete. The reason they had the law in the Old Testament is because they were too afraid to face God. They begged Moses to gather the word for them. Jesus came and the word became flesh.
Suddenly there was a paradigm shift. The lines of communication were open to the throne – and when Jesus left, He kept those channels of communication open by the Holy Ghost. With the Holy Ghost we have an open Heaven.
The problem comes when we don’t utilize it. Without hearing the voice of God, you will strand the word. Jesus said… “but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.”
Now look that up you Bible scholars… although I prefer you went into a secret closet of prayer with it – “my word” has no place in you. Is what Jesus said. The word, WORD translates out not in a written form of communication, but in a form of speech and verbal communication. In other words, Jesus was saying, you have not or can not hear my voice – for that voice is NOT IN YOU.
If we continue to rest upon a written account and letters of a law or even letters of a covenant without a driving voice behind those words, we shall surely find ourselves on a Damascus road – and when the voice DOES come, buckle up – that ground can be very hard He may take away the security of your sight.
Worship with me today:
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He That Hath An Ear… LET Him…
Mar 9:7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
Don’t just read about Jesus… HEAR HIM.
As I was praying this morning I spent such a precious time in what appeared to be the gardens of the Lord and He spoke to me about many things. Oh how good it is to hear His voice… to hear Him tell us that we are not alone… to hear Him tell us that He will never leave us… to hear Him tell us that He loves us.
Jesus told me that He loved me this morning. Now, I could have read that in the written word, but there is something about “hearing” from Him face to face. Pastor Mark, did Jesus really speak to you? Perhaps it was your imagination.
No… I believe in what the written word says to prove HIS VOICE. And that is what the word should do. It should PROVE His voice. Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
It doesn’t say in this particular place – “My sheep read my word…” It doesn’t say “My sheep declare the scriptures”. HEAR MY VOICE. And in the following scripture it goes even deeper: Joh 10:4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
It’s one thing to “hear a voice” – but it’s entirely another thing to “KNOW” that voice. The more you spend time with someone, the more recognizable their voice. When they call on the phone, you may not recognize them the first few times they call, but after a while, you can hear… and know.
I can read an autobiography and get tears and sometimes I laugh out loud. But when I actually meet the author and I am spoken to personally… it gives me chills.
If the only Jesus you’ve heard, is from the mouth of someone else, or in a book, you are missing it. AGAIN… this is not minimizing the preaching of the gospel or the written Word of God – but there is a component that is so personal and so precious and so powerful that it can truly bring you to another dimension in your walk.
In the book of Revelation, Jesus says “he that hath an ear, let him hear”. If you are a sheep you hear His voice. That is “proven” in the written word and “initiated” by His voice. Voice activated. The church needs to get there. When you experience your earth “quake” at the words of a good sermon, and the fire you feel when you read the word, it is good… but… 1Ki 19:12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
If a book was enough He wouldn’t have needed to send the Holy Ghost. John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Looking at this verse… we must first look at that word “expedient”. It speaks of a divine and decisive advantage. A necessity. If Jesus said that we needed the Holy Ghost, why would we not agree?
Secondly, we must realize that the written word of the torah had come unto them. Shortly, the written words of Christ would soon be recorded. But those written words would NOT BE ENOUGH. Jesus even proved it in the midst of Old Testament Torah… Mar 12:36 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.
By the Holy Ghost we hear. Again… we can be led to scripture, we can be reminded of scripture – but to HEAR is that missing component of the church. It’s the missing link, so to speak of “faith”. FAITH COMETH BY HEARING. Hearing.
He can speak to us in many ways. Sometimes when I sit and open the scriptures, I hear Him reading the verses to me. It’s like a little child begging his pappa to read a story.
And sometimes it’s when I am about my busy day – and He breaks in and speaks very clearly. But my most favorite time is when the secret place is filled with the fragrance of His presence and I have given Him my schedules, my “to do” lists and my appointments. I have laid down the things of this world to give Him my undivided attention.
That, my friend is precious. It’s like talking to my children who are absorbed in their electronic devices, hearing me and doing something else at the same time. THAT is ok… but when I get their full attention – it is incredible.
The church has gotten so far away from hearing His voice, that to even say that you “hear” Jesus speak to you, sounds fanatical and crazy to the world AND to some of the church. We have doctrines that have been formed from the laziness and overburdened church who don’t take time to tarry. They don’t have time to pursue His voice. Reading is enough. Quoting is enough. Declaring is enough. Religion is enough.
And when you have been a part of that kind of tradition for a lifetime, it can be very difficult to change. Some have invested their whole life into a doctrine or a denomination or a religion and when the truth is introduced, it is a threat to what they’ve done, what they’ve invested and who they are.
Churches do have devils that have created strongholds. Churches where they sing songs and lift their hands as they have been taught and listen faithfully to their Pastors. But they have not heard the voice of God.
There is a fine line here. Jesus didn’t do ANYTHING except what He saw and heard the Father do. EVEN WHEN HE QUOTED THE WORD… it wasn’t an automatic response to an erupting crisis. He didn’t speak the word unless He heard the Father speak it. He didn’t quote blind scripture or follow healing scripture recipes. If the Father spoke to Him about what was written and told Him to speak that which was written IN THAT PARTICULAR situation, then it was not just logos, (the letter written) but it was rhema (the word spoken).
There’s the rub. We quote things that are written by God without knowing HIS timing and authority for each situation and each word, and that is not only dangerous, but it can appear to the world as if God’s word doesn’t work. HAS HE CRAFTED THAT WORD FOR YOUR SITUATION? You need to make sure.
And that’s easy enough to blame someone not getting healed when you’ve commanded it, due to a lack of faith or a worldly spirit or sin. But perhaps you are using the right word out of season… or the wrong word in the right season. Because… it’s just easier to quote what we’ve learned than to HEAR what He’s saying RIGHT NOW.
Listening takes time.
So… back to this devil in the church. “in the synagogue there was a man which had a spirit of an unclean devil”. An unclean devil. Uncleanness is a sign of laziness, resistant to changing, rebellion, religion. HE WAS IN THE CHURCH.
Luk 4:32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.
Luk 4:33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,
Luk 4:34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.
When you come preaching the “NOW FAITH” doctrine… or the truth about faith and the truth about having to hear His voice, the first thing that rears it’s ugly head is that demon of religion. A religious demon is a master craftsman who fashions tradition and makes it an unbreakable law. A religious demon FORBIDS an open mind. A religious demon forbids change. A religious demon “knows” who Jesus is and will talk about HIM but will not anyone else talk to Him. A religious demon will let you quote the scriptures, read the Torah, pay your tithes, faithfully go to church – but he does NOT want you to have any personal contact with Jesus Christ.
The demon speaks for all around him. LET US ALONE. Quit preaching at us. Are you come to destroy our church and our work and the traditions that we have spent so much time learning and investing in for all these years?
Then the demon calls Him “Jesus of Nazareth”. Notice earlier in Luke 4 the controversy came IN Nazareth and caused people to look upon His humanity instead of His deity. What the demon was saying OUT LOUD was really in essence what was spoken earlier in the 22nd verse. “Is this not Joseph’s son?” There were similar demons who were in both Nazareth and Capernaum’s synagogues.
And they are in the churches today. Denying the Holy Ghost, avoiding the deity of Christ, forbidding the intimacy of the Father, diverting people from “hearing”.
In that same time period, they accused Jesus of having the devil. A common technique for diverting the eyes of man from the devil at hand. Slight of hand.
Luk 4:35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.
Luk 4:36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.
I believe when Jesus was confronted, He didn’t resort to a stale Torah reference. He didn’t recite something He learned in Rabbinical seminary. He LISTENED.
And He spoke. WHAT THE FATHER WAS SPEAKING. And that Rhema word… that utterance from the throne… that ammunition given from the Father gave Jesus the power to pull that trigger!
What a Word is this!! What a word indeed. In John 1:14… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
The written word POPS when God’s voice is driving it. In every event. Every crisis. Every situation. Every moment where decision needs to be made. WE MUST HEAR AND KNOW HIS VOICE.
Worship with me today:
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Speak, My Lord.
Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Are you ready to Hear His voice? Have you the time to listen? All the noteable men and women of God had a very common thread. They could hear the voice of God. The voice.
Num 24:13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?
Isa 50:4 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
Jer 1:7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
Joh 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
Joh 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
Deu 4:36 Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.
Job 37:2 Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.
Psa 95:7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Heb 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Joh 10:2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Joh 10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Joh 10:4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Act 22:14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
Act 22:15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
1Sa 3:4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
1Sa 3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
1Sa 3:9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
1Sa 3:10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
1Sa 3:11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
1Sa 3:19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
If I can teach you a history lesson and you gain all great Biblical knowledge, it is good. If I can teach you read scripture and proclaim what it says, it is good. If I can get you to sit and listen to my voice as I expound on what God gave me, it is good.
But if I can teach you to hear the voice of God – that discipline will change your life, your dimension and your destiny.
Samuel couldn’t prevent God from speaking to him. Once, twice, three times… But Samuel did not know HOW to hear His voice. Eli directed Samuel to find a private, intimate place and when you get there… ask Him…. SPEAK LORD.
This is an important step in learning how to hear and discern the Lord’s voice. The main things to remember in learning to hear His voice.
- You are not crazy
- God still speaks to His people
- God wants to speak with you
- Minister to the Lord as friend to friend & worship Him
- Set a time with your undivided attention
- Ask Him to speak and Ask Him to let you hear
- Do not grow impatient in waiting upon Him with your listening – Be Still
- His voice will be more defined the more you spend time with Him
Worship with me today:
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Are you afraid or excited?
The above Fox news story is concerning a proposed new world, one world currency. This is not a farce. It is not a fairy tale. It is not a hoax. It’s on. We are being funneled as water down a drain to the end.
Are you afraid, or are you excited? The answer lies within your walk. These scriptures in the gospels of John and in Luke are not only profound, but “hidden” from the wise and prudent. At times, it almost feels as if you are putting together a 783,137 jigsaw puzzle.
The Holy Spirit is the one who can not only interpret, lead you into the truth, guide you into the correct weaponry, but can be a comfort in the midst of utter destruction. And in case you missed it, the world right now is in utter chaos with no answers to the problems and no hope in sight… unless your “sight” is faith.
Paul was writing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit when he said, 2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
It is the only place in scripture that we identify fear as a spirit. If you are in bondage, it comes, if you are walking by sight, it comes, if you are a person of this world, it comes, if you are not walking in the fullness of the Holy Ghost, it comes.
And it comes also to challenge us and that precious Holy Spirit that is in us. It is our choice to yield. We yield to fear or we yield to the Holy Ghost.
Did you know that you can be scared unto death? It is a physiological fact.
This is an article from the periodical Scientific American and written by Coco Ballantyne:
“A Charlotte, N.C., man was charged with first-degree murder of a 79-year-old woman whom police said he scared to death. In an attempt to elude cops after a botched bank robbery, the Associated Press reports that 20-year-old Larry Whitfield broke into and hid out in the home of Mary Parnell. Police say he didn’t touch Parnell but that she died after suffering a heart attack that was triggered by terror. Can the fugitive be held responsible for the woman’s death? Prosecutors said that he can under the state’s so-called felony murder rule, which allows someone to be charged with murder if he or she causes another person’s death while committing or fleeing from a felony crime such as robbery—even if it’s unintentional. But, medically speaking, can someone actually be frightened to death? We asked Martin A. Samuels, chairman of the neurology department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Is it possible to literally be scared to death? Absolutely, no question about it. Really? How does that happen? The body has a natural protective mechanism called the fight-or-flight response, which was originally described by Walter Cannon [chairman of Harvard University’s physiology department from 1906 to 1942]. If, in the wild, an animal is faced with a life-threatening situation, the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system responds by increasing heart rate, increasing blood flow to the muscles, dilating the pupils, and slowing digestion, among other things. All of this increases the chances of succeeding in a fight or running away from, say, an aggressive jaguar. This process certainly would be of help to primitive humans, but the problem, of course, is that in the modern world there is very limited advantage of the fight-or-flight response. There is a downside to revving up your nervous system like this. How can the fight-or-flight response lead to death? The autonomic nervous system uses the hormone adrenaline, a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, to send signals to various parts of the body to activate the fight-or-flight response. This chemical is toxic in large amounts; it damages the visceral (internal) organs such as the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. It is believed that almost all sudden deaths are caused by damage to the heart. There is almost no other organ that would fail so fast as to cause sudden death. Kidney failure, liver failure, those things don’t kill you suddenly. What exactly happens in the heart when it’s flooded with too much adrenaline? Adrenaline from the nervous system lands on receptors of cardiac myocytes (heart-muscle cells), and this causes calcium channels in the membranes of those cells to open. Calcium ions rush into the heart cells and this causes the heart muscle to contract. If it’s a massive overwhelming storm of adrenaline, calcium keeps pouring into the cells and the muscle just can’t relax. There is this specially adapted system of muscle and nerve tissue in the heart—the sinoatrial (SA) node, the atrioventricular node, and the Purkinje fibers—which sets the rhythm of the heart. If this system is overwhelmed with adrenaline, the heart can go into abnormal rhythms that are not compatible with life. If one of those is triggered, you will drop dead.”
