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Sermon of the Week 
Tuesday, September 01 2015

Look Who God Is Using Now…..

The child of God has every right to expect a glorious tomorrow, even if the present situation does not in any way make their optimism look very realistic. In the face of uncertainty and total economic collapse, the believer who knows his God, will still expect a change for the better, because he knows he serves a God who specializes in giving great and wonderful surprises to His children.

2 Kings 6:25-29 “And there was a great famine in Samara: and, behold, they besieged it, until a mule’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver,($4,000.00) and the fourth part of a measure of dove's dung (a little more than a quart) for five pieces of silver ($260.00). And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barn floor, or out of the winepress? And the king said unto her, What ails you? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give your son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son tomorrow. So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give your son, that we may eat him: and she has now hidden her son”.

Can you say….”THINGS WERE MIGHTY BAD”

First….Things were so bad that there was no fuel to cook with and they were paying top price, $260.00, for a quart of Dove's dung so they could have something to cook with, because they had already burned up everything else that could be burned, to cook what little they had.

I have heard it said that dove's dung represented the place where the dove once was, after the dove has flown away…. It’s coming to that place where you are just getting through with sheer determination and will power….only obligation is left…and that stops being about the flow of the Spirit, and becomes just religious function…the thrill is gone, the excitement and the genuine awe and amazement of new life in Christ has become a memory….It represented the good old days. It represented the revivals of the past when the Holy Spirit was moving in the lives of people. In times of famine, something in us has dried up, and isn't that what we do.

We remember the days when we ate to the full, now we just feel empty all the time, we know something is missing. That's what the Samaritans experienced. They remembered the days when they had plenty, but they had neglected to put God first in their lives….

Phillipians 3:8 “Yea doubtless, I do count all things but dung, that I may win Christ”… without the touch of the Holy Spirit upon it, Paul says “it’s all just dung”….

I can remember days of revival in my own life, but God does not want us hungering for the good old days, He wants us to know and experience that He’s the same today and tomorrow, as He ever has been. When the cloud moved as Israel was journeying to the promised land, they had to move with it, or they would be out from under God’s protection and provision. They would be easy prey for their enemies and for the lack that was all around them….

We must guard God’s presence as the most important thing in our lives…and never stop hungering for Him!

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled”. Our very hunger is God’s ironclad guarantee that fullness is waiting…..He has promised more than enough, not just enough to survive!

I believe God has some great new days ahead for us. I want to encourage you. If you're down and discouraged I want you to know that the Bible says that God is going to do a new thing

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert”.

The second thing that describes how bad the famine was, is that these people were eating donkey's heads. Donkey's heads represent stubbornness and refusal to submit. Stubbornness represents misplaced affections and spiritual decline. The cares of life and the love of other things come in and choke out the good word of God in our hearts and we begin to wrestle with our priorities… personal gratification becomes more important than intercession and waiting on God for direction. We can know, there’s a famine about to move into our Spirits when we start eating donkey heads.

We have all heard that saying, "Stubborn as a mule”. That donkey won't go ahead. He simply won't move. He won't submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit" and that's the way people act when they get themselves in a desperate place. They want what they want… They get stubborn. They may say I'm going to sit right here, when God says move. They may say, I'm not going to do anything that I don't want to do! Let the world go to Hell in a hand basket, as long as I make it! Nothing moves them because all they can see and all they can feel, is the famine in their soul and it makes them self-centered….. “Me, Me, Me, I’m in love with me…give me, give me, give me my name is Jimmy…”

The next thing we see in this horrible famine, is people eating their seed. It says they were in such a bad place, they were turning cannibalistic. They were eating their children……

Children represent our seed, that which is our legacy long after we are gone. They were undercutting their own future in their desperation. The danger in a famine, is that people stop sowing their seed; they eat it or they hoard it. They aren't sowing it into missions. They aren't sowing into the lives of people or sowing it into the work of the ministry; they are sowing all their seed into their own interests. They are eating the seed instead of sowing it….

There is a God ordained law of the bread and the seed….Before we call He will answer, so the bread represents what God provides for our consumption….as well as seed to sow to set a harvest cycle in motion which will provide well into the future…..God promises that our seed will produce 30, 60 and 100 fold…and God makes sure we always have something to use as seed.

Isaiah 30:23 “Then shall the Lord give unto you rain for your seed, and you shall sow your seed that you might eat the bread and enjoy the increase of the earth”

Isaiah 55:9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. v10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not until it has watered the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: v11 So shall my word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing which I sent it to do”.

