In this Christmas message, I want to take a look at this nameless guy and his wife, who were the inn keepers in the Christmas story, who didn’t even know Jesus…   These folks were just another face in the crowd at a busy season in Bethlehem….

A 6 year old boy told his mom "I don't want to go to church on Christmas" 

The mom told him "Honey, It's important to go and celebrate the birth of Jesus" 

The little boy said "But Mom, we don't even KNOW him!" OOPS! He must not come to Linda’s Children’s church sessions. A large persentage of the U.S. population does not attend church anywhere…Well, I hope you get to know Him this Christmas! 

Luke 2: 4-7 “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David , because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."

The Inn was jammed because the city was flooded with people from all over who had come at the decree of the Roman government that everyone return to their place of birth to pay taxes. There was no room anywhere, everything in the city was filled up. It was like trying to get a room in Key West during Fantasy Fest….

We have given the Inn Keeper a bad rap because he turned away the Mom and Dad of the Savior of the world, being carried in Mary’s womb. But he actually extended them an above and beyond the call of duty kindness. As he tells them the inn is full, and there is no room, I can hear his wife saying in his ear, “Dear, they are so tired, let them at least sleep in the stable”, So, he allowed them to stay in the stable. Otherwise they would have been outside on the ground or huddled up against the side of a building somewhere, or sleeping around a fire in an open field.                                       Never could the Inn keeper have known in his wildest imaginings that the results of his kindness was being heralded by angels to shepherds “You shall find Him wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” and that the Inn keeper’s act, as small as it seemed, would become a permanent part of the Christmas story for thousands of years. Such a small act of kindness produced such huge results, that it has resounded around the world…..

One personal improvement web site said, “If you see someone falling behind, walk beside them. If you see someone being ignored, find a way to include them. Remind people of their worth, one small act could mean the world to them”.

You see, this Inn Keeper didn’t seek out the savior of the world, but the savior, The eternal word made flesh, made the journey from heaven to earth and from Nazareth to Bethlehem to seek him out. God knows where and how to find everyone that He is seeking, and He knows the purpose and the destiny He has for them. Take heart, mom and dad, daughter and son, wife and husband. Prayer is more accurate than your GPS, and His timing is perfect when He is leading the way ….

In the words of Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times and the worst of times.” Never had a family been given greater promises yet had to endure such hardship and discomfort because of it!

God looks at riches in a different way than we do. Don’t underestimate how God can use you and don’t be judging what He can do by your station in life, or your bank account. The hope of the world was placed in the care of a poor couple with few resources that could ever qualify them to be the parents and mentors of the King of Glory. God doesn’t look at your ability but your availability.                                                                                                                   So He entrusted His Son into the care of a couple who were rich in Godly values, wealthy in Godly character, abounding in Godly priorities, and overflowing with dedication and commitment to Him.                                                                                            In the Greek language it says that Joseph was a “tekton” as compared to an “architekton” from which we get the word “architect”. An architect in the Greek world was a master builder of some sort. This could be a skilled carpenter or stonemason. But by Joseph only being called a “tekton”, it indicates that he was more of a carpenter’s assistant or even a common day laborer who came to the marketplace every morning in search of work for the day. Their lives were filled with uncertainty and they lived from day to day, and hand to mouth. Listen, if you’re carrying the Savior of the world, nothing is impossible, and that’s what you’re doing as God’s ambassador, Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to introduce the savior!!!

So while the angels of God filled the sky with heavenly song, there were Kings from the East who were following the Bethlehem star, but they didn’t arrive until Jesus was 2 years old, loaded with costly gifts. And the only men who witnessed one of the most awesome moments in the history of the world were some lowly shepherds. The whole Jewish world had long expected the arrival of this child, yet none of the leaders of the Jewish nation showed up that night. It was the best kept secret on the planet!!! (don’t let it remain the best kept secret!)

Big and important things are invested and embedded in a lot of small things…We see a leaf, God sees the oxygen producing factories of the planet… Big stuff comes in small containers. Jesus never underestimatedsmall things…. He taught us the incredible importance of even a glass of cold water given in His name…

Jesus said in Luke, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted it and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches."

