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Sermon of the Week 
Friday, January 22 2021

In Australia, if you say “My shout”, then you’re letting everyone know that it’s your turn… If someone says “Can you shout me” they’re asking if you can cover the cost for them…. If someone says “It’s my shout” they’re saying they will pick up the cost of something….A shout-out, is to recognize someone in appreciation of them or something they did…. But in the culture of the bible, we see that SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO SHOUT IT OUT!Just saying it won’t do!

In the scripture which I open this session with, God is speaking to Joshua and giving him the battle plan for victory, even as the nation is entering the promised land….

Joshua 6:6 “Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. 2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

Anyone can shout after the walls have come down to your trial, test, or unsurmountable obstacle. But can you shout the shout of obedience and submission to God, when you see and feel nothing. But God has said to shout, and you don’t feel like it, or your flesh needs to see a reason to shout… as a matter of fact you feel more like screaming instead of shouting…..I like the words of Paul after he was converted

He said in Galatians 1:15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb, called me by his grace, and was pleased v16to reveal his Son in me, I did not confer with flesh and blood,"                                          1 Corinthians 15:50 I tell you this, brothers,flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the 

imperishable.

If the Israelites had consulted the flesh, they would never have shouted, and the walls would have remained unmoved…. I mean come on…. 6 days of marching, and 7 times on the 7th day! Most of us would have been calling 911!!!

For mankind, change is inevitable, for God, change is impossible. He cannot change. For God to change He would be in violation of every covenant, and every promise, and if He changed, even the balance of the universe would be in jeopardy! He is the unchanging one, and His word, His love, His mercy, His grace, His character, His purpose, His longsuffering, His covenant, His justice, His righteousness, His Glory and splendor and majesty, endure forever!

THE UNCHANGABLENESS OF GOD IS REASON TO SHOUT!!!

If we only make it about us, about our situations, ourcircumstances, and our conditions… Our injustices, our hurts, our wounds and scars, it will muzzle and snuff out, our shout….

But listen, John 8:36 declares “He whom the Son sets free, IS FREE INDEED”! The words “IS FREE” here, are in the present perfect tense in your life, not in a historic sense, but a progressive, ongoing, “IS FREE”… NOW AND FROM THIS TIME FORTH!!!We shout the victory we already have in Christ, no matter how the circumstances appear, we shout in order to see it manifest in our lives.  ​

Your feet shouldn’t touch the floor in the morning without your shout! You shouldn’t walk out of your house without your shout! 

The shout is your battle cry. Before the first step had been taken around Jericho, God told the people to SHOUT, FOR I HAVE ALREADY GIVEN YOU THE VICTORY! In the bible, the shout, was a declaration that God was on your side and the enemy would be overwhelmed with those odds…. The shout was lifted violently, to strike fear in the enemy and cause him to lose confidence and break his power. The shout is a declaration of your unmovable faith, your unshakeable trust in the maker and creator of all things, it is about tapping into the power of agreement to see thevictory before the battle begins. It is a speaking forth that what God has done He will do again, and even greater things! IT IS THE SOUND OF EXPECTATION!

Psalms 47:1 “Clap your hands all you people, shout unto God with a voice of triumph”!

On the count of 3, I want you to shout, HALLELUJAH!

Now, I’m going to whisper it…. (Hallelujah) Is it still a shout? 

When you blow out a candle, there’s no volume, but the candle still goes out. It’s not just about volume, but it’s about what’s coming out of your mouth. If I shout the promises, and I’m shouting the word of God…                                    It doesn’t make a difference about the volume if you’re in a situation when that wouldn’t be appropriate…. You can shout at a funeral, at the library or on the job…. And effect the atmosphere…Isaiah tells us that “His word shall not return void as it is sent forth into the earth”…. The word works if we work it! 

A shout is like a battering ram, to break down, break through, and push past, the barriers, the blockages and strongholds, that want to keep you from entering in… As we shout a praise to God, walls will fall… *……walls of sickness, walls of poverty, walls of oppression and bondage.  When we hit a wall that is keeping us from possessing what God has promised us, it is time to shout.  Bondages, strongholds, hindrances- COME DOWN! We need to shout them down in the name of Jesus.  

Our shout, is a command of authority given to us by the Lord, to put to flight the powers of darkness and challenge their authority, by confronting them with a higher authority.  

Let’s look at this scripture: Mark 10:46 And they came to Jericho: and as Jesus went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. v47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out, and say, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. v48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: 

but he cried the more a great deal, Jesus son of David, have mercy on me. v49 And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be called. And they called the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he is calling you. v50 And he, cast aside his beggar’s garment and rose and came to Jesus. v51 And Jesus said unto him, What do you need, that I should do unto you? 

The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.v52 And Jesus said unto him, Go your way, your expectant faith (shout) has made you whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way”.