Although we tend to believe today’s scientists more than we believe what Jesus said, it is still worth mentioning… lol…. That Jesus called it before scientists did. He was concerned for their hearts. He is concerned for YOUR heart.
And “stress” is the result of the spirit of fear. Another great article you might want to read is “Stress: The Silent Killer by Martin V. Cohen, Ph.D.
http://www.martinvcohen.com/stress.html
Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Jesus used the word “let” in that first verse. This tells me that He is advocating a choice. In other words, CHOOSE NOT to believe in fear, but believe in God. And that is not always easy being housed in a fleshly body. In fact, without a supernatural boost, it is nigh unto impossible. THAT is why He spoke of an added entity to your love and belief in Him. Something in addition to your love and following of Him. These early disciples to whom He was talking were “CHRISTIANS” – meaning that they were followers of Christ.
But Jesus told them that they couldn’t follow Him where He was going, (Joh 13:36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. ) and that they could not make it by just being a Christian. They would need more. They would need a supernatural guide and confidant.
If the Holy Ghost wasn’t needed as a separate component to your walk, Jesus would NOT have sent Him. If just loving Jesus was enough, Jesus wouldn’t have commanded them… in more than one place…
Luk 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
Act 1:4-5 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
You can be a Christian and go to Heaven. The blood ensures that. But to live a life victorious here on this earth, a life that gives you choices to yield to something stronger than your own spirit and flesh – you NEED the Holy Ghost. You need the baptism of the Holy Ghost as Jesus described it.
It was a moving of the Holy Ghost from being with you to being IN YOU. And the walk with Jesus, the following of Jesus, the being a Christian did not automatically cause the Holy Ghost to come INSIDE. You have to receive HIM just as you receive Jesus.
Otherwise, Jesus would have said…. “If you love me, and follow me, and are born again, the Spirit of God automatically comes to live inside of you.” BUT HE DIDN’T SAY THAT.
Back to that all important 14th chapter of John – Jesus told them that “knowing” the Holy Ghost was not enough. And Jesus told them… “YOU KNOW HIM”. Him. Not an “it” or a “machine” or a “figment”. Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
This gives evidence and credence to the fact that if you follow Jesus and love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, the Spirit is WITH YOU. And Jesus, if He thought it was enough to have the Holy Spirit WITH US, He wouldn’t have pressed the issue of the Holy Ghost coming within.
There are things in this world, my friend that can scare you to death. There are choices that you make that can produce dire consequences. When you yield to the supernatural power of the Holy Ghost – you have the EDGE. You give HIM permission to work IN YOUR HEART and not just WITH YOUR HEART.
Christians who give way to fear are falling into one of two categories. 1. They have not been filled with the Holy Spirit although they have the Spirit with them… they still have the power to shut the door and keep Him on the outside. They make their choice in an empty and a dark chamber. 2. They are Spirit filled, but their freedom of choice is to yield to a spirit of rebellion which is as witchcraft and although they hear the counsel of the Holy Ghost – free will causes them to VETO righteousness and walk into sin. This is done due to the fact that they have not yielded completely to the Holy Ghost in all areas of their lives. He is considered a guest still obeying your rules.
When you begin to yield MORE and MORE to the Holy Ghost – You are allowing Him to take His rightful authority in you. Jud 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
And what is that most holy faith? Back to Luke 24… “…the promise of my Father”. Most Holy Faith. It is the ultimate weapon against the kingdom of darkness. The ability to hear the voice of the Father and the power to obey Him.
Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Now… you remember the news story that I sent you via the youtube link? The one world currency? That is a part of what is about to scare people to death. The things that Jesus described is exactly what is happening in the world today.
Luk 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, (ISIS Declares War On ‘The Cross’: 21 Christians Beheaded in Barbaric New Video from the Islamic State. –IJR Review) and shall be led away captive into all nations:(Iraq official: Hundreds of Women Refugees taken captive by militants) (Boko Haram takes 275 girls captive – US NEWS) and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles,(Jerusalem under siege – Chabat.org) until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Luk 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, (Impacts of Strong Solar Flares Cause of Real Concern in 2015 – NASA) and in the moon, (Blood Moon Tetrad Suggests World Changing Events for 2015?) and in the stars; (Nasa identifies new asteroid threat which ‘could hit Earth’ in 30 years’ time – and UN teams are working out how to divert it – Daily News) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(No solutions to problems like these: However, we are winning a few battles but losing the war – thwink.org) the sea and the waves roaring; (Scientists Warn Of Massive Tidal Wave From Canary Island Volcano – Rense.com)
Luk 21:26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Watch the news lately and watch your blood pressure elevate. And, it seems as if the enemy is in the media with the excuse that the people have a right to know. The enemy is simply publishing his exploits and is after your heart. He comes to kill, steal and destroy. (John 10:10)
IF YOU ARE AFRAID or ANGRY or MOVED in any way away from the peace that Jesus promised in John 14:27, you need to check the oil in your lamp. You need to consult with the Holy Ghost IMMEDIATELY. There is a battle when fear comes knocking at your door – not only in the world reports, but what is happening in your own back yard and in the chambers of your own heart. It’s on. The battle rages. And you need help to overcome. You need to know what it’s like to be “more than a conqueror”. (Romans 8:37)
Jesus didn’t tell us these things to scare us – but to let us know where we are in the chronological age of man… AND it is a litmus test to let YOU know where you are in God. Is your yield to the Holy Ghost. Are you in this world without being OF this world? World events – Personal events and how you react can be a great check to your own Christianity.
Jesus told us the season and I believe more than ever – we are in that summer season. And when you are close to the summer solstice, you are getting closer to the Kingdom come.
Luk 21:30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
Luk 21:31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
Jesus goes on to tell us that we must “take heed”. Be cautious. Pay attention. This is a critical time. DO NOT LET YOUR HEART INGEST THE LIES AND EXCUSES AND SOLUTIONS OF THIS WORLD. The flesh is turning to different gods, excessive drugs, alcohol and pleasure of the flesh to try to make you forget what is really happening.
Luk 21:34-35 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
And what I also get from that the snare is set for ALL OF US. Christians and non-Christians alike. The enemy HATES humanity and anything that God has created. So what’s the solution Pastor Mark?
How do we overcome? How do we not infect ourselves with the fear? How can we NOT be affected? In and of yourself, there is no hope. Perfect.
But through Christ ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. Even the defeating of the spirit of fear. Pray. Pray. Pray. (Again, not saying prayers… but filling up your secret closet with your heart, your life, your time, your love – and feeling that chamber fill up with the presence of God)
Luk 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Luk 21:37 And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.
Luk 21:38 And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.
Those last verses that I recorded have great prophetic significance. The people followed Him to listen in the realm of the religious… but did not go to His abode. It was at night that HE went to a certain place to “abide”. Why is it that when the world is so dark today that we don’t go to where He lives?
Worship with me today:
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A Lesson In Obedience
I kept thinking about decisions this morning. The only times they are difficult is when they are our own. If your steps are ordered, (Psalm 37:23) and you obey those orders, it limits your options and makes that journey easier. Since we don’t know what tomorrow holds, it is similar to entering into a dark and unknown place.
We walk cautiously, gingerly and with great trepidation. But if we can learn to step by our hearing, it is remarkable how much easier it is. It’s kind of like reading instructions as opposed to having someone walk you through processes.
You can read the instruction manual… but make sure the Father is walking you through the process. When it’s HIS decision that you are making – it takes on a whole new level of confidence and peace.
Luk 13:18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
Luk 13:19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
Luk 13:20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?
Luk 13:21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
As I was studying this morning, I came across something quite interesting, although passed over often. It seems that the verbiage of the two statements are the same, but look again.
God repeats many things in His word and when there is repetition, we must pay special attention. When two things are similar, but not verbatim – it is not that the author wanted to add flair and variety – it means there is a difference in the thing he is writing about. God doesn’t make mistakes. He makes sure that every word… every dotted “i” and every crossed “t” were carefully checked and rechecked by Himself.
Although at times, the scriptures can seem cryptic, mysterious and hard to understand, I love to apply what Paul says. 1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Reading that verse alone speaks of how impossible it is to see or hear what God has hidden for us. (“…With men these things are impossible…” (Mark 10:27).
But. Big but. If you let the Holy Spirit be your guide and your translator, then the next verse is the transcending of the impossible.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. “…for with God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27).
That being said, let’s go back and look at this little passage in Luke 13. Jesus is addressing the issue (again) of healing on the Sabbath. It is a matter of providing hope over the law… a redefining of the law.
He wanted them to know how to see the Kingdom. How to understand something that they hadn’t previously seen and could not see with natural eyes. To understand and to see, there is a need to “hear”.
The whole healing on the Sabbath thing was an evidence of obedience – Son to Father. Remember that Jesus had to see and He had to hear, and could not go rogue.
Joh 12:49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
Joh 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
So. He wanted us to be able to see with our spiritual eyes by speaking to us with imagery that we could understand. He first said in verse 18, THIS is. IS. An absolute. He was about to make a statement telling us exactly what the Kingdom looked like and what the Kingdom was.
Then, in that same verse, He said, in essence – how am I (how are you) an image of that Kingdom. How do we not only “resemble” – but become a part of. He describes the Kingdom as something where learning, money, fame, fortune, status, experience are not qualifiers.
The Kingdom revolves around something small and seemingly insignificant. Matthew 17:20 tells us: “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
A qualifier for the Kingdom. This is the kingdom. What can you do to be “like” the Kingdom… to be “in” the Kingdom?
The similarities are there between verses 18 and 20 – but there is also a difference. Jesus says in one verse… “this is what it is”. In the next verse He says – “this is how I am a part of it. And how YOU can be a part of it”.
It starts with a seed. That’s all God needs is ONE SEED to build a Kingdom. Notice the other difference in this passage. A grain of seed “planted” by A MAN. As opposed to the leaven that was buried by A WOMAN. (Into 3 measures of meal, which suffice to say here without going down a longer teaching is the amount of bread that would be cooked for a fellowship meal – extending hospitality and making a difference that would benefit her little corner of the Kingdom.)
It is the leaven added to the bread that will cause it to rise, spread and grow. Jesus is talking about a way to grow the Kingdom. It’s that WORD that was hidden in the bread of life. It’s that WORD that needs to be hidden in you.
The Kingdom grows by His Word, His Way and His means. This entire chapter is dedicated to hearing and being obedient to the wishes of Father God. Remember that Jesus told us – Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
That takes the pressure off of US as Kingdom builders. He didn’t say “you” will build my church. He didn’t say “we” will build my church. HE SAID “I” will build My church.
We have so many books written on how to build churches, how to establish kingdoms, how to create mega God centers and explosive evangelism techniques. It can’t be built nor WAS it built with the ideas, sweat equity, or intellect of man.
It was built with ONE SEED. One Word. And the worlds were created and framed. If you are struggling to build a kingdom, perhaps you need to reevaluate what His job description is and what YOUR job description is.
David said, Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. The little that is hidden… or planted is enough to cause you to be more than a conqueror against an enemy who is fighting against a Kingdom you didn’t build.
If one seed does it, think about this… There are 3,116,480 letters making up 783,137 words in the King James Bible. If you can HEAR even just a few words coming from HIS mouth and you can hide them in your heart – it will always be more than enough to get you through what you’re facing. Your obedience is the HOPE of GLORY.
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Worship With Me Today:
***A postscript to today’s word:
I think that perhaps as Christians, we are at times “goaded” into the mass hysteria of claiming blessings. The universal claiming of God opening everyone’s doors. It comes from a demanding church – not an inquiring church.
If we spent half as much time asking Him what He wanted instead of telling Him what we want – I feel that the struggles would be easier to bear in this life. God has ways that are not ours. He has thoughts that are not ours. He already knows our thoughts… but do we know His?
The church today needs to run to Gethsemane – not with shopping lists and Christmas lists – but armed with the attitude of the heart that says “not my will…”.
Blessings are not always in the form of the easy things and the delightful things we go through… but in every trial that is in obedience to Him – there is a blessing. There is a table prepared in the midst on the enemy. We shouldn’t be able to choose where we eat. It’s His table. It’s His party. It’s His choice.
