Arise, and let your enemies be scattered.
Judges:6:33 "Then all the Midianites and Amakelites, the people of the East , gathered together: and they crossed over and encamped in the valley of Jezreel. 34. But ,The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon."
Judges 7:6 "And the number of those who lapped; putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men."
What enemies do you face today? Is your soul vexed? Do you believe that the crisis you face is too great for you? Time and time again the Lord has used that which seems insignificant, to carry out His will. David, a small boy, faces the bear, the lion and finally Goliath. How is it that David can beat insurmountable odds? How is it that Gideon, with a ridiculously small number of men, can take on, rout, and destroy 120,000 men?
When I was 12 years old, I discovered the secret of overcoming giants. My father was a very violent alcoholic. When I was 7 my mother had come to Christ and all hell broke loose in our house. Prior to that, our house was peaceful as my mother had always "towed the line," done what she was told. After coming to Christ, my Father realized he was no longer in control of his wife. She was having a love affair with Jesus. If it had been another man, he would have killed Him, but how do you fight God?
After many years of violence and terror, one particular night seemed to draw all the demonic forces together. My father, always highly unpredictable, seemed to have lost his mind this night. He was laughing hysterically and then crying, and all the time holding my mother by the back of the hair and pounding her face with his fist. She just kept repeating "Jesus loves you, Jesus loves you." My sister was in the corner of the room screaming. I stood behind my dad, frozen in terror. We had witnessed violence many times before, but this night was different. The air was almost tangible, it had substance, almost like you could cut it with a knife. There was a demonic presence in the room that night and it had come to finish its work with my mother.
As I stood there, frozen in place, suddenly, it was as if someone had poured water over me, yet in slow motion. It came down over my head and flooded my whole being, right down to my toes, and as it flowed down, then every bit of fear fled from my body. I stood in the midst of all that demonic chaos and I felt perfect peace and no fear. I reached up, and put my hand on my fathers shoulder. His head snapped round in what seemed like less than a second, faster than a man could normally move, still holding my mother by the hair, and I found myself looking into the blackest, wildest eyes I had ever seen. I looked straight into those eyes, and suddenly my vision went beyond the natural, and I found myself looking into the very soul of my father.
Inside his own soul, the father that should have been, was bound by chains and gagged, lying on his side. I spoke to him and said "I love you." As soon as the last syllable was out of my mouth I was looking at the black eyes again and it said "I cannot argue with that." The presence was gone, and my father sat down, seemingly shell-shocked. Whatever demonic force had come, it was sent on its way by a 12 year old child, full of the holy Spirit.
Gideon was full of the Holy Spirit, as was David. If we are to fight the enemy and defeat him in the field of battle, we too must be full of the Holy Spirit. Religious men will tell you that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit when we are saved and that is true, but we must be filled again and again. This filling flows from the very presence of God. We must take advantage of the throne room of God. With a price that can never be estimated, God the Father, through Jesus His Son, made the way to the Holy of Holy's accessible to all who call upon His name and are washed in the Blood of the Lamb. David says "Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me, restore unto me, the joy of my salvation and renew a right spirit within me."
The three hundred men that were chosen for Gideon by God were the men who lapped the water with their hand. The first to be rejected were the fearful, God does not want them to be part of the three hundred. The rest got down on their knees and drank with their tongues. The correct military position was to remain upright, and use the palm of one of their hands to drink. In this way they did not have to lay down their weapons and they could continue to watch for the enemy. We too must remain upright. If we are to remain in the fight, we must not lay down our weapons, we must be ready for the schemes of the enemy, ever vigilant.
It is the Spirit of God within us that does all the fighting, if we quench that Spirit with sin, or by not coming into the presence of God, then we render ourselves useless. Only by flowing in the Spirit can we overcome fear, can we wield the weapons of our warfare which are not carnal, but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.(2 Cor 10:4-5)
Several years after the incident recorded above, my father came to Jesus, as all men do, on his knees. At the age of forty-nine, having struggled against God violently, and being a slave to alcohol, he was gloriously set free from His struggle and also from drink. He has now been saved for 15 years and has never had the desire for drink since the day he met Jesus
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
The Love of Money
This particular subject has always been in my spirit. Its always a controversial subject and I respect other views on how we as the Christian community handle the issues of money. Some believe wholeheartedly in the tithing system while others believe that this system was part of the Old Covenant and is not part of the New Covenant. I have a view on that subject but I believe that is a different debate. The one group I do not respect are the "peddlers of the Gospel." These are wicked men indeed and they will hear these terrifying words "depart from me you workers of iniquity for I never knew you."
Peddlers come in many forms and can be found in many parts of Christendom. Some areas of the Church are more infested than others, sad to say, the part I truly identify with, the "Pentecostals," for lack of a better phrase, seems to have the most peddlers. I believe that is because the people in these circles, generally, have good sensitive hearts, therefore they are more easily manipulated by "wolves in sheeps clothing." When you always want to think the best of someone or people in general(this is a truly great state to be in) then you are more likely to be burned by hustlers.
The prosperity Gospel , so called, has the most members of this infamous club. And so, I will try and dispel some myths about who we are as Christians, and what God wants for His people. I would like you to consider the following statistics. These statistics can be found on the "World Challenge,Inc," webpage which is the home page of David Wilkersons Ministries, a highly respected worldwide ministry......................
6.5 Billion people live on planet Earth
1.5 Billion people live on 23 cents a day
2 Billion people live without electricity
80% of the population of the world live in substandard housing.
1 Billion people are without safe drinking water
Every 16 seconds someone dies of hunger.
57 million people died in 2006
10.5 million of these were children under 5
Now brothers and sisters consider these stats........
$8 Billion yearly on cosmetics in the USA
$11 Billion yearly on ice cream in Europe
$17 Billion yearly on pet food in Europe and USA
$105 Billion on alcohol in Europe.
When you look at the numbers, and then you consider that we, in Johnson County , the third or fourth richest county in America, which is the richest country in the world, then we are amongst the richest people in the planet, in the history of the planet. The poorest amongst us are richer than most of the people of the world. Now we know that God is not only the God of America, that He is the God of the whole world. We know that God so loved this world, this whole world, that He gave His only Son to die for it, that was the measure of His sacrifice. So what do you think God thinks when He hears the richest people in the world, a world that is predominantly poor, crying out for more riches and for God to bless them more? The logic for this I am told is so that we can win the world for Christ. If God will just enrich us, then we can use those resources to win the world for Him. Yet, as we have already seen, we are already the richest people on the planet in the history of the planet.
1Ti 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:7 For we brought nothing into the world, and it is clear that we can carry nothing out.
1Ti 6:8 But having food and clothing, we will be content.
1Ti 6:9 But they who will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which plunge men into destruction and perdition.
In 1Tim 6:9 we can clearly see that those "who will be rich," those who desire to be rich are in extreme danger. It does not say that some who would be rich, the mere desire to be rich, regardless of your motivations, is sinful and tempting disaster upon your spiritual life. What it does say is that we are to be content by merely having food and clothing, and when you consider the world statistics, what great advice is this?Heb 13:5 Let your way of life be without the love of money, and be content with such things as you have, for He has said, "Not at all will I leave you, not at all will I forsake you, never!"
So, is there something wrong with people who are rich? Absolutely not. Some are born rich and some by hard work and diligence and integrity become rich.These attributes are Godly and we are compelled by the Scriptures to work hard even when the boss is not looking, we should work as unto God. So it is not riches in and of themselves that are sinful, but it the desire to be rich. The problem is that there is teaching in the Church to the contrary. We are taught by certain leaders not to be content with our position( a violation and a contradiction of Scripture) The logic that they give is that in order for the Gospel to be preached and the lost to be won for Christ we need resources. And, quite conveniently enough, the way to get Gods resources, to enrich yourself, in order to do Gods work(we have already seen that the desire itself to be rich is ungodly) is to give generously, and give generously to them. If we give generously to them then we will be rewarded perhaps a hundredfold or more. So the very premise of their teachings is wrong.
How do today's modern day peddlers compare to the saints of old? The people who actually turned the world upside down for Christ.
Hudson Taylor is a great hero of mine. For those of you who do not know him, he was one of the greatest Missionaries that the Body of Christ has produced. He founded China Inland Missions and brought the Gospel to the vast interior of China when it was a vast unknown territory back in the 1860s and he did so for the following four decades. He lost three children and a wife to the extremes of living in China at that time. Hudson Taylor never allowed a collection in his whole career. Now would he allow subscriptions. There was a monthly periodical but there was never any request for money, he depended upon faith in God. In one famous incident in Herefordshire in England at a service convened and ran by a Colonel Puget. Now, even although it seemed strange to Colonel Puget, the service had been advertised with the announcement that there would be no collection at the service. Well the service got going and the Holy Spirit was moving and the congregation were greatly affected by Hudson Taylor's sermon. Colonel Puget realized at the end of the service that the people, because they were greatly moved, would give generously so he decided to overrule Mr Taylor and announced a collection. Mr Taylor stood to his feet and here is the quote from his book
"It was his earnest desire that the hearers should go away burdened. Money was not the chief thing in the Lords work, especially money easily given under the influence of emotion. Much as he appreciated their kind intention, he would far rather have each go home to ask the Lord very definitely what He should have them do. If it were to give of their substance, they could send a contribution to their own or any other society, but in view of the appalling facts of heathenism, it might be more costly gifts the Lord was seeking, perhaps the life service of one's own son or daughter. No amount of money could save a single soul. What was wanted was that men and women filled with the Holy Spirit should give themselves to the work of China and to the work of prayer at home. For the support of God sent missionaries would never be lacking.
"You made a great mistake , if I may say so, remarked the host at supper. "The people were really interested, we might have had a good collection."
Mr Taylor tried in vain to explain his standard. The next morning his host came down rather late for breakfast. He explained that he could not sleep all night as he thought about all the souls of China going to hell not having heard the Gospel. He handed Mr Taylor a check for 500 pounds,an amount that today would be worth several thousand dollars and told him that if he had given at the collection the night before he would have given 5 pounds.
Let me say this brothers and sisters, the God of Hudson Taylor, the God of 150 years ago, is the same God today. The principals have not changed. Mr Taylor used to say that God did not beg for money and neither should his ministers.
The Wesley Brothers, who founded the Methodist church, were men of equal integrity. When the more famous brother died, he left behind $7, an old cloak and a Bible, and of course the Methodist church and a thousand glorious hymns to the glory of Jesus. These were men who were wholly dependent upon Jesus for everything and they shook the world. Mr Taylor only ever traveled in third class, how does that compare to the "leaders," of today who have their own private jets? These same leaders of the peddlers movement live in mansions and compounds ranging from $2 million to $5 million.
As in all things we have to look to Scripture for the final word on all things. What does the New Testament have to say about riches and the desire for money. In Mark 12:41 We have the famous story of the widows mite. This story was told in the context of bewaring of the Pharisee. 1Tim 6:10 is also a well know Scripture, it talks about the love of money being the root of all evil. Much has been taught on this scripture, especially by people who love money, yet the context is being content with what you have. Matt 13:22 talks about the deceit of riches and the context is anxiety, fearfulness and how this desire for money chokes out the word and those who run after it become unfruitful. In Mark 10:23 Jesus explains how difficult it is , nigh impossible, for a rich man to enter heaven, yet all we ever really hear preached is how nothing is impossible for God, which of course is true but Jesus had a purpose in stating what He did, it was a warning. In Luke 16:13 it states "Luk 16:13 No servant can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Luk 16:14 And being money-lovers, all the Pharisees also heard all these things. And they derided Him.
Luk 16:15 And He said to them, You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Can you see what Jesus was saying? The Pharisees were money lovers. Yet the Pharisees had the reputation for living frugal lives. The Pharisaical spirit will always have to explain itself to men in regard to money, "But God knows their hearts," and what is taught by these men is an "abomination in the sight of God." Here is what Rev 3 says about a rich church...................
Rev 3:14 And to the angel of the church of the Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Head of the creation of God, says these things:
Rev 3:15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would that you were cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because you say, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
Rev 3:18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold purified by fire, so that you may be rich; and white clothing, so that you may be clothed, and so that the shame of your nakedness does not appear. And anoint your eyes with eye salve, so that you may see.
So what are the riches that we should desire ? Let us see what Scripture has to say. Romans 11:33 says that the wisdom and knowledge are riches of God. Ephesians 1:7 says that His grace is riches. Eph 1:18 talks about the riches of His glory.Eph 3:8 says that Christ is true riches.Col 2:2 says that "full assurance," is true riches. Heb 11:26 says that the "reproach of Christ," is greater riches than all the treasure of Egypt. Romans 10:12 says that to be rich is to be able to "call on Him." Eph 2:4 says that we are rich in the mercy and love of God.
So what we should truly hunger after and desire is this, the wisdom and knowledge of God, and we should revel in His great mercy and His glory. We should desire to be identified with His sufferings and we should know that we are rich because we can call on Him and that we have full assurance of salvation. Yet most of all, we should glory in the Living God that we are rich in His love. Brothers and sisters, I urge you not to hunger after the riches of this world, regardless of your motivations, it is not a Godly desire. Hunger after the true riches and in this you will find peace and contentment. Some say we should desire wealth so that we can further the Kingdom, some say we should desire more wealth so that we can wear $700 shoes and Italian suits worth 2 or 3 thousand dollars and that this glorifies God. In light of Scripture I ask you to consider the matter and let the Lord lead and guide you into all truth. It is men and woman , rich in the true riches of God that will change this world...................may His name be praised.................Frank
Peddlers come in many forms and can be found in many parts of Christendom. Some areas of the Church are more infested than others, sad to say, the part I truly identify with, the "Pentecostals," for lack of a better phrase, seems to have the most peddlers. I believe that is because the people in these circles, generally, have good sensitive hearts, therefore they are more easily manipulated by "wolves in sheeps clothing." When you always want to think the best of someone or people in general(this is a truly great state to be in) then you are more likely to be burned by hustlers.
The prosperity Gospel , so called, has the most members of this infamous club. And so, I will try and dispel some myths about who we are as Christians, and what God wants for His people. I would like you to consider the following statistics. These statistics can be found on the "World Challenge,Inc," webpage which is the home page of David Wilkersons Ministries, a highly respected worldwide ministry......................
6.5 Billion people live on planet Earth
1.5 Billion people live on 23 cents a day
2 Billion people live without electricity
80% of the population of the world live in substandard housing.
1 Billion people are without safe drinking water
Every 16 seconds someone dies of hunger.
57 million people died in 2006
10.5 million of these were children under 5
Now brothers and sisters consider these stats........
$8 Billion yearly on cosmetics in the USA
$11 Billion yearly on ice cream in Europe
$17 Billion yearly on pet food in Europe and USA
$105 Billion on alcohol in Europe.
When you look at the numbers, and then you consider that we, in Johnson County , the third or fourth richest county in America, which is the richest country in the world, then we are amongst the richest people in the planet, in the history of the planet. The poorest amongst us are richer than most of the people of the world. Now we know that God is not only the God of America, that He is the God of the whole world. We know that God so loved this world, this whole world, that He gave His only Son to die for it, that was the measure of His sacrifice. So what do you think God thinks when He hears the richest people in the world, a world that is predominantly poor, crying out for more riches and for God to bless them more? The logic for this I am told is so that we can win the world for Christ. If God will just enrich us, then we can use those resources to win the world for Him. Yet, as we have already seen, we are already the richest people on the planet in the history of the planet.
1Ti 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:7 For we brought nothing into the world, and it is clear that we can carry nothing out.
1Ti 6:8 But having food and clothing, we will be content.
1Ti 6:9 But they who will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which plunge men into destruction and perdition.
In 1Tim 6:9 we can clearly see that those "who will be rich," those who desire to be rich are in extreme danger. It does not say that some who would be rich, the mere desire to be rich, regardless of your motivations, is sinful and tempting disaster upon your spiritual life. What it does say is that we are to be content by merely having food and clothing, and when you consider the world statistics, what great advice is this?Heb 13:5 Let your way of life be without the love of money, and be content with such things as you have, for He has said, "Not at all will I leave you, not at all will I forsake you, never!"
So, is there something wrong with people who are rich? Absolutely not. Some are born rich and some by hard work and diligence and integrity become rich.These attributes are Godly and we are compelled by the Scriptures to work hard even when the boss is not looking, we should work as unto God. So it is not riches in and of themselves that are sinful, but it the desire to be rich. The problem is that there is teaching in the Church to the contrary. We are taught by certain leaders not to be content with our position( a violation and a contradiction of Scripture) The logic that they give is that in order for the Gospel to be preached and the lost to be won for Christ we need resources. And, quite conveniently enough, the way to get Gods resources, to enrich yourself, in order to do Gods work(we have already seen that the desire itself to be rich is ungodly) is to give generously, and give generously to them. If we give generously to them then we will be rewarded perhaps a hundredfold or more. So the very premise of their teachings is wrong.
How do today's modern day peddlers compare to the saints of old? The people who actually turned the world upside down for Christ.