I would like to challenge all of us to make it an Inn Keeper’s kind of Christmas. God’s abundance is wrapped up in many small acts of obedience… I’m talking about small acts that go beyond what may be required or what is expected. The Christmas story is filled with little things, seemingly insignificant happenings, that changed history….and life as we know it…                                                                                           

I actually copied the following item from a list which Steve Kelly, Senior pastor of Wave Church in Virginia Beach, posted. “Let your neighbors know you’re available to help if they go out of town for the holidays and need help with their mail, trash, or anything else.. Take groceries by for someone who is sick. Rake your neighbor’s leaves or mow their yard if they are shut in or sick. Start waving and saying a cheerful Hello to your neighbors. If it snows, offer to shovel snow from their driveway and put down salt for them. (I thought I would leave that one in, so we could have a moment of appreciation for being in Key West) Buy a card for your neighbor and put a kind word and compliment inside. Give away ice scrapers for cleaning the windshield. ( Ha, take another moment and Praise the Lord) Have the kids make Christmas cards for the neighbors…Join Facebook and become an encouraging voice to all your facebook friends. Take out your neighbor’s trash bins and bring them in if they are working late…. And of course do it annonomously without any fanfare!

One Grandmother got it right…. Her daughter decided she was no longer going to keep nagging her kids to send thank you notes for their gifts . Consequently, the kids’ grandmother never received any thanks for the checks she sent to them every Christmas as gifts.

Well, the daughter was really surprised when right after Christmas, all the kids wanted to go by in person to thank their grandmother for their checks.

When she asked them what caused this change in behavior, they replied, “It’s Simple, mom, this year grandma didn’t sign any of the checks.”

Years ago I heard someone say that anyone of us could start a kindness epidemic…. I was in a resturant with Winnie and when I went to pay, they told me someone had already paid. I was determined to repeat that good deed for someone else, and I did. It’s called “paying it forward”…. Jesus put it this way..”Give and it shall be given unto you, full measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over”…. The running over part is where the epidemic starts and it gets contageous….

Jesus is telling us that this thing is contageous. Little acts of kindness and generousity are like that, they can start a major epidemic….

David was doing a little thing, bringing lunch to his brothers who were in the army, when something big resulted… He slew Goliath and started an epidemic of courage and boldness!

The first step in constructing a bridge over the Niagara river at the head of the falls, was made by a 15-year-old American named Homan Walsh. On January 30, 1848, Homan flew a kite from one side of the Niagra falls to the other. Someone on the opposite side caught the kite and tied a stronger string to the end of the kite string, and Holman pulled the new, thicker string back across the gorge. The process was repeated with an even stronger string, then a cord, then a thin rope, then a thicker rope, and eventually a steel cable, which crossed the expanse and was strong enough to support workers, tools, and materials, so that finally, a sturdy bridgeweighing tons, over which trains and trucks could easily pass. And it all began with a string.

Jesus says in Luke 16:10 “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much”.

We can’t look at the power of little things, without looking at the flip side….We need to understand the power and the danger of “little” sins.

A father took his son Billy to the mall to see Santa. They stood in line awhile, and finally the boy was able to sit on Santa’s lap. “What would you like for Christmas?” asked Santa, “I want An X-Box and a drone,” Billy said.

“Okay, we’ll get to work on that,” said Santa with a big smile. 

Later on that day they also went to see the Santa at the town square. When Santa asked Billy what he wanted for Christmas, Billy said, “An X-Box and a drone.”

“Well, Billy, you need to be a good boy and do what your daddy tells you” Santa said.

Billy turned to his dad and said, “Let’s go back to the other Santa, Dad.”

“Why Billy?” asked his father. “Because there were no deals involved with that one.” Billy just didn’t want to be accountable…. He understood that actions have consequences…

Jesus tells us that a small rudder can turn a great ship, just as a little tongue can stir big trouble….It was Solomon who told us that “it is the little foxes that spoil the vineyards.” Some men say, “It doesn’t matter as long as you’re just window shopping and don’t touch.” We know that addiction to pornography begins with just a little look…. addiction to drugs begins with just a little sample….. and an alcoholic began with a little buzz…. And we know that a gambler doesn’t have a gambling problem until he starts losing….

Sometimes some of the smallest things in life can cause us the most grief. Ahangnail that catches on everything,  an eyelash, that scratches and tears up the eye, a grain of pollen, which causes a violent sneezing episode….small but extremely bothersome.