The shout of Blind Bartimaeus caused a powerful move of God.Amen? His shout caught the attention of Jesus, and in the end, itcaused a miraculous healing that broke through blindness and poverty, and gave Bartimaeus his sight. Oh, my, there was power in Bartimaeus’ shout. Here’s a shout that caused Jesus to stop in His tracks, and give His full and undivided attention to a blind beggar!

Our shout will stop angels in their tracks….. Psalm 103:20 “Bless the Lord, all His angels, that excel in strength, that carry out His will, harkening unto the voice of His word”!

When we shout out His word with expectant faith, we stop angels and get their undivided attention, that they may carry out God’s will in our lives and our circle of influence….

Stop worrying if God will do it, and shout what He said He would do, according to His word. My Lord, the Holy Spirit can say something to us 10 times, and we will need 5 confirmations….thedevil can say one thing into our minds and we’ll believe it and start acting it out, with fear, and doubt and worry. 

There is a story of a fella from Boston who died and went to Hell. Satan says, "We're gonna make you miserable." He cranks up the thermostat to 95. "No problem. Just like Boston in June," he says. So Satan cranks it up to 105. "No problem. Just like Boston in August." Satan's getting angry. He tries a new tactic. He punches the thermostat all the way down as low as it can go. 100 below zero. The whole place is frozen. The guy from Boston starts jumping up and down, and shouting at the top of his voice, "YEAAAA! The Red Sox must have won the World Series!" (Of course we know hell is not a joking matter)…..We want to do everything we can to keep anyone from going there…

Expel your fears, and cast them out with a SHOUT that says, “God said it, that settles it, whether I can get my head around it or not!!!

I’M GOING TO SHOUT!

Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it shall be given, seek, and you shall find,knock, and it shall be opened unto you. v8 For every one that asks, shall receive and he that seeks shall find, and to him that will knock it shall be opened”.

TRUST IT, BELIEVE IT, EXPECT IT!!! Don’t give up… You may try 10 things before the one thing that was always yours, opens up, so, keep on knocking…. The same word He spoke and the heavens and the earth and everything in them were brought into existence, is the word He delivers unto us.

A few months ago, we celebrated Palm Sunday. The good citizens of Jerusalem were looking for a deliverer to fight and win their freedom for them, like the Maccabees had been so many years before. They brought out their palms just as their ancestors had done. They wanted someone to lead them in breaking the grip that the hated legions of Rome had over them. They welcomed the Lord with shouts of joy, and threw their garments in his path. But they soon realized that THIS deliverer was like none they had ever known before. The result? Disappointment. And the disappointment moved them from Palm Sunday to shouting “crucify Him” in the blink of an eye.

Let me say this here… If you are always getting revelation that exposes everyone around you, but never gives you revelation that exposes you…. something’s wrong with your source of revelation….(repeat)

We have all known disappointment… perhaps with the Lord because the answer to a heartfelt prayer did not come in the way we expected. God didn’t work on our schedule, in our way, or it didn’t look like we thought it should. Or perhaps there was disappointment with the Lord’s Church, disappointment because the church was populated with broken people, making adjustments in their lives, just like all the rest of us. And your joyous shout was shut down. Stop reacting to what didn’t happen the way you thought, and begin to shout over what the Lord has already determined will be done….

Speaking of what has already happened…  A U.S. Navy destroyer stopped four Mexicans rowing towards Texas. The Captain gets on the loud speaker and shouts: “Ahoy, you 4 in the small craft. Where are you headed?" One of the Mexicans puts down his oar, stands up, and shouts, "Gringo, we are invading the United States of America to reclaim the territory taken by the USA during the 1800's." The entire crew on the destroyer double over in laughter.When the Captain finally catches his breath, he gets back on the loud speaker and asks, "So, just the four of you are doing this?"The same Mexican stands up again and shouts, "No, we’re the last 4. The other 20 million are already there.”                                     God has been where you are going. He’s got it covered. He has already invaded the enemies territory, and defeated the strongman. That’s reason to shout… 

I realized as I was preparing this message, that one of the things that steals our shout, is about where our treasure is… I am going to paraphrase a verse of scripture here, and I believe it is true…                                                                   Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.. NOW, let me paraphrase that…. 

“Where your treasure is, there your shout will be also”

We shout about the things that are important to us…. We shout at ball games when our child or grand child scores, or does well. We shout while watching sports on TV.. We shout when we find out we are expecting a child….We shout when our children are born… When they graduate, When we get a gift we’ve always wanted… When we got our driver’s license, When we get our first car….(on I could go)…., Things that have value to us….(isn’t that right)                                                             Where is our shout when it comes to eternal, spiritual, forever things? WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR SHOUT WILL BE!!  

When Habakkuk the prophet had lost everything, and was surrounded with utter desolation, he shouted forth "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, and take joy in the God of my salvation!" The Lord was his treasure!                                                                                                             Sometimes a shout is, to expel upon the breath and reject doubt and fear and heaviness from our spirits. We are bringing strength, confidence and power into us, in their place.Our shout is a way of casting it out!