Hudson Taylor is a great hero of mine. For those of you who do not know him, he was one of the greatest Missionaries that the Body of Christ has produced. He founded China Inland Missions and brought the Gospel to the vast interior of China when it was a vast unknown territory back in the 1860s and he did so for the following four decades. He lost three children and a wife to the extremes of living in China at that time. Hudson Taylor never allowed a collection in his whole career. Now would he allow subscriptions. There was a monthly periodical but there was never any request for money, he depended upon faith in God. In one famous incident in Herefordshire in England at a service convened and ran by a Colonel Puget. Now, even although it seemed strange to Colonel Puget, the service had been advertised with the announcement that there would be no collection at the service. Well the service got going and the Holy Spirit was moving and the congregation were greatly affected by Hudson Taylor's sermon. Colonel Puget realized at the end of the service that the people, because they were greatly moved, would give generously so he decided to overrule Mr Taylor and announced a collection. Mr Taylor stood to his feet and here is the quote from his book
"It was his earnest desire that the hearers should go away burdened. Money was not the chief thing in the Lords work, especially money easily given under the influence of emotion. Much as he appreciated their kind intention, he would far rather have each go home to ask the Lord very definitely what He should have them do. If it were to give of their substance, they could send a contribution to their own or any other society, but in view of the appalling facts of heathenism, it might be more costly gifts the Lord was seeking, perhaps the life service of one's own son or daughter. No amount of money could save a single soul. What was wanted was that men and women filled with the Holy Spirit should give themselves to the work of China and to the work of prayer at home. For the support of God sent missionaries would never be lacking.
"You made a great mistake , if I may say so, remarked the host at supper. "The people were really interested, we might have had a good collection."
Mr Taylor tried in vain to explain his standard. The next morning his host came down rather late for breakfast. He explained that he could not sleep all night as he thought about all the souls of China going to hell not having heard the Gospel. He handed Mr Taylor a check for 500 pounds,an amount that today would be worth several thousand dollars and told him that if he had given at the collection the night before he would have given 5 pounds.
Let me say this brothers and sisters, the God of Hudson Taylor, the God of 150 years ago, is the same God today. The principals have not changed. Mr Taylor used to say that God did not beg for money and neither should his ministers.
The Wesley Brothers, who founded the Methodist church, were men of equal integrity. When the more famous brother died, he left behind $7, an old cloak and a Bible, and of course the Methodist church and a thousand glorious hymns to the glory of Jesus. These were men who were wholly dependent upon Jesus for everything and they shook the world. Mr Taylor only ever traveled in third class, how does that compare to the "leaders," of today who have their own private jets? These same leaders of the peddlers movement live in mansions and compounds ranging from $2 million to $5 million.
As in all things we have to look to Scripture for the final word on all things. What does the New Testament have to say about riches and the desire for money. In Mark 12:41 We have the famous story of the widows mite. This story was told in the context of bewaring of the Pharisee. 1Tim 6:10 is also a well know Scripture, it talks about the love of money being the root of all evil. Much has been taught on this scripture, especially by people who love money, yet the context is being content with what you have. Matt 13:22 talks about the deceit of riches and the context is anxiety, fearfulness and how this desire for money chokes out the word and those who run after it become unfruitful. In Mark 10:23 Jesus explains how difficult it is , nigh impossible, for a rich man to enter heaven, yet all we ever really hear preached is how nothing is impossible for God, which of course is true but Jesus had a purpose in stating what He did, it was a warning. In Luke 16:13 it states "Luk 16:13 No servant can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Luk 16:14 And being money-lovers, all the Pharisees also heard all these things. And they derided Him.
Luk 16:15 And He said to them, You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Can you see what Jesus was saying? The Pharisees were money lovers. Yet the Pharisees had the reputation for living frugal lives. The Pharisaical spirit will always have to explain itself to men in regard to money, "But God knows their hearts," and what is taught by these men is an "abomination in the sight of God." Here is what Rev 3 says about a rich church...................
Rev 3:14 And to the angel of the church of the Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Head of the creation of God, says these things:
Rev 3:15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would that you were cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because you say, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
Rev 3:18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold purified by fire, so that you may be rich; and white clothing, so that you may be clothed, and so that the shame of your nakedness does not appear. And anoint your eyes with eye salve, so that you may see.
So what are the riches that we should desire ? Let us see what Scripture has to say. Romans 11:33 says that the wisdom and knowledge are riches of God. Ephesians 1:7 says that His grace is riches. Eph 1:18 talks about the riches of His glory.Eph 3:8 says that Christ is true riches.Col 2:2 says that "full assurance," is true riches. Heb 11:26 says that the "reproach of Christ," is greater riches than all the treasure of Egypt. Romans 10:12 says that to be rich is to be able to "call on Him." Eph 2:4 says that we are rich in the mercy and love of God.
So what we should truly hunger after and desire is this, the wisdom and knowledge of God, and we should revel in His great mercy and His glory. We should desire to be identified with His sufferings and we should know that we are rich because we can call on Him and that we have full assurance of salvation. Yet most of all, we should glory in the Living God that we are rich in His love. Brothers and sisters, I urge you not to hunger after the riches of this world, regardless of your motivations, it is not a Godly desire. Hunger after the true riches and in this you will find peace and contentment. Some say we should desire wealth so that we can further the Kingdom, some say we should desire more wealth so that we can wear $700 shoes and Italian suits worth 2 or 3 thousand dollars and that this glorifies God. In light of Scripture I ask you to consider the matter and let the Lord lead and guide you into all truth. It is men and woman , rich in the true riches of God that will change this world...................may His name be praised.................Frank
A Vision From God
Over the last few weeks I have thought about young people. People in their late teens, people in the their twenties and thirties. My own twenty-three year old son’s troubles have perhaps brought it more clearly into focus and at the least, it has made my spirit more sensitive to the Lord’s heart on this issue. That was the context of the Holy Spirit moving my heart with a vision that was horrific, but at the same time it was inspiring.
My wife and I and my youngest son were in St Louis for a weekend break a couple of weeks ago. We were driving from the hotel to listen to the St Louis Symphony on a Saturday night and the Holy Spirit came upon me. As usual this would not be a time of my choosing J yet I know from experience that the Holy Spirit is not a respecter of time.I kept on driving and I knew my wife was talking but I was caught up in the Spirit. Tears were falling from my face and the car was pretty dark so my wife did not notice. The Holy Spirit continued to move in my Spirit for the next couple of hours, all through the performance, and came in waves, one “scene,” unfolding after another. The grandness of the orchestra seem to only heighten my experience. I am sure people around me may have thought that I was deeply moved by the music, and the truth is I was somewhere else altogether.
The beginning of the vision was a loud booming voice calling all Christians to awake , “Awake you sleepy Christians.” “Who will ascend Gods Holy Hill? Those with a pure heart and clean hands. This was scene 1, a call to arms. Then the second scene unfolded. I saw thousands of baby turtles heading from the dunes towards the sea. They had a wide beach ahead of them. Before most of them could cross the beach and reach the water they were attacked by birds of every kind. The power of the air had come to attack them, seagulls by the hundreds making a horrendous shrieking noise as they feasted on their helpless prey. Birds of every kind joined the attack, swooping down and pecking and carrying the baby turtles off. Then from the dunes from where they came, came raccoons and critters of every kind to join in the frenzy and drag these hapless baby turtles away. Just when I thought the slaughter could not get worse, out from under the sand came crabs, crabs with large pincers which tore into the turtles and they dragged them into holes in the sand to be devoured. As all of this was going on, I could see Scripture framing this whole scene. “Many are called but few are chosen,” “Broad is the road that leads to destruction, narrow is the path that leads to life.”
Suddenly the scene changes, I am on a beach, but it is the scene from Saving private Ryan. Death was all around me. Young men being killed right where I stood and the severely wounded all around, desperately seeking for a place to hide, for some kind of barrier to protect them from the onslaught. There were kids with there innards hanging out and they were trying to stop them from spilling onto the beach, while screaming for their mothers. Men with their limbs blown of, the one man walking around in shock with his right hand carrying his left arm which had been blown off.
Suddenly the scene changes again. There is a Rock with a sword embedded into it. This sits right in the middle of an arena, like Kemper or arrowhead. This is also the scene from Braveheart.On strolls a man that is dressed like William Wallace in the scene from the movie where he addresses his vastly outnumbered army who are thinking about fleeing from the battle. The man, who is actually Jesus dressed in full Scottish battledress, reaches forward , and with both hands, pulls the Claymore from the Rock and turns to address the crowd in the arena.
“ I am Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I am maker of heaven and earth and I am the Holy Son of the Living God. I hold in my hand the two edged sword. And with this sword I will surely destroy all the enemies, this vast army of evil that you see here before you. This army that has dared to challenge the living God, this army that has exposed itself on the battlefield will be completely destroyed this very day. I see another army here before, the army of the Living God. You have gathered here today in defiance of darkness and tyranny. You have come here to fight as free men and free men you are, for it is I that gave you that very freedom. So you see with your eyes that you are few and they are many, you see that you are vastly outnumbered. Will you fight today? “No, we will run and we will live,” shouts a man from the crowd. “Yes, if you run now you will live a while. If you stay and fight you may die, but I have called you here this day to die in a battle that will be celebrated for all eternity. Yet for those who run and “live,” what kind of life will you live? When you are dying in your beds, many years from now, how many of you will cry out with regret, having lived a life of compromise and shame and know in your heart that you would be willing to trade forty years of compromise for one day of glory in this great battlefield of the flesh. This light against darkness. To be able to say to your enemies “eye, you may kill me this day and I may have to lose everything this very day but one thing you will never take, you will never take my spirit!!!!
Now the scene changes again. I am in the stadium or arena . Men of God form a semicircle in front of the crowd of young people. Behind them is a sea of flags. The flags are blowing in the wind. The flags represent the enemies that the Holy Spirit had just showed me. The enemies that attacked the turtles each had names and the names were written on the flags. Some of the names were Rebellion, lust, sex, drugs, beer, abuse, suicide, bitterness, hatred, greed, materialism, incest, rape, murder and many many more. The call is made to the crowd, its the call that Jesus has just made, “Will you come forward and die to these thing this day?” They respond to the call to arms and begin to move forward in obedience to the call. They run towards the enemy, they kneel and pray with the men of God and then move past them and with pure hearts and clean hands they make their way towards the flag that represents what they have just laid down, they pull up the flag and they break it over their knees and throw it to the ground. Freedom rings out into the night sky, the rejoicing rises up into heaven itself and all of heaven rejoices to see Satan's kingdom torn down and Gods young people taking back that which is theirs, that which is Gods, their very heart. And Satan trembles at the rise of this army…………..Amen
My wife and I and my youngest son were in St Louis for a weekend break a couple of weeks ago. We were driving from the hotel to listen to the St Louis Symphony on a Saturday night and the Holy Spirit came upon me. As usual this would not be a time of my choosing J yet I know from experience that the Holy Spirit is not a respecter of time.I kept on driving and I knew my wife was talking but I was caught up in the Spirit. Tears were falling from my face and the car was pretty dark so my wife did not notice. The Holy Spirit continued to move in my Spirit for the next couple of hours, all through the performance, and came in waves, one “scene,” unfolding after another. The grandness of the orchestra seem to only heighten my experience. I am sure people around me may have thought that I was deeply moved by the music, and the truth is I was somewhere else altogether.
The beginning of the vision was a loud booming voice calling all Christians to awake , “Awake you sleepy Christians.” “Who will ascend Gods Holy Hill? Those with a pure heart and clean hands. This was scene 1, a call to arms. Then the second scene unfolded. I saw thousands of baby turtles heading from the dunes towards the sea. They had a wide beach ahead of them. Before most of them could cross the beach and reach the water they were attacked by birds of every kind. The power of the air had come to attack them, seagulls by the hundreds making a horrendous shrieking noise as they feasted on their helpless prey. Birds of every kind joined the attack, swooping down and pecking and carrying the baby turtles off. Then from the dunes from where they came, came raccoons and critters of every kind to join in the frenzy and drag these hapless baby turtles away. Just when I thought the slaughter could not get worse, out from under the sand came crabs, crabs with large pincers which tore into the turtles and they dragged them into holes in the sand to be devoured. As all of this was going on, I could see Scripture framing this whole scene. “Many are called but few are chosen,” “Broad is the road that leads to destruction, narrow is the path that leads to life.”
Suddenly the scene changes, I am on a beach, but it is the scene from Saving private Ryan. Death was all around me. Young men being killed right where I stood and the severely wounded all around, desperately seeking for a place to hide, for some kind of barrier to protect them from the onslaught. There were kids with there innards hanging out and they were trying to stop them from spilling onto the beach, while screaming for their mothers. Men with their limbs blown of, the one man walking around in shock with his right hand carrying his left arm which had been blown off.
Suddenly the scene changes again. There is a Rock with a sword embedded into it. This sits right in the middle of an arena, like Kemper or arrowhead. This is also the scene from Braveheart.On strolls a man that is dressed like William Wallace in the scene from the movie where he addresses his vastly outnumbered army who are thinking about fleeing from the battle. The man, who is actually Jesus dressed in full Scottish battledress, reaches forward , and with both hands, pulls the Claymore from the Rock and turns to address the crowd in the arena.
“ I am Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I am maker of heaven and earth and I am the Holy Son of the Living God. I hold in my hand the two edged sword. And with this sword I will surely destroy all the enemies, this vast army of evil that you see here before you. This army that has dared to challenge the living God, this army that has exposed itself on the battlefield will be completely destroyed this very day. I see another army here before, the army of the Living God. You have gathered here today in defiance of darkness and tyranny. You have come here to fight as free men and free men you are, for it is I that gave you that very freedom. So you see with your eyes that you are few and they are many, you see that you are vastly outnumbered. Will you fight today? “No, we will run and we will live,” shouts a man from the crowd. “Yes, if you run now you will live a while. If you stay and fight you may die, but I have called you here this day to die in a battle that will be celebrated for all eternity. Yet for those who run and “live,” what kind of life will you live? When you are dying in your beds, many years from now, how many of you will cry out with regret, having lived a life of compromise and shame and know in your heart that you would be willing to trade forty years of compromise for one day of glory in this great battlefield of the flesh. This light against darkness. To be able to say to your enemies “eye, you may kill me this day and I may have to lose everything this very day but one thing you will never take, you will never take my spirit!!!!
Now the scene changes again. I am in the stadium or arena . Men of God form a semicircle in front of the crowd of young people. Behind them is a sea of flags. The flags are blowing in the wind. The flags represent the enemies that the Holy Spirit had just showed me. The enemies that attacked the turtles each had names and the names were written on the flags. Some of the names were Rebellion, lust, sex, drugs, beer, abuse, suicide, bitterness, hatred, greed, materialism, incest, rape, murder and many many more. The call is made to the crowd, its the call that Jesus has just made, “Will you come forward and die to these thing this day?” They respond to the call to arms and begin to move forward in obedience to the call. They run towards the enemy, they kneel and pray with the men of God and then move past them and with pure hearts and clean hands they make their way towards the flag that represents what they have just laid down, they pull up the flag and they break it over their knees and throw it to the ground. Freedom rings out into the night sky, the rejoicing rises up into heaven itself and all of heaven rejoices to see Satan's kingdom torn down and Gods young people taking back that which is theirs, that which is Gods, their very heart. And Satan trembles at the rise of this army…………..Amen
Out of The Tempest
"No words can describe how much the world owes to sorrow. Most of the Psalms were born in a wilderness. Most of the Epistles were written in a prison. The greatest thoughts of the greatest thinkers have all passed through the fire. The greatest poets have "learned in suffering what they taught in song." In bonds Bunyon lived the allegory that he afterwards wrote, and we may thank Bedford prison for "Pilgrim's progress. Take comfort, afflicted Christian! When God is about to make a preeminent use of a person, He puts them in the fire." (George McDonald)
"There is more safety with Christ in the tempest , than without Christ in the calmest waters. The river would lose its song if you removed the stones. My soul, alas, needs these uneasinesses in outward things, to be driven to take refuge in God." (Henry Martyn)
"This hope we have is an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus. (Hebrews 6:19-20)
The word "Forerunner," in the Greek means a runner that goes ahead, a scout. In the context of Hebrews 6 the forerunner was a small boat sent from a larger ship unable to enter the harbor due to the buffeting by the weather. The small boat would carry the anchor through the breakers and into the tranquil waters of the harbour, thus securing the ship. The word forerunner also presupposes that others will follow.
This is a beautiful description of Jesus coming into the chaos of this world, coming aboard our ship, caught in a storm, and then leading the way back to the Father, not only leading the way, but making it possible for each and every one of us to enter into the harbour of peace and tranquility while just outside and all around us there is a major storm. To follow Jesus into the harbour, is to access the "Presence behind the veil," this presence is the presence of God. Jesus is the anchor of our soul, He will hold us steady and in place even in the midst of the most violent storms.