God is telling us that in the law of seed and bread…. Everything which has been placed in our care and our keeping, has two parts…

Seed to sow and bread to eat…. Out seed is not for eating…. Whether it is in the form of money, things, talents, abilities, or our children and families… We have a God ordained responsibility to keep a cycle of harvest going in everything which is in our possession… To think it’s all mine, I’ll do what I want with it, is to diminish our return, here and for eternity! Listen to what God says about that part of everything you have which He describes as seed.

Malachi 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, how have we robbed God? You have robbed Me In tithes and offerings (tithe and offering are seeds).

Some say, “But I invest my seed in my family and I help my friends….. The problem here is to fail to recognize another law of the seed, which God has given us….

That all seed is divided into two parts…. “Tithe and offerings”…. God lets us choose where we invest the offering seed, but the tithe seed is His to decide, it belongs to Him, it is not ours to decide….IT IS HIS!

Malachi 3:10 “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse (what is the storehouse?) that there may be sufficient in My house, (His house is referring to the temple building or the church building) and prove me now in this, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. v11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruit of your ground, neither shall your investments fail before they yield increase, says the LORD of hosts”. (How does it say to prove Him? By giving Him all that is His...)

The Lord promises that instead of crop failure in our finances, our investments, and our families, there would be a good harvest, bringing increase in our lives and in His kingdom in all the areas which are listed and far beyond….

2 Kings 7:3 “And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? v4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. v5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there”.

God did not send some great, well trained, band of powerful warriors, He is sending weak vessels with a limp! Not only that, He is sending the weakest of the weakest…like the 4 lepers who had (auto-immune disease) and whose bodies were being eaten away with a dreaded disease, (parts of their bodies were literally, falling off)! As if that wasn’t bad enough, they were being directed by God to leave the walls of what little safety they had, and go out to the enemy’s camp and get enough food to break the famine for the entire city, and bring it back to the people. God was looking for those, through whom He would receive the most glory….Have you ever gotten a word from God and you looked around to see if He was talking to someone else!?? Who does He use? He uses those who get fed up, get up, stand up, show up, pray up, and are ready to go up!

(tell someone, I think He wants to use you!)

He’s not sending superstars, He is sending something supernatural.

He’s the words, we’re the mouth and the voice…. He’s the energizing spirit, we’re the hands and feet…. He’s the power, we are the switch that releases the power….

You can be in the famine, without the famine being in you….You can be in the world, but not of the world….For you are part of a Kingdom within a kingdom….Nothing is going to happen in the heavenlies until men and women who are desperate for God, begin moving and operating in the earth realm as the redeemed, anointed, empowered, supernatural people that we are!

As these four lepers began to move forth….God performed a mighty miracle. Listen, It’s hard to steer a parked car, it has to be moving before you can get it to turn…. Stop waiting to see something happen….start moving and God will take you somewhere, and make something happen…. when they went forth, the host of the Syrians (that’s 185,000 troops) heard the sound of a mighty army. They heard the roaring of the chariots and the noise of horses and they began to flee in terror. God takes the moving forth of faith by four desperate men and magnifies it into a miracle. Isn't that just like God to increase what we offer to him in faith. Give Him a few kernels of corn and He will give you back a whole field of corn in it's place.

Joshua took God at His word and allowed God to do the sending and we read in Joshua 23:8 “But cleave unto the LORD your God, as you have done up unto this day. v9 For the LORD has driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man has been able to stand before you unto this day. v10 For, one man of you shall chase a thousand, for the LORD your God, He it is that fights for you, as He has promised you. v11 Be careful then, that you stay in a close love relationship with the LORD your God”.

The ark represented giving God’s presence first place in the midst of the conflict…. It wasn’t the mighty in the flesh, but the worshipers and praisers, that God sent out before the army of Israel, they were followed by the ark of His presence…As God’s presence went before them and with them… the victory was not by the might of men, but the power of God!

In Samaria, God used four desperate leperous men to put the enemy to flight and bring deliverance to a whole city.

We see that it's not the number of men, it's the surrender of the man, that God uses to overcome the oppressors of His people. How do you receive salvation….SURRENDER… How do you receive the baptisim in the Spirit…SURRENDER…. How do you receive healing….SURRENDER…. How do you receive your victory…SURRENDER….When you and I move forth, an army moves forth with us…

I want you to grab on to a scripture which is part of the story of a freckled faced, red headed, teenage boy, facing a Giant, a giant who is a trained warrior, who in the natural, was far superior….