So SHOUT IT OUT!

I’m reminded of the blind lady who went to a special miracle service that was advertised not to far from her. She went forward and was prayed for and received her healing. A month later she still couldn’t see, but she kept telling everyone about her healing. She would stand up in church and testify about how she was blind but now she could see. Folks would laugh and scoff. Some would tell her that she was making a fool of herself. And one night, she was standing in front of her mirror, and she was telling the Lord, “Jesus, I know you healed me, I felt your power, and I know it’s true, but Lord they don’t understand, so, show all of them what you did for me.” And as she finished her prayer,                           she saw her reflection in the mirror. She said “Lord, thank you, I always knew it, but now they can know it too”!

Shout it, when you don’t see it, until you do!!!

Zephaniah 3:16 “Do not fear, do not let your hands fall limp. v17The LORD your God is among you, He is mighty to save. He will shout over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

It’s an awesome thing, when we shout and the Lord shouts back to us…

He shouted into the darkness and there was light, He shouted into the storm and it was calm, He shouted over His people and they were saved and preserved against all odds. When His shout mingles with our shout, heaven and earth will move in obedience.

Psalm 149:5 “Let the saints revel in glory, let them shout for joy upon their beds. v6 May the high praises of God (praising in the Spirit) be in their mouths, and a double-edged sword in their hands”…

Let’s join our Lord and master in His shouting…. Let those of earth, join in agreement with heaven’s host in the shout of victory, the shout of the finished work, the shout of expectant faith and confidence in the promises of God! Let’s wake up shouting and lie down shouting….

There’s a shout that is coming, which will shake the heavens and the earth. It will pierce the cemeteries and every place where mankind has died. It will shake the very foundations of society and reap the precious harvest of the earth. It will signal the end of one dispensation and the beginning of another, and it will usher in the “Day of the Lord”….WHAT A SHOUT THAT WILL BE! 

1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first”.

Are you ready for that shout? Have you prepared by getting your family and loved ones into the place of safety? Stop worrying about being rejected, or ridiculed. When you watch them being turned away from heaven forever, being ridiculed will be the last thing on your mind. Are you ready for the shout that will separate you and your loved ones forever!

The shout that will separate the sheep from the goats, the righteous from the unrighteous, the rebellious from the disobedient.

It’s time to push through your fears and concerns and believe me, when you know that their soul is saved and you will see them in heaven forever… YOU WILL BE SHOUTING! OUR GOD IS ABLE.!

When God in the flesh walked the streets of Jerusalem, His presence often upset status quo and messed up the work of Satan everywhere He went! When He showed up, the sick were healed, the dead were raised, and water was turned into wine!   

In the middle of a storm, He went for a stroll across the sea without a bridge! He stopped a funeral procession and touched the coffin and the boy that was dead in the coffin, got out!  He stood outside of a tomb and spoke to a dead man, called him by his name and he came hopping and wiggling out of the grave! He went into a room and shut the door on a girl who was dead and while the funeral service was going on (how rude is that), He said, “Talitha Cumi,” which is to say, “Daughter, I say unto thee, Arise!” and turned the obituary into a party announcement! He wasn't too good at natural math, because he divided 5,000 men plus women and children into two fish and five loaves of bread and fed everyone with 12 baskets full left over! That’s crazy math! He wasn't too good at natural medicine either... He spat in the eyes of a blind man and the blind man opened up his eyes and said, “I don’t know anything about Him, but one thing I do know, once I was blind but now I see!”  He is Lord of all, and as powerful as they may be now, every knee in heaven and earth will bow and declare His Lordship!

So, why not shout out like the blind man, and invite Him to mess up your day, turn it inside out and put it together again!!!

Give forth the shout of command, the shout of break through like a battering ram against the gates of hell, for they shall not prevail against your anointed shout. Give a shout that brings down the walls of the enemy, Give a shout that is your battle cry which strikes terror in the enemy and causes him to flee…..

Posted by: AT 12:30 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email
Friday, January 15 2021

In announcing this title, I am not trying to just be cute, or different, but to use it as a hook, to hang some truth on for us today…. If you can go out of here connecting what I want to share with UFO’s then the UFO’s won’t be what it’s all about, but what it’s connected to….

Billions of dollars and massive time and energy have been invested to discover if we are alone in the Universe. Every year thousands of sightings are reported and like the illusive Big Foot, conclusive proof continues to remain in the realm of fantasy.                                                            

In June 11th, 1982, Universal Pictures, released the movie E.T. In one weekend it had 12 million in viewer sales, and was an immediate Blockbuster. It generated 435 million dollars and surpassed Star Wars, to become the highest grossing film of all time, at that time. 