I talked to a woman today. She was caught up in a storm of bitterness, anger and unforgiveness for her husband on what seemed like a small and reasonably insignificant incident. What I saw in the Spirit was a woman enslaved to fear and insecurity and past hurts. Each of these elements fueled each other, they were three slavemasters. The original masters name was "past hurts." He went out and had insecurity and fear join him as they mercilessly whipped this woman.
I watched a movie one time. In the movie there had been a man who had been falsely accused of a crime and, bayed on by the angry townsfolk, three men stepped forward and took this man and stripped him and began to whip him. The crowd cheered as the man was punished and the men ferociously whipped him. At first he screamed and tried to get away, and the crowd cheered as he was pulled back and the whipping continued. Then he fell silent but the three men were in a frenzy. Now the crowd grows silent as the men continue to whip their victim, even although all resistance is gone and he lies face down motionless. One by one the crowd disappears and the man is whipped to death, unrecognizable. His tormentors are unrepentant as they finish their work, feeling nothing as they eventually kill the man.
This is a graphic illustration of what Satan and his workers do to their victims. They whip their victims with the cords of unforgiveness, bitterness , anger, hatred, murder in the heart and they will flog their victims until there is nothing left and all is lost in their soul.
If today, brothers and sisters, you have even the slightest of these feelings, or perhaps you are caught up in a violent tempest of hatred and bitterness and unforgiveness, you must look to the anchor of your soul. He has gone ahead of you and just beyond your temper, just beyond your unforgiveness, just beyond your despair, lies safe harbour. Grab a hold of the line(the word of God ) and pull on it (respond to that which you know is right) and you will find yourself once again in the tranquil waters of the Presence of the Lord. You are that close, do not let the Father of lies convince you that you are beyond the reach of God, does not God say in His word that "where shall I flee from your Spirit...........if I make my bed in hell , you are there." (psalm 139:9)
Some of us have made our bed in hell or we know someone that has. If they do not know Jesus, then Jesus will throw them a lifeline and pull them from the storm and into peaceful waters, if they do know Jesus, then that line is already established. Forgiveness is the line that leads directly to God the Father, praise God, He is that close to each and every one of us...............................Frank
"There is more safety with Christ in the tempest , than without Christ in the calmest waters. The river would lose its song if you removed the stones. My soul, alas, needs these uneasinesses in outward things, to be driven to take refuge in God." (Henry Martyn)
"This hope we have is an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus. (Hebrews 6:19-20)
The word "Forerunner," in the Greek means a runner that goes ahead, a scout. In the context of Hebrews 6 the forerunner was a small boat sent from a larger ship unable to enter the harbor due to the buffeting by the weather. The small boat would carry the anchor through the breakers and into the tranquil waters of the harbour, thus securing the ship. The word forerunner also presupposes that others will follow.
This is a beautiful description of Jesus coming into the chaos of this world, coming aboard our ship, caught in a storm, and then leading the way back to the Father, not only leading the way, but making it possible for each and every one of us to enter into the harbour of peace and tranquility while just outside and all around us there is a major storm. To follow Jesus into the harbour, is to access the "Presence behind the veil," this presence is the presence of God. Jesus is the anchor of our soul, He will hold us steady and in place even in the midst of the most violent storms.
I talked to a woman today. She was caught up in a storm of bitterness, anger and unforgiveness for her husband on what seemed like a small and reasonably insignificant incident. What I saw in the Spirit was a woman enslaved to fear and insecurity and past hurts. Each of these elements fueled each other, they were three slavemasters. The original masters name was "past hurts." He went out and had insecurity and fear join him as they mercilessly whipped this woman.
I watched a movie one time. In the movie there had been a man who had been falsely accused of a crime and, bayed on by the angry townsfolk, three men stepped forward and took this man and stripped him and began to whip him. The crowd cheered as the man was punished and the men ferociously whipped him. At first he screamed and tried to get away, and the crowd cheered as he was pulled back and the whipping continued. Then he fell silent but the three men were in a frenzy. Now the crowd grows silent as the men continue to whip their victim, even although all resistance is gone and he lies face down motionless. One by one the crowd disappears and the man is whipped to death, unrecognizable. His tormentors are unrepentant as they finish their work, feeling nothing as they eventually kill the man.
This is a graphic illustration of what Satan and his workers do to their victims. They whip their victims with the cords of unforgiveness, bitterness , anger, hatred, murder in the heart and they will flog their victims until there is nothing left and all is lost in their soul.
If today, brothers and sisters, you have even the slightest of these feelings, or perhaps you are caught up in a violent tempest of hatred and bitterness and unforgiveness, you must look to the anchor of your soul. He has gone ahead of you and just beyond your temper, just beyond your unforgiveness, just beyond your despair, lies safe harbour. Grab a hold of the line(the word of God ) and pull on it (respond to that which you know is right) and you will find yourself once again in the tranquil waters of the Presence of the Lord. You are that close, do not let the Father of lies convince you that you are beyond the reach of God, does not God say in His word that "where shall I flee from your Spirit...........if I make my bed in hell , you are there." (psalm 139:9)
Some of us have made our bed in hell or we know someone that has. If they do not know Jesus, then Jesus will throw them a lifeline and pull them from the storm and into peaceful waters, if they do know Jesus, then that line is already established. Forgiveness is the line that leads directly to God the Father, praise God, He is that close to each and every one of us...............................Frank
The Prodigal Bomber
Luk 15:24 for this my son was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found.
Have you ever prayed for a loved one for a long time? You pray and trust in the Lord and you actually see that person getting worse, going from one bad decision to another. You talk to them and you share with them and you try to council them and convince them that everything they need, the answer to their deepest problems lie with the Lord Jesus. The deeper the trouble they get into, the more desperate we become some times in sharing Jesus. And yet, the greater their need, the greater their rejection of you and the truth that you hold out to them. You see them going down and you know in your heart that this beautiful light that is within you would be the answer to their seeming hopelessness and despair, and still they reject you. I would like to encourage every brother and sister that is in that category today.
This morning I saw an image of my son, call it a vision, call it a dream, be very cynical and call it wishful thinking if you like. Yet in my vision I saw my son standing beside me at the mens study on Monday night. I was introducing the men to my son. I was telling them how I had held him up in the air when he was less than a week old and that I had dedicated him to God, even although I myself had walked away from God at that point.
I was sharing how at the age of seven my son gave his heart to the Lord. And up to the age of 13 how we would walk to a home group together in the warm summer evenings and talk about the Lord and how exciting the prospect of Him perhaps coming back soon. I shared how that my son went into middle school and was bullied. How he went of the rails and I lost my son. We did not speak any more, just scream at each other. How he ran away at 16 and I found myself outside a house in Wyndotte County , where he supposedly had stayed a few nights, challenging the man inside to come out and fight with curses. How this was the lowest point of my Christianity and that I had, for a moment, reverted back to a life that I had long ago left behind because everything was spinning out of my control. How I got back home and fell to my knees, completely broken and cried out to God. How the Lord whispered to me , "let Him go Frank, give him to me, you just speak life into him." How the Lord asked me this question "What would have happened if the prodigal Father had not let the prodigal son go?" Giving me no answer, but the answer came from the Spirit within. I shared how my sons life got worse after I handed him over to Jesus. So many times tempted to doubt the Lord but never gave into the doubt. So many times having to ignore what was happening in the natural and trust the Lord that He was in charge and that there was movement in the spiritual.
Then in my vision I was standing on an airfield. It was WW11. Thirty planes had went on the bombing mission, 23 had came back, six had been reported to have been destroyed, and the last one was unaccounted for. The last one was my son. I stood on the airfield with many, just staring into the skies above. Straining to see any sight of the bomber. There was nothing. One by one the people that were looking walked away until I looked around and I stood alone in the field. I kept straining my eyes, yet there was nothing. At a certain point a friend came out and looked at his watch, he said "Frank, they would have ran out of Gas 20 minutes ago, cmon, its time to go." I told him to go on in, I would be there soon. When he left, the silence and the loneliness overwhelmed me. I just fell to my knees and cried out to God. Now it wasn't even humanly possible for my son to return. And as I lay there on the grass, I heard a very faint noise. My intellect told me that my mind was playing tricks on me. Yet, the noise got a little louder. I looked up but I could not see anything. There was clouds and darkness and nothing. Yet the noise remained, I strained my eyes again, hoping against hope, faith fighting against unbelief and there it was, only a speck in the distance, but it was certainly a plane. It was my plane , it was my son, and against all the odds and even the laws of physics, here comes the plane. It is battered and torn and only one of the props was working, but it was his plane and he was coming home. All those who had left the field now were back and were screaming and shouting with joy. Miraculously, even although all hope had been lost and all had given up, including myself, here came my son and the plane landed even although it was almost completely destroyed by the flack.
Now I am back at the mens meeting. And I say "This is my son who was dead but is alive again , he was lost but now is found."
Will this happen?Yes I believe it will. When it does I will be glad to report it to you. He has made me a promise and no matter what , I believe the report of the Lord. So many times we have to come to an end of ourselves and that is where the Lord steps in. And when He does, then all the glory will be His.
Perhaps you find yourself alone in the field of life today? Can I encourage you, you are not alone. Yes there will be times when every one you know will not stand with you, that things seem impossible, that you have come to the end of yourself, but do you know who you will meet when you arrive "at the end of yourself,?" yes, Jesus. Keep staring at the skies for that field is a field of hope. Our God is bigger than all that we can see. He sees what we cannot. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. All things are possible. Rest in hope, rejoice in hope, let expectancy do its work. He is pleased with our faith, and He is pleased when we come to Him and believe that all things are possible, it is in this diligence that we will find our reward.......Let the name of Jesus be glorified today...............Frank
If you know someone who needs to be encouraged today, please pass it along.
Have you ever prayed for a loved one for a long time? You pray and trust in the Lord and you actually see that person getting worse, going from one bad decision to another. You talk to them and you share with them and you try to council them and convince them that everything they need, the answer to their deepest problems lie with the Lord Jesus. The deeper the trouble they get into, the more desperate we become some times in sharing Jesus. And yet, the greater their need, the greater their rejection of you and the truth that you hold out to them. You see them going down and you know in your heart that this beautiful light that is within you would be the answer to their seeming hopelessness and despair, and still they reject you. I would like to encourage every brother and sister that is in that category today.
This morning I saw an image of my son, call it a vision, call it a dream, be very cynical and call it wishful thinking if you like. Yet in my vision I saw my son standing beside me at the mens study on Monday night. I was introducing the men to my son. I was telling them how I had held him up in the air when he was less than a week old and that I had dedicated him to God, even although I myself had walked away from God at that point.
I was sharing how at the age of seven my son gave his heart to the Lord. And up to the age of 13 how we would walk to a home group together in the warm summer evenings and talk about the Lord and how exciting the prospect of Him perhaps coming back soon. I shared how that my son went into middle school and was bullied. How he went of the rails and I lost my son. We did not speak any more, just scream at each other. How he ran away at 16 and I found myself outside a house in Wyndotte County , where he supposedly had stayed a few nights, challenging the man inside to come out and fight with curses. How this was the lowest point of my Christianity and that I had, for a moment, reverted back to a life that I had long ago left behind because everything was spinning out of my control. How I got back home and fell to my knees, completely broken and cried out to God. How the Lord whispered to me , "let Him go Frank, give him to me, you just speak life into him." How the Lord asked me this question "What would have happened if the prodigal Father had not let the prodigal son go?" Giving me no answer, but the answer came from the Spirit within. I shared how my sons life got worse after I handed him over to Jesus. So many times tempted to doubt the Lord but never gave into the doubt. So many times having to ignore what was happening in the natural and trust the Lord that He was in charge and that there was movement in the spiritual.
Then in my vision I was standing on an airfield. It was WW11. Thirty planes had went on the bombing mission, 23 had came back, six had been reported to have been destroyed, and the last one was unaccounted for. The last one was my son. I stood on the airfield with many, just staring into the skies above. Straining to see any sight of the bomber. There was nothing. One by one the people that were looking walked away until I looked around and I stood alone in the field. I kept straining my eyes, yet there was nothing. At a certain point a friend came out and looked at his watch, he said "Frank, they would have ran out of Gas 20 minutes ago, cmon, its time to go." I told him to go on in, I would be there soon. When he left, the silence and the loneliness overwhelmed me. I just fell to my knees and cried out to God. Now it wasn't even humanly possible for my son to return. And as I lay there on the grass, I heard a very faint noise. My intellect told me that my mind was playing tricks on me. Yet, the noise got a little louder. I looked up but I could not see anything. There was clouds and darkness and nothing. Yet the noise remained, I strained my eyes again, hoping against hope, faith fighting against unbelief and there it was, only a speck in the distance, but it was certainly a plane. It was my plane , it was my son, and against all the odds and even the laws of physics, here comes the plane. It is battered and torn and only one of the props was working, but it was his plane and he was coming home. All those who had left the field now were back and were screaming and shouting with joy. Miraculously, even although all hope had been lost and all had given up, including myself, here came my son and the plane landed even although it was almost completely destroyed by the flack.
Now I am back at the mens meeting. And I say "This is my son who was dead but is alive again , he was lost but now is found."
Will this happen?Yes I believe it will. When it does I will be glad to report it to you. He has made me a promise and no matter what , I believe the report of the Lord. So many times we have to come to an end of ourselves and that is where the Lord steps in. And when He does, then all the glory will be His.
Perhaps you find yourself alone in the field of life today? Can I encourage you, you are not alone. Yes there will be times when every one you know will not stand with you, that things seem impossible, that you have come to the end of yourself, but do you know who you will meet when you arrive "at the end of yourself,?" yes, Jesus. Keep staring at the skies for that field is a field of hope. Our God is bigger than all that we can see. He sees what we cannot. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. All things are possible. Rest in hope, rejoice in hope, let expectancy do its work. He is pleased with our faith, and He is pleased when we come to Him and believe that all things are possible, it is in this diligence that we will find our reward.......Let the name of Jesus be glorified today...............Frank
If you know someone who needs to be encouraged today, please pass it along.
Abide in Christ and Die
Gal 2:20 "I have been crucified in Christ, It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."
Hi Guys
Is there a reason why the Church today is so anemic? What is missing from us that makes us so like the world? What is the answer to the fact that the modern day church is not walking in the power of God? We see so many dynamic personalities, but we see so little of the Holy Spirit. The most dramatic presentation of the power of the Holy Spirit is a changed life. This is truly the greatest miracle of all, yet, how often do we see that nowadays? Perhaps we are more interested in a demonstration of physical healing, perhaps we regard that more highly that the changed life? Where is tongues in the church today? Where is prophecies? Where is interpretations of tongues? Where are words of knowledge? The absence of all of these gifts demonstrated, should be a serious sign of a chronic illness in the body. There can be no healthy body without these gifts being normative, for these gifts were given by God for the health and vitality of the body.
If I decide to take a branch from one tree and graft it into another, a few things has to happen. First I must prepare the receiving vine. It has to be "wounded." I have to make a wound in the side of the vine in order that it may receive the foreign branch. The closer the match the better the bond will be. Then I have to cut the branch away from old tree, prepare the end of it to closely match the open wound on the receiving vine, then finally insert the branch into the prepared wound. Then it must be held in place until it takes.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. We know that the Lord "was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities." (Isa 53) Jesus submitted to the cross in Gethsemane, yet He still had to face the cross. In Gethsemane the decision was made, but on Calvary it was worked out. Peter followed Jesus and knew Him and loved Him and testified of Him and all of this while the cross of Calvary was still an offense to him (Mat 16:16-17, 21,23)
Let me ask you a question, do you know Jesus, or know someone who knows Jesus and testifies of Him and loves Him, yet, Calvary is an offense to them. The notion of dying and suffering , trials and tribulations is a horror to them that they would never willingly submit to. You see, you can be a branch, cut of from the world, yet never united into the wounds of Jesus. And if your never united into His wound, then you cannot abide in Him. It is only by being joined to His wound, inserted into His tribulations, that we can draw the power that flows from the vine. God Himself had to be wounded in order to receive Jesus, the God-man. He was not asking His son to do something He was not prepared to suffer Himself. How was God the Father wounded you may ask? At the height of Calvary, when He watched His precious Son become sin for us and turned away and then heard His Son cry out "My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me," God the Father was wounded to the very depths of His soul in ways that only a parent who has watched their child die in agony can even come close to imagining. And we know at that very moment, " The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." (Mark 15:38) What does the veil represent? It represents the covering of Gods heart, His chest if you like. When the sacrifice was complete, that which had been hidden from men in general, was revealed. God chose to show His presence to the world through His Son Jesus. So, through the wounds of Jesus, and the wounds of the Father, we are united into His presence and power that flows from His presence. Listen to what Andrew Murray says in "Abiding with Christ."