Our words are little things that can make a big difference. Richard Carpenter, the brother of famous singer Karen Carpenter, says that when his sister was younger, someone called her “Richard’s chubby little sister.” She never got that out of her mind, and it destroyed her self-esteem and throughout her entire life she suffered from eating disorders, eventually she died of anorexia. I’m fairly certain that the person who said it wouldn’t even remember saying it…. the opposite is also true.                    Little words of encouragement and hope can turn a life around. The phrase “You’re looking nice today”, “I love your smile”, “You know, I really appreciate you and what you do” Little words can make an incredible difference and can restore and elevate someone’s spirit..

In Seattle Washington, this story was shared on the radio. The manager of a large software company heard that a man had committed suicide because no one cared if he lived or died. So the manager, who normally did everything by email or instant messenger, realized he never had a face to face with his workers. It was just easier and more convenient that way.                                                                                                     The next morning, he headed out, into the work place, to tell his nine workers two reasons, why they were wonderful workers and amazing people that worked for him. So, he went to each one and said, “I’m so glad you came into my life, and I am blessed that you work for our company”. Then he gave each one a manly hug and pat on the back. A few days later, one of the techs, came up to him and handed him a gift box. This guy hadn’t been given a raise since he was hired, so the manager asked “where did you get the money?” He looked him in the eye and he said, "I sold my 9 mm pistol." Then the Tech said, "You have never asked me about my personal life the entire time I worked here, so why don't I tell you. I moved here from Denver because my mom died. She was my only friend I really had, I was totally alone.. I have never made one friend at this company. If I died, only the payroll would let you know. I took a paycheck and I went and bought a beautiful chrome-plated 9 mm automatic and a box of bullets. I began to practice every day for the last six months. I would go home, eat my Ramen noodle soup, then get the cigar box out with the gun… put bullets in the gun and place it against my teeth, as I told my mom "I am coming home." And then the other day you freaked me out man. I don’t even know you, but you put your arm around my shoulder and you told me I was really funny with my Face book posts, and you told me that I always turned in every project a day early, and that makes your life a whole lot easier. Then you said, “Man, I’m glad you came into my life”. When I got home that night, I kept repeating the words, “He’s glad I came into his life”….”He likes me”…. So I remembered that in some of your emails you said you couldn’t buy the latest, x-box gaming system because of a new baby and the extra expenses. I sold my pistol which cost me $1,000 dollars, so I could give this gift to you for saving my life”!!!!

When God brings us to a “fullness of time” season, little things can mean so much!!!

God is calling on some Inn Keepers to give some weary, tired, discouraged, fearful, hopeless travelers some other options in their lives….

May the Holy Spirit of God help us to pay attention to those little things that may be inconvenient or interruptions to us, but they just may take us to some really big things in someone else’s life.

What about the Power of just a Little moment of Time…. Jesus was born atexactly the right time on the prophetic calendar….Scripture calls it the fullness of time… Everything was in perfect alignment, for the God ordained outcome….You see, in the big world of a multitude of things happening that night, this little thing in the fullness of time, was a world changing thing!!   

In the Olympics, a fraction of a second can be the difference between victory and third place. If you’re flying somewhere, a few minutes can be the difference in catching your flight or having to get another flight. When a person’s heart stops, they have only a few minutes to get help. A little time can make all the difference. How we use our time or recognize God’s timing can change lives. 

God chose a lot of little things to put together the greatest story ever told.

He used a little place and ordinary people. Bethlehem, a stable, a manger….a little girl of only 13 years of age, named Mary…

The popular Christmas song says “O little town of Bethlehem. How still we see thee lie. Above thy deep and dreamless sleep. The silent stars go by. Yet in the dark streets shineth. The everlasting light. The hopes and fears of all the years. Are met in thee tonight”.

Someone has said, "God is great in the great things, but He is really, really great in the little things." 

Marriages are successful because of all the little things that each partner does. Families work best when all the little things, the everyday things are shared mutually. Churches grow and are healthy, when those many little things behind the scenes are taking place through out the week. 

The Inn Keeper went the extra mile and even though it looked like a little thing, letting them use the hotel stable, to Mary and Joseph, it was pretty big! And we celebrate it, still today!