Kind of makes me mad when an evangelist stands and proclaims that ever door of the 15,000 people in the auditorium will automatically open when we demand and declare and get violent with God. Not happenin’ folks. Just simply…. NOT HAPPENING.
God deals situationally with each and every believer. From the one who lives in Hebrews 11:34 or the one who lives in Hebrews 11:37. Both in faith. One escapes the sword. One slain with the sword.
Oh… and one more thing. Don’t preach to me an imbalanced word of faith doctrine and then have an “I can’t” come out of your mouth. I can’t do…. I can’t go… I can’t be…
I can do all things? I must do all things. I will do all things THROUGH CHRIST. I said it last week… God doesn’t open all doors just as He doesn’t lock all doors. I pray that you HEAR which door to go through and which door you’ve been beating your head against and making your throat hoarse commanding it’s opening. Don’t waste your time standing at a locked door trying to pick the lock.
Ordered Steps. Learning obedience at times though the things we suffer. Or… the things we “allow” God to take us through.
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“And if it were true that I would be able to die without a wrinkle on my brow… what would I have accomplished?” – anon
Isa 31:1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!
There are things appointed here in this life that you can not avoid… no matter what the world promises. Ie: And as it is appointed unto men once to die, Hebrews 9:27
There are so many words of “wisdom” given from the world concerning the steps to achieve peace, joy, and security. They are certainly enticing. Their images are appealing.
Here are a few examples:
Eight keys to financial security. Pay yourself first. Protect your loved ones. Don’t go for the home run… (Reuters)
“I won’t stop being beautiful” – change the way you age. –Oil of Olay
Getting Rich Quick. It just means doing as little as possible and still making more money than you ever dreamed of. (Bloomberg Business)
Bioidentical Hormone Therapy – stops the aging process!
It sounds like science fiction, but researchers have discovered a single drug that they think can shrink, or even completely cure, all human tumors. (Gizodo)
30-Day Diet: How to Lose Weight in 30 days (Guaranteed!) (Leanrunnerbean)
Homeland Security to beef up airport security – (USA Today)
Live for ever: Scientists say they’ll soon extend life ‘well beyond 120’ (The Guardian)
Have we ever bought into any of the miracles offered by man? I know that I have. I look at the two pictures that I have attached with this word today. A woman at 24 and a woman at 82. And I know first hand that the house was never without a bottle of Oil of Olay in the cupboard. All the anti-aging, miracle foods, disease defying drugs, labor saving devices… and still the bottom line should be evident.
We all grow old. I have always said… your beauty at 24 or your beauty at 104 can’t and shouldn’t come out of a bottle or a tube or a container. You can spend all the money you want… you’re aging. We can add another 100,000 security forces to the Middle East, it’s still going to be raging long after we’re gone. I watched story after story about people who labored faithfully over their homes and keeping up appearances and are now in one room cubicles in assisted living. I saw a man on the CBS news the other day who had saved and scrimped and didn’t use his “orange money” (ING financial services) and an illness overtook him. In one week’s time, he lost every penny that it took him 58 years to save.
We need to learn how to age gracefully. We need to know how to invest in a kingdom that is not of this world. We need to put our trust in something and someone other than what is advertised in this life.
There IS no security that this world can give you. There isn’t enough money in a bank account to sustain you. There isn’t a cure for world hunger. There isn’t going to be a stop to the wars and the famines and the earthquakes and the natural disasters.
Have I painted a bleak enough picture for you? Oh trust me… I could tell you stories that could have you in tears and shaking in your boots. BUT. That is what I want to do. If there is any trust or faith or hope in the things of this world, you will not only be disappointed and heartbroken at the end, but will realize that you spent an entire life on trying to stop and prolong your own mortality.
There is no hope in this world. There is no peace. There is no security. It’s time to run. RUN to the Lord as fast as you can. It’s time to stop your sieve of resources to prolong and stop the inevitable.
We have choices in this world. But in the end, we all end up facing the same thing. How we choose to live our lives will determine the next steps. And there IS a next step after your last breath here.
And how will you have lived it? What will you have invested in? How much anguish will you have succumbed to? How much money will you have thrown at the earthquake? How many curses will you have thrown at the famine?
Jer 44:27 Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.
Jer 44:28 Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.
These scriptures talk about a people called by God who have voluntarily and blindly decided to “dwell”, or, “live in” the confines of Egypt. (The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt… Jer 44:1) They weren’t there for a punishment – they CHOSE to live there. In all the pipedreams that the great society was offering. In all the security it was promising. In all the lushness that it planted.
And there is a bit of a severe word offered to these people. Much like the word that He has given me for you today. “All the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt”. The people of praise… the people of worship… the people of God giving themselves to a world that couldn’t keep it’s promises. Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
We are not nor can we be found “of this world”, living in the confines and securities that it promises. They are lies. The wrinkles on the faces of the elderly prove the lies of Oil of Olay… and with all the money they spend on wrinkle cream, all the application time… all the worry as a new wrinkle emerges… all the angst as to knowing it doesn’t work, but afraid to stop, thinking the aging process would accelerate. What could they have done with all that time, all that peace, all that money?
Think I’m wrong? LOOK AT THE PICTURES!
When we live in the promises of the world, we die in the promises of the world. It’s their word. It’s their claim. It’s their livelihood. It’s their “sword”.
God is very plain… “(they) shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.”
The sword. Famine. Look at society today. Look at the obscene amounts of money spent on advertising… wielding their sword. We are consumed. We are inundated. We are servants. And in the end… famine. In other words, what it promises, it can not deliver.
If you live and are servants to this world, you will be live in a world of “never enough”… or… famine. People don’t go toward ministry because of fear. But, my friend, the famine is not “in the ministry” it’s outside of it.
And very profound is that 28th verse. God says… “I will show them which words are true and which words are NOT.” – all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.
It’s one thing to live in the world as one who doesn’t know Christ… but for His called, His chosen, His destined to live there – it can be a very scary and dangerous place. It promises pleasure, fame, fortune, security, peace – and in the end – it’s a lie and YES, then you shall know whose words are standing and whose words have fallen.
You can’t prevent the inevitability in this life. How you get to the inevitable and what you believe on your journey can make all the difference in the world. As for me? OMG I resist aging with every fiber of my being – and when will I come to that point that old age is my destination… and when I get there, did I fight and claw and scratch and resist to the point that I missed so much of the beauty around me or did I stay true to my “Judah”?
Will I be like Paul at his point of departure? 2Ti 4:6-7 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
I know that my “good fight” is not buying into any hope that the world can offer… my good fight is not putting any of the investment of my mind in it’s security. I am not going to look to the hills or the land of Egypt or the American dream. I am looking to the Lord… from whence cometh my help. Psalm 121:1
Worship with me today:
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Run from Religion!!
Luk 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
Religious Jews. Men who were devout and zealous in their religion. Needed to be taught how to pray. NOT HOW TO SAY PRAYERS. How to pray. How to get into that precious presence of the FATHER. How to get to that place where Jesus watched the Father “do things” and where He realized he could do NOTHING but what He saw His Father do.
Well… Pastor Mark, I say my prayers every night and I hope that God hears me. You can repeat and recite a billion prayers and still go to hell when it’s all said and done. Saying a prayer doesn’t make you a Christian… but it does make you religious.
There is a difference between the act of prayer and actually praying. There is a difference between saying prayers and talking to your Father. The woman at the well was a religious woman, but didn’t know who Jesus was.
Joh 4:20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. (There was a tradition of worship)
Joh 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. (Worship without Relationship)
Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. (She didn’t know HIM)
You can be religious without having a relationship. You can say prayers. You can quote scripture. But there is a void in actually “hearing” His voice. A “famine” as the Bible says. Amo 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
He that has an ear… LET HIM HEAR.
Many good people, faithful in saying their prayers, righteous in their morals, able to read and quote an abundance of scripture and standing in all the righteousness and purpose of their church and family… but for some, it’s been years since they have been face to face with a LIVING God. For some, they have never had that experience of feeling that breaking of their flesh under the weight of His presence.
And what is it for if there is no relationship. Some go to great lengths to keep up the image…. but they are miles from home. To pray is to surrender your schedule, it’s putting aside your pain, it’s forsaking your fears, it’s tendering your “to-do” lists. It’s a reckless abandon to get home at any cost.
I don’t want to drive or enforce the act of prayer… I am doing everything I know how to get you face to face with HIM. It’s not prayer as the act of religion, but taking your hand and bringing you home to your Father.
It’s not the act of getting into the vehicle and making you drive home that I am after. It’s the reality of getting there, watching Father open the door and take you into His arms. If that’s not the end result – it’s worthless. I had a real father on this earth. He didn’t expect me to know him through others or from second hand information or from a book he wrote. He wanted to be face to face. He wanted to have his arms around me and mine around him. He wanted me to speak to him and he wanted me to listen to him… to pay attention… to spend time with him.
How much more do we need that for the establishing of our relationship with a Heavenly Father?
Those who don’t have that relationship are bristling at the journey. Those who don’t know who HE is will say that I am dogmatic about prayer. And what they know is about prayer is not what I am talking about. YOU ARE NOT GOING THERE AS A GROUNDSKEEPER TO CUT HIS LAWN. You are invited to sup. You are family and HE WANTS YOU WITH HIM.
When I talk of prayer and people are offended it’s because they have not been touched by the genuine. There is condemnation because of not being quite sure of the destination, because the trip is just the trip and there is no visitation on the other side. There is guilt because there is a putting of every other thing in this world ahead of the journey home.
It’s the religious who are wearied with prayer and the preaching about prayer and the call to it. For them, it is nothing more than a work, and I am nothing more than a taskmaster.
But to those who walk with the Father, it’s not a call to a work or a discipline… it’s an invitation to come home to a warm embrace. It’s a call to joy. It’s a call to peace. It’s a call to be face to face… to look into His eyes and to hear Him say…. “We’re going to get through this…” when the journey has been overwhelming.
The bottom line to everything I preach… the only motivation that is valid… the only thing that matters is getting you into HIS presence. Oh the joy of my heart when someone hears His voice… some for that very first time.
The following word came to me via email this morning. It was just what I needed and again, to put into words what my heart is for you… to find a “face to face” with your Father and not just a driving to the act of prayer.
PERFECT LOVE IS CALLING FORTH “WARRIOR”
by lanavawser
I saw many in the “process” lately between the promised released and the breakthrough.
Many have been feeling battered and wounded by the process. I saw many feeling that they cannot endure the process any longer as they feel the process is “killing them” on the inside. The battle has been too hard.
Suddenly I saw Papa God and He began to CALL OUT what He had placed inside His children. These words of love were being spoken SO loudly over Is children. Words of such affirmation, words of acceptance, words of love! Many have been feeling like they have been “failing” in the process and condemnation of self is all around. I saw Papa God bend down on one knee and invited His people to look Him straight in the eyes. He then spoke “I am PROUD OF YOU because of WHO YOU ARE not WHAT YOU DO.”
There was such a love and affirmation in His voice! It was a voice of love that saw past all the “stuff” and called out the GOLD in His children.
As He spoke tenderly with love over those feeling battered, broken and wounded by the process of waiting and contending, His words were like liquid honey and they began to heal all the wounds of His people. Body, mind and soul!
I saw Papa God stand to His feet and with such love and authority He spoke “WARRIOR ARISE”. Suddenly I saw the power of God fall upon His people and they began to shake as a birthing was taking place.
Limitations and woundings of the “process” we’re broken off and courage, strengthening and fearlessness was bursting forth from the people of God. A major SHIFT was taking place. From feeling like the process was knocking them around to them walking through the process with new strength, courage m and fearlessness. Warriors of LOVE are emerging into the earth!!!!!
I then heard Papa say “Watch their eyes” and suddenly I saw them lock eyes with Him, and I saw hope rising in their eyes.
There are encounters waiting for the people of God with their Papa. Encounters with His love right now that is going to bring a breakthrough and shift in the process. Refreshment and restoration of soul is BLOOMING forth as you step into the invitation to be embraced by the One who DELIGHTS in YOU!!!! This invitation to step into Papa’s embrace is bringing about one of the greatest shifts of your life thus far beloved.
He is calling you out, calling out the warrior within you. You will not die in this process but you will ARISE! Now is your time! You will no longer be battered and wounded by the process but move with Him in great courage, fearlessness and strength. You are taking new ground with Him and there is breakthrough in your wings. You are taking back ALL that was taken from you and more.
You are moving forward, into new waters. You are moving into new lands and into new grounds. Papa is calling you out! Perfect love is calling out the warrior within you and seeing you arise and forging new ground into the biggest and most glorious realm of breakthrough you have ever stepped into.
He adores you warrior!