"It is a deep mystery, this cross of Christ. I am afraid there are many Christians who are content to look upon the cross, with Christ on it dying for their sin, who have little heart for fellowship with the crucified one. They hardly know that He invites them to it. Or they are content to consider the ordinary afflictions of life, of which the worlds children often have as many as they do, as their share of Christ's Cross. They have no understanding of what it means to be crucified with Christ, not knowing that bearing the cross means likeness to Christ in the principals that propelled Him in the path of obedience. The entire surrender of all self will, the complete denial to the flesh of its every desire and pleasure, the perfect seperation from the world in all its ways of thinking and acting, the losing and hating of one's life, the giving up of self and its interests for the sake of others- this is the disposition that marks him who has taken up Christ's cross, who seeks to say, "I am crucified with Christ, the Crucified One."
Is this you brother? Is this you sister? Are you crucified with Him or were you merely torn from the tree and never grafted into Him. Are you Peter who loves Him, Peter who testifies of Him but the Peter to whom the cross was an offence?If you are, then ultimately you will deny him, maybe not with curses, but certainly with the life that you lead, a worldly life. There are so many voices today in the church and out of it compelling the body to get all that they can get out of life, how that they deserve it, how that they should not be satisfied with their position in life. They should own everything or run everything because they are special. The truth is, brothers and sisters, that there are many in the church that "suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. Now Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in perdition...........for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (1st Tim 6:5-10)
We cannot have peace and contentment outside of the vine. This is what the world is truly searching for and riches will never bring it. When tribulations come this year, and it is coming, it will not matter how much you own or what position you hold in life, it will be your peace that will enable you to survive. Those branches that are joined to the vine will rest in the peace of God, even in the midst of tribulation, those who are not joined to the vine will have "nervous breakdowns," and find solace, not in the life-giving sap that flows from the throne of God, but in drugs, prozac and the like, or alcohol or some such thing. If you know that you made a decision for Christ, that your branch was cut off from the world but that you never joined yourself to the fellowship of His suffering, I ask you to do it right now. How will I know if I have never done it ? You will lack peace and joy and contentment. You will be filled with all kinds of fears and you will be anxious. Surrender now , vow to God that your giving up everything for Him, that you will now seek your pleasure in Him. He is faithful and waiting. Do not wait until the time of tribulation, this is the mistake of the five virgins, do it now. If you do it, your branch shall prosper, your fruit shall be abundant and hang low and passers by will be refreshed by your kindness, you love, self-control, your joy, your peace and they will take from you, this is the way it is supposed to be. "And you will bear much fruit."...............................Frank
By the stem which bears me yet."I fear not the days to come,I dwell not upon the past,As moment by moment I draw a life,Which for evermore shall last.
"I bask in the sun's bright beams,Which with sweetness fills my fruit,Yet I own not the clusters hanging there,For they all come from the root."
A life which is not my own,But another's life in me:This, this is the message the Branch would speak,A message to thee and me.
Oh, struggle not to "abide,"Nor labor to "bring forth fruit,"But let Jesus unite thee to Himself,As the Vine Branch to the root.
So simple, so deep, so strong That union with Him shall be:His life shall forever replace thine own,And His love shall flow through thee.
For His Spirit's fruit is love,And love shall thy life become,And for evermore on His heart of love Thy spirit shall have her home. Freda Hanbury
Hi Guys
Is there a reason why the Church today is so anemic? What is missing from us that makes us so like the world? What is the answer to the fact that the modern day church is not walking in the power of God? We see so many dynamic personalities, but we see so little of the Holy Spirit. The most dramatic presentation of the power of the Holy Spirit is a changed life. This is truly the greatest miracle of all, yet, how often do we see that nowadays? Perhaps we are more interested in a demonstration of physical healing, perhaps we regard that more highly that the changed life? Where is tongues in the church today? Where is prophecies? Where is interpretations of tongues? Where are words of knowledge? The absence of all of these gifts demonstrated, should be a serious sign of a chronic illness in the body. There can be no healthy body without these gifts being normative, for these gifts were given by God for the health and vitality of the body.
If I decide to take a branch from one tree and graft it into another, a few things has to happen. First I must prepare the receiving vine. It has to be "wounded." I have to make a wound in the side of the vine in order that it may receive the foreign branch. The closer the match the better the bond will be. Then I have to cut the branch away from old tree, prepare the end of it to closely match the open wound on the receiving vine, then finally insert the branch into the prepared wound. Then it must be held in place until it takes.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. We know that the Lord "was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities." (Isa 53) Jesus submitted to the cross in Gethsemane, yet He still had to face the cross. In Gethsemane the decision was made, but on Calvary it was worked out. Peter followed Jesus and knew Him and loved Him and testified of Him and all of this while the cross of Calvary was still an offense to him (Mat 16:16-17, 21,23)
Let me ask you a question, do you know Jesus, or know someone who knows Jesus and testifies of Him and loves Him, yet, Calvary is an offense to them. The notion of dying and suffering , trials and tribulations is a horror to them that they would never willingly submit to. You see, you can be a branch, cut of from the world, yet never united into the wounds of Jesus. And if your never united into His wound, then you cannot abide in Him. It is only by being joined to His wound, inserted into His tribulations, that we can draw the power that flows from the vine. God Himself had to be wounded in order to receive Jesus, the God-man. He was not asking His son to do something He was not prepared to suffer Himself. How was God the Father wounded you may ask? At the height of Calvary, when He watched His precious Son become sin for us and turned away and then heard His Son cry out "My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me," God the Father was wounded to the very depths of His soul in ways that only a parent who has watched their child die in agony can even come close to imagining. And we know at that very moment, " The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." (Mark 15:38) What does the veil represent? It represents the covering of Gods heart, His chest if you like. When the sacrifice was complete, that which had been hidden from men in general, was revealed. God chose to show His presence to the world through His Son Jesus. So, through the wounds of Jesus, and the wounds of the Father, we are united into His presence and power that flows from His presence. Listen to what Andrew Murray says in "Abiding with Christ."
"It is a deep mystery, this cross of Christ. I am afraid there are many Christians who are content to look upon the cross, with Christ on it dying for their sin, who have little heart for fellowship with the crucified one. They hardly know that He invites them to it. Or they are content to consider the ordinary afflictions of life, of which the worlds children often have as many as they do, as their share of Christ's Cross. They have no understanding of what it means to be crucified with Christ, not knowing that bearing the cross means likeness to Christ in the principals that propelled Him in the path of obedience. The entire surrender of all self will, the complete denial to the flesh of its every desire and pleasure, the perfect seperation from the world in all its ways of thinking and acting, the losing and hating of one's life, the giving up of self and its interests for the sake of others- this is the disposition that marks him who has taken up Christ's cross, who seeks to say, "I am crucified with Christ, the Crucified One."
Is this you brother? Is this you sister? Are you crucified with Him or were you merely torn from the tree and never grafted into Him. Are you Peter who loves Him, Peter who testifies of Him but the Peter to whom the cross was an offence?If you are, then ultimately you will deny him, maybe not with curses, but certainly with the life that you lead, a worldly life. There are so many voices today in the church and out of it compelling the body to get all that they can get out of life, how that they deserve it, how that they should not be satisfied with their position in life. They should own everything or run everything because they are special. The truth is, brothers and sisters, that there are many in the church that "suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. Now Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in perdition...........for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (1st Tim 6:5-10)
We cannot have peace and contentment outside of the vine. This is what the world is truly searching for and riches will never bring it. When tribulations come this year, and it is coming, it will not matter how much you own or what position you hold in life, it will be your peace that will enable you to survive. Those branches that are joined to the vine will rest in the peace of God, even in the midst of tribulation, those who are not joined to the vine will have "nervous breakdowns," and find solace, not in the life-giving sap that flows from the throne of God, but in drugs, prozac and the like, or alcohol or some such thing. If you know that you made a decision for Christ, that your branch was cut off from the world but that you never joined yourself to the fellowship of His suffering, I ask you to do it right now. How will I know if I have never done it ? You will lack peace and joy and contentment. You will be filled with all kinds of fears and you will be anxious. Surrender now , vow to God that your giving up everything for Him, that you will now seek your pleasure in Him. He is faithful and waiting. Do not wait until the time of tribulation, this is the mistake of the five virgins, do it now. If you do it, your branch shall prosper, your fruit shall be abundant and hang low and passers by will be refreshed by your kindness, you love, self-control, your joy, your peace and they will take from you, this is the way it is supposed to be. "And you will bear much fruit."...............................Frank
By the stem which bears me yet."I fear not the days to come,I dwell not upon the past,As moment by moment I draw a life,Which for evermore shall last.
"I bask in the sun's bright beams,Which with sweetness fills my fruit,Yet I own not the clusters hanging there,For they all come from the root."
A life which is not my own,But another's life in me:This, this is the message the Branch would speak,A message to thee and me.
Oh, struggle not to "abide,"Nor labor to "bring forth fruit,"But let Jesus unite thee to Himself,As the Vine Branch to the root.
So simple, so deep, so strong That union with Him shall be:His life shall forever replace thine own,And His love shall flow through thee.
For His Spirit's fruit is love,And love shall thy life become,And for evermore on His heart of love Thy spirit shall have her home. Freda Hanbury
Sunday, January 28, 2007
The Valley of Achor
Isaiah 63 :14 "As the beast goes down into the valley and the Spirit of the Lord causes
him to rest. So you lead your people to make yourself a glorious name."
I was tremendously blessed this morning at church. Our Pastor's teachings on overcoming giants is truly the essence of the Christian life. If you will open your spirits and learn about overcoming giants you will be a world changer. Do not think you were called to change the world, for you were not. Does this seem like a paradox? Is that not a dichotomy? Is that not a conflicting statement???? No, brothers and sisters, we were not called to be world changers, we were called to be life transformers. Whose life? We were called to have our lives changed.
We volunteered, we stepped forward and cried out to God almighty, " Take me Lord, take me." "I give you my heart, I give you my soul, I give you my very life, take me Lord and change me. Give me a heart that hungers and thirsts after righteousness, and you will surely fill it. Give me a heart that mourns after those who hurt, and your comfort will flow. Give me a meek heart that I may win the world, give me a merciful heart that has mercy on all mankind. Give me a pure heart that I may see you my Lord. Give me a heart so full of peace that men shall say," surely he is a son of God." Give me a heart, that even when I am persecuted for righteousness sake, still goes on loving this world. Give me a heart that even when men say all manner of evil against me that I rejoice and am exceedingly glad for I can see that mountain to which I strive towards.
Let me be the salt of the earth, let my essence cover that which would die without me. Change me so that I will be a city set on a hill and all those who travel through the valley will be comforted when they see my light, and mankind will glorify you when they see what marvelous works you have performed in me, a willing servant to God and a free man. Free to glorify God in heaven for all His marvelous works in and through me so that when men travel through this dark and lonely valley that they come across the light of Jesus Christ and hope bursts through in their hearts and they know all is not lost and they can make their way towards this city set on a hill, this Jesus, this servant of men, you and I.
Isaiah 63:14 says " As the beast goes down into the valley and the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest. So you lead your people to make yourself a glorious name." We are all walking through the valley together brothers and sisters, all of us and the world too. Trials and tribulations ? Yes, But oh what glory lies before us. No Matter what you face today just remember that we are all journeying towards the glories of heaven and to stand before the mountain of the Lord. We will all ascend to that glorious throne and stand before Him who is high and lifted up. He dwells in the height of glory, and of His majesty there is no end, He ascends forever and ever. And it is from this place that the Lord Jesus Christ came down and walked in the valley. This was a place of pain, a place without hope, a valley laden with sin. And the river that runs through the valley was a river of tears.
Jesus walked through the valley and it led to the high hill of Calvary. And from that momentary lofty place, we meet Jesus and He asks us to return to the valley. He is not asking us to do what He would not and did not do Himself. He came from the glories of heaven to walk in the pain and suffering of the valley. And in this moment of transfiguration, where we encounter the living God in the high place, we decide to die to ourselves and follow in His footsteps. Just as the Father asked Jesus, and the Lord said "send me," so the Lord Jesus asks us "will you follow me, will you allow me to transform you?"
"Sharon shall be a fold of flocks and the valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down for my people who have sought me." (Isa 65:10)
Achor is translated "tears ," or "trouble." This is the walk we are called to as bearers of the light. We are called out of darkness, into His glorious light, then we are called back into the world from whence we came. Our inheritance is the mountains of joy and eternal ecstasy but we must travel the valley in order to reach our goal. And the road to Calvary is the high road to the mountain of God.
"Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, " our bones are dry and our hope is lost." The prophet Ezekial goes down into the valley and there he finds the bones and the Lord asks him if these bones can live. We are living in a world of dry bones brothers and sisters. Perhaps we have been guilty of thinking that these bones could never live. We look around and we see with our eyes, a world that increases in wickedness. What we are truly looking at is a valley of dry bones. Yet we serve a God that can put bone on bone, that can grow sinew and flesh. If we would cry out, then the breathe of God would come flowing down the valley and His life would enter into that which has no life.
"Therefore I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness and speak comfort to her. I will give her vineyards from there. And the valley of Achor as a door of hope." (Hos 14-18)
Perhaps you are in a hopeless situation today. All seems lost and you are without joy. Trials and tribulations have brought you down low and you feel that you do not have the strength to carry on. You have trouble on every side, your mind is tormented and your strength is slipping. Brothers and sisters, these are the afflictions in the valley, this is the darkness of the valley. Let me tell you the good news, we, as a people, for your not alone, are coming up out of the valley. "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me." Your tears are a "door of hope" brothers and sisters. Walk through that door today and you will lie down beside the still waters, your soul will be restored to you this day, your path ahead will be the path of righteousness. Embrace the trials of the valley as one who knows in whom he has believed. As one who is "confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you is faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Do not run brothers and sisters, turn and face your enemy with boldness.For if we are terrified of our adversaries this is to them " a proof of our perdition," Rather turn and say to them this day "I am a child of the Living God, and even if I die in this encounter, my spirit lives forever in the glories of eternity." " O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?" For death is overcome by the blood of the Lamb, by Yeshua my conquering hero.Amen to the glories of Calvary.
You are exactly where you are supposed to be. This is the darkness of the valley, but oh how sweet the light. Walk on and know that you are redeemed of the Lord and He is with you. "Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low."(Luke 5:5) If you will continue to walk with Him, then the mountain shall come to you, right there in the valley. The mountain of the Lord, the realm of peace and bliss will appear as you walk through the door of hope. This is the light in the valley. We offer hope to the hopeless, we say to the dry bones, receive the breath of God and live. In order to offer hope, we must experience it, we must live in it, we must walk in the light of hope.
In the beauty of Holiness
Frank
him to rest. So you lead your people to make yourself a glorious name."
I was tremendously blessed this morning at church. Our Pastor's teachings on overcoming giants is truly the essence of the Christian life. If you will open your spirits and learn about overcoming giants you will be a world changer. Do not think you were called to change the world, for you were not. Does this seem like a paradox? Is that not a dichotomy? Is that not a conflicting statement???? No, brothers and sisters, we were not called to be world changers, we were called to be life transformers. Whose life? We were called to have our lives changed.
We volunteered, we stepped forward and cried out to God almighty, " Take me Lord, take me." "I give you my heart, I give you my soul, I give you my very life, take me Lord and change me. Give me a heart that hungers and thirsts after righteousness, and you will surely fill it. Give me a heart that mourns after those who hurt, and your comfort will flow. Give me a meek heart that I may win the world, give me a merciful heart that has mercy on all mankind. Give me a pure heart that I may see you my Lord. Give me a heart so full of peace that men shall say," surely he is a son of God." Give me a heart, that even when I am persecuted for righteousness sake, still goes on loving this world. Give me a heart that even when men say all manner of evil against me that I rejoice and am exceedingly glad for I can see that mountain to which I strive towards.
Let me be the salt of the earth, let my essence cover that which would die without me. Change me so that I will be a city set on a hill and all those who travel through the valley will be comforted when they see my light, and mankind will glorify you when they see what marvelous works you have performed in me, a willing servant to God and a free man. Free to glorify God in heaven for all His marvelous works in and through me so that when men travel through this dark and lonely valley that they come across the light of Jesus Christ and hope bursts through in their hearts and they know all is not lost and they can make their way towards this city set on a hill, this Jesus, this servant of men, you and I.
Isaiah 63:14 says " As the beast goes down into the valley and the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest. So you lead your people to make yourself a glorious name." We are all walking through the valley together brothers and sisters, all of us and the world too. Trials and tribulations ? Yes, But oh what glory lies before us. No Matter what you face today just remember that we are all journeying towards the glories of heaven and to stand before the mountain of the Lord. We will all ascend to that glorious throne and stand before Him who is high and lifted up. He dwells in the height of glory, and of His majesty there is no end, He ascends forever and ever. And it is from this place that the Lord Jesus Christ came down and walked in the valley. This was a place of pain, a place without hope, a valley laden with sin. And the river that runs through the valley was a river of tears.