Dream big but understand the power of little….There are a lot of folks who are waiting for God to do some big thing in their life… they see it as some kind of proof that God cares… That God hears… That God is there…But what if, God is as much the God of small things as He is the God of big things? What if God doesn’t speak in the big earth shaking stuff, as much as He does in a “still, small voice”?   

Jesus taught the disciples that you can know that someone will be faithful in the big important things, if they are faithful in the little things… That’s in Luke 16:10

While we are looking at quantity, God is looking at quality!!!

Gideon is a classic example… as God called him to gather an army to go against the Midianite army of over 100,000. Well, 32,000 showed up, and then God said to tell them all to go home except for the 300 men that he chose. That’s pretty uneven odds, but God brought the victory and little became much, in the fullness of His timing. 

When God called Moses to stand against the might and power of Egypt, and Moses asked how they would know Yahweh had sent him, God said that little walking stick you’re holding will overcome and overwhelm the might of Egypt….                                             Don’t you love it when God starts leveraging big things with just a little….

The Inn Keeper reminds me that it’s the little thing that make life big….Thehappiest people in the world have learned to take joy in the little things. The laughter of a child, the silver hair of a faithful saint of God, the sound of the birds and the beauty of nature, the power of love, and the strength of friendship…our food, our home, our job, our health, our families, and so much more….

The Inn Keeper reminds me that this Christmas, I can be thankful for so many things…. I’m especially thankful for Winnie, my wife of fifty-six years, for the gift of everlasting life, for the privilege of pastoring Eagle’s Rest, for my Godly Christ loving kids, and their Christ loving kids and their kids…. for the many people who have stood with us over the years, for the good health that God has given to me, and for His hand upon the future as we move forward…. And I’m certainly thankful for all this food that I’m looking at in the back here, which so many have made possible, (but before I get you drooling to much)

God was in control of the many little things that made the Christmas story possible…    I believe that it’s the many little things, that help us to understand just how much God is involved and in control of all the situations and circumstances of our lives. We just need to take a deep breath and let it out with praise, as we yield to His favor, His grace, and His mercy.

We may feel we have nothing to offer God or to impart to someone else, to accomplish what He asks of us. But if we are willing to try, God can still work miracles and make even insignificant things become the stuff of mountain moving results. Let’s believe him for some amazing Christmas miracles this year as He uses little things to leverage some big things that will transform our lives and those we love!!! 

Lord, help us to see that if we will obey in the little things, You will cause the big things to come together and work out in our lives, individually and collectively. Lord, as we are faithful in the small things you will put us in charge of much. Thank you for the fullness of time when little becomes much. In Jesus name, Amen….

With Christmas just 10 calendar days away, it is the season that we can truly say, changes the atmosphere. First we see wise men whose lives were changed as they followed a star which brought them to a manger in Bethlehem. 

Then Angel choirs appeared from heaven to fill the atmosphere with the news that the long-awaited Savior had been born. The atmosphere of fear, and darkness and uncertainty was replaced with the light of prophetic promise fulfilled… Peace on earth good will toward men, began to enter hearts and change lives. The rulers of darkness were served notice that the king of righteousness, truth, and kingdom values had entered earth’s atmosphere

The Christmas song says it well, “The whole world in darkness lay”…. Satan is referred to as the prince of the power of the air ( or the atmosphere) …. That atmosphere is the world system which was corrupt and ruled by the dark prince….

When Jesus came as a babe at Christmas, He stated clearly His purpose for coming to earth…. He was bringing heaven into earth. He came to change the spiritual climate…and the pervading atmosphere…

“For this purpose was the Son of God manifest, to destroy the works of the evil one!”

The High altitude atmosphere of heaven had invaded the low places of the earth!

Then God told us to pray and release the atmosphere of “His will to be done in earth as it is in heaven”…

The song “When you walk into the room” beautifully describes that…                                                 “When you walk into the room, everything changes

Darkness starts to tremble at the light that you bring

And when you walk into the room, every heart starts burning

And nothing matters more than just to sit here at your feet

and worship you.                                                                                                                               When you walk into the room, sickness vanishes as a mist

Every hopeless situation ceases to exist                                                                                 And when you walk into the room, the dead are quickened too                               ‘Cause there is resurrection life in all You do”.

Paul writes about this process of changing the atmosphere in                                   Ephesians 2:5 “But God, has quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ  (by grace you have been saved), v6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…” 

That should make clear to us, our part in changing the atmosphere…                        The atmosphere at the high elevation of a mountain, is different than the atmosphere at the foot of the mountain. It’s about elevation.