Won’t you take some time to worship today:
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I was just thinkin’
Happy June! This morning I woke up with many fond memories of yesterday from the worship service at church to the Word God gave us to the graduation and the family fellowship in celebration.
I sure am proud of my kids… all of them. It was just 6 years ago that we did this graduation thing with Tyler and in a few more years Seth is on deck. My daughter, Dacia reminded me that also down the line is going to be the graduation of our first granddaughter, Addie who is only 8 years away from her graduation.
Oh my achin’ age!
I think that if you haven’t heard the word from yesterday describing the secret land of “Between” – it would be a good listen. It is a very private and intimate piece of property that the enemy tries to keep us from. It has been called “BETWEEN” by the Lord and is a key and strategic plot of ground.
It is a place of victory and that is why the enemy tries so hard and so violently from keeping us from that place.
This morning I am also “thinking” of the word that God put at the forefront of yesterday’s message. 1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
This scripture has great weight in light of the Word of God through the prophet Isaiah: Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
We are people of human nature and in human form. If you are an angel and reading this, please disregard. As human beings, we have “inquiring minds and inquiring minds want to know”… stuff. We have to have reasons for everything because that is how we are wired.
But remember that old cliché that our dad’s used when we asked “why” as children? Dad’s answer was sometimes… “because I said so… that’s why”. God is at times a very similar Father. At times we are on a “need to know basis only” and we don’t need to know.
So… back to I Peter. Look again at the first five words. Now take the first word and the fifth word as a parentheses to what God is telling us. THINK IT NOT. In any trial, the battle begins in the mind with your thought life.
We look at things logically and try to put a reason to a circumstance. We try to come up with scenarios and solutions when sometimes we have to simply STOP THINKING! What Peter is telling us here is not to dwell on the trial or the where or wherefores of it. The very next verse tells us… “BUT REJOICE…” In other words… don’t think…. Just Praise. We want to see things and understand things from each and every angle. We want full, thousand page reports on the inner workings of what we are going through.
God is telling us…. THINK IT NOT. Think about it… lol. When you get into a car and turn the key, the car starts and you are off to your destination. You have faith without the knowledge of the inner workings of a combustion engine. So… why is it that we need to have everything explained in the vehicles and callings of God?
When a trial hits… don’t resort to reason. Don’t head for the thinking cabinet to pull out the rationale. Head FIRST to the armory of praise. Use it as a weapon and the only think you should be thinking is that you are in a conflict. It’s time to fight.
When a soldier is engaged by the enemy in the field of battle, the soldier does not start asking questions as to “why the enemy is fighting against me” or “what did I do to deserve this” or “what am I going to do if I get shot” and on and on and on with the random rationale of the thoughts of the mind.
The soldier promptly and without thinking, raises his weapon and pulls the trigger. He wasn’t trained to think about what to do– he was trained to actually ACT, and act fast. When the bullets start to fly… duck, cover, raise weapon and fire back.
Pretty simple. But in the chaos and fear in midst of conflict, our mind tends to freeze us out. Trial… Praise. Fiery trial… rejoice. When you do that, you put yourself at the portal to the Father – and hearing His voice is essential. Faith comes by hearing. Get yourself to a place where you can HEAR Him order the next steps in the battle. You get yourself there into His presence with Praise and Worship!
With the first explosion at dawn’s early light – “Praise Him, praise Him… praise Him in the morning, praise Him in the noon time… Praise Him… Praise Him… praise Him while the sun goes down”
Worship with me today:
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“…and I work”
I heard some very interesting things this week. It prompted the message that I put forth yesterday concerning the impotent man at Bethesda. That particular event spoke about a man healed by Jesus and didn’t know who Jesus was. Even after the healing! All he knew was that a miracle took place.
Miracles come to the just and the unjust all working together to accomplish God’s purposes. After this man was healed, he went to the temple. Something he had not been able to do for quite a while.
When they saw him carrying his bed they demanded that he put it down. Religion caused him to head back to the state he was in… impotent. And was heading to a worse condition. It was one thing being sick in an empathetic community of sick people, but it’s worse to be sick in a religious community.
Bottom line. They took away his hope because of the law. Sabbaths were, in Jewish circles a day when no healings could take place. The removal of hope on the Lord’s day.
God came to redefine law when it didn’t benefit His bride. It came in the form of His son – Jesus. And on a day when there was to be NO WORK… Jesus spoke three powerful words to destroy the law and the religious and those who had a form of godliness. John 5:17 “…and I work”.
The story really speaks to building a healthy church. One that doesn’t look for a messenger to be troubling your waters or giving you goose bumps or motivating you to accomplish the purposes of man.
We need not to look to the need, to man, messenger or angel. We need to look for THE messenger. We need to focus on JESUS. When that happens things in the spiritual realm are released.
Joh 5:15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
It was the name and the proclamation of that name that changed this man. It caused him to depart from religious form and his own demons. It also came to set a precidence for law.
An interesting concept about how to build a church, or a program, or adding more people comes to us in Ezra.
Ezr 3:1-3 And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.
Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.
And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening.
And this is the kicker: Ezr 3:6 From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.
They didn’t build the church FIRST to house the altar… they built the altar first to house the church. They didn’t build the church to protect the altar from the threat to their existence, they built the altar to protect the church.
The way they went about this was, FIRST – they had a mind to pray together in unity. “gathered together as one man”. They did this in the seventh month. In a time when most were in the seventh period resting – they went to work. SECOND – they didn’t build that altar as a showplace, or a place to house instruments, or for their own sense of accompishment. They built it for one purpose, and one purpose only – “to offer burnt offerings thereon”.
Fear was upon them… you’d think they’d have sought the security of building a shelter in the natural. A place of refuge from those enemies. A place where the children would be safe. A place fortified with walls.
But… they did something that didn’t seem right or logical to the carnal mind. They built an altar and sacrificed. THEY PRAYED. They built this altar BEFORE the foundation of the temple was laid.
In anything you do – especially in a critical place in your life, when everything around you screams to build yourself a place of safety… but the altar first. Pray – First. Seek the Lord and He will be your shelter, your hiding place, your church builder, your fortification!!!
I challenge you… before you attempt anything today – PRAY.
Psa 127:1 A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
You build the altar and they Lord will partner with you to build the house.
Worship with me this morning:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHCTRKXONcA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S94AkkW6bpE
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Move On
We are going to go forward. We will not stand in fear of what the enemy brings into our lives. That being said, and as a precursor to what God has put upon my heart for you today, there are going to be some little changes at church that I am hoping will cause some great things to happen.
We announced from the pulpit last week that each Sunday morning we have instituted a “between the porch and the altar” prayer. Joe 2:17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
I am hoping to set a precedence in our sanctuary and do something that has not been done successfully before. We have set aside the times of 9:15 – 10:00 AM as a time to pray before service in the sanctuary. From 10-10:15 we will go forth from the sanctuary and take the last 15 minutes to pray over our nurseries, classrooms, business office, foyer, kitchen, basement and Pastor’s office.
In the past 8 years I have taught much on prayer but feel that I have not made the corporate strides to prayer that we need. I know that we have stuck our feet into the waters with the prophetic on Sunday nights… but it’s time to advance with our armies to the Sunday morning before services.
This time is a time to personally come into the waiting arms of God as we “wait” upon Him for our lives, our families, our community, our worship and our services. When we “seek Him first” (Matt 6:33) in and for these things – there will be a significant turnaround in circumstance.
The scripture in Joel talks about the priests and ministers of the Lord doing this. In the Old Testament these were titles given to those who presided over the things of God. In this day and age, we have all been ordained through the blood to be His ministers.
So… I can’t promise that I will always be on time as we all know that we fight circumstances to get to that level of battle. I am not going to take attendance or make this mandatory. I can promise you that I will be there. If you would join me, it would be MY honor. I hear the words of Jesus… “Can you not watch (pray) with me one hour?” (Matt 26:40).
There will be praise music playing… if you don’t like the selections, then feel free to bring your I-Pod and headphones. I know that I do this many times because I have a certain kind of worship that I listen to as I worship and pray and intercede. Sometimes I feel that I should get a pair of those noise canceling headphones because at times, silence is golden.
The other change that I will be putting forth is service end. I am proposing that if people want to fellowship, they head to the fellowship rooms or foyers. Otherwise, let’s keep a few moments quiet and sacred for those who are “not quite done” after the service dismisses. I will keep one or two ministers at the altar to pray with you if you desire and we will keep the praise music going for a time in case you need to tarry at the altar.
The altar service must be provided, repaired, refurbished and available for those who need to go a bit further with HIM. 1Ki 18:30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
2Ch 33:15 And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.
Mar 11:17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
These two small implementations again… are not meant to put more weights upon you. They are to encourage us all to get closer to what HE wants for Crossroads Church. We are facing a critical period in our brief church history and never before have I seen such an onslaught of attacks from the enemy upon our little army. We need to fight back. We need to go forward. We need to press in. We need to be MORE than conquerors.
As I was in prayer this morning, I was taken back again to the Red Sea crossing. A fearful time in Jewish history. The enemy had been attacking and degrading and trying to annihilate this nation for over 400 years. (Exo 1:12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.)
The enemy had had enough. For once and for all, the mind of the enemy was to completely eradicate the nation of Israel. Exo 15:9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
Not only was the enemy bent on completely destroying the Jewish race, but there on that night… that critical night – it was now a very real possibility. The enemy had Israel between the inescapable jagged mountains on either side. Only a swelling Red Sea in front of them and the enemy now within sight behind them – driving hard and furiously.
Exo 14:10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.
It looked like it was over. I mean, there was fear before, but now… they could see it. They couldn’t pretend it wasn’t there. The entire Egyptian army. The preferred army that was chosen only to go against the most brutal and most heavily armed nations was now pursuing an unarmed band of scared slaves. It was “overkill”. It was from the depths of a heart that had been so hardened that there would be not one ounce of mercy offered. It was a plan of total torture, pain and eradication using extreme prejudice.
In that moment when all seemed lost, the people were frozen in their fear. It’s funny, when the threat levels are there, we move a bit slower and more cautiously. But when we can actually see what it is that has announced our destruction, we come to a standstill.
It’s the notice of foreclosure in the mail. It’s the transmission resting on the ground underneath your car. It’s the police at your door. It’s a loved one morphing into a monster. It’s the taillights of a car that is leaving you all alone.
Things in our lives that leave us paralyzed in the fear. We see the threat and we stop and listen to that threat prophecy our outcome. And it is for our certain destruction.
God stepped in. He gave them a plan. And when they listened and obeyed, God sprung into action. They had a choice. They could continue to listen to the enemy or they could listen to God.
The following is a great recipe for any Christian who is facing this kind of adversity from the enemy.
Exo 14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
First and foremost, they were told to go “forward”. Since God was not leading them into battle with Egypt, their “forward” had to be into the impossible sea. You see, their eyes were fixed on what was behind them. What scared them. God wanted to shift their focus and their feet from the enemy. The first thing God was telling them was to shift their direction and their focus. The next thing was a first step in THAT ORDAINED direction. GO. GO FORWARD. Don’t stop and look back.
Exo 14:16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
This is a beautiful example of the voice behind the word. What REAL FAITH is all about. Not just waving that rod errantly or without direction, but listening to when and where to execute the written. It is where the word becomes flesh and dwells among us. It’s the faith that works. That rod was a type of God’s written word. God must tell you which word to use (couldn’t use any other stick or the jewelry they were given or anything else God had provided through the journey). It was time for THIS WORD. THE ROD. God gave instructions on how to use it – where to direct it and what they would have to do when it began to move.
Exo 14:17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
God stops the prophecy of the enemy as they were heard shouting racial slurs, threats and promises of death. God issues a new prophecy for their future. It was similar to that famous prophecy of Jeremiah 29:11-12: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
Let God always have the final word when you are between a rock and a hard place.
Exo 14:19-20 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
As the children of Israel DID what God told them to do… right there in the midst of their obedience and their trust in God, God MOVED HIS ANGEL. He took what went before them to lead them and now placed it behind them for their protection.
God is not only a God who leads in front of you, but it is that same power that keeps you safe from the things of your past. When the power of God stands between you and what is pursuing you – you are safe.
The scary part was the obedience. Stepping into that chasm of water hundreds of feet high. Going forward when all you want to do is duck and cover and stop and whine and pull the covers up over your head and brace for the end. It’s not over until GOD says it’s over.
Don’t pack up… Get up! GET UP. Go forward. Throw off those covers of depression and fear and anxiety and weakness. Muster all your strength in Him today to GO FORWARD. He will take care of the rest.
But Pastor Mark… my schedule is so full today… it would be impossible for me to step into that secret closet of prayer. GO FORWARD.