That kind of turnout reflects the tremendous interest in alien visitation, UFO’s and the big question…. “Are we alone, in the universe”?               

Who could forget those Star-Trek years – as CAPTAIN JAMES KIRK of the USS STARSHIP ENTERPRISE, spent his whole career dealing with Aliens. And of course there is Luke Skywalker, Princess Leah, and Hans Solo, in Star Wars, as they cooperated with and fought some pretty weird extra-terrestrial life forms….

There are nights when I have looked up at the Milky Way band which we are embedded in, containing 400 billion stars, each with planets circling them, and wondered what it would be like to be abducted by a UFO and taken to their planet and be the first to share the gospel with their kind…. (WOAH….. REEL IT IN MAN)

By now, some of you are seriously weighing the credibility of your pastor, but take a deep breath, and relax because UFO’s and alien visitations and even alien abductions have happened all through the bible…. As a matter of fact, all of us should expect these things to happen in the coming year…The UFO’S I’m talking about are 

“Unbelievably Fantastic Opportunities”

Going all the way back to the creation, In Genesis 3:8 indicates that 

Adam and Eve had an alien visitation every day….God walked daily in the garden and taught them, and fellowshipped with them…. 

We used to sing a song that kind of takes this for granted in our time…check out the lyrics… “And He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known. He speaks and the sound of His voice, all the birds hush their singing, and the melody that He gave to me, within my heart it’s ringing….”

God walked with Enoch and one day they just kept walking, and Enoch didn’t stop until he flew right by death and arrived in heaven. His legacy is “That he walked with God”

Elijah was abducted by God in a fiery UFO, and did not see natural death, but passed from life into life… these two men, Enoch and Elijah are a dress rehearsal for the great resurrection morning when all the righteous will find their way to their true eternal home. 

Methuselah walked with God 969 years and died the year of the flood. We don’t know all the adventures he and God had….Methuselah was alive when Adam was alive and he was still alive when Noah built the ark….These were incredible men and knew God in a special way!

Genesis 32:30, we read that Jacob saw God: “So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, ‘For I have seen God face to face…” Jacob also saw alien beings called angels ascending and descending from heaven.

Genesis 19 Abraham entertained angels, who stopped by his home to tell him that they were on their way to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.  Abraham negotiates with them to save his nephew Lot….

Exodus 33:11 “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend”.

Jesus showed up in the fiery furnace with the Hebrew children and they could not be burned….And it’s not just ancient history….

I have heard countless stories of Jesus showing up in hospital rooms, in prisons, and homes in Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Nazi populations. 

During the six day war, when the Jewish people took back Jerusalem, there are countless accounts of Arab armies seeing 10-12 foot angels fighting for the Jews….The aliens showed up!

Tell someone… “You can always count on Jesus showing up.”!

The children were doing a reenactment of Jesus triumphant entry,  but because of a sore throat, 5-year-old Annie stayed home from church with her mother. When the rest of the family returned home, they were carrying palm fronds. Annie asked them what they were for. Her father said, honey, “People held them over Jesus’ head as he rode by on a colt,” 

“Well, wouldn’t you know it,” Annie grumbled, “the one Sunday I’m sick and Jesus shows up and offers pony rides!”

We’re talking about aliens, and I am looking at aliens right now as I face you in this room (you’re not scary at all)  The Apostle Peter says we are strangers and aliens.                                                                                                 1 Peter 2:11-12 “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among this world that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God in the day he visits us”.

We who are Christians are called to serve an alien entity, who came to earth 2000 years ago, to show us how to fight evil alien forces which also came to kill, steal and destroy. 

Before the foundation of the earth, his coming was planned… before the heavenly rebellion, before mankind, before sin, before all of that, the visitation was put in place.

So, understanding this…. We then realize that it is all spelled out in the original Star Wars trilogy…..not Spielberg’s version, but the version we find in Ephesians 6: 10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit (the alien tongue) on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people”.

MAY THE REAL FORCE BE WITH YOU!!!

The old song says --- “This world is not my home; I’m just a passing through, my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door, and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore….” If you are a Christian, you are not a permanent resident here… Jesus called us to live like aliens—to fix our minds on radically different priorities. Your ultimate allegiance is in heaven, your citizenship is there, You are an Alien and a stranger…                                                                  All Believers in Christ are aliens in this world. It’s difficult for us to fit into a world that is out of touch with the values, and principles of our home land….That’s what our struggles are mostly about. Because we are in the world but not of the world. We are just passing through… call it pilgrims, sojourners, pioneers, way markers, or aliens. We speak another language…. The bible…. We meditate on it, we decree it’s truths, we pray it, we teach it, we memorize it, we live it!!!! And, I am glad today to be an ALIEN FROM ANOTHER WORLD, How about you!

I love the sci-fi movies where those who are aliens have special powers… THAT’S US AS WELL!!!