God is declaring that if we will increase our elevation by rising up into heaven’s atmosphere, it will change the atmosphere in the earth around usas we bring heaven into the earth. 

Are we giving the Lord acceptable praise…..If you only praise God when things are going well, your praise has not matured yet. If you only praise God when you feel like it, your praise has not matured yet. If you only praise God when you come to church, your praise has not matured yet. If you don’t understand that praise is Spiritual warfare, your praise has not matured yet. If you only praise God for what He does and not for who He is, your praise hasn’t matured yet…. 

Emotionalism and how you feel, is the lowest form of connecting with Godand it will fall short in changing the atmosphere….When I was a kid, there was a popular phrase that said… “It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness”

So when the bible tells us to give Him high praises, it is praise that has moved to another elevation, and has become mature and rises above the carnal mind and the emotions and fleshly feelings.

Yes, we’re not there yet as totally mature praisers, but we start praising Him whereever we are and even though we may fall short, it’s not where we set up our permanent camp. We’re growing and expanding in our praise….Oh, yes, Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and come into His courts with praise….

Matthew 6:33 But seek first (continually seek) His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you”. The mission we have been given in every situation, is changing the atmosphere…..

When the Israelites entered Canaan, God gave them a unique command,

Numbers 33:53 “And you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein, for I have given you the land to possess it”. The word that comes to my mind is “leveraging” …. God was saying, I give you my power to overwhelm the inhabitants of the land, to bring about a huge return and the very best outcome as you invest in the land I have promised you. 

The command to “dispossess”, occurs 48 times in the Old Testament. 

It means to replace something that is there, with something that never existed before…. To set up a new standard, To build a new culture, To serve a new king….

Look at this statement from Jesus Himself…. Matthew 11:12 “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it”.

Someone was flying for the first time, in order to get home for Christmas. They were very nervous, they even lifted their feet when the plane took off to lighten the airplane…. But something happened that changed the atmosphere for them, from fearful and worried, to calm and assurance. You see, she looked up 3 seats in front of her and there sat Kenneth Copeland. Later on, he flew in his own plane, but in the early days, he had to get to meetings by flying commercial. Well, that woman knew that nothing was going to happen to THAT PLANE as long as he was on board. What happened…. Brother Copeland was carrying faith, blessed assurance, grace and favor, the presence of Christ, the anointing of an overcomer, and the ambassadorship of the kingdom…And he was there to teach her to change the atmosphere, and not be overcome by the atmosphere!

Notice it says in Ephesians 2;5 that “He has (already) quickened us together in heavenly places with Christ”

The authority and dominion which the Lord Jesus walked in, has become the right and privilege of all believers:

Jesus physically ROSE from the dead, so, we have spiritually risen above the death process that works in the earth. We are being renewed, revived and restored….

Jesus physically ASCENDED into heaven , so, we have spiritually ascended into heaven, and have access to the throne of God….

Jesus physically SAT DOWN in heaven, so, we have spiritually sat down in heaven which is a description of having access to fellowship and counsel with the Father.

One day every Christian will physically rise, ascend, and sit down in heaven, but RIGHT NOW this is true of us spiritually.

Ephesians 2:5 uses the term “Heavenly places”….What does the phrase "THE HEAVENLY PLACES" mean?

Some translations say "the heavenly realms," "the heavenly sphere," "the heavenly world," "the heavens," "the heavenlies," and "heaven."

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:2 that he was once "caught up to the third heaven." The first heaven is the atmosphere. The second heaven is space. The third heaven is the dwelling place of God. The third heaven is the same as "the heavenly places."

Ephesians 2:6 describes every Christian as seated in heaven with Christ. What does that mean for us right now?

THE CHRISTIAN NO LONGER BELONGS TO THE WORLD—HE IS GRAFTED

INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD. (That’s what the salvation quickening does for us)

The Bible commands us, Romans 12:2 "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”. . .