How quickly can He get you out of trouble? It depends upon how quickly can you step into the impossible. And… oh yeah… the enemy will follow into your miracle, but unrighteousness can NOT walk in that place. It can not live in that place.
Fires that the righteous walk through will consume the enemy. Floods and seas that we are called to walk through are no match for the enemy’s power. So… get up. Walk. Move forward into man’s impossible – for it will be God’s possible EVERY TIME.
Worship with me today:
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You can’t earn anything through fasting…
During our times of fasting, many wonderful things happen, and many horrible things happen. In other words, as we fast, the world keeps spinning and life goes on. Fasting, like prayer, doesn’t change things… it changes US. It is not a way to “earn” things in God or “make” God do something. It brings us closer to His heart, into His Spirit and BACK on to the right track in our lives. We don’t fast to see people healed. We fast to find out what the heart of God is concerning the situation and it gives us the strength to receive HIS answers concerning the situation. Fasting isn’t a payment – or an offering in exchange for goods or services or to get what WE want.
When someone gets sick. Many scenarios. Immediate healing. Process healing. Waiting on healing. Going home to Heaven healing. Our minds sometimes will only want ONE thing – and again, fasting helps to get us to our Gethsemane where our will dies and we accept whatever decisions HE makes concerning situation.
Example – David fasting for his child’s life and the child dies. David is able to accept it and go forth with his life. I wanted healing for my mom, God wanted her home… guess who got the desires of HIS heart? Fasting puts us in a frame of mind and attitude of heart to ACCEPT His will. AND… to receive it above our own.
I’ve seen people miraculously healed. I’ve seen people miraculously taken out of this world. In both cases I was found in fasting and prayer – and it enabled me to accept the decisions of the Lord. Why do we need this? Because in Isaiah it tells us that our thoughts are not HIS thoughts and His ways are higher above our ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
We’ve developed doctrines that explain why some get healed and why some don’t. We attribute it TO and blame it ON either an abundance of or a lack of faith. It’s a human way to understand when we won’t pray and hear HIS voice. Fasting makes us more sensitive to His voice and makes us more accepting of HIS WAYS.
We make children wash their hands and eat their vegetables when they are young. It’s not THEIR first choice, but it’s our choice for them because it is the BEST choice for them. Fasting puts us in a mindset where we can accept HIS BEST CHOICE FOR US.
Now… what it does do it prepares us “personally” to greater sensitivity, greater works and a clear sense of direction and destiny. Many ministries begin after long seasons of fasting.
Let’s take at just a few things that happened after Jesus’ 40 day fast.
Mat 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Mat 4:12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
Mat 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
Mat 4:14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Mat 4:15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
Mat 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
In just 7 verses, we can see some of the things that happened after the fasting. We know what happens “during” the fast. We die to our flesh. We become more sensitive to the Spirit of God. We become more empowered in the spiritual realm. Does it cause us to change things? Only if those things are to be changed in the mind and heart of heaven.
- The fast caused Jesus to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit which gave Him the word to speak and as a result – the resisting (or battling) caused the devil to depart.
- The ministry to Him was in the supernatural realm. He had real contact with angels.
- His cousin was incarcerated.
- He headed into what was called the “heathen circle” (Galilee) – a very sinful place.
- He was called to leave His security and comfort zone to do the works of His Father (Nazareth)
- Lived in a place of the protection of God (Capernaum) to the place where Jacob wrestled and was victorious
- He was in a place prophesied and where He was CALLED to be
- He took on a new and more piercing light
- He began His preaching ministry that included the ministry of salvation, healing and the perfect will of God
One of the things that the fast didn’t prevent was Jesus’ cousin and dear friend, John who, during the fast was imprisoned. His fast didn’t release from prison. John remained there until his death. It was the place where John began to doubt.
John’s gospel suggests Jesus’ ministry included four Passovers (see The Times, chapter 9), with the last of them being the Passover when Jesus was killed. The synoptic gospels place John the Baptist’s death just before the feeding of the 5000 and John’s gospel places that event around the time of the third Passover in Jesus’ ministry (John 6:4). So that would make it almost exactly one year before Jesus died.
We know that at the time of the first Passover in Jesus’ ministry, John the Baptist had not yet been imprisoned (John 3:24). So he was in prison for less than two years. It was probably not much less than two years, because the next event recorded in John’s gospel is Jesus returning to Galilee (John 4:3) which Matthew says was prompted by John’s imprisonment (Matthew 4:12). So there is good evidence that John was in prison for nearly two years — beginning just after the first Passover in Jesus ministry and ending a year before Jesus died.
What the fast did was enable Jesus to go forth to prove His ministry. That proof was taken to John in prison by the word of Jesus’ disciples. The message to John was… don’t forget in darkness what you have learned in the light.
Worship with me today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWCgyMaWcDs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfyraSCAPlQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC2L5SsgW-Q
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Blanket Blessings
This morning I heard a message from a very good Pastor who made a very errant statement to start his conference. There were most likely 20,000 people in attendance.
He told them… “turn to your neighbor and touch them and tell them as an act of faith – it’s my season to be blessed. Now praise Him like it’s already done.” Then I watched as people were crying and shouting with relieved expressions on their faces. Because of the extreme teaching of prosperity – “blessing” is often related to a substance and financial change.
That is about as foolish as watching the snow beginning to fall on a late December day in Michigan and calling for everyone in the State to “declare to their neighbor” that it’s a season of summer and 80 degree temperatures. Now praise Him like it’s already done!
You can declare all you want. You can wear “chort pants” and sun block. You can “imagine the climate changing”. But the snow will continue to fall, you will get frostbite on your legs and you will think there is something wrong with your “imaginer” or with your “faith” because it just keeps snowing. And the temperature continues to plummet.
Now… one person ON THAT DAY may win a trip to the Bahamas – and your neighbor may not. Certainly all who live in Michigan will NOT win the trip – and the one who did win doesn’t have more faith. That is the reality of situation in the real world of God.
Add to that fact that all 20,000 people in that arena doing the “declaring” are at different levels with God. Some are going into valleys, some are coming out, some are heading to mountaintops, some are coming down. “Blanket blessings for all” are a very dangerous teaching and one we must be very careful of “pronouncing or proclaiming” in the midst of diverse congregations.
God ordains seasons. To “claim out” of your current season would be absolute madness. Did you hear what I’ve said? Ordained. Brought and purposed.
We so want to change the struggles of ourselves and those around us that we tend to want to give them the good news that all things will change “by faith”. The statement should rather be that you can go THROUGH all things by faith.
Joh 12:8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.
Note that Jesus didn’t say “if the poor would only have faith, they would not be poor anymore.” Nor did He say, that with His death on the cross there would no longer be anyone poor. He did, however use the words “poor always”.
Now… not all will be “poor always” just as having faith will not make people “rich always”. Faith – AGAIN, is HEARING HIS VOICE. Faith is taking you to your correct terminal, correct track and correct train. Not all trains are going to be heading the same direction… I don’t care how much “faith” you claim to have or how much declaring, shouting, proclaiming, confessing or professing you do.
Some of us may all be in the same season – but each of us are called to follow the path chosen for us IN that season. We would do well not to want to change our season or our path for convenience or social reasons.
When sickness comes… or poverty or trial or for that matter, any circumstance that is not comfortable to the flesh. The first thing you MUST NOT DO is confess something from yesterday’s sermon or eat some of last week’s manna. Notice I said… “the first thing”. The first thing you must do is GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR FATHER.
Do NOT tap into your faith by reading or confessing or calling someone to agree with them or any other Christian superstition that is out there. It is TIME to HEAR HIS VOICE. Lack of communication is the number ONE killer of relationships, careers, financial challenges, hopes, dreams and destiny.
YOU MUST HEAR HIS VOICE. And you can’t put this off. If you have time to pick up a Bible and find a scripture. If you have time to call a friend. If you have time to send a text. Then you have time to HEAR HIS VOICE.
You can’t “blanket bless” everyone. You can’t tuck people to sleep by pulling up the warm covers of a false promise. That will do more damage than good. Oh, for some, God IS about to take them into a new season and a new situation. Things are changing every day. When that happens to happen – those people scream the loudest that the word of faith saved the day.
Salvation was for all, but only two of the three on the cross met for coffee in Paradise. By His stripes we WERE healed, but it didn’t stop Peter or Paul from being beaten. Death, hell and the grave don’t have any claim on us, but yet it is still appointed for men once to die. It didn’t stop Hippolytus from being torn apart by horses. It didn’t stop Ignatius from being eaten by lions. It didn’t stop Lawrence from being grilled and toasted alive. It didn’t keep Bartholomew from being skinned.
But Pastor Mark… what about the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. Ok. Yes. Let’s look at that “hall of faith”.
Heb 11:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Heb 11:34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Heb 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again:
See? See Pastor Mark what faith did? Oh yes, and perhaps they were in the 20,000 of their generation who received a blanket blessing? HOGWASH. CONTINUE READING OF THE OTHER THINGS FAITH DOES AND WHAT IT MEANS. In fact, the season CHANGES midway through that 35th verse in Hebrews 11:
and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Heb 11:36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
Heb 11:38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
Faith doesn’t change your destiny or your calling, but it may alter your path if your life derails. Faith puts you into the path you are supposed to be on and gives you the courage and the grace to GO THROUGH… PRESS IN… AND FINISH. That path may be one of escaping the sword (vs 34) or being slain by the sword (vs 37)
Let’s all claim in June a seasonal change. YEAH. WOO-HOO. And then some poor soul stands up and says… “but I’m from Australia and that is the start of winter.” Wait. What?
Blanket blessings. Clichés from evangelists wanting to hand out “warm fuzzies”. These can be very dangerous to the body of Christ. This “REPEAT AFTER ME” nonsense proclaiming swelling prosperity in evangelistic crusades can promote LOTS of heartache and wrong concepts of faith. Some have even left the church because they feel they either have a “lack of faith” or “God doesn’t hear me” or “God’s not real”.
Jesus treated every person individually. Every demonic spirit was cast out in a different way. Every sickness was dealt with “without” a recipe card. The “missing link” to faith as I have said many times is the ability to hear the voice behind the word. And… seeking HIS FACE first. Not HIS WORD first. Not HIS PASTOR first. HIS FACE.
Find His eyes… focus. Hear His voice…listen. Beg for His heart… desire. Obey His voice… love.
Worship with me today:
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A Mother’s Day Nugget
A warm summer rain falling here in May. On the eve of Mother’s day and even the rain getting flowers ready for the day. If you have a chance to go and be with your mother tomorrow… I highly encourage it. This is our first year without the DeLap matriarch and I know that at her home in Wisconsin, her previously planted flowers are blooming for the first time without seeing her face. Her first mother’s day in Heaven. It must be a spectacular time.
Take a moment to hear these songs for Mother’s Day… appropriate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH0-nsgsnNY
Joh 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
Joh 19:27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
Jesus was a man who didn’t just preach the gospel… He WAS the gospel. He took care of those who were close to Him as evidenced of caring for His mother while He was in the darkest moments of His own life.
He lived the statement: Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Now… Jesus didn’t always see eye to eye with His mother as evidenced by the following statements:
Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
Who is my mother, or my brethren?
How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?
Nevertheless… this is a great occasion to teach about a very important point of getting through a very bad day. Jesus’ day must have read like a tale of two cities. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. From Gethsemane to the cross, it was brutal, but when it was finished, He was forever more… more than a conqueror. He suffered in shackles, and then by the end of the day, He was collecting the keys to death and hell!
In the midst of the bad, there is a golden nugget. Taking care of those who have taken care of you. Perhaps it’s an act of kindness – a call of encouragement, a bouquet of flowers, a card… or God forbid in this busy world… sowing your presence into their day.
In Jesus’ case – it goes deeper. How could He possibly identify the thing his mother needed most while He Himself was experiencing such excruciating pain. He didn’t send flowers. He didn’t drop a card in the mail. Not a quick “I love you mom” from the cross.
He identified her greatest need as He was departing. He addressed her fear of being alone and not having a clue as to “what next”. Jesus took care of her greatest need in His time of greatest need.
At this point I want to add the next scripture to where I started in the book of John. The two previous scriptures are followed by this: Joh 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
You accomplish things in your life not by simply checking off your “to do” list – but identifying part of that check list as “meeting the needs of another”. It finishes a bad start with a glorious ending. It puts an end cap on a situation. It brings to a close the bad and sends you toward the good.
It’s what you do for others when you yourself are hurting that will not only make a difference – but it can bring to a close that very trying time you are walking through.
Worship with me today:
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Provision 101
Psa 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
After prayer this morning, the Lord directed me to a very special place in the word. A secret place. God has “secret places”. Places where you are hidden from everything and everyone.