The head alien (Jesus) endued us with power from the home land…. He said as I have overcome the world, you shall overcome also in my name. He said “The things I have done you shall do also in My name”… He actually bestowed on us these powers saying….                                                     Matthew 10:7 “As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ v8 and Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse all kinds of diseases, castout demons. (KA POW) Freely you have received, freely give”, 

He even gave us power over the grave, saying “because I live you shall live also”

What a great tragedy it is when a believer throws away his faith and hope in the amazing future world that we have been promised,and renounces his citizenship there, and lives for "this present world."                                                                                                  John said it well, “The world is passing away and its desires, but the one who does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:17)

I want to stir you up to use the means God has given you to maintain your alien identity in a world constantly pressing you into its mold.

If you lose money you’ve lost something needed. If you’ve lost a friend you’ve lost more. But if you lose your identity, you’ve lostthe most important thing of all.

In some ways we can judge the invisible things by the visable… (by their fruit you shall know them) Here’s an interesting measurement of our claim to the lordship of Christ…..                                                                            1 John 4:20 says, "If anyone says I love God and yet hates his brother, he is a liar, for anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen."

I heard that a Pastor and his board chairman got in a heated argument over a detail in the building program. The pastor, being diplomatic, said “I suggest we go home and pray to God to grant us peaceful hearts”, as the chairman stormed past him into the churchyard. *……After worship the next Sunday morning, hegreeted the Pastor warmly, saying, “I took your advice, and I went home and said a prayer.” “Great!” said the Pastor. “So did I! I prayed that God would grant us both peaceful hearts and a fresh start.” “Well”….The chairman said, “That’s not what I prayed, I asked God to give me patience to tolerate you.” (He was almost, but not quite there)

So, love fervently…. Give cheerfully….Pray earnestly…. Believe intensely. Seek Him unceasingly…..Know who you are….Live out the Word….Never settle for less…..Make each day count…..Know where you’re going…..Know Jesus more, and more, and more…

We know that being a Christian begins with a supernatural act. That means it is not of this world. (beam me up Scotty) If we could do it, Christ would not have come. We could make the leap ourselves. Salvation is an action which is of another realm….                                                                                                                      Jesus taught his disciples to pray “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10).

This work which is activated in us and joins us to the realms of heaven, enters us to make us part of the supernatural realm. We are granted full citizenship, full participation, access to Divine counsel, power over Satanic intruders, permission and authority to act in God’s behalf, the right to speak His word as though He were speaking, and the ability to live forever…. 

Colossians 1:12-13 “He [God] has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,”              In the summer of 1805, some Indian chiefs and warriors met in council at Buffalo Creek, New York to hear a presentation of the Christian message from the Boston Missionary Society. After the sermon, Chief Red Jacket responded, “Brother, we are told that you have been preaching to the white people in this area. These people are our neighbors. We are well acquainted with them. We will wait a little while and see what effect your preaching has upon them. If we find it does them good, makes them honest and less prone to cheat the Indians, we will then consider again what you have said.” Well, we know how that went…. It’s a wonder that any Indians ever received the gospel….

Unless you have had a supernatural act, done in your life from another realm, (we call it salvation) you will find it impossible tolive the kind of life the bible calls supernatural, it’s the will of God in us, as we journey through this world. 

It all starts, with receiving Him as savior, then take the next step and receive Him as your Lord and master. Both steps are necessary. The first is instant, the second, we walk out daily as we grow and learn through His word, which is our manual for this pilgrim life.                                                                            John 17:16 “You are not of the world, even as I am not of the world”

John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, the world hates you as it hated me”.

You’ve made him your savior, but have you taken the second step, and made him your Lord and master….

One day, the disciples were telling Jesus what the people around them were saying about him… One by one they chimed in, then Jesus asked them the most important question of all…”Who do you say I am”…. God makes this thing personal, and unavoidable….

Daniel in the lion’s den wouldn’t have survived if he didn’t know beyond a doubt who He was…I think of Paul in prison, when the jail burst open and they were set free… It was because they were sure and completely confident who they were…. Then there’s Peter, saying to the lame man, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." They knew who they were!

An old man with a cane hobbled with great difficulty through the hallway and into the pastor’s office and passed the women who were having their prayer meeting in an adjacent room. He was bent over and obviously in great pain.

Twenty minutes later he came out, walking upright and moving with grace and speed. “Praise the Lord, some of the ladies shouted, that’s wonderful that the pastor prayed for you and you were healed.”          “Well you’re close,” the old man told them. “What the pastor did, was to give me a new cane. Mine was six inches too short!”

The pastor gave him something better to lean on! That’s what God wants all of us to have… something better to lean on… Hallelujah, He’s our blessed assurance… Our strong foundation… A shelter in the time of storm… Peace that passes all understanding… Our shield and fortress… A mighty tower which we can run into…. A safe place… The rock that won’t roll… Our standard bearer… Our deliverer and lifter of our head….He’s theeverlasting arms… our comforter…. Faithful friend… our healer… helper in time of need… Justice and truth… Our keeper and confidence… Our reason and hope….Eternal lover… Master and King….  