Let’s call this “You can’t walk with God while holding hands with the devil”

So, let’s suppose that in a certain community lives a man and his wife who love each other very much. Across the street lives a man who develops a hatred for the woman’s husband. One night he invades their home and kills the husband. Although he is arrested, a loophole in the law allows him to escape punishment, and he is released to return to the community. Now imagine that in a few short weeks you see the widow and her husband’s murderer walking down the street together. Her hand is holding his hand and she looks lovingly into his face. She says to him, "I’m so happy now that I’m with you." What would you say about a woman like that? Surely you would brand her as a traitor and disloyal to her husband’s memory and unworthy to have born his name.

We must never forget that this godless world hated Jesus enough to kill Himand keep you out of the kingdom. How can a person say they love the Lord and walk hand in hand with Satan’s system.

I know, some would say, but pastor, we should love our enemies…The bible says,       1 John 2:15 “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them".

Christ commissioned Paul to go to the Gentiles Acts 26:18 "to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and FROM THE POWER OF SATAN UNTO GOD".

Our calling is now and always, to change the atmosphere. The reason you have been under such heavy attacks from the enemy, is because he knows that you have the potential to change the atmosphere and sway people’s hearts towards God. So he sets up detours, and pitfalls and snares along the way. He hits you with matters of the heart, for he knows that where your heart is, your treasure is also… He distracts, he manipulates, he deceives and gets you so busy, you don’t take care of important things because you’reto busy fighting alligators!!! 

Satan’s greatest fear is that you will become what God always intended for you to be…. 

Philippians 3:20 (The Passion Bible) Paul talks about this " But we are the people of heaven on earth as we cling tightly to our life-giver, the Lord Jesus Christ…”

The Christian lives a life which overcomes the world. 1 John 5:4-5 "WHATSOEVER IS BORN OF GOD OVERCOMES THE WORLD: AND THIS IS THE SOURCE OF OUR VICTORY " 

I hope you know that when you go to the store, there’s a greater reason than the milk, bread and eggs on your list…. When you go to the mechanicyou’re going for a greater reason than getting your car fixed… When you’re on the job, you’re there for much more than a pay check. God has put you there to change the atmosphere!

What is it that has captured your heart, your affections, your desires?

A man once found a $100 bill on the street and he resolved that from that time on he would never lift his eyes while walking. He went a step further and bought a   metal detector. The paper went on to say that over the years he had found, 29,516 metal buttons, 54,172 bottle caps, 15,000 nails, two sets of false teeth, a nose ring, 18 pennies, a bent back, and a miserable disposition. But he also lost something—the glory of sunrise and sunset, the radiance of the stars, the smiles of friends, and the wonder of the world all around him.

I’m afraid that some Christians are like that man. While they may not walk around, constantly staring at the ground, they are so engrossed with the things of this life that they give little attention to heavenly values. How can they change the atmosphere anywhere….?                                                    

The secular Christian thinks only about the “desires” of their fleshly nature. The secular Christian may appear to be spiritual, but they only want things of the spirit that satisfy or glorify them…. “God, give me an ‘A’ on this test.”  “God, get me this job I want.”  “God, give me this promotion.” “God, take away this sickness, because I don’t like feeling SICK.” 

A secular Christian may believe in God and pray for things, but God is only a means to their “personal desires.” (what about, that God may be glorified in your healing)

James 4:3 says, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may have what you get for your own pleasures.”                                                                                             You can’t give something you don’t have…. You can’t call others to a place you have not come to yourself… You can’t teach what you have not learned…You can’t impart what you have not received….

The transformed Christian is no longer under the control of the world and Satan, He is under the control of heaven, through the Holy Spirit. 

Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, WHO HAS BLESSED US WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST”.

A truly born-again person desires what the Spirit of God desires. They ultimately want God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. They understand that when they seek first the kingdom, then all these other things shall be added unto them….

Romans 8:6 “They who seek the things of the Spirit shall receive the fruit of life and peace”. Do you see this…. When you put God first, all that you need is supplied unto you…..

There is a wonderful statement in Ephesians, about changing the atmosphere in the earth, and creating an open heaven….                                                                                                                     Ephesians 1:19 “and what is the surpassing greatness of His power unto us who believe. These are the working of His strength and His might v20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places”.

Strength and might are two attributes that flood the atmosphere where His presence is. Strength and might are released into the spirit of God’s people enabling them to cast off their burdens and supernaturally believe the impossible is possible. It ushers us into a “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us”!                                   Samson changed the atmosphere and brought down the house…. He shook himself and Strength and might became manifest in his life…. As a result, he changed the environment from one of oppression, captivity, bondage and intimidation by the Philistines, to one of liberty, praise, worship and fulfillment of destiny!