1 Samuel 17:37 “David said to king Saul, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with you”. 17:45 “Then said David to the Philistine, you come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of armies, whose name you have defied”.

When the Samaritan lepers got to the camp of the enemy, they found out what is true of every one of us….The God of armies has already shown up, and the enemy had fled and left all their treasures behind, waiting for someone to show up and claim them. Will you be the one!!!!

Proverbs 13:22 says and “the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just”.

It reminds me of those who have promises from the Lord, that they would be sent to lay hands on the sick when they don't even have hands, so they speak the word and God does the touching….. Those who are told to preach the gospel and they have no voice, so they use the silent language of signing and people come to Christ….Those who are told to behold the works of God, but they have no sight, so God brings them dreams, visions, and revelations….

The God of Armies finds a way… if you only sit there and count your losses, you will die, but if you move out and trust God for a future and a hope, then you have one, for He stands in our future and welcomes us to the places we’ve never been.

Adolf Hitler who you may know, was very into the occult, went to see a fortune teller. Hitler asked "What day will I die on?" The fortune teller answered that he would die on a Jewish holiday. Hitler asked the fortune teller "How do you know that?" The fortune teller answered "Sir, whatever day you'll die on WILL be a Jewish holiday!"

So, anyway, the lepers arrived at the Syrian camp and they began to celebrate, they ate till they couldn’t hold any more…..and they moved from one tent to another collecting the silver, the gold and the garments and then they began to hide it. One moment, they were starving, broke, filled with lack, and never enough….then the next moment, they had more than enough…..

God is releasing into someone’s spirit, that one moment you were in lack, in the land of never-enough, and the next, you step over into a place of more than enough! One moment you were in famine and the next, you were in the midst of abundance! With God, it’s never about what we have but what we do with what we have!

You can’t say you’re believing for an “A” and study for a “B”….You can’t pray for a strong faithful spouse and live an unfaithful lifestyle…..You can’t expect your children to live godly lives, if you are not living it before them…. You can’t expect trust and honor and not honor others and be trustworthy yourself….Christianity is not a “do what I say”, but it’s a “do as I do” experience”!

Mark 12:41 “And Jesus sat over near the treasury, and watched how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. v42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, (two pennies) which make a farthing. v43 And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow has cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury. v44 For all of them did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living”.

This woman didn’t give according to what she had, she gave according to what she needed and expected to have! She was sowing into her need and her expectations!

So many times folks get a blessing and they bury it as the lepers were tempted to do when they found all the wealth the Syrians had abandoned.

God blesses us according to our intentions and the motives of our heart. God blesses us to be a blessing. We say we want revival, but we refuse to step outside of the four walls of the church building to do something to have it.

This may be where we gather on Sunday, but the city is the field where we sow the seeds for the harvest we pray for. There's a famine because the enemy has cut us off from affecting the world by not moving forward as the lepers did, on the job, in the neighborhood, in our homes and among our friends, understanding that the God of Armies goes with us, to drive away the enemy who wants to stop us and make it possible for us to enjoy the victory!

I want to tell you today, that God wants to use you in His revival. To go forth and face the enemy with the God of armies, when no one else would go! All you need to do is get desperate enough to make the right decision like the lepers did. Move out beyond the walls, whatever they may be, which confine, obstruct, or keep you in. Face the enemies of fear, intimidation, unbelief, discouragement and uncertainty and God will perform a miracle in your life too. There is always a place of action for your faith to take the leap of destiny!.

Who does God use? Whoever shows up!

(I have a Kodak moment of the sending anointing that took us beyond our families, our friends, our jobs, and everything familiar…and out into the unknown with the God of armies….) It’s been a blast! We’ve seen countless miracles, met some of God’s choice servants and come to know the Lord in a way we could never have known him before!

We talk with and we interact with folks every day, all day long….

We talk to people about everything.

(just look at Face Book and you know it’s true)

We talk to them in great detail about sports.

We talk to them about the most personal matters in their lives.

We talk to them about serious health problems.

But we don't talk to them about the most important subject of their lives.

We don't talk to them about where they will spend eternity.

We never ask them if they know they will go to heaven when they die.

We never come right out and ask them if they have received Jesus as their personal savior.