And it’s about making Him Lord and Master…. I need all of that… how about you….

Would you take a moment as we close and crown Him Lord and King in your life this morning before we leave this place. 
Let’s pray…. Lord Jesus, I declare and establish that You are the Christ, my Great King, my Good Shepherd, my Only Master, my Helper, my sustainer, my Priest and intercessor before the Father, my True Light, my Truth, my Way and the Light of my life, my Wisdom, and my Everlasting Salvation.                                                                                                                                                                    I give You my heart and I ask you to take me, and use me as Your servant to spread Your mercy, grace and love to my world. I ask the Holy Spirit to make me more like You. I want to give You a central place in my heart, and I ask that you would teach me Your ways, that I might walk in Your will and plan for my life.                                                                                 May I always hunger and thirst after you, as I deal with all the issues of my life. Let Your words fill my spirit, my thoughts and my mouth as I speak with wisdom and truth. Lord, I desire to honor You in thought, in word, and in deedas once again, I commit myself unto you, as my Lord and my Master. I pray this for Your honor and glory, In Your glorious name, amen. 

He gives us something better to lean on! When the world seems all wrong, when it looks like it can’t be fixed, when everyone has turned against you, Yes, we have something better to lean upon and He won’t let us down!

Posted by: AT 09:01 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
Friday, January 08 2021

As I announce the title to this message, I’m reminded that Moses told the people in Numbers 11:29 “Would to God that all the LORD'S people would prophesy, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them all”!

To prophesy in the Bible is to speak under inspiration…to declare forth the promises of God—and the intentions of God. His promises of peace and not destruction, promises of grace and mercy, of truth that reveals deception, and of hope that drives away despair, leaders who will do what is just and right in the land, and Salvation and safety for the people. A prophet is an office in the body of Christ, it is an abiding gift, to build up and strengthen the church. But we all can speak as we are inspired by the Holy Spirit. 

Proverbs 18:21"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits". Or death and life are in your words!

Romans 6:23 “To set your mind on the flesh is death, but to set your mind on the Spirit is life and peace”. 

There is a song by Bryan & Katie Torwalt, titled “prophesy your promise” Listen to the lyrics…

“I found You in the middle of my mess, You had been there all along, With open arms and open heart, You called me in, And You didn’t hesitate at all, And the lies I once believed, They crumble with the weight of Your truth, And the fear that gripped my heart Is arrested, So that I can see You. When I only see in part, I will prophesy Your promise, I believe You, God Because You finish what You start. I will trust You with the process, I believe You, God. You set a table in the middle of my war, Cause You knew the outcome of it all. When what I faced looked like it would never end, You said, watch the giants fall. Fear can go to hell, and Shame can go there too, Cause I know whose I am God, I belong to You”.

Revelation 19:10 “The Word of the Lord is the spirit of prophecy”. God’s word is already inspired, and God breathed. 

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. 

We are being instructed here, that God’s word produces in us faith, so that we can move into the unknown with confidence that things we cannot see are being formed and shaped by God’s word coming out of our Spirit by the Holy Spirit which is transforming our voices into the creative Roush, or the God breathed word of prophetic substance.

We are familiar with Hebrews 11:1 which states that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence (hypostasis) of things not seen” But let me present you with something you might miss here….

When you can receive this in your spirit, you understand that the reality which you are believing for, in your life, your home, your job, your city, is waiting to be spoken out by the promises of God that need to be come out of your mouth in a consistent and unrelenting persistence, which refuses to give up or quit.

Hebrews 11:1 is not about what faith is, as much as it is about what faith does! It is the very beginning of everything that really matters spiritually, and it originates in the Spirit realm but affects everything in the natural realm in our lives. By saying that it is the "evidence" or in the Greek, “hypostasis” we are actually saying that we have received the "title deed," of the things we hoped for…If then, you hold the title deed, you will begin to talk and act like it is already yours, not like it will some day be yours….

As part of this presentation by Paul, on this “hypostasis” faith, he gives a list of some bible characters who exampled this for us. He points to Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.

When you understand that God has already given you the title deed to what you cannot see, and you begin to speak and act like it, miracles begin to be released to bring it to pass…                                                            The children of Israel walked across the Red Sea on dry ground, manna came from heaven, water came out of the rock, enemies were defeated against all odds….The walls of Jericho fell down flat…and there are Gideon, Samson, David and Samuel, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised. God shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, their weakness was turned to strength. Women received back their dead, who were raised to life again.

Hold on to your “hypostasis,” your title deed… for it has great recompense of reward!

As we look at all this, It’s important that we keep in mind, a portion of scripture in James 4:3 “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures”.