In the case of the prophet, Elijah, God had just had him minister a powerful word of prophecy to King Ahab. This really spoke to me this morning. When you preach a word that is contrary to the status quo or one that will bring change – you run the risk of angering those around you. When you are a minister and you anger those around you – the enemy threatens your security… or should I say, lies about how it’s going to be for you now that you’ve spoken what God has told you to speak.
I know that Thecia and I are engrossed in an evangelical battle that is going on right now between two heavyweight ministries concerning the correct concept of faith. We watch as churches get along fine until someone preaches a truth that affects the climate of tradition and Biblical error. Then… battle lines are drawn.
This is a powerful quote from the Apostle Paul: Gal 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
As we preach truth, some will turn away. Some will not visit anymore. Some will take a stand against you – and when this happens, the ministers who trust people to meet their needs are subject to great fear. The following story about one of God’s hiding places is so powerful.
Think of it. Elijah, at the pinnacle of his ministry speaks perhaps one of the most powerful messages given to him by God. As he does, Elijah a man subject to the same fears as we have here today perhaps began to have second thoughts about the word he had spoken. Perhaps they will not like me anymore. Perhaps they will not support me anymore. Perhaps I will no longer have an audience with the royalty of this world.
Now we know that Elijah, one of the most powerful prophets in scripture was affected by fear and discouragement. In fact, two chapters later we find him running to hide in the wilderness and wanting to die because he was so attacked by fear. We all know how that ends. He goes to the most remote mountain where God comes and finds him and says… “What in the world are you doing here… WHY are you here?”
Ok… so back to an initial teaching of the Lord to Elijah in the 17th chapter of I Kings. He is about to go into an exhaustive teaching about “provision” and who it is that REALLY takes care of meeting his needs.
Now you might think I am going to take you to the back half of that chapter, but, no… the first part of the chapter is where God is teaching Elijah “provision 101”.
1Ki 17:2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
1Ki 17:3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
1Ki 17:4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
1Ki 17:5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
1Ki 17:6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
1Ki 17:7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
God takes Elijah for YEARS to a hiding place. Not just a day or a week… but YEARS by a hidden brook. It was there that God answered the question… “what if my ministry was over?” and “what if people didn’t feed me” and “what if people didn’t bring me water?” and “what if there were no people in my congregation to sustain me?”
God needed to introduce Elijah to the very real fact that if the decision was made to take away his ministry, his following, his title, his stature and his supply – still and always – God will supply ALL your need. That lesson is learned in a lean place. It is learned in an uncomfortable place. It is learned in a secret place.
From that point on, Elijah would know that if there was a need, he could not rely on preaching an encouraging word. He could not rely on granting a miracle to someone in need. He could not gather a lot of people. He could not work a lot of overtime.
He simply needed to find one of God’s hiding places. And once there, you are hidden from your ministry. You are hidden from your titles and your status. You are hidden from encouraging words of man and discouraging words of man. No friends. No family. No enemies. A place where your “great ideas” have come to die and are null and void. You are hidden from what you thought was your security.
When God hides you… there will be nobody that can find you. Not even that spirit of fear that had been pursuing you and lying to you about how to lean on the strength of men for your “security”.
The only security we can hope to gain in this life is found in the hiding places of God. The secret closets. The secret places of the MOST HIGH GOD. That should be your only source for answers, peace, joy and yes… security.
Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
I pray you find a secret place today. Hidden far from the fears of this life. And I pray that it is in that place you will “KNOW” your security. Philippians 3:10… That I may “know” Him.
Worship with me today:
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What next?
For months there are plans made, checklists to be checked, a flurry of activity – and then… BAM that opening night. And the next. And the next.
And then… Oh, there remains a bit of clean-up, follow-up and taking the time to go in and take down the tables – but essentially what we are left with now are… memories.
We ate some great manna from Heaven, and whether we know it or not, it will be digesting in our system for quite a while. Making us strong. Providing strength and motivation. Encouragement.
And as human nature dictates… “what next?”. If you will go back to scripture concerning huge events, there was always something that followed the fanfare. It usually came in the form of a battle or a storm or a retaliation by the enemy.
So… today I want to implore you to keep your hearts guarded. I want to remind you of one of the greatest victories found in the Old Testament. It was the culmination of over 400 years in bondage to the enemy. All of a sudden, the Children of Israel were standing on ground that was not only promised, but the promise of ownership became a reality.
Jericho had fallen. It was a battle that had taken a while to win. The battle for that city began the first day of bondage in Egypt 440 years before. Moses or Joshua were years from being born. And then finally… it was done. The fear was gone. The anticipation had been all that it promised. They stood upon something tangible that they had never owned. For generations they never knew what it was like to possess land, peace, joy, freedom. And now it was theirs.
But what next? There was another city to conquer. But they were so exhausted from the day’s battle. Within a the month somewhere in the spring of 1422, Joshua began to look forward to the “next thing”. Instead of inquiring of the Lord and keeping his great Commander close, he ventured out in his haste, his tiredness and his false sense of greatness. Ai was a seemingly a small city and certainly would pose no threat. Joshua sent out only a portion of Israel to “conquer” and we all know what happened.
They “underestimated” the “next thing” – which is where some great losses can occur in your life as well. You can’t put forth a part of your heart after the great victories of yesterday. You must give it all. You must send it all.
The “next thing” may pale in comparison to what happened yesterday, but be careful that you gather all of your strength and head full force into your today. The people of Ai weren’t intimidated by Israel’s great victory and neither is the devil intimidated by the greatness of this past weekend’s women’s conference.
Let God refresh you, strengthen you and break you for your today. You will need all the strength and grace He has for you to “conquer – back to back”. Repeat titles from year to year are very rare in the sports world. It is because a part of the heart of the warrior is left in the memories of yesterday. They buy into the lie that they worked so hard for last year’s trophy, it will be easier this year and they can rest a little bit more. Leave NOTHING behind. Go forth to your next thing.
From the last supper and a night of great fellowship there was a seemingly easy night to follow in Gethsemane. Most of the disciples thought to themselves… “I can do this with my eyes closed”. And their underestimation of the time doomed their next steps.
One of the greatest battles was yet to be won, but the disciples were busy digesting the food and the memories from the previous hours.
This week there is another battle. There is more to do. Get your rest and find your Gethsemane. It is essential for your road to the cross… “daily”.
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23
Worship with me today:
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Declare a Thing
Jer 42:4 Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.
Ahhhh… I love the word. The previous scripture is a MOUTHFUL! There are three KEY points here.
- First is your request. (Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.) This is a good place to tell you… be careful what you wish for. God’s not playin’. You’re not going to be able to get away with getting halfway into your wish and then telling Him “perhaps it was a mistake”. He will make you go through it to prove to you… HE’S NOT PLAYIN’.
- God will HEAR what you asked Him for. Sometimes the answer is “yes”, sometimes the answer is “no”, and sometimes the answer is “wait”. Your heart has got to go into a Gethsemane where, with your request, you sacrifice your will for His. And you have to be “ok” with His answer.
- Whatever He decides – DECLARE THAT THING. Get all up on that thing!!! No matter how impossible it seems – if He speaks it – you MUST declare it. (Mar 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.) Now, we know in this case, that the father of the infirmed prayed for healing and deliverance. When Jesus told the man that He would heal and deliver him, the man confessed that the miracle was just too hard to believe. Jesus was in essence telling him… DECLARE THAT THING!
Now… remember that you can’t just run around declaring anything you want or desire. God may just grant it to teach you a lesson. YOU MUST DECLARE HIS ANSWER rather than your desires. Jeremiah told the people… I will not hold back from telling you His answer even if it’s not what you want to hear.
Declare it. DO it.
Whatever He tells you to do today… do it. Whatever He tells you to declare… DECLARE IT.
Concerning Mary the mother of Jesus:
Joh 2:5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
DO (a combination of two Greek words):
poieō
poy-eh’-o
Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct): – abide, + agree, appoint, X avenge, + band together, be, bear, + bewray, bring (forth), cast out, cause, commit, + content, continue, deal, + without any delay, (would) do (-ing), execute, exercise, fulfil, gain, give, have, hold, X journeying, keep, + lay wait, + lighten the ship, make, X mean, + none of these things move me, observe, ordain, perform, provide, + have purged, purpose, put, + raising up, X secure, shew, X shoot out, spend, take, tarry, + transgress the law, work, yield.
prassō
pras’-so
A primary verb; to “practise”, that is, perform repeatedly or habitually (thus differing from G4160, which properly refers to a single act); by implication to execute, accomplish, etc.; specifically to collect (dues), fare (personally): – commit, deeds, do, exact, keep, require, use arts.
OH DEAR GOD… I could preach a month of sermons just from the definition of the word “DO”. It’s what WE do.
Now… Here is a word from JESUS Himself:
Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
It’s a parallel of Jeremiah 42:4. Jesus going to the Father on your behalf and anything you ask Jesus to ask the Father… HE WILL “DO” it. But… remember that Jesus will bring back to you – the Father’s answer. I pray your heart will be ready for it.
poieō
poy-eh’-o
Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct): – abide, + agree, appoint, X avenge, + band together, be, bear, + bewray, bring (forth), cast out, cause, commit, + content, continue, deal, + without any delay, (would) do (-ing), execute, exercise, fulfil, gain, give, have, hold, X journeying, keep, + lay wait, + lighten the ship, make, X mean, + none of these things move me, observe, ordain, perform, provide, + have purged, purpose, put, + raising up, X secure, shew, X shoot out, spend, take, tarry, + transgress the law, work, yield.
prassō
pras’-so
A primary verb; to “practise”, that is, perform repeatedly or habitually by implication to execute, accomplish, etc.; specifically to collect (dues), fare (personally): – commit, deeds, do, exact, keep, require, use arts.
Notice that what we “do” has the same definition as what HE DO. And HE DO MIRACLES!
Follow the path and premise of Jeremiah 42. But instead of using Jeremiah, use Jesus. And then… get ready to DECLARE.
We declare to Him. God declares to us. We declare to all!
Job 22:28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
Worship with me today: I have put into practice in worship the following songs: hear me, answer me, I will declare, give me the strength to do.
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I must beat you to make me feel better…
“Why do we think it’s funny to put down, hurt, or even abuse another person? When we find fault in someone we feel good. We belittle another as a way of making ourselves look better; finding fault or putting them down makes us feel superior. This tends to happen more when we are down ourselves, as misery loves company: feel bad and we invariably make others the problem.”
Pro 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Waking up this morning I am very aware that this is a day with His purposes and plan in mind. I wake up and I should be on His clock. He has things in store for you today and the way you can obtain all He has for you is to realize that this day was not meant for you to accomplish all of your plans and aspirations. I wonder, some days, as I wake up and have my “to do” list ready… did He have other plans that I did not consider? At the end of a very frustrating day, I wonder if I had filled the day with “me and mine” instead of “Him and His”.
This morning I had woken with a very strong word from Him. Undoubtedly a word we all need to hear.
Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Do you judge others? Is it easy for you to find fault with those around you? Do you poke fun at someone’s joy? Do you feel slighted when someone else in a crowd receives a compliment? Do you feel the need to “one-up” the compliment with a back door slam? Do you offer those same “back door” compliments? Does your conversation start out… “I love them to death, BUT…”
Then beware: Your spiritual life is in danger. There may be some that only needed to read these first few paragraphs and decided to read no further because they are not able to face the truth of this day. They are comfortable in their critical spirit and it’s what defines them.
When they aren’t happy… nobody’s happy. When they aren’t happy… LOOK OUT!
A critical attitude can hinder your walk with God and distract you from God’s purposes for your life. It may be one of the last great chains that is keeping you from the brightness of a new and a “perfect day”.
Having a critical spirit can blind us to the grace and beauty that God continues to bestow every day. A critical spirit can also be seen as a perversion of discernment. Often, those accused of having a critical spirit make valid points. They just make their points in an unpalatable manner and an improper motive.
Most people do it not on purpose but subconsciously, because when others are in pain as well, they can connect to them. It’s not cruel in most cases but it’s a flawed human nature.
They don’t feel good inside and focus outward to avoid facing themselves; the idea of others having self esteem gnaws at them and makes them determined to find things “wrong” with anyone who isn’t miserable like they are. Their insecurity drives them to try to destroy what they aren’t and don’t believe they can be.
Some are hurting themselves inside and can’t cope with the pain so they project it outwards onto other people. Some are incredibly insecure and that critical, mocking or joking gives them a sense of power, of identity even, to control other people by being hurtful in order to get a reaction. And of course, if they add humor to their jabs, they can justify the hurting of someone else. I mean… if someone laughs, the sin is ok, right? Also… if someone takes it “too personally” they can innocently say… “I was only joking. They just can’t take a joke”.