We have never asked them if they will go to church with us, and then go by to pick them up on Sunday to bring them and take them out to lunch.

We have never told them about our experience with Jesus as our Savior and the transformation He made in our lives.

God sent His Son, His only Son, to come down from heaven to live upon this sin-filled world, He didn’t have to but He chose to. He chose to come and suffer an agonizing death on the cross for our sins – though He committed no sins.

Because of Jesus, all our sins have been forgiven.

Because of Jesus, we have been given eternal life.

Because of Jesus, we will not go to hell, forever and forever in that horrible place.

Because of Jesus, we have a home in heaven being prepared for us.

Because of Jesus, our names are written in the Book of Life.

Because of Jesus, our heavenly Father watches over us.

Because of Jesus, we can take our prayers directly to God who hears and answers all our prayers.

Because of Jesus, we have someone who lifts our heavy burdens.

Because of Jesus, all things work together for our good.

Because of Jesus, we have been given all things concerning life and Godliness. (that means righteousness, holiness, peace, joy, and an iron clad blood sealed guarantee that He will stand behind every promise of provision, connection, opportunities and our destinies)

R.A.Torrey went into a restaurant one day with some Christian friends.

Immediately, the Lord spoke to him and said, " Speak to the waiter about Christ." Torrey decided that it was not the time or place to witness to this waiter, since he needed to fellowship with his friends. And besides, he was tired, it had been a difficult week and he needed a break. So, he and his friends continued with their meal, but the conviction became stronger, and Torrey decided that the next time the waiter came to his table, he would speak to him about Jesus.. But he never came back.

When they were leaving the restaurant that evening, Torrey said to the manager, "I would like speak to the man who served our table."

The manager said, "Sir, I'm afraid that's impossible just a short while ago he went in the back and committed suicide." (true story)

There’s a poem titled, “Around The Corner” by Charles Hanson Towne

"Around the corner I have a friend, In this great city that has no end,

Yet the days go by and weeks rush on, And before I know it, a year is gone. And I never see my old friend's face, For life is a swift and terrible race. He knows I like him just as well, As in the days when I rang his bell.

Yes, we were younger then, And now we are busy, tired old men. Tired of playing a foolish game, Tired of trying to make a name. "Tomorrow" I say "I will call on Jim, Just to show that I'm thinking of him." But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes, And, the distance between us grows and grows. Just around the corner!- yet miles away, "Here's a telegram sir - Jim died today."

There was a football coach who always told his team, “if you are going to fall, fall forward, that way eventually, we will get to the goal line.” I believe that’s what the lepers learned, that you could fall forward, no matter what your situation….or how bad it might look!

2 Kings 7:8 When the lepers arrived at the edge of the Syrian camp, they went into one tent after another, eating, drinking wine, and carrying out silver and gold and clothing and hiding it. v9 Finally, they said to each other, "This is not right. This is wonderful news, and we aren't sharing it with anyone! If we wait until morning, some terrible calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let's go back and tell the people at the palace." v10 So they went back to the city and told the gatekeepers what had happened - that they had gone out to the Aramean camp and no one was there! The horses and donkeys were tethered and the tents were all in order, but there was not a single person around. v11 Then the gatekeepers shouted the news to the people in the palace”.

The God of armies is with us….and He has gone before us. Great things are ahead, but we cannot stay in the place we have been and expect to receive them. The lepers said “let us go forth”….it didn’t look very promising in the natural, but God showed them that their potential was far greater than the problem and the persecution could not be compared to the possibilities that lay beyond them….

I’m reminded of the account in 2 Kings 6:15 “And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! How and what shall we do? v16 And Elisha answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. v17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man and he saw (in the spirit, not just the flesh) and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha”.

With Elisha, we pray, “Lord if the situation hasn’t changed yet, open our eyes to see what is really going on” Let us see the God of armies is with us and is waiting for us to move forth! Often before God changes things around us, He changes things within us!

2 Corinthians 3:18 “And all of us have had the veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more and more.”

Oh Lord, open our eyes! Give us Your perspective! And as He does, we shall mount up with wings as eagles, above the famine, we shall run and not be weary, in the battle, we shall walk and not faint through the valleys of our life!!!

When the enemy comes in like a flood, God will lift up the standard. You can’t win in the flood with your X,Y,Z game…..you have to bring your “A” game of faith, obedience and surrender! God will replace your fear with faith, your pain with purpose and your obstacles with opportunities!

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