We need to grasp this…. When our motive is to honor God, and to serve Him, and to put Him first, these things become our covenant with our God. But when we begin to make it about us and not about Him, we forfeit this principal because James tells us we are asking amiss… or with the wrong motives and desires….

Someone has said “Generally, a person has two reasons for doing something...There is One reason that sounds good, and then there is the real reason”.

The Israelites were told by God that He would bring down the walls of Jericho if they would walk around them 6 days and 7 times on the 7th day. But if you read the story, he told them to march in total silence, because he didn’t want them to speak words that would cancel the victory He was about to give them. God knew the power of the tongue! The 7th day, the 7th time they blew their trumpets, broke the pitchers which hid the torches, and shouted or (prophesied to the walls) and down they came! Marching only worked when they obeyed!

Speaking of motives, A young fellow who worked in an investment house was impressed and very appreciative at the interest his fellow workers took in the news that his wife was going to have a baby. Every day one or more of them would drop around to his desk to inquire: “How’s the wife doing?” “What does the doc say?” “Any news, daddy?” “How many more days till the big event?” What he didn’t know was, the reason for all the interest in his future fatherhood, was really about winning the office bet about the birth date, they had all put money on.

What if we got up every morning and asked ourselves… “Am I doing the things that I truly believe in and am I doing them for the best possible motives”?

God looks on the heart, while others may look on the outward appearance….                                                                                                       There are a lot of metals that on the surface look like gold. Centuries ago, people discovered that unscrupulous operators would take advantage of this to trick people into paying for worthless metal. In order to determine whether gold was genuine or not, scientists devised an “acid test.” The item that is supposed to be gold is rubbed on a black stone, leaving a mark on the stone. Gold is what is called a noble metal, meaning that it is resistant to the corrosive effects of acid. If the mark is washed away when acid is applied, then it is not real gold. If it remains unchanged, the nobility of the gold is proven by the acid test. 

The trial our faith, comes to confirm if our faith is in the right things and if our motives are right. Many folks do the right things and say all the right things, but they have motives that will not stand the tests….             1 Corinthians 3:13 “Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is” 

The difference between the Powerball faith and the Gospel faith is the difference between luck and trust.

The Powerball is all about luck—and your chances are one in 176 million, which is not very good odds.

The Gospel is all about trust—which is confidence that God will come through, not just for one in 6 billion of us, but for the whole world.

There’s another big difference—With Powerball, one lucky family, or maybe two, experiences salvation, freedom from debt and a change of their lives.

But Gospel faith is not just for one person or one family, although it’s personal for each of us. The Gospel faith is for the whole world, for the salvation of everyone, so that we experience a change in the way the whole planet runs. It’s about justice and righteousness and peace and salvation for all. Everyone’s a winner. Because It’s a sure bet.

When it comes to the lotto, as opposed to the promises of God, There’s a big difference in the math. People play Powerball trying to spend a little to get a lot. Turn $3 into $580 million. Did you know that your odds don’t actually increase the more you play? It’s a myth, because the lottery doesn’t work like chances in a raffle. With lotto, no matter how many tickets you have, your chances are still just one in 176 million.

With God’s promises, the more you invest in faith and hope, the bigger it grows and the bigger the payout. Give it all, get it all and more, full measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over!

Begin now, to prophesy God’s word into your world… You can begin with “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven”….

Prophesy a world of peace and justice, for the angel declared “peace on earth good will toward men”. Prophesy the world living together in harmony with God’s design. Prophesy right relationships, security, trust, and fulfillment of God’s intentions in the earth. 

And you can know that these are not wild fantasies and lottery dreams—they are the hopes of every generation, the sure outcome of free grace, the covenant of peace and justice and righteousness and safety and salvation from the God who was and is and is to come. For the time is coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill my gracious promise. Thanks be to God!

A young girl, who had never traveled, by train, knew that In the course of the day her train would be crossing two rivers and several wide chasms. The thoughts of that, begin to cause fear in her mind and the more she thought of it, the more fear rose up. As they drew near the *…..first river, the conductor noticed her fear and leaned over, telling her, “You can relax dear, somebody has put bridges for us all the way”. The girl was able to lean back with a long breath of relief and confidence and enjoy her trip.

He had just handed her the “hypostasis,” title deed to her destination!

So, lean back, child of God and prophesy the promises! Declare forth your destination… He has gone before you and built the bridges into your future, so you can arrive at your destination!

How about prophesying John 14:3 He has gone to prepare a place for us, and if He is preparing a place for us, He will come to us and welcome us into it, so that we may also be where He is”…

That’s what Peter did in the storm…. He cried out “It is Jesus”, then he said “Jesus, if that’s you, then let me come to where you are.”

The words we speak will either build us up or tear us down. It will attract our fears or transport us into His promises. Our tongue will either bring blessings or curses upon us—from both God and man—in both the present time and for eternity.