That statement in itself is an evil punch from the enemy attacking someone and then victimizing themselves with justification. Picture someone stabbing someone in the back while telling a funny story. The humor does NOT anesthetize the pain.
There are spiritual bullies out there being manipulated by the enemy due to their own hurts and insecurities and adding humor, speaking it behind closed doors or to a trusted confidant won’t make the sin any less heinous.
Too many people suffer from a feeling of “I’m not enough” – I haven’t accomplished enough, I don’t have enough, I’m not good enough, I haven’t been rewarded for my hard work, or I’m never in the right place at the right time. The “not enough” feeling can come from many different places, but its outcome is almost always the same: I feel incomplete.
There is something I am missing, or something that I need in order to feel whole.
If having this empty feeling weren’t enough, what some people do to try and fill it is to make someone else look bad or feel badly about their life. This can take many forms – criticizing another person, blaming them, or pointing out their flaws or shortcomings to another person in the form of gossip or backbiting. It’s a spirit. A critical spirit meant to hurt, to demean, to divide and to conquer.
It makes you believe that if someone does not cheer for the cause you cheer for, they need to be lashed… verbally. They need to be taught a lesson. How dare they have a different opinion. How dare they openly challenge “your kingdom”.
If I am able to bring you down and I can stand on the higher ground while doing so, that makes me the bigger, better person and you the lowlife, right? Nope. Unfortunately for those who try this approach, it only makes most people feel worse. The fact is that we are all interconnected somehow. We all feel the same sorts of pain, and all experience the same emptiness and feelings of being unworthy from time to time. While it may feel good in the moment to “dump on” the other person, this actually comes back on us. In fact, we can never dump enough that we begin to feel good. It’s a vicious cycle where we have to believe more and more deeply that the other person is wrong or bad in order for us to be right or worthy.
This “I’m okay but you are definitely not okay” approach to life is a losing battle. The old Groucho Marx joke, “I would not care to be a member of a club that would have me,” belongs here. We push people away who are trying to be our friends or our supporters because we believe that by diminishing their importance or worth, we increase our own.
Before we can fill the empty void inside of us, we have to recognize that there are spiritual battles ensuing. Each person is carrying their own pain and each person’s pain is relevant and important. Putting more pain on top of what they are carrying does not weaken our load – it increases theirs, and ours by extension. Why would we want to hurt someone else? Why would we want to say we’re better, or better off, than they are? Only in a desperate quest to find a way to fill a hole we are missing inside ourselves.
The next time you are inclined to be jealous, resentful, critical, or demanding of another person, stop and ask yourself what’s inside that is pushing you in this direction. What feelings are you trying to avoid that force you to focus on another person’s situation? The truth is that even with our spouses, our children, our parents or our siblings, no one else’s life should have a bearing on our feelings of satisfaction or self-worth. That can only come when we BELIEVE the word that tells us that HE loves us. HE believes we are worth something. He believes we are enough.
The next time you find yourself – either internally in your own mind, or externally to another person – debating the merits of what someone else is doing, criticizing their lifestyle or choices, or finding fault with what they’ve done, turn it back on you.
Not to be self-critical but to ask yourself, “What could I learn about me right now from this situation? What message is God trying to send me by asking me to focus on someone else?”
Just observe it. Learn from it. Don’t use it as a chance to beat yourself up more.
This doesn’t mean we have to like everyone or choose to hang around those who are hurtful to us. Remove yourself, both internally and externally, from those who want to hurt you, and make a conscious effort to find a secret closet to hear HIS voice.
When you can hear, you can learn. When you learn, you can grow.
1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
It’s time to come out of the sandbox. Man up…. so to speak and be careful what comes out of your mouth.
Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
The change starts with an apology. The maintenance of perfection continues in the words of Jesus… “go and sin no more”. Gen 44:16 And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.
Worship with me today:
(portions of today’s blog quoted and paraphrased from B. Flaxington)
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Your Moniker
A few decades back, someone came up to me and asked me if I was a “deliverance preacher.” It’s funny because when you go into ministry there are so many that expect you to “specialize” as in the medical field. Pediatrics, geriatrics, surgeon, general practitioner? Although we don’t “declare” a field of expertise, there is a danger of doing so.
Billy Graham is considered a salvation evangelist. Benny Hinn is known as a healer. Charles Stanley is known as a teaching pastor. Now… although it’s true, there is validity in the five fold ministry (Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;) but even in that, there is God’s cross training having many do the work of more than “one of the folds”.
The danger I am talking of this morning is setting yourself into one doctrine or teaching that causes you to be ineffective or barren in the whole counsel of God. We fall into the “comfortable” in scripture just as we can in so many other areas of our life. Instead of stretching to teach all of what God wants us to teach, we continue to revert back to what we invested most of our time in and what we feel comfortable with.
Without knowing it, we create our own monikers. How people see us, call us, name us and revere us.
Your moniker can cause you to be one sided and skewed in everything you preach. You are always trying to find the angle to support your “one” teaching. If it’s always about finance, every scripture you bring supports your theory. If it’s the extreme word of faith, you preach that old lie that every scripture is concerning your topic. If you set yourself up to be God’s policeman and feeling the need to warn people about the evils of falsities in televangelists – then every message “HAS” to include your moniker… or… your “signature”. It becomes how you are known.
Sometimes faith tells you to go through red seas. Sometimes it causes you to go another route. In either case, He knows how to keep your feet dry if it’s real faith. Faith that is alive is action that is obedient. Not to what you read, or by what you quote or by what you confess, but by what you HEAR.
Moses tried to speak and suppose what God would have them do – He preached the practical because he knew what God could do, but also preached from his own limitations. He spoke something familiar and comfortable. How could he possibly teach something that he’d never learned before? How could he possibly lead into an area where he was not familiar?
He was a “stand and watch God do” minister. Not a “go forth through the impossible” minister. So… when he began to SPEAK the word… which was a very valid word and a word that was not a lie… Exo 14:13-14 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
I mean… it was practical, it was plausible, it was encouraging, it was speaking faith into the character of God. But… speaking FAITH isn’t something you suppose God can do or speaking something God is willing to do, or something you DESIRE for God to do.
Faith is acting on exactly WHAT GOD TOLD YOU TO DO.
Exodus 14 – he got in trouble because he called something gospel that wasn’t. Again, we can’t stamp situation with the logos, man’s teaching, even prophecy or our own desires. God’s ways are simply NOT our ways. Sometimes it’s all about what we “haven’t learned” – but what we are “willing to learn”. The situation must be met with HIS voice.
Jesus never had “recipes” for healings. He rarely did the same thing twice. He was not in the repetition of what was learned, but was all about walking in the “new mercies” and “new word” of His Father for each situation. When we rely on doing things the same way, or quoting the same scriptures each time, we are in danger of becoming vain and traditional religionists. When we challenge ourselves to “HEAR HIS VOICE” for every situation we are learning new things about His character and our own faith with each step.
Jesus was a deliverance minister when someone needed deliverance. He was a resurrectionist when someone needed to be raised from the dead. He was a teacher when someone needed teaching. He preached the compassion to a sinner via a word of knowledge at the well and whipped out sinners with righteous anger at the money changers in the temple.
He WAS the fullness of the Holy Ghost. He did what His Father told Him to do, and WHEN His Father told Him to do it. Now… Moses had a very good word back in Exodus 14, but it was a word out of time and in his own spirit. It was spoken in a time of panic and without first “hearing”. Most people today would say that Moses was “speaking by faith”. But it was NOT faith. Anything that does not involve the fresh voice and the ready obedience is misguided passion. It can get you killed and demands a rebuke from the Lord.
Do NOT be tunnel visioned in your preaching or in your teaching. Do NOT find yourself always giving the same stale manna. Precious thing about the manna… it had the same composition on Tuesday that it had on Wednesday. The composition of the word never changes – but taken out of time or out of context can not only become stale, but can bring sickness. Manna has the same chemical makeup… the same taste, the same appearance – but there was something wrong with eating yesterday’s manna. (Exodus 16) It “bred worms and stank”.
The exception to this was God’s law not to gather manna on the Sabbath. In that case, the manna was preserved. HIS LAW preserves His word. The word, however, was good as they obeyed His voice in either case.
For the most part… you can NOT use what He gave you yesterday. It must be new and received and eaten today. Unless HE speaks the exception. (Don’t miss the “exceptions”!!)
When you obey His voice, you don’t have to rely on what you heard yesterday or learned in a course of study. In the critical situation – don’t scramble for your written word… be quick to listen to His voice. Jas 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
(Notice it doesn’t say “quick to read” or “quick to quote” or “quick to remember what you are comfortable with”.)
Luk 12:11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
Luk 12:12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
I have always said that the Holy Ghost can teach you in a moment what it takes man a lifetime to teach you. He can teach you something you don’t know… in AN HOUR!! Actually, that vernacular translates out to – “in that moment”. What an effective teacher!
My greatest advice to young ministers would be, “don’t pigeon hole yourself”. Don’t become comfortable with what you spoke and what you did yesterday. Don’t grow lazy or complacent with accomplishments because today you will be presented with something completely new and completely beyond your comfort zone. If you “revert” to your comfort zone, you refuse to grow. If you don’t grow, you become as stored manna.
What will they say about you when you leave this world? Will you be known for one area of expertise, or will they be able to say that you walked in the fullness of the Holy Ghost. You were someone who was known for walking with God in all of His fullness.
I think that when I pass, I want them to say… “he knew how to hear God’s voice”.
Worship with me today:
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Building Utopia.
We all want to… but take a look at what “utopia” means: The word comes from the greek οὐ (“not”) and τόπος (“place”) and means “no-place“.
Joh 16:21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
Men will read that verse and skip lightly over the word “travail” as one skipping through the meadows picking flowers. There is no life experience to apply to that kind of image. Women, on the other hand will read the word and the mind will cast an image of great and shuddering pain.
If you do any research on the word and the prayer ministry of Christ, you will see that this reference can be applied to prayer and intercession. The only way He could describe what intercessory prayer was like, was to speak the word “travail”.
We have evolved into a new age church that preaches no pain, no abased finance, no death. No effort to seek the Lord here in the 21st century. Speak a word here, snap your fingers there, abracadabra you can have whatever you want! The new age church wants us to believe the perfection they portray on television with the massive auditoriums and perfectly quaffed hair and makeup. A happy ending without a lot of time or effort, teaching us that the church must preach a new gospel for a new age.
Jesus didn’t preach that. Neither did the apostles of the new church. But we have evolved to building the perfect movie set. Come through our doors to easy street.
BE CAREFUL.
As per usual, there was such an incredible warmth in the brokenness of the Lord this morning. I thought about how we sometimes “face” the day without His face. We look to the circumstances, the problems, the responsibilities, the anxiety without first touching base with our foundation.
Going head first into life without prayer is like diving into a cement swimming pool without water. I liken times like that in my life to someone who is creating an old time wild west movie set. We create Christian images without substance.
We can get so good at creating the exteriors of our little town. We paint the signs, we create patina to make it look weathered and authentic, we become great at making doors that look so cool and inviting, but in actuality, open to nothing on the other side. There is not really a doctor on the other side of “Doc’s door”. There’s not really a sheriff on the other side of the jailhouse. So… when we are in need of a physician or in need of some justice, there is an emptiness when we apply the practical to what we’ve built.
We create a world that looks whole and warm and charming and exciting and it really does take a lot of time to create a façade. We make it all sturdy enough to withstand the special effects, but when the real storms of life come, it can not stand. It’s not real. It’s the fake built in the midst of a real world.
Real Christianity takes time. Real ministry has to have more than a façade. Simply because it is real life that it was designed to accommodate. Real life problems require real life Christianity.
The apostle Peter had a type of Christianity that included a heart for God, but he knew only how to build the exteriors. When real problems came, he was as a lot of us who only know how to build what people see. He cut and run. Pun intended.
Psa 127:1 A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
Psa 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
Psa 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
We find that David gave some hidden wisdom to his son who was very wise. The hidden wisdom comes in verse 3. If you look at these verses face value, you might think that they are random, but remembering how I started in this teaching this morning, and Jesus likening prayer to childbirth – this nugget found in Psalms is very powerful.
What David is saying is the essence of the teaching this morning. You can’t build a house… you can’t create a place with just the look or promise of substance. Unless you build and maintain and occupy with prayer – your city is a sham. Your life is a façade. Your security is faulty.
Living your life without prayer is like beginning to hammer boards together without the architect and his plans. And most of us only build the exteriors because that is what we understand and the only thing we can see. Ministers who follow the call to ministry without prayer can build some pretty enticing cities. But once people come through your doors, they will not find what was promised on the signs you painted outside.