Jesus walked through the valley and it led to the high hill of Calvary. And from that momentary lofty place, we meet Jesus and He asks us to return to the valley. He is not asking us to do what He would not and did not do Himself. He came from the glories of heaven to walk in the pain and suffering of the valley. And in this moment of transfiguration, where we encounter the living God in the high place, we decide to die to ourselves and follow in His footsteps. Just as the Father asked Jesus, and the Lord said "send me," so the Lord Jesus asks us "will you follow me, will you allow me to transform you?"
"Sharon shall be a fold of flocks and the valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down for my people who have sought me." (Isa 65:10)
Achor is translated "tears ," or "trouble." This is the walk we are called to as bearers of the light. We are called out of darkness, into His glorious light, then we are called back into the world from whence we came. Our inheritance is the mountains of joy and eternal ecstasy but we must travel the valley in order to reach our goal. And the road to Calvary is the high road to the mountain of God.
"Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, " our bones are dry and our hope is lost." The prophet Ezekial goes down into the valley and there he finds the bones and the Lord asks him if these bones can live. We are living in a world of dry bones brothers and sisters. Perhaps we have been guilty of thinking that these bones could never live. We look around and we see with our eyes, a world that increases in wickedness. What we are truly looking at is a valley of dry bones. Yet we serve a God that can put bone on bone, that can grow sinew and flesh. If we would cry out, then the breathe of God would come flowing down the valley and His life would enter into that which has no life.
"Therefore I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness and speak comfort to her. I will give her vineyards from there. And the valley of Achor as a door of hope." (Hos 14-18)
Perhaps you are in a hopeless situation today. All seems lost and you are without joy. Trials and tribulations have brought you down low and you feel that you do not have the strength to carry on. You have trouble on every side, your mind is tormented and your strength is slipping. Brothers and sisters, these are the afflictions in the valley, this is the darkness of the valley. Let me tell you the good news, we, as a people, for your not alone, are coming up out of the valley. "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me." Your tears are a "door of hope" brothers and sisters. Walk through that door today and you will lie down beside the still waters, your soul will be restored to you this day, your path ahead will be the path of righteousness. Embrace the trials of the valley as one who knows in whom he has believed. As one who is "confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you is faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Do not run brothers and sisters, turn and face your enemy with boldness.For if we are terrified of our adversaries this is to them " a proof of our perdition," Rather turn and say to them this day "I am a child of the Living God, and even if I die in this encounter, my spirit lives forever in the glories of eternity." " O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?" For death is overcome by the blood of the Lamb, by Yeshua my conquering hero.Amen to the glories of Calvary.
You are exactly where you are supposed to be. This is the darkness of the valley, but oh how sweet the light. Walk on and know that you are redeemed of the Lord and He is with you. "Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low."(Luke 5:5) If you will continue to walk with Him, then the mountain shall come to you, right there in the valley. The mountain of the Lord, the realm of peace and bliss will appear as you walk through the door of hope. This is the light in the valley. We offer hope to the hopeless, we say to the dry bones, receive the breath of God and live. In order to offer hope, we must experience it, we must live in it, we must walk in the light of hope.
In the beauty of Holiness
Frank
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Intimacy
Psa 24:3 Who shall go up into the hill of Jehovah? Or who shall stand in His holy place?
Psa 24:4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to vanity, and has not sworn deceitfully.
Psa 24:7 Lift up your heads, O gates; and be lifted up, O everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psa 24:8 Who is this King of glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle.
Psa 24:9 Lift up your heads, O gates; even lift up, O everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psa 24:10 Who is this King of glory? Jehovah of Hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.
Are you intimate with the Lord ? What does it mean to be intimate with Jesus? We, as husbands and wives, know what it means to be intimate with our spouses. If we did not come together "as one flesh," then what would we be ? Roomates? Its the becoming one that truly makes us husbands and wives. Please do not mistake what I am saying, I am not talking about sex, although the act itself is part of the intimate equation. Yet, how many of us know that there can be sex without intimacy?
I believe that men, especially, seek for intimacy through sex. A mans need for intimacy may actually be greater than a womans although it is commonly thought of in reverse. And it is because of his desperate need for intimacy that he often tries to fill this void with sex, yet, as we know, God made man in His image and God said that it was very good. God made man to fellowship with Him and to walk with Him. Israel is often referred to in the feminine. Indeed we see in Hosea that God looks at Israel as an unfaithful wife and Hosea's life is a horrific example of our own infidelity towards God. The New Testement Church is also referred to as "The Bride of Christ." We cannot get away from the fact that there is a husband and wife relationship between us and God, He is the Husband, we, men and all, are the bride. I believe that it is this concept that men truly struggle with. One of the aspects of marriage and lovemaking is that of surrender and submission and this is in no way a negative statement. And so, if we as men are to be intimate with Jesus, then there must be submission and surrender, this is truly the key to a most intimate relationship with our God.
Too many men fail to realize that intimacy is proximity to God in our concious mind and spirit. If I travel home to visit Scotland, if am am in a far of land, would it be possible for me to be intimate with my wife? No. Do I still have a wife? Of course. Now I hear you men say that God is everywhere and that we are always close to God. Technically that is true, theologically that is true, that is surely an absract truth that no one could argue with for God is surely omnipotent. Yet, let me ask you this, are you married to a technicality? Are you wedded to a theology? Is your relationship with Jesus an abstarct truth? No, we are one with the person of Jesus. He is real, he is no mere philosophy.
If you do not experience this real relationship in which feelings are a vital part, then there will be no true motivation to establish and maintain a healthy relationship with God. If your Christianity rests solely upon doctrine, theology and abstarct truth then it will not survive. That is why it is not about keeping the law, for if it was you would surely fail, it is about submission and surrender which leads to intimacy and victory over the flesh. Its not about being good its about those who "walk in the Spirit." Walking in the Spirit means walking in intimacy with God. Walking in the flesh is about walking outside of this intimacy. Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
When we are walking outside of intimacy we are not walking in power but we are walking in defeat. Now, there will be levels of defeat and it will not always be apparent to those who see us from the outside, but we know oursleves and we know the innermost thoughts and what truly lies at the center of our hearts and of course the Lord knows. And it is right there where the battle lies. Consider how precious and important David thought about this very subject after commiting adultery and murder and being exposed by the prophet Nathan.
Psalm 51:Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving-kindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me completely from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I confess my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done evil in Your sight; that You might be justified when You speak, and be clear when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part You shall make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
So we see the principals of submission and surrender which leads to humility by David. He identifies this truth " You desire truth in the inward parts." And also "Cast me not away from your presence oh Lord and take not your Holy Spirit from me."
Let me ask you this day, do you feel "cast away," from His presence? Does it feel like the Holy Spirit has been taken from you? Let me ask this question also, do you have "truth in the inward parts?" What is it that is keeping you from an intimate relationship with the Lord or being restored to an intimate relationship with the Lord? Whatever it is, is it worth it?
In John Chapter eleven is the familiar story of Lazarus being raised from the dead. There is not one part of this story that happened by accident. This would be one of the major authenticating miracles by Jesus. We know that Jesus could have saved Lazarus when the messenger brought word to him, He had done that before, distance was no obstical to Jesus in the realm of the miraculous. Also we know that Jesus very deliberately took His time to get there. He was only about a day and half away and yet He waited two whole days before even beginning His journey and as a result Lazarus had been dead about four days when Jesus finally arrived.
First of all He is confronted by Martha, and remember this was a special family whom Jesus loved much. Where was Mary? Did she stay behind because of the depth of her pain? Was this woman who loved to spend time with her Lord , more hurt becauce she had been so close to Him and now He had seemingly let her down in this , the darkest of times? Martha says "If you had only been here my brother would not have died." To this Jesus gives Martha a great revelation "I am the Resurrection and the Life! He who believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? " Jesus asks Martha to confirmm that she believe this.
When Mary finally comes and makes the same accusation to Jesus , at His feet, a familiar place to her, Jesus says nothing but "He weeps." How sad for the Lord that even those closest to Him, those who loved Him with such depth, could , in effect, accuse Him of not caring. Have you ever made a similiar accusation to Jesus? I know I have, oh precious Lord forgive me. May all the tears I shed at your feet be tears of love and devotion and faith, may it always be so Lord. If we truly believe in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and the lover of our souls should we not refrain from putting that which is most precious to us behing a great stone. Have we locked away that most intimate part of us? Has that what is most precious to us, and most precious to our Lord, been buried behind a great stone of dissapointment or sin? Has the garden of our hearts, the most intimate place become a grave, a place of death and darkness. Have we robed ourselves in death clothes ? Have we covered up painful unrealized expectaions in layers of flesh, in layers of death?
If Mary and Martha truly believed in their Lord, in Him who is the ressurection and the life , would they have buried their brother? Ah, but what would people say if they did not, does not common sense and prevailing wisdom tell them that their brother would simply decay? Do you truly believe in all that the Lord has promised? What have you placed in the grave of your heart? What great stone blocks out the light in your life? Are you tired of dwelling in that place of death? Is there not a longing to come into the glorious light of life?Will you not have this stone roll away and be joined to the the Lord of Hosts in all His glory? Can you hear Him call? Today He is calling out to you, His heart is a heart that longs to be intimate with yours and as long as it dwells behind the stone it cannot be so. He is calling today "Roll the Stone Away!" Can you hear Him call to you ? Deep calls out to deep. He cries "Come forth and live" Will you let the stone be rolled away today?
Threre was a time that I lay dying on the bloody battefield of life. I was broken and mortally wounded. Life and all its many trials had injured me, so much so that I could not move. How many ladies have dreamt of their prince chraming , their knight in shining armour coming to their rescue, and how many of us know that the world kinda laughs at this notion? As a man, I am not ashamed to say that Jesus is my knight in shining armour. As I lay there on the battelfield of life, mortally wounded, out of the mist and smoke of the battle there came the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords on a white horse. Very deliberately the horse comes towards me. Jesus dismounts and picks me up and puts me on the back of His horse and He mounts up and He takes me from that place of death. And suddenly my meaningless life has meaning. For the first time in my life I had worth.May I always be found weeping with gratitude and love at the feet of my Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, let us do our all that He may create in us a clean heart and that we may not be cast away from His presence. Let the Holy Spirit of intimacy be restored to us this day that we may walk in the beauty of Holiness.
Psa 24:8 Who is this King of glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle.
Psa 24:10 Who is this King of glory? Jehovah of Hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.
When hell, engaged lifts up her roar,
When Satan stops my path before,
When fiends rejoice and wait my end,
When legion'd hosts their arrows send,
Fear not, my soul, but hurl at hell
Thy battle-cry- Immanuel !
Spurgeon
Psa 24:4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to vanity, and has not sworn deceitfully.
Psa 24:7 Lift up your heads, O gates; and be lifted up, O everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psa 24:8 Who is this King of glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle.
Psa 24:9 Lift up your heads, O gates; even lift up, O everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psa 24:10 Who is this King of glory? Jehovah of Hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.
Are you intimate with the Lord ? What does it mean to be intimate with Jesus? We, as husbands and wives, know what it means to be intimate with our spouses. If we did not come together "as one flesh," then what would we be ? Roomates? Its the becoming one that truly makes us husbands and wives. Please do not mistake what I am saying, I am not talking about sex, although the act itself is part of the intimate equation. Yet, how many of us know that there can be sex without intimacy?
I believe that men, especially, seek for intimacy through sex. A mans need for intimacy may actually be greater than a womans although it is commonly thought of in reverse. And it is because of his desperate need for intimacy that he often tries to fill this void with sex, yet, as we know, God made man in His image and God said that it was very good. God made man to fellowship with Him and to walk with Him. Israel is often referred to in the feminine. Indeed we see in Hosea that God looks at Israel as an unfaithful wife and Hosea's life is a horrific example of our own infidelity towards God. The New Testement Church is also referred to as "The Bride of Christ." We cannot get away from the fact that there is a husband and wife relationship between us and God, He is the Husband, we, men and all, are the bride. I believe that it is this concept that men truly struggle with. One of the aspects of marriage and lovemaking is that of surrender and submission and this is in no way a negative statement. And so, if we as men are to be intimate with Jesus, then there must be submission and surrender, this is truly the key to a most intimate relationship with our God.
Too many men fail to realize that intimacy is proximity to God in our concious mind and spirit. If I travel home to visit Scotland, if am am in a far of land, would it be possible for me to be intimate with my wife? No. Do I still have a wife? Of course. Now I hear you men say that God is everywhere and that we are always close to God. Technically that is true, theologically that is true, that is surely an absract truth that no one could argue with for God is surely omnipotent. Yet, let me ask you this, are you married to a technicality? Are you wedded to a theology? Is your relationship with Jesus an abstarct truth? No, we are one with the person of Jesus. He is real, he is no mere philosophy.
If you do not experience this real relationship in which feelings are a vital part, then there will be no true motivation to establish and maintain a healthy relationship with God. If your Christianity rests solely upon doctrine, theology and abstarct truth then it will not survive. That is why it is not about keeping the law, for if it was you would surely fail, it is about submission and surrender which leads to intimacy and victory over the flesh. Its not about being good its about those who "walk in the Spirit." Walking in the Spirit means walking in intimacy with God. Walking in the flesh is about walking outside of this intimacy. Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
When we are walking outside of intimacy we are not walking in power but we are walking in defeat. Now, there will be levels of defeat and it will not always be apparent to those who see us from the outside, but we know oursleves and we know the innermost thoughts and what truly lies at the center of our hearts and of course the Lord knows. And it is right there where the battle lies. Consider how precious and important David thought about this very subject after commiting adultery and murder and being exposed by the prophet Nathan.
Psalm 51:Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving-kindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me completely from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I confess my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done evil in Your sight; that You might be justified when You speak, and be clear when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part You shall make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
So we see the principals of submission and surrender which leads to humility by David. He identifies this truth " You desire truth in the inward parts." And also "Cast me not away from your presence oh Lord and take not your Holy Spirit from me."
Let me ask you this day, do you feel "cast away," from His presence? Does it feel like the Holy Spirit has been taken from you? Let me ask this question also, do you have "truth in the inward parts?" What is it that is keeping you from an intimate relationship with the Lord or being restored to an intimate relationship with the Lord? Whatever it is, is it worth it?
In John Chapter eleven is the familiar story of Lazarus being raised from the dead. There is not one part of this story that happened by accident. This would be one of the major authenticating miracles by Jesus. We know that Jesus could have saved Lazarus when the messenger brought word to him, He had done that before, distance was no obstical to Jesus in the realm of the miraculous. Also we know that Jesus very deliberately took His time to get there. He was only about a day and half away and yet He waited two whole days before even beginning His journey and as a result Lazarus had been dead about four days when Jesus finally arrived.
First of all He is confronted by Martha, and remember this was a special family whom Jesus loved much. Where was Mary? Did she stay behind because of the depth of her pain? Was this woman who loved to spend time with her Lord , more hurt becauce she had been so close to Him and now He had seemingly let her down in this , the darkest of times? Martha says "If you had only been here my brother would not have died." To this Jesus gives Martha a great revelation "I am the Resurrection and the Life! He who believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? " Jesus asks Martha to confirmm that she believe this.
When Mary finally comes and makes the same accusation to Jesus , at His feet, a familiar place to her, Jesus says nothing but "He weeps." How sad for the Lord that even those closest to Him, those who loved Him with such depth, could , in effect, accuse Him of not caring. Have you ever made a similiar accusation to Jesus? I know I have, oh precious Lord forgive me. May all the tears I shed at your feet be tears of love and devotion and faith, may it always be so Lord. If we truly believe in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and the lover of our souls should we not refrain from putting that which is most precious to us behing a great stone. Have we locked away that most intimate part of us? Has that what is most precious to us, and most precious to our Lord, been buried behind a great stone of dissapointment or sin? Has the garden of our hearts, the most intimate place become a grave, a place of death and darkness. Have we robed ourselves in death clothes ? Have we covered up painful unrealized expectaions in layers of flesh, in layers of death?
If Mary and Martha truly believed in their Lord, in Him who is the ressurection and the life , would they have buried their brother? Ah, but what would people say if they did not, does not common sense and prevailing wisdom tell them that their brother would simply decay? Do you truly believe in all that the Lord has promised? What have you placed in the grave of your heart? What great stone blocks out the light in your life? Are you tired of dwelling in that place of death? Is there not a longing to come into the glorious light of life?Will you not have this stone roll away and be joined to the the Lord of Hosts in all His glory? Can you hear Him call? Today He is calling out to you, His heart is a heart that longs to be intimate with yours and as long as it dwells behind the stone it cannot be so. He is calling today "Roll the Stone Away!" Can you hear Him call to you ? Deep calls out to deep. He cries "Come forth and live" Will you let the stone be rolled away today?