There is great power in your mouth! 

We have all heard the stories of how a false witness has condemned people to spend years In prison, even though they were innocent. We have also heard stories of how the right words can give hope to a 

suicidal person and turn them from death to life. A slanderer can destroy the reputation of a good person. A wise counselor can steer young people through the perils and vulnerabilities of their youth, and guide them into paths of success. How many lives were destroyed as a result of the words spoken by Adolf Hitler in the 1930s and early '40s?

Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”.

Proverbs 10:11 "The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life"

Our words can reconcile people and make peace. Our words can make marriages sweet, families strong, and churches healthy. Our words can give hope to the despairing, help with understanding, and spread the gospel. Our words are the result of what we fill our spirit with.                                           Luke 6:45 “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart (the spirit) his mouth speaks”.

A critical spirit produces a critical tongue. A self-righteous spirit produces a judgmental tongue. A bitter spirit produces a bitter tongue. An ungrateful spirit produces an unforgiving tongue.                                                                                                                                                                   But a loving spirit produces a gracious tongue. A faithful spirit produces an accepting tongue. A peaceful spirit produces a forgiving tongue. A trusting spirit produces an encouraging tongue.

So, fill yourself with the promises of God, and that’s what will come out!

One day John Wesley was walking with a troubled man who expressed his doubt as to the goodness of God. He said, “My life has seen so much trouble and turmoil.”

At that moment Wesley saw a cow looking over a stone wall. He said “Do you know why that cow is looking over the wall?”“No,” said the man with furrowed brow and fearful heart.

Wesley said, “The cow is looking over the wall because she cannot see through the wall. To his friend he said, “That’s what you must do with your wall of trouble—look above it instead of standing there staring at it, unable to see all that God has planned beyond.”

Luke said it so well in, Acts 20:32 “And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance (the title deed) among all those who are sanctified”.

Like a hungry child, fill up your mouth so that it just automatically spills out everywhere and to everyone around you! Put so much in your spirit, you can’t contain it all…. And it just keeps spilling out….           

Let your mouth be “a fountain of life”… Encourage, more than you correct and criticize. Say something affectionate to a loved one at an unexpected time. Catch someone in the act of being good…Seek to speak words that are “good for building a person up and inspiring.”

In spite of Israel’s failings, short comings and rebellion, listen to how Isaiah speaks forth in line with what God has promised, and not the thing he may have see at the moment….

Isaiah 43:1 “But now, says the Lord, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 

v3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. 4 Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5 Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; 

v6 I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth — 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

What if you put your spouse’s name, or your children’s names, or your friend’s and neighbor’s names in there? 

You would be prophesying the promises of God not the problem….

Bobby McFerrin sang a cute little song in 1988 that swept the country….

“Don’t worry, be happy”…. Ooh, oooh, oooh, ooh ooh ooh ooh…. Don’t worry be happy….(Here’s some of the lyrics)….

“Here's a little song I wrote, You might want to sing it note for note

Don't worry, be happy…In every life we have some trouble, Butwhen you worry you make it double, Don't worry, be happy. (come on, everyone) Ooh, oooh, oooh, ooh ooh ooh ooh…. Don’t worry be happy….

Ain't got no place to lay your head, Somebody came and took your bed 

Don't worry, be happy. The landlord say your rent is late, He may have to litigate. Don't worry, be happy…

Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style, Ain't got no gal to make you smile

Don't worry, be happy. Cause when you worry your face will frown

And that will bring everybody down..So don't worry, be happy..     (Everyone now) Ooh, oooh, oooh, ooh ooh ooh ooh…. Don’t worry be happy….”

That song tells us what to do, but not how to do it… What I’m giving you today is how to be Happy!!! ​PROPHESY THE PROMISES! COME ON… PROPHESY WITH ME TODAY…..

We can prophesy the promise of Hebrews 13:5 “He will never leave you, nor forsake you. 6 So I may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me”.

We prophesy the promise of Romans 8:28 – “All things work together for good to those that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose”.

And how about 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and a sound mind”.

Let’s keep going…Isaiah 59:19 “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him”.

And let’s do Isaiah 61:3 "He has appointed unto them, beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."

You are prophesying right now church!!! Let’s keep this going…..

Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…”

Let’s do 2 Timothy 1:12 "For I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep all that I have committed unto him."                                                                        *…….. One more before we close…. 2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God are “Yes in Christ. And so through Him, our “Amen is spoken to the glory of God”.

In closing, I declare the promise of 2 Peter 1:2-10 over your life and the lives of those around you….Join me in this powerful Prophesy…..”Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and Godliness through the knowledge of Him who has called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us great and precious promises that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if youdo these things you shall never fail. In Jesus Name!

AMEN, let’s allow the promises of God to shine down and activate His covenant with His people in every situation we find ourselves in. God said it, we believe it, and that settles it!!!!

Posted by: AT 11:08 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
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