If you can’t find the time to pray… you would be better off not to expend the effort to build a ministry. If you can’t find the time to pray… you would be better off not to expend the energy to find a spouse, raise your children, build your world. Christians build homes. Religion builds movie sets.
We are in the last days and many things are done without prayer and seeking and tarrying. And with this “new and modern way to love God” we have labored in vain.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (The will of the Father is to do ALL things with prayer and supplications)
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
They have built beautiful movie sets. They have built impressive exteriors. They have built the things that other people can see. And… they have done it all their own way and in their own power and with their new age understanding of who God is.
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Prayer. I will say it over and over and over. Not as a work of religion but as a love story.
Worship Him today!
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Take it by force…
I just wanted to take a moment and remind you of something very powerful that God gives us. Miracles don’t occur because of the environment you are in or because it’s a holiday or because you visit all the right “holy men” or “holy places”.
Peter had an Easter miracle… but it wasn’t because it was Easter. The miracle came because there were people pressing into presence of God through prayer and past they were violent in battling the obstacles that kept them from that presence.
Act 12:3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
Act 12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
Act 12:5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
Act 12:6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
Act 12:7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
The miracle occurred due to the “prayer without ceasing”.
Pressing into the presence. It takes more than a confession. It takes more than just quoting the Torah or the written Word. It involves getting TO HIM. Getting INTO His presence. This was the early church. The church that was born out of resurrection. The church that had evolved in the power of the Holy Ghost. The church that knew how to get to God.
Still today… there are no shortcuts to His presence.
What are the obstacles set up to keep us out of His presence? Here is a good “starter list” and I am sure you can find many others.
- schedule
- fatigue
- family
- obligations
- responsibilities
- pleasures
- sickness
- sin
Each obstacle is being manipulated and controlled by a higher and darker power. There is a demonic presence assigned to every obstacle. The stronger the demon, the closer you get to the Lord.
Mat 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
We don’t “storm the gates of Heaven” violently. Some have intimated that we kick down Heaven’s doors to get what we want. THIS IS FALSE DOCTRINE. The battle is with our own will – not fighting to get what we want, but fighting the obstacles that stand between us and Him… between our will and His will. Our warrior must be the HOLY GHOST… and we must be “violent” and “take OUT by force” – all the obstacles that keep us from His presence.
The kingdom suffers “violence”. It observes the obstacles that keep mankind from it’s creator. We need to have a reckless abandon in removing obstacles. We need to begin to battle in the spiritual realm as never before.
2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
At all costs… at any cost… we MUST get into His presence. We must fight to get into that secret closet where there are no external distractions. When the chains fell off, Peter was free to go where he was called to go. We are called to go into His presence.
Again I implore you… get RID of the obstacles that keep you from the quality time… the intimate time with the lover of your soul. YOU MUST FIND YOUR CLOSET.
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Driven to Darkness
The sirens of Heaven are blaring this morning. There are alarms being sounded in Zion. If you can’t hear them… you must stop for a moment and listen.
This is an article that had been passed on to me by a dear brother in Christ. He told me to read it in hopes of discussion concerning its merits. I have since passed it around to my Pastoral Mentor group and much discussion has gone forth… and debate… and on some points, agreeing to disagree. The portions in parentheses in this article are from the discussions concerning the article.
If you are being mentored by myself… this is mandatory to read and to comment. If you are not in my mentorship program or a part of the Pastoral group, please feel free to comment as well.
By David Wilkerson “Driven to Darkness” August 3, 1987 __________
(I would like to preface this article by saying that the Christian Rock musician that Wilkerson is talking about is one that I brought into my church in the Quad Cities. This man, I believe was sincere and at the same time driven by wrong and deceptive teaching and peer pressure. For the first time in my ministry, I allowed a Christian rock musician to come in and “charge” for his concert. I did it to build the church – but with my building of that church – I chose a venue of sand. It did something very wicked to me… spiritually… and I made many mistakes in the midst of it. It broke our church’s back to have to come up with $7,000 to pay that band. Nobody questioned me or checked me on that decision and I live to this day with that regret. I had forgotten the word that said… “freely you’ve received, now freely give”. I rationalized that “this was now the way God was moving”… “It is the only way to reach the young people”… it is a way to “be noticed in our community” – but when the music stopped and the band went on to it’s next venue, I never heard from them again. There were no notes of thanks, no follow up to those in the altar services, no accountability. They were off eating in the steakhouses while our church was reheating macaroni and cheese. And it taught the young people who worked in honest and small town America to lust for what those musicians had. I heard one precious hard working man say… “I must be in the wrong profession”. If ministry EVER looks appealing to the flesh or lucrative to those around you… you better check your ministry. He was “hated and despised”. Paul said in I Corinthians 4:10 “we are despised”. I heard a saying once… true today as ever… right in their hearts, wrong in their heads. ALL WHO ARE PREACHING IN EDEN ARE NOT RIGHTEOUS. Don’t EVER let the environment or success of a man cause you to automatically believe that it’s all truth. The world tells us to align ourselves with successful people and their habits, but to be a success with the world can be failure with God. “…know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. “ James 4:4)
“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them…. And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness” (Isaiah 8:20, 22).
I remember one time attending a Christian music festival. I will never forget what I saw, and I can truly say it was a heartbreaking experience. After leaving the concert I wept, groaning in the Spirit feeling the wrath of a holy God burning against what I saw.
I went to the festival because the “star performer” featured that night had been in my office, crying, telling me how much he loved Jesus, how sincere he was, how he wanted to learn more about holiness. He told me my written messages convicted him. His words sounded right – his attitude seemed humble. At his request I went to hear him and his group because he assured me I would not be offended.
My heart is now so set on the massive human need in New York City, and my great concerns now have to do with rescuing last souls from drugs, alcohol and demon possession. I did not want to get involved anymore in the matter of rock and roll, heavy metal, and punk music in the church. I felt I had said enough on the subject and I told the musician so when he sat in my office. We had prayed together and I hugged him when he left my office.
I went with an open heart, full of love and compassion – for him, for all Christian musicians, and especially for the 3,000 or so young people attending the festival. I sat through two devotional-type songs, then I sat attentively listening as the musician testified about what he said Christ had done in his life. No preacher anywhere could have spoken with more conviction and sincerity – the words were right. He spoke of separation, of being obedient to Jesus, of winning souls, of prayer, of holy matrimony (he was married), of living a holy life. I prayed as he spoke, “Dear Lord, maybe I misjudged this musician and his hard rock group. Maybe you are doing something new in using the music the ungodly prefer, to win them – to get their attention, to attract them so they can be ministered to. Lord, I am willing to rejoice in hearing You preached, in any manner, from any group – if You are present in it – if your Holy Spirit is blessing it.”
I was honestly questioning if my writings about the music of devils in God’s house were just old-fashioned prejudices or simply my distaste for rock music. Was it just so much fuss about nothing? Yet something was not quite right. There was an inner tug at my heart making me ill at ease. I reasoned, “If Satan is camouflaged in this somehow, if there is a leaven of evil – it will be revealed. Satan always reveals himself in one way or another.”
Suddenly the singer yelled in the microphone, “Jesus is coming – He is going to crack the skies – get ready!” The song was entitled, “Crack The Skies.” Suddenly smoke was billowing out of smoke machines, the pounding beat was turned up to a frenzied pitch, eerie lights began flashing, the musicians stood like phantoms rising from a murky swamp. It was ghostly, weird, strange – and the crowd went wild – they seemed to love it. At the same festival, a wild spiked hair group had entertained – with painted faces, prancing about like peacocks.
At first, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing on stage. I said out loud, “This can’t be happening at a Christian festival – they can’t do this to my Jesus! These people can’t be this blind – the leaders of this youth ministry can’t be so undiscerning! Oh God – what has happened to your church that its leaders, its people, can’t see the evil of this abomination?”
Suddenly I was on the ground, on my back, weeping and sobbing, and groaning in the Spirit. I sat up and took another look at the stage. I was horrified by what I saw in the Spirit. I saw demonic images rising from that stage! I heard Satan laughing! Laughing at all the blind parents – the blind shepherds – the blind youth – the backslidden church! It was an overt manifestation of Satan – worse than anything I’ve ever seen on the streets of New York.
BREAKING NEWS: At 8:00 this morning EST, it was 3 PM in Jerusalem. I realized that some 2,000 years ago, Christ had just declared that the darkness was finished. It brought a great joy. Heaven is all aflutter with activity today as it remembers… and prepares for His departure to the clouds over this earth. Can you feel it?
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Erev Pesach
Happy Erev Pesach! Or… Passover eve. It is the busiest day of the year for the Jews and it’s spiritual teachings should be equally as exciting for Messianic Jews and Born Again Christians.
It is not only a time for fasting of the firstborns, but a systematic cleaning of the house to remove the “chametz” or, in other words, anything containing leaven.
It’s kind of a national cleansing for the nation.
“In the tenth and final plague inflicted upon Egypt, G-d killed the firstborn in all of Egypt. But, as in all the plagues brought upon Egypt, the Children of Israel were spared. In the Plague of the Firstborn, not one Jewish firstborn died. To express their gratitude, all firstborn males fast on the day before Passover (Erev Pesach). The fathers of firstborn boys under the age of 13 fast in their stead.” -The Jewish Voice
If you feel led to do a fast of the firstborn…. Cool. Perhaps you want to do a fast for a young Christian who has not yet come of age… Cool. Whatever God puts upon your heart!
When they left Egypt, they all had a decision to make. Nobody forced them to leave. In fact, in the wilderness, some wanted to return. It would have been a freedom of choice. Their choice was simple… freedom or slavery.
Now… Paul says: Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
One thing about freedom. It may not include all the pleasures of sin. It may not promise all the conveniences of tradition which set up “perks” to offset the environment. Have you ever wondered why major companies sell their “perks”? Gym memberships, full benefits, Tiger tickets, casual Fridays… and on an on.
The harder the job – sometimes the greater the perks. Why? Because a paycheck just isn’t good enough. They are trying to make you stay under employ. They want you in THEIR YOKE. And though the yoke is tedious and strenuous… hey… there are perks to help soften the blow.
The decision to leave this world behind is a tough one – now more than ever as there are more perks than there have ever been in the history of man. We have put a quality of life package together that makes the decision to follow Jesus, harder than ever.
On this day each year, it’s a new starting point. Finding what needs to be removed so we can move forward. Coming to the realization that it’s those things of the world that we are tethered to that keep us from our promises.
Ya know… I want to get out of bed, so to speak, but the warmth of the covers feels so good on a new morning and I’ll hit the snooze button just one more time… but really… ten is my limit… maybe eleven.
Freedom does not have all the perks. At least not at first. It doesn’t provide or afford pleasures for the flesh… and when we are still living “in” the flesh – we just can’t endure the hardness without some pleasure.
So we return to our Egypts. Again. We are bored in our wildernesses. We crave things that we grew up with. We miss the things painted as pretty pictures on the canvass of our minds by our memories.
Some of us need swinging doors from the Kingdom of Egypt to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Perhaps on this day you will practice doing something that will set you free. And once in that freedom, you will realize that to make it through the “wilderness of freedom” you need to “endure hardness as a good soldier”.
The rationale is simple from the devil. You can always leave for that promised land tomorrow, or maybe next week because you don’t want to miss the Egyptian celebrations we have in store for you tonight. Procrastination and Passover were the choices.
Passover speaks of a drastic and sudden change of direction. A steadfastness of heart. A backbone of iron. A will to be free and to move forward. This freedom isn’t free. It isn’t cheap. It will cost you something. It isn’t for the faint of heart.
But… if Jesus decides to come tomorrow… on the exact moment that He died – do you think that He will come and ask you first if it’s ok with your schedule that He comes back? What if He said right now… “Is it ok if I come back tomorrow to pick you up?”
What would you say, and what would you have to do to be ready for your departure? And… what if He comes early? Death came to the nation of Egypt suddenly and just as God promised. (Not only that, but in hours, every man from it’s security force in the army was gone – including it’s supreme leader. God knows how to remove securities that are built by man) Whether they decided to go or not…. Egypt was slated for destruction. Jericho was slated for destruction. Sodom and Gomorrah were slated for destruction. Whether people were ready… or not.
America is slated for destruction… ready or not. And let’s bring it to a more personal level. Your body which is already in the stages of decay and rotting on the bone has an end date. Whether you are ready or not, you are going to cease. The Bible says it is appointed ONCE for man to die. (Heb 9:27)
To say you’re ready is to be walking in the freedom to leave. When your moment comes, I pray that you are not tethered to the world.
That being said… it’s a tough decision. The perks are so pleasing and your memories are like a giant magnet – pulling you back to the steely grip of sin.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
So… ask Him for help… get out the candle and search for the chametz… and then make the choice to remove it.
Worship with me today:
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