Threre was a time that I lay dying on the bloody battefield of life. I was broken and mortally wounded. Life and all its many trials had injured me, so much so that I could not move. How many ladies have dreamt of their prince chraming , their knight in shining armour coming to their rescue, and how many of us know that the world kinda laughs at this notion? As a man, I am not ashamed to say that Jesus is my knight in shining armour. As I lay there on the battelfield of life, mortally wounded, out of the mist and smoke of the battle there came the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords on a white horse. Very deliberately the horse comes towards me. Jesus dismounts and picks me up and puts me on the back of His horse and He mounts up and He takes me from that place of death. And suddenly my meaningless life has meaning. For the first time in my life I had worth.May I always be found weeping with gratitude and love at the feet of my Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, let us do our all that He may create in us a clean heart and that we may not be cast away from His presence. Let the Holy Spirit of intimacy be restored to us this day that we may walk in the beauty of Holiness.
Psa 24:8 Who is this King of glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle.
Psa 24:10 Who is this King of glory? Jehovah of Hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.
When hell, engaged lifts up her roar,
When Satan stops my path before,
When fiends rejoice and wait my end,
When legion'd hosts their arrows send,
Fear not, my soul, but hurl at hell
Thy battle-cry- Immanuel !
Spurgeon
Monday, January 15, 2007
Seeing Him who is Invisible
"Follow me." (Mark 1:17) "Follow me." (John 21.22)
These are the first words and the last words that Jesus spoke to Peter. Do you remember when the Lord called you? Do you remember the excitement of being called and saved by the Lord. Peter dropped everything, there was nothing more important than following Jesus and so he left his nets and his world behind and marched of to walk with Jesus.
The fire that burns in our chest, the warmth of the Holy Spirit within us, leading and guiding and teaching us, oh what joy to walk with Him. A lady back in Scotland who recently got saved struggled to describe the feeling of Jesus in her. She does not come from a church background, and therefore has no "Christianeeze," to fall back on, finally said it, " was like someone lit a candle and put it in my chest."
Do you still feel the candle burning in your chest? Does the warmth and beautiful breeze of your first love still blow through your very being? Does the intoxication of your marriage to the King of Kings still make you dizzy? Listen what I wrote not too long after coming to Jesus....... Jesus
YOU ARE THE INSPIRATION OF MY LIFE
WHEN I LAUGH IT IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE PLACED A JOY DEEP WITHIN MY SOUL
WHEN I CRY TEARS OF JOY AND SADNESS
IT IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE CREATED RIVERS IN THE DESERT
WHEN I AM THIRSTY IN THE PLACE OF TESTING
I FALL UPON THE ROCK AND AM ENGULFED
IN THE SWEET FLOWING WATERS OF LIFE
Is He still the inspiration of your life? That deep joy in your soul, is it still a well spring of life?
Many Christians start out on fire, they have dreams and visions and goals and they march towards them, with great vigor and enthusiasm. Then life begins to unfold. The rain starts, the wind begins to howl and before you know it you’re in a storm. Yet, just like in the Gospel, along comes Jesus, either on the water or in the boat and He stills the waters and he calms the storm and we take great comfort in knowing that He is with us and because He is with us then we are truly safe. You still have the vision and you are still marching on.
Maybe you had a vision. The Lord called you to it. You saw it clearly and you threw yourself into it with all your might. You were standing at the beginning and you could see the end and you strove towards it. All of a sudden your vision is gone. You have no idea how it disappeared. It just crept up on you and one day you realize that you cannot see the end any more. You can only see tomorrow, and know in your spirit it will be just like today.
The candle is out. You no longer feel the warmth of walking with Jesus. Luke 24:32 "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened up Scriptures to us." How long has it been since your heart burned? How long has it been since He opened up Scripture to you? Peter started out at the lake and this is where we find him.
His world has been rocked by tribulation, he has had a devastating fall from grace and faith and he is right back where he started. The pain of failure, the biting bitterness of disappointment and lost vision. The fire that once moved him, moved him no more. His only hope is to see Jesus. And this is just what happens.
In Hebrews 11 it says "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible." Moses endured by seeing Him who is invisible. As long as Moses walked with God he could endure anything. Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. He counted the reproach of Jesus, greater riches, than all the treasures of heaven. Do you? Are you ready to forsake the world and all its pleasures and be counted with the people of God?
If we will take our eyes off the world, not fearing and turn our eyes toward "Him who is invisible," then we will begin to see our vision once more. There is no vision more important than the presence of God in our lives. For it is out of that presence of God that all visions flow. If we become too busy and take our eyes off Him, then the vision automatically vanishes. The Lord will not allow any plans, even ones that He has initiated, to come between Him and us. Our relationship with Him is the most important part of our life.
Perhaps you have fallen. Maybe you did not deny the Lord with actual words but your actions did. The candle has gone out and you have seemingly drifted right back to where you started. I want you to hear Jesus now, He has come back to where you started and once again He is saying , “follow me.” And this second call demands the same as the first, just as you put down your nets, forsook the world and followed Him that the world could not see, the invisible Jesus, so He calls again, put down your nets, reject the passing pleasures of sin and embrace Him that sets the heart on fire.
These are the first words and the last words that Jesus spoke to Peter. Do you remember when the Lord called you? Do you remember the excitement of being called and saved by the Lord. Peter dropped everything, there was nothing more important than following Jesus and so he left his nets and his world behind and marched of to walk with Jesus.
The fire that burns in our chest, the warmth of the Holy Spirit within us, leading and guiding and teaching us, oh what joy to walk with Him. A lady back in Scotland who recently got saved struggled to describe the feeling of Jesus in her. She does not come from a church background, and therefore has no "Christianeeze," to fall back on, finally said it, " was like someone lit a candle and put it in my chest."
Do you still feel the candle burning in your chest? Does the warmth and beautiful breeze of your first love still blow through your very being? Does the intoxication of your marriage to the King of Kings still make you dizzy? Listen what I wrote not too long after coming to Jesus....... Jesus
YOU ARE THE INSPIRATION OF MY LIFE
WHEN I LAUGH IT IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE PLACED A JOY DEEP WITHIN MY SOUL
WHEN I CRY TEARS OF JOY AND SADNESS
IT IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE CREATED RIVERS IN THE DESERT
WHEN I AM THIRSTY IN THE PLACE OF TESTING
I FALL UPON THE ROCK AND AM ENGULFED
IN THE SWEET FLOWING WATERS OF LIFE
Is He still the inspiration of your life? That deep joy in your soul, is it still a well spring of life?
Many Christians start out on fire, they have dreams and visions and goals and they march towards them, with great vigor and enthusiasm. Then life begins to unfold. The rain starts, the wind begins to howl and before you know it you’re in a storm. Yet, just like in the Gospel, along comes Jesus, either on the water or in the boat and He stills the waters and he calms the storm and we take great comfort in knowing that He is with us and because He is with us then we are truly safe. You still have the vision and you are still marching on.
Maybe you had a vision. The Lord called you to it. You saw it clearly and you threw yourself into it with all your might. You were standing at the beginning and you could see the end and you strove towards it. All of a sudden your vision is gone. You have no idea how it disappeared. It just crept up on you and one day you realize that you cannot see the end any more. You can only see tomorrow, and know in your spirit it will be just like today.
The candle is out. You no longer feel the warmth of walking with Jesus. Luke 24:32 "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened up Scriptures to us." How long has it been since your heart burned? How long has it been since He opened up Scripture to you? Peter started out at the lake and this is where we find him.
His world has been rocked by tribulation, he has had a devastating fall from grace and faith and he is right back where he started. The pain of failure, the biting bitterness of disappointment and lost vision. The fire that once moved him, moved him no more. His only hope is to see Jesus. And this is just what happens.
In Hebrews 11 it says "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible." Moses endured by seeing Him who is invisible. As long as Moses walked with God he could endure anything. Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. He counted the reproach of Jesus, greater riches, than all the treasures of heaven. Do you? Are you ready to forsake the world and all its pleasures and be counted with the people of God?
If we will take our eyes off the world, not fearing and turn our eyes toward "Him who is invisible," then we will begin to see our vision once more. There is no vision more important than the presence of God in our lives. For it is out of that presence of God that all visions flow. If we become too busy and take our eyes off Him, then the vision automatically vanishes. The Lord will not allow any plans, even ones that He has initiated, to come between Him and us. Our relationship with Him is the most important part of our life.
Perhaps you have fallen. Maybe you did not deny the Lord with actual words but your actions did. The candle has gone out and you have seemingly drifted right back to where you started. I want you to hear Jesus now, He has come back to where you started and once again He is saying , “follow me.” And this second call demands the same as the first, just as you put down your nets, forsook the world and followed Him that the world could not see, the invisible Jesus, so He calls again, put down your nets, reject the passing pleasures of sin and embrace Him that sets the heart on fire.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
He Knows the Plans He has For You
In Jeremiah 29:11 The Lord says...............
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity.
When I was 19 I found myself in a jail cell (not the first time I had been arrested) I was very drunk and trying to sleep with one very thin blanket. Then this person was brought in and thrown in the next cell to me. She screamed the whole way, what she was going to do to the cops and so on. Even after they had locked the door, she continued screaming obscenities and threatening violence. I knew it was going to be a long night. Ironically, this crazy girl( a well know lesbian and drug dealer) stayed in the same project as me so we shared a taxi back to our neighborhood the next morning.
This drunkenness was a way of life for me. I grew up in a working class society where drunkenness was a right of passage. I very much admired men who could consume copious amounts of alcohol and still continue to drink. My highest ambition was to become just like them. For the most part I achieved my goals.
In a couple of desperate moves, I moved my family to London and then to America and finally, at the age of 26, having being married almost ten years, I came to Jesus and He changed me completely. I had been saved for about 4 years, when the Lord, completely out of the blue, said "I want you to go home and share the Gospel."
After many miracles, we sold everything and moved back to Scotland. I got involved with a small Pentecostal church and various outreaches. I was able to share my testimony in the local prison. My brother, who is in prison then, and still is as I write this, warned me not to mention his name. I think having a brother as a Christian would kinda ruin his " street cred."
Of course I mentioned my brothers name every time I spoke to the men which opened many doors for me with these guys.
There was one outreach I was looking forward to very much. We had hired a small building right in the heart of the project I had lived in for 7 years. It was known and still is known as "The Strone." This name would strike fear into most Scottish people as it was probably the most notorious government housing project in Scotland. For a long time it was also a "no-go ," area for the police.
We would hold meetings in this little building every Saturday night for six weeks. In between we would go round the doors posting flyers and speaking to people. I would show up every Saturday night, and every Saturday night there would be a pretty good turnout of Christians. Now don't get me wrong, I love to fellowship but the whole point of this outreach was to, well, reach out to the unsaved. On the fifth Saturday afternoon my mother and grandmother were visiting, my grandmother being in a wheelchair. I told my mom that I would drive Grandma home as I was not going to the meeting that night. I told her it was pretty pointless as only Christians showed up.
The meeting started at 7. At four that afternoon the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart "I want you at the meeting tonight." I told my mother and she said that she would take Grandma home.
I walked into the meeting that night and looked around, all Christians. Not only that, it was a young noisy worship band that I really did not care for. I stood with my eyes closed, thinking how much noise these young people were making. All of a sudden the Holy Spirit fell. A heavy holiness from the Lord had quieted the young band and suddenly He was in charge and His presence was everywhere. I heard some noise in front of me. Someone had come in and sat right in front of me. This person had their head shaved all the way in and I could see the tattoos on their neck. I felt compelled to reach my hand out and pray for the person who was obviously not a Christian. I could now see that is was a female. Her shoulders started to convulse as she sobbed. I could see she was fighting to control her sobbing. Then a young Christian girl came over and put her arms around her. As soon as she touched the unsaved woman, she jumped to her feet and literally ran from the building.
Before I knew what I was doing, I jumped to my feet and ran after her. There was three set of double doors and I caught up with her at the last set. It was only then that I realized who she was. It was the screaming girl that had shared the next cell to me all those years ago. Her name was Susan. I said to her very gently "Do you remember me Susan." Susan came from a notorious family who everyone knew. She said she remembered me. She also said that she knew she was to meet someone here this night. I explained to her how Jesus had completely changed my life and that there was a different way to live. She listened carefully and than asked "what do I do now?" I told her that we could go back in and that she could give her heart to the Lord. We walked through the first and then the second double doors. As we got to the third she began to tremble. Here was this woman, who could take on and beat most men I knew, terrified of walking down the aisle. I took her arm and told her that I would walk down with her. She walked forward and was gloriously saved.
I believe with all my heart that the major reason that my wife and I went all the way to Scotland for a year was for the saving of Susan. Can you imagine a God that would go to enormous lengths to save someone that society did not care in the least for. I can see the Lord looking down, twelve years previous to a drunken screaming woman, and a hopeless drunk guy and thinking to Himself " I know the plans I have for you," "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity."
The Lord has delivered Susan and I from captivity. Perhaps you have a family member or friend or loved one that seems to be in a hopeless situation, you may even have given up all hope for that person. Yet Our Lord is Hope itself. Hope is the wellspring that all of our joy flows from. We have two choices in this life, even as a Christian, we can live in hope or we can despair. Hope gives birth to joy and to life and to strength. It is because I am in Christ that my hope springs eternal. It is awesome to know that our Heavenly Father is willing to go to enormous lengths to fulfill His plans.
Psalm 139
You hem me in--behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity.
When I was 19 I found myself in a jail cell (not the first time I had been arrested) I was very drunk and trying to sleep with one very thin blanket. Then this person was brought in and thrown in the next cell to me. She screamed the whole way, what she was going to do to the cops and so on. Even after they had locked the door, she continued screaming obscenities and threatening violence. I knew it was going to be a long night. Ironically, this crazy girl( a well know lesbian and drug dealer) stayed in the same project as me so we shared a taxi back to our neighborhood the next morning.
This drunkenness was a way of life for me. I grew up in a working class society where drunkenness was a right of passage. I very much admired men who could consume copious amounts of alcohol and still continue to drink. My highest ambition was to become just like them. For the most part I achieved my goals.
In a couple of desperate moves, I moved my family to London and then to America and finally, at the age of 26, having being married almost ten years, I came to Jesus and He changed me completely. I had been saved for about 4 years, when the Lord, completely out of the blue, said "I want you to go home and share the Gospel."
After many miracles, we sold everything and moved back to Scotland. I got involved with a small Pentecostal church and various outreaches. I was able to share my testimony in the local prison. My brother, who is in prison then, and still is as I write this, warned me not to mention his name. I think having a brother as a Christian would kinda ruin his " street cred."
Of course I mentioned my brothers name every time I spoke to the men which opened many doors for me with these guys.
There was one outreach I was looking forward to very much. We had hired a small building right in the heart of the project I had lived in for 7 years. It was known and still is known as "The Strone." This name would strike fear into most Scottish people as it was probably the most notorious government housing project in Scotland. For a long time it was also a "no-go ," area for the police.
We would hold meetings in this little building every Saturday night for six weeks. In between we would go round the doors posting flyers and speaking to people. I would show up every Saturday night, and every Saturday night there would be a pretty good turnout of Christians. Now don't get me wrong, I love to fellowship but the whole point of this outreach was to, well, reach out to the unsaved. On the fifth Saturday afternoon my mother and grandmother were visiting, my grandmother being in a wheelchair. I told my mom that I would drive Grandma home as I was not going to the meeting that night. I told her it was pretty pointless as only Christians showed up.
The meeting started at 7. At four that afternoon the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart "I want you at the meeting tonight." I told my mother and she said that she would take Grandma home.
I walked into the meeting that night and looked around, all Christians. Not only that, it was a young noisy worship band that I really did not care for. I stood with my eyes closed, thinking how much noise these young people were making. All of a sudden the Holy Spirit fell. A heavy holiness from the Lord had quieted the young band and suddenly He was in charge and His presence was everywhere. I heard some noise in front of me. Someone had come in and sat right in front of me. This person had their head shaved all the way in and I could see the tattoos on their neck. I felt compelled to reach my hand out and pray for the person who was obviously not a Christian. I could now see that is was a female. Her shoulders started to convulse as she sobbed. I could see she was fighting to control her sobbing. Then a young Christian girl came over and put her arms around her. As soon as she touched the unsaved woman, she jumped to her feet and literally ran from the building.
Before I knew what I was doing, I jumped to my feet and ran after her. There was three set of double doors and I caught up with her at the last set. It was only then that I realized who she was. It was the screaming girl that had shared the next cell to me all those years ago. Her name was Susan. I said to her very gently "Do you remember me Susan." Susan came from a notorious family who everyone knew. She said she remembered me. She also said that she knew she was to meet someone here this night. I explained to her how Jesus had completely changed my life and that there was a different way to live. She listened carefully and than asked "what do I do now?" I told her that we could go back in and that she could give her heart to the Lord. We walked through the first and then the second double doors. As we got to the third she began to tremble. Here was this woman, who could take on and beat most men I knew, terrified of walking down the aisle. I took her arm and told her that I would walk down with her. She walked forward and was gloriously saved.
I believe with all my heart that the major reason that my wife and I went all the way to Scotland for a year was for the saving of Susan. Can you imagine a God that would go to enormous lengths to save someone that society did not care in the least for. I can see the Lord looking down, twelve years previous to a drunken screaming woman, and a hopeless drunk guy and thinking to Himself " I know the plans I have for you," "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity."
The Lord has delivered Susan and I from captivity. Perhaps you have a family member or friend or loved one that seems to be in a hopeless situation, you may even have given up all hope for that person. Yet Our Lord is Hope itself. Hope is the wellspring that all of our joy flows from. We have two choices in this life, even as a Christian, we can live in hope or we can despair. Hope gives birth to joy and to life and to strength. It is because I am in Christ that my hope springs eternal. It is awesome to know that our Heavenly Father is willing to go to enormous lengths to fulfill His plans.
Psalm 139
You hem me in--behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
Monday, January 8, 2007
We are the Temple
Our God holds the universe in His hands, and yet, not a sparrow falls from the sky without His knowing it. He knows every hair of our head, every secret tear, every unseen moment, he is above us, below, behind and in front. The children of Israel's darkest nights were guided by fire and a pillar of cloud to protect them from the heat of the day. Jesus is the fire of our life, He is our protecting cloud.
In the Old Testament, God poured out fire from heaven and we were touched by His presence. Two thousand years ago, He sent an all consuming fire to walk the earth. And although our Lord Jesus returned to His rightful place at the right hand of our Heavenly Father, the fire of our life came and dwelt in the very midst of our new hearts. If we will take the fire of our hearts and cover it with the lens of the Holy Spirit, then the fire will be magnified and we will send up a beam of light that searches the heavens. And our heavenly Father says this, "I will be found by those who search for me."
What a magnificent sight, if we could see with our spiritual eyes, a million beams of light, all pointing up to the heavens from whence our help does come. And so, when once the fire came down and we were raptured in the presence of the almighty God, now, the fire is sent up from the hearts of believers and the Lord joins us in the air and we are raptured, lifted up and we commune with Him. This is the very essence of life. It is for this purpose that we were created in the first place. This holy union, this state of perfection, man and God united in perfect harmony by the conduit of the Holy Spirit who has magnified the Lord Jesus Christ in our hearts.
How many of us know that the Temples of old were magnificently adorned? The way men glorify their status and power and signify their wealth is to be found in their dwelling places. The richer a man is, the more elaborate is his surroundings. He fills his house with symbols of his wealth and status. Men will go to any lengths to extract riches from the earth. They will dig and mine, remove mountains, literally move heaven and earth in his search for riches and gold.
The man of God also decorates his temple, the temple of the Holy Spirit, with riches. His dwelling place will be no less elaborate that the richest men of the earth. He will decorate his temple with the finest gold of unconditional love. His walls are encrusted with the jewels of forgiveness and mercy. His windows are draped with opulent coverings of meekness and humility. Trophies of grace hang on every wall. They are framed with the finest materials of patience and kindness.
Let us ask ourselves this question, do we pursue the riches and the glories of heaven with the same vigor and single-mindedness that men here on earth pursue gold and silver? And the treasures that we have attained in Christ, do we protect them with all the resources that we have? Do we value the treasures of our heart in the same way men value their wealth? There is a direct correlation between how much we value something to the lengths we will go to protect it. Guard your hearts brothers and sisters in Christ, for we have an enemy who seeks to steal and destroy what we have. Satan knows the value of what we have oftentimes more than we do.
We need to fully realize the treasures that we posses and the power that lies in our treasures. We have the weapons in our treasures to destroy all the works of the adversary, and he knows it well. That is why there is an unrelenting battle to take what is ours by force, but here is the good news, the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Body of Christ.
Share your treasure this day, the more we give our treasures to those who have none, the more our treasures increase. The word says "He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might, He strengthens them." We have been called to empower the weak, to bind the hearts of the brokenhearted, those who are weakened, we come along side and strengthen. We have been called to wipe the tears of those who mourn, to grieve with them. Let us move in Christ brothers and sisters, and know that it is He that goes before us. Together we will build the most glorious dwelling place, and in that place we shall be married, the bride and the bridegroom, and God the Father will cause us to be forever joined in a glorious eternal matrimony and we will be one in the one from above.
In the Old Testament, God poured out fire from heaven and we were touched by His presence. Two thousand years ago, He sent an all consuming fire to walk the earth. And although our Lord Jesus returned to His rightful place at the right hand of our Heavenly Father, the fire of our life came and dwelt in the very midst of our new hearts. If we will take the fire of our hearts and cover it with the lens of the Holy Spirit, then the fire will be magnified and we will send up a beam of light that searches the heavens. And our heavenly Father says this, "I will be found by those who search for me."
What a magnificent sight, if we could see with our spiritual eyes, a million beams of light, all pointing up to the heavens from whence our help does come. And so, when once the fire came down and we were raptured in the presence of the almighty God, now, the fire is sent up from the hearts of believers and the Lord joins us in the air and we are raptured, lifted up and we commune with Him. This is the very essence of life. It is for this purpose that we were created in the first place. This holy union, this state of perfection, man and God united in perfect harmony by the conduit of the Holy Spirit who has magnified the Lord Jesus Christ in our hearts.
How many of us know that the Temples of old were magnificently adorned? The way men glorify their status and power and signify their wealth is to be found in their dwelling places. The richer a man is, the more elaborate is his surroundings. He fills his house with symbols of his wealth and status. Men will go to any lengths to extract riches from the earth. They will dig and mine, remove mountains, literally move heaven and earth in his search for riches and gold.
The man of God also decorates his temple, the temple of the Holy Spirit, with riches. His dwelling place will be no less elaborate that the richest men of the earth. He will decorate his temple with the finest gold of unconditional love. His walls are encrusted with the jewels of forgiveness and mercy. His windows are draped with opulent coverings of meekness and humility. Trophies of grace hang on every wall. They are framed with the finest materials of patience and kindness.
Let us ask ourselves this question, do we pursue the riches and the glories of heaven with the same vigor and single-mindedness that men here on earth pursue gold and silver? And the treasures that we have attained in Christ, do we protect them with all the resources that we have? Do we value the treasures of our heart in the same way men value their wealth? There is a direct correlation between how much we value something to the lengths we will go to protect it. Guard your hearts brothers and sisters in Christ, for we have an enemy who seeks to steal and destroy what we have. Satan knows the value of what we have oftentimes more than we do.
We need to fully realize the treasures that we posses and the power that lies in our treasures. We have the weapons in our treasures to destroy all the works of the adversary, and he knows it well. That is why there is an unrelenting battle to take what is ours by force, but here is the good news, the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Body of Christ.
Share your treasure this day, the more we give our treasures to those who have none, the more our treasures increase. The word says "He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might, He strengthens them." We have been called to empower the weak, to bind the hearts of the brokenhearted, those who are weakened, we come along side and strengthen. We have been called to wipe the tears of those who mourn, to grieve with them. Let us move in Christ brothers and sisters, and know that it is He that goes before us. Together we will build the most glorious dwelling place, and in that place we shall be married, the bride and the bridegroom, and God the Father will cause us to be forever joined in a glorious eternal matrimony and we will be one in the one from above.
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Holding His Hand
Ex 33:15... And he said to Him, If Your presence does not go with me, do not carry us up from here.
How many of us know that all the promises of God are yes and amen? How many of us, believe all of His promises and walk in the eternal security of salvation? I certainly believe and stand upon the word of God but let me say something shocking, it is not enough.I have all those things and I will be eternally grateful. Yet I have just came though a dry time and not the first. I am not even sure how long.This morning I reached out my hand into the darkness and cried out to Jesus..............Oh how I miss you.
And very silently, without any warning,He was holding my hand. And all of a sudden, that world is there again. The world of endless possibilities. It does not matter if there are dark skies or endless blue ones when I hold His hand. Whether it rains or whether brilliant shafts of light break through whimsical clouds, its all the same to me when I hold His hand. If I can barely see through my tears of if I wear the most illuminated smile, it matters not when I hold His hand. In the depths of trials or when all is right with the world its all the same when I hold His hand. If I mourn the loss of a loved one or I am in the arms of my lover , I am never lost when I hold His hand.
The sweet all consuming joy of His presence. This heart of a lion that beats within the chest of a lamb. This all consuming power of love that rises victoriously above all the battles of life. What battle field do you find yourself on today? Do you battle the unseen enemy of unforgiveness? Or has someone wronged you and bitterness knocks at your door? Is depression seeking to overwhelm you? Has the power of darkness, in all its many forms come to challenge you today? Perhaps the darkness comes from without, or maybe there is hidden darkness from deep within? Today, right now, close your eyes and reach out your hand into the darkness of your situation. Cry out to Jesus, tell Him how much that you miss Him and ask Him to take your hand. Your situation may not change, but the darkness will flee. You will be blessed in the midst of your circumstances and you will stand upon the Rock which is higher than your circumstances. He will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies.Just as Jesus made an open shame of His enemies who had gathered to gloat at his "defeat," you to will do the same and from the ashes of your circumstances, the Lord will make something beautiful and victorious. Pray this prayer today if you can.
Dear Father in heaven. In the magnificent name of Jesus I cry out to you this day that you would go with me Lord. Let the cloud of your presence protect me from the searing heat of trials and tribulations that I may not be overwhelmed and let your all consuming fire light up the darkness of my darkest nights and that I may warm myself from the chill of the cold reality of this world. Lord I reject the reality of this world and all its fears and I embrace the reality of a world I cannot see, your world, a world of endless possibilities where hope is the wellspring of my heart............In Jesus' name........Amen
How many of us know that all the promises of God are yes and amen? How many of us, believe all of His promises and walk in the eternal security of salvation? I certainly believe and stand upon the word of God but let me say something shocking, it is not enough.I have all those things and I will be eternally grateful. Yet I have just came though a dry time and not the first. I am not even sure how long.This morning I reached out my hand into the darkness and cried out to Jesus..............Oh how I miss you.
And very silently, without any warning,He was holding my hand. And all of a sudden, that world is there again. The world of endless possibilities. It does not matter if there are dark skies or endless blue ones when I hold His hand. Whether it rains or whether brilliant shafts of light break through whimsical clouds, its all the same to me when I hold His hand. If I can barely see through my tears of if I wear the most illuminated smile, it matters not when I hold His hand. In the depths of trials or when all is right with the world its all the same when I hold His hand. If I mourn the loss of a loved one or I am in the arms of my lover , I am never lost when I hold His hand.
The sweet all consuming joy of His presence. This heart of a lion that beats within the chest of a lamb. This all consuming power of love that rises victoriously above all the battles of life. What battle field do you find yourself on today? Do you battle the unseen enemy of unforgiveness? Or has someone wronged you and bitterness knocks at your door? Is depression seeking to overwhelm you? Has the power of darkness, in all its many forms come to challenge you today? Perhaps the darkness comes from without, or maybe there is hidden darkness from deep within? Today, right now, close your eyes and reach out your hand into the darkness of your situation. Cry out to Jesus, tell Him how much that you miss Him and ask Him to take your hand. Your situation may not change, but the darkness will flee. You will be blessed in the midst of your circumstances and you will stand upon the Rock which is higher than your circumstances. He will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies.Just as Jesus made an open shame of His enemies who had gathered to gloat at his "defeat," you to will do the same and from the ashes of your circumstances, the Lord will make something beautiful and victorious. Pray this prayer today if you can.
Dear Father in heaven. In the magnificent name of Jesus I cry out to you this day that you would go with me Lord. Let the cloud of your presence protect me from the searing heat of trials and tribulations that I may not be overwhelmed and let your all consuming fire light up the darkness of my darkest nights and that I may warm myself from the chill of the cold reality of this world. Lord I reject the reality of this world and all its fears and I embrace the reality of a world I cannot see, your world, a world of endless possibilities where hope is the wellspring of my heart............In Jesus' name........Amen
Fear: The Greatest Enemy of the Church
In Chapter 3 of Job, we see Job overcome with grief. He is overwhelmed with the circumstances of life and we might say, "who could blame him?". He has lost all his children, all of his possessions, he has lost his health, in short, he has lost everything. He is so dismayed that he cries out to God, mourning the day that he was born, wishing that he had died at birth, wishing he had been stillborn. While many of us may never sink as low as Job, many of us can identify with certain aspects of Job's situation.
There are Christians who have lost children, there are Christians who have lost every penny they had, there are Christians who have devastating illnesses, all of the these afflictions are frequently seen in the church and it is common to men for we live in a dying and corrupt world and Christians are part of that world. Those who claim that these things happen because of a lack of faith or sin, are simply ignorant of the Scriptures and actually operate in fear, not faith. Yes, sickness is a result of sin, the sin of Adam. While we as Christians dwell within the corruptible flesh(we will be raised in incorruption on that glorious day) we will suffer and we will die just like all men. To take the"word of faith movement" to its logical conclusion, then we, as Christians would not physically die. The fact is, if you are over a certain age, then you are dying, all we as adults are dying right now.
The certain truth is this, bad things happen to Christians. We will have trials and tribulations, this is promised to us. If you were a first century Christian, then very bad things were going to happen. As we know, most of the original followers of Jesus were badly abused, tortured and killed. What was their problem? Bad confession? Lack of faith? Secret sin in their life? What nonsense. These were glorious saints who, because of their walk, because of their faith, because of the danger they represented to the enemy and his kingdom, came in for special attention. As it was then, so it is now. Would anyone argue that the Apostle Paul, author of two-thirds of the New Testament, was a man lacking in faith, walking in fear? Yet, we know his life, how he was shipwrecked, how he was often flogged, how he was often impoverished and had to go hungry. And despite all of that, he had discovered what true faith was all about, he had discovered that the opposite of fear was faith, and he had overcame it and was able to be content in any situation.
Job says in 3:25, 26 "For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, I have no rest for trouble comes."
We see here, that while we know that Job was a Godly man prior to his trials, that he had things that he greatly feared and dreaded. Fear is the enemy to all Christians, not the circumstances of life. The reason for this is because circumstances are mostly out of our control, yet fear is a choice. To live in fear is to deny God in your life. Notice that I did not say that to fear is to deny God, but to live in fear. Look at the difference between Paul and Job. Because of Job's fear and then circumstances he was not "at ease, nor am I quiet, I have no rest," as opposed to Paul who had learned to be content in every situation.
Just in case you think I am being to hard on Job, chapter 3 is not the conclusion to his story, praise God. Perhaps you are living in chapter three yourself right now, or know someone who is. Someone who wishes they were never born, someone who has sore trials that has come upon them and are really struggling. Job actually makes the greatest confession of faith in all the Scriptures, "Even if He slays me, yet will I trust in Him." What a remarkable turnaround. Job has had a revelation of God. God shows Job that He is maker of the universe, that he laid the foundations of the earth. God is revealing Himself to Job and Job is getting a handle on the God that he serves, despite his circumstances. But, the central fact is this, Job is communicating with God. Therein lies the key, the secret which is no secret. Relationship with Jesus, walking in His presence, talking to God, genuine communication is the key to an overcoming attitude. Not one of us will overcome the slightest trial in our lives outside of the presence of God. If fear is the opposite of faith, if we live in fear, how can we walk in the presence of God? Are you tired of living in fear? Lets call fear what it is, it is a lack of trust in God. Trust is the foundation of any relationship, trust and commitment. How can we be committed to a God in whom we do not trust? When we do not trust Him, then we are calling Him a liar. If we step outside of trusting Him, then we begin to run our own lives, making our own decisions. When a Christian makes a decision, based on fear, disaster inevitably follows.
Is your trust based on circumstances? Do you sleep well at night because you have a lot of money in the bank? Its not particularly hard for a man of means to say that He trusts God in the area of finance, that's not to say he does not, yet only circumstances of trial truly expose the man of trust. Only when the storm comes, and the man of God is still standing after it do we truly know that his foundation is Christ.
When we humble ourselves, when we acknowledge our fears, not deny them, when we draw close to Jesus and make a conscious decision to turn it over to Him, only then can we overcome it. Yes Lord, I have a disease, one that may even kill me, but I am turning it over to you, you will be my peace because I trust you, my life is in your hands. Compare that attitude with the so called " word of faith," movement who would deny that they even have a disease, and make no mistake about it, they do that out of fear, not faith, this is true irony. The truth is that we walk in victory despite our circumstances. No matter what happens to us in this life, no matter what we lose, be it our health, our wealth, people close to us, loved ones, we can lose all these things but we cannot lose God. This is where our peace and our joy comes from, not from circumstances, but from trust, commitment, the very foundations of our relationship with Jesus. Staying close to Him. For when we walk in His presence, when we refuse to let circumstances cause fear and rob of us our peace, then we hear God speak. That small still voice will guide us through everything in life. As long as you operate in fear, you will quench this voice, the very voice that may say," today I will heal you, today I will restore you on this earth, today I will prosper you, today I will use you, or, today I am taking you home." He is the author and finisher of our faith, not circumstances.
I urge you brothers and sisters, the next challenge that comes your way, and believe me, it is coming, determine in your heart to expel fear and anxiety from your heart. Determine in your heart that you will believe the report of the Lord, you will rest upon His promises. This is not a feeling that will come over you, it starts with a conscious decision to trust God. Lets begin to be different from the world. If you get a bad report from the doctor, rejoice in the fact that your life is in God's hand and that it will be Him that determines the outcome of your life or the life of your loved one. Rest in that, not that you have a predetermined view of healing, but simply rest in trust, not fear. Trust, or faith is the substance of things not seen. It is when we do not know the outcome, but trust anyway that we exemplify what true faith is.
Psalm 3.......Lord, how they have increased who trouble me. Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me "There is no help for him in God," selah. But you oh Lord are a shield for me. My glory and the One who lifts my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice and He heard me from His holy hill. I lay down and slept, I awoke for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Arise O Lord , save me O my God, for you have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone, you have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon your people.
There are Christians who have lost children, there are Christians who have lost every penny they had, there are Christians who have devastating illnesses, all of the these afflictions are frequently seen in the church and it is common to men for we live in a dying and corrupt world and Christians are part of that world. Those who claim that these things happen because of a lack of faith or sin, are simply ignorant of the Scriptures and actually operate in fear, not faith. Yes, sickness is a result of sin, the sin of Adam. While we as Christians dwell within the corruptible flesh(we will be raised in incorruption on that glorious day) we will suffer and we will die just like all men. To take the"word of faith movement" to its logical conclusion, then we, as Christians would not physically die. The fact is, if you are over a certain age, then you are dying, all we as adults are dying right now.
The certain truth is this, bad things happen to Christians. We will have trials and tribulations, this is promised to us. If you were a first century Christian, then very bad things were going to happen. As we know, most of the original followers of Jesus were badly abused, tortured and killed. What was their problem? Bad confession? Lack of faith? Secret sin in their life? What nonsense. These were glorious saints who, because of their walk, because of their faith, because of the danger they represented to the enemy and his kingdom, came in for special attention. As it was then, so it is now. Would anyone argue that the Apostle Paul, author of two-thirds of the New Testament, was a man lacking in faith, walking in fear? Yet, we know his life, how he was shipwrecked, how he was often flogged, how he was often impoverished and had to go hungry. And despite all of that, he had discovered what true faith was all about, he had discovered that the opposite of fear was faith, and he had overcame it and was able to be content in any situation.
Job says in 3:25, 26 "For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, I have no rest for trouble comes."
We see here, that while we know that Job was a Godly man prior to his trials, that he had things that he greatly feared and dreaded. Fear is the enemy to all Christians, not the circumstances of life. The reason for this is because circumstances are mostly out of our control, yet fear is a choice. To live in fear is to deny God in your life. Notice that I did not say that to fear is to deny God, but to live in fear. Look at the difference between Paul and Job. Because of Job's fear and then circumstances he was not "at ease, nor am I quiet, I have no rest," as opposed to Paul who had learned to be content in every situation.
Just in case you think I am being to hard on Job, chapter 3 is not the conclusion to his story, praise God. Perhaps you are living in chapter three yourself right now, or know someone who is. Someone who wishes they were never born, someone who has sore trials that has come upon them and are really struggling. Job actually makes the greatest confession of faith in all the Scriptures, "Even if He slays me, yet will I trust in Him." What a remarkable turnaround. Job has had a revelation of God. God shows Job that He is maker of the universe, that he laid the foundations of the earth. God is revealing Himself to Job and Job is getting a handle on the God that he serves, despite his circumstances. But, the central fact is this, Job is communicating with God. Therein lies the key, the secret which is no secret. Relationship with Jesus, walking in His presence, talking to God, genuine communication is the key to an overcoming attitude. Not one of us will overcome the slightest trial in our lives outside of the presence of God. If fear is the opposite of faith, if we live in fear, how can we walk in the presence of God? Are you tired of living in fear? Lets call fear what it is, it is a lack of trust in God. Trust is the foundation of any relationship, trust and commitment. How can we be committed to a God in whom we do not trust? When we do not trust Him, then we are calling Him a liar. If we step outside of trusting Him, then we begin to run our own lives, making our own decisions. When a Christian makes a decision, based on fear, disaster inevitably follows.
Is your trust based on circumstances? Do you sleep well at night because you have a lot of money in the bank? Its not particularly hard for a man of means to say that He trusts God in the area of finance, that's not to say he does not, yet only circumstances of trial truly expose the man of trust. Only when the storm comes, and the man of God is still standing after it do we truly know that his foundation is Christ.
When we humble ourselves, when we acknowledge our fears, not deny them, when we draw close to Jesus and make a conscious decision to turn it over to Him, only then can we overcome it. Yes Lord, I have a disease, one that may even kill me, but I am turning it over to you, you will be my peace because I trust you, my life is in your hands. Compare that attitude with the so called " word of faith," movement who would deny that they even have a disease, and make no mistake about it, they do that out of fear, not faith, this is true irony. The truth is that we walk in victory despite our circumstances. No matter what happens to us in this life, no matter what we lose, be it our health, our wealth, people close to us, loved ones, we can lose all these things but we cannot lose God. This is where our peace and our joy comes from, not from circumstances, but from trust, commitment, the very foundations of our relationship with Jesus. Staying close to Him. For when we walk in His presence, when we refuse to let circumstances cause fear and rob of us our peace, then we hear God speak. That small still voice will guide us through everything in life. As long as you operate in fear, you will quench this voice, the very voice that may say," today I will heal you, today I will restore you on this earth, today I will prosper you, today I will use you, or, today I am taking you home." He is the author and finisher of our faith, not circumstances.
I urge you brothers and sisters, the next challenge that comes your way, and believe me, it is coming, determine in your heart to expel fear and anxiety from your heart. Determine in your heart that you will believe the report of the Lord, you will rest upon His promises. This is not a feeling that will come over you, it starts with a conscious decision to trust God. Lets begin to be different from the world. If you get a bad report from the doctor, rejoice in the fact that your life is in God's hand and that it will be Him that determines the outcome of your life or the life of your loved one. Rest in that, not that you have a predetermined view of healing, but simply rest in trust, not fear. Trust, or faith is the substance of things not seen. It is when we do not know the outcome, but trust anyway that we exemplify what true faith is.
Psalm 3.......Lord, how they have increased who trouble me. Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me "There is no help for him in God," selah. But you oh Lord are a shield for me. My glory and the One who lifts my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice and He heard me from His holy hill. I lay down and slept, I awoke for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Arise O Lord , save me O my God, for you have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone, you have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon your people.
Friday, January 5, 2007
The Glory of the Third Temple
I could not sleep on Saturday night, so at 2 in the morning I got up and continued my study on Haggai. The Holy Spirit soon imparted to me something that made my spirit soar.
There is no doubt that the glory of the first temple was an awesome thing, indeed it was a wonder of the ancient world. Solomon's temple was a marvel and without equal. It housed the Ark of the Covenant, which represented God's presence here on earth. Often the shekinah glory of the Lord would rain down like fire and emanate in this glorious temple. Men from all over the known world would be drawn to this wonder and to the wisdom of its God ordained builder.
The Queen of Sheba crossed many different lands to come and see what was going on in Jerusalem. This Temple would last for almost 400 years before being allowed to be destroyed by the Lord who allowed judgment to fall on Israel.
After 70 years, the Lord would bring His people back and they would lay the foundations to rebuild the temple. This temple was very much smaller than the original and of course there were still people alive who would have remembered the glory of the original temple. The people were discouraged by this and many other factors and had to be encouraged by God to rebuild, after the building had lain dormant for 16 years, that's a lot of years of discouragement. There would be no ark of the Covenant, no shekinah glory for this temple, yet little did the builders know that into this structure would walk, in the flesh, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
This temple would hold the maker of heaven and earth and He would announce His mission to the world from this very spot, a great glory indeed. In this very temple, sin, desperately seeking for a hiding place , would be exposed by the light of the world. The bearers of this sin, the religious men of the day, were the last vestiges of a sin that had begun to be exposed by the Law and Moses. Now a greater than Moses would enter right into the temple, the last place any one would look for sin, and expose it in the very heart of the hypocrisy of the "moral ,' men of the day.
Seventy Years after Jesus was born, once again the temple was destroyed. This time the former marvel of the ancient world would never rise again. Yet, each time the Lord would destroy a magnificent building, and replace it with something less, the glory revealed in the reduced surroundings would increase. Now, in the final irony of this world, the temple would be rebuilt, but not with stones, not with bricks and mortar, not with inlaid gold, but with a people. And once again the Lord would increase the glory revealed.
We, as true Christians, are the living stones, we are the temple of the living God. The shekinah glory does not rain down now and then, Jesus does not walk into the temple every Sabbath, Jesus has come into this temple, not built by men, and has taken up residence. The heart of shekinah glory dwells in the center of each and every royal priest. His light, His love, His truth, His peace, His joy, His glory, His healing, His comfort, His power, His justice, His grace, His majesty, His deliverance and all that He is, burns at the very center of our being. This fire, the fire of the Holy Spirit, is housed in the temple of His choosing.
Maybe you have been discouraged, maybe even for years. Maybe you look in the mirror and you’re not that impressed with what is looking back. When you compare yourself to other Christians, great and small, you feel deeply lacking. Then the Lord would say to you my brothers and sisters....do not despise the temple of my choosing. I have chosen a royal priesthood that carries me aloft within their chest. The born again man or woman is the wonder of the modern world, far more so that the temple of the ancient one. The glory that Moses had, hidden by a covering over His face, has been revealed to a world in the form of new creatures. If you would let His light shine, if you would let His love flow, if you would stand upon His truth, if you would seek peace amongst men, if you would share the joy of the Lord, if you would reveal His glory, if you would share His healing and comfort those in need, if you would reveal His power, and exercise His justice with the grace that you yourself have been justified with, then the majesty of your deliverance would burn brightly for all men to see. If there is body and soul, then the world is the body and you are the soul of the world.
Be Christ like and display that which is within you, and you will shake the world, you will expose the enemy, just as our Lord did, and the enemy will have nowhere to hide, and will be defeated.
There is no doubt that the glory of the first temple was an awesome thing, indeed it was a wonder of the ancient world. Solomon's temple was a marvel and without equal. It housed the Ark of the Covenant, which represented God's presence here on earth. Often the shekinah glory of the Lord would rain down like fire and emanate in this glorious temple. Men from all over the known world would be drawn to this wonder and to the wisdom of its God ordained builder.
The Queen of Sheba crossed many different lands to come and see what was going on in Jerusalem. This Temple would last for almost 400 years before being allowed to be destroyed by the Lord who allowed judgment to fall on Israel.
After 70 years, the Lord would bring His people back and they would lay the foundations to rebuild the temple. This temple was very much smaller than the original and of course there were still people alive who would have remembered the glory of the original temple. The people were discouraged by this and many other factors and had to be encouraged by God to rebuild, after the building had lain dormant for 16 years, that's a lot of years of discouragement. There would be no ark of the Covenant, no shekinah glory for this temple, yet little did the builders know that into this structure would walk, in the flesh, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
This temple would hold the maker of heaven and earth and He would announce His mission to the world from this very spot, a great glory indeed. In this very temple, sin, desperately seeking for a hiding place , would be exposed by the light of the world. The bearers of this sin, the religious men of the day, were the last vestiges of a sin that had begun to be exposed by the Law and Moses. Now a greater than Moses would enter right into the temple, the last place any one would look for sin, and expose it in the very heart of the hypocrisy of the "moral ,' men of the day.
Seventy Years after Jesus was born, once again the temple was destroyed. This time the former marvel of the ancient world would never rise again. Yet, each time the Lord would destroy a magnificent building, and replace it with something less, the glory revealed in the reduced surroundings would increase. Now, in the final irony of this world, the temple would be rebuilt, but not with stones, not with bricks and mortar, not with inlaid gold, but with a people. And once again the Lord would increase the glory revealed.
We, as true Christians, are the living stones, we are the temple of the living God. The shekinah glory does not rain down now and then, Jesus does not walk into the temple every Sabbath, Jesus has come into this temple, not built by men, and has taken up residence. The heart of shekinah glory dwells in the center of each and every royal priest. His light, His love, His truth, His peace, His joy, His glory, His healing, His comfort, His power, His justice, His grace, His majesty, His deliverance and all that He is, burns at the very center of our being. This fire, the fire of the Holy Spirit, is housed in the temple of His choosing.
Maybe you have been discouraged, maybe even for years. Maybe you look in the mirror and you’re not that impressed with what is looking back. When you compare yourself to other Christians, great and small, you feel deeply lacking. Then the Lord would say to you my brothers and sisters....do not despise the temple of my choosing. I have chosen a royal priesthood that carries me aloft within their chest. The born again man or woman is the wonder of the modern world, far more so that the temple of the ancient one. The glory that Moses had, hidden by a covering over His face, has been revealed to a world in the form of new creatures. If you would let His light shine, if you would let His love flow, if you would stand upon His truth, if you would seek peace amongst men, if you would share the joy of the Lord, if you would reveal His glory, if you would share His healing and comfort those in need, if you would reveal His power, and exercise His justice with the grace that you yourself have been justified with, then the majesty of your deliverance would burn brightly for all men to see. If there is body and soul, then the world is the body and you are the soul of the world.
Be Christ like and display that which is within you, and you will shake the world, you will expose the enemy, just as our Lord did, and the enemy will have nowhere to hide, and will be defeated.
Cheap Grace
Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes in "The Cost of Discipleship," ................
Cheap Grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field, for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows Him.
Costly grace is the Gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ, it is costly because it costs a man his life and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.
When my oldest son was 2 years old, he was scolded by a full kettle of boiling water. He was burned over 60% of his body with 3rd degree burns. He survived the critical first few days. Every day they would bandage him, and every day the bandages from the previous day had to be removed. If his burns got infected, he would die. As Pastor Dave talked about salt this morning, it brought back memories of my sons treatment and what it took to remove the bandages every day. A nurse would take Christopher, with my help, to a prepared bath. The bath was full of salt water. I literally had to hold him down as he screamed, his eyes burning into mine with confusion, not understanding the process, only knowing that his father was part of this cruel torture.
I would have given my life to have taken his place. I would have given my life to spare him the agony, but, I was powerless. I know all you parents out there can identify with those feelings.
Our heavenly Father, watched His Son being mocked, being spat on, tortured and ridiculed and finally nailed to the cross. He listened to His Son cry out from the depths of His being "My God, My God, why have thou forsaken me." Oh the Fathers agony as He turned His head. How many know that our heavenly Father could have stopped it at any time? He was not powerless. What could have driven Him to allow this to unfold? John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever shall believe in Him, will not perish...................."
This love of the Father for the lost is beyond what our earthly minds can even come close to grasping. What we can take from it this, the grace that flows to and from Calvary is no cheap grace. We will not be judged on how good or bad we are, but what we did with the sacrifice of Calvary.
Yes, Salvation is a finished and complete work, we can neither add to it, nor take anything from it, it was purchased for us at a terrible cost, but, to accept it fully and walk in the newness of life, it will cost us everything. For the sake of the kingly rule of Christ are we ready to sell everything we have for this treasure in the field? Will we pluck out our eye or cut of the hand that offends? To walk in the Spirit, are we ready to pick up our cross? Are we ready to die daily?
Cheap Grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field, for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows Him.
Costly grace is the Gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ, it is costly because it costs a man his life and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.
When my oldest son was 2 years old, he was scolded by a full kettle of boiling water. He was burned over 60% of his body with 3rd degree burns. He survived the critical first few days. Every day they would bandage him, and every day the bandages from the previous day had to be removed. If his burns got infected, he would die. As Pastor Dave talked about salt this morning, it brought back memories of my sons treatment and what it took to remove the bandages every day. A nurse would take Christopher, with my help, to a prepared bath. The bath was full of salt water. I literally had to hold him down as he screamed, his eyes burning into mine with confusion, not understanding the process, only knowing that his father was part of this cruel torture.
I would have given my life to have taken his place. I would have given my life to spare him the agony, but, I was powerless. I know all you parents out there can identify with those feelings.
Our heavenly Father, watched His Son being mocked, being spat on, tortured and ridiculed and finally nailed to the cross. He listened to His Son cry out from the depths of His being "My God, My God, why have thou forsaken me." Oh the Fathers agony as He turned His head. How many know that our heavenly Father could have stopped it at any time? He was not powerless. What could have driven Him to allow this to unfold? John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever shall believe in Him, will not perish...................."
This love of the Father for the lost is beyond what our earthly minds can even come close to grasping. What we can take from it this, the grace that flows to and from Calvary is no cheap grace. We will not be judged on how good or bad we are, but what we did with the sacrifice of Calvary.
Yes, Salvation is a finished and complete work, we can neither add to it, nor take anything from it, it was purchased for us at a terrible cost, but, to accept it fully and walk in the newness of life, it will cost us everything. For the sake of the kingly rule of Christ are we ready to sell everything we have for this treasure in the field? Will we pluck out our eye or cut of the hand that offends? To walk in the Spirit, are we ready to pick up our cross? Are we ready to die daily?
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