Oh, what an amazing thing it is to see the glory of the King saturate a place and to witness the release of His holy zeal that transforms downcast souls into mighty ones! Strength and might come when we usher in His presence, when the mighty ones “give unto the Lord, the glory due to His name,” when we “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness”

When the atmosphere changes, repentance comes! Yes! The Spirit of Truth begins to convict our hearts, and causes folks to be conscious of righteousness and holiness….                                                                                                                                                   The Spirit of Truth is manifested to reveal things hidden and things veiled in shadows. In this atmosphere, believers who are bound by deceptions and dark manipulations, step into the light and are released from the weights and encumbrances which have hindered and distracted them.

A holy zone is ushered in, where amazing things happen and transformation can take place. Bondages are broken, the light of heaven begins to shine, truth has the power of penetration and lives are changed forever. 

It is an atmosphere where every knee must bow, and every tongue must confess the Lordship of Jesus to the glory of God…..

It’s like throwing a stone in a lake and the circle of change gets bigger and bigger and the ripples get wider and wider until they touch every part of the lake. 

Listen to David’s declaration of a change in the atmosphere in 

Psalm 29 Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders. The LORD is over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; The voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars, Yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon. And in His temple everyone says, "Glory!" The LORD sits enthroned over the Flood, and the LORD sits as King forever. The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with His Shalom.  

David is likening an open heaven like a great wall of water breaking through and flowing over everything. Imagine rivers of waters breaking the banks, overflowing the land, and overturning all that stands in its way. The force of nature is overwhelming when it comes to tsunami, tornado, hurricane or flood… David is using these forces in a good way to describe an atmosphere of God breaking in upon the world systems. What can stand against it, and what can hold it back….. Nothing!

In an atmosphere of breakthrough, everything of heaven in earth is intensified and amplified. Everything increases because the atmosphere of breakthrough has come! Expect a new level of ministry, of gifting, of signs, of the anointing, of wonders, of healings, of miracles, of finances, of wisdom, of revelation, of understanding, and of destiny in your life! Expect more than you have experienced before….. I have experienced it and I know what it is like.

Heaven collides with the world system, which has held your job, your home, your community in it’s grip…. Do you need wisdom and direction? Do you want to take your spiritual experience a couple of mega notches upward? Are there brass doors, bars of iron, or hard, impenetrable ground that has prevented breakthrough of any kind in your life – it has withheld your financial break through, spiritual break through, or a break through in the areas of healing and deliverance? Do you have a heart for souls but haven’t seen the harvest?                                                                                                                                            Genesis tells us that at a time when the earth was without form and void, God spoke forth and His words collided with the chaos and the darkness…..He spoke forth and commanded “LET THERE BE LIGHT”! And the atmosphere changed…. Light broke through, boundaries were established for all things, harmony and order began to take the place of a chaotic earth as the darkness was driven back….

God is causing a great exchange to take place through His agents in the earth. The words that drove back the darkness, the chaos, and the toxic atmosphere in Genesis, is in our Spirit now, waiting to be spoken out of our mouths. 

Matthew 16:19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”.

Sometimes letting go of the old so we can receive the new thing of God that will change the atmosphere, and usher in the fulfillment of all that God has promised, is our greatest challenge. We want what we’re comfortable with, while at the same time we desire what deep down, we know He has in store for us. But this new wine cannot be contained in the old containers of our comfort zones.                                                            May we be so consumed with His pleasure in and through us, that it will neutralize the strength of our need to hang on. Lord, we let Go! That we may receive every good and perfect thing which comes from the Father who now invites us to enter in …. 

Let me close with the words Paul received of the Lord…..

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said unto me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in your weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me”. 

Paul is describing a mature faith, which fully understands the concept… “Not I but Christ in me, the hope of glory”.

He is declaring that we must never give in to the fallacy that we can ever do it without His working through us. Remember that with all the miracles, signs, and awesome works of God, Paul experienced, he said that he counted his life as “dung” without the power of Christ. It is this complete surrender and submission which brought the power of God into and through Paul’s life.

The donkey that Jesus rode into Jerusalem knew that all the applause wasn’t for him, but it was only because he was bringing Jesus into town that there was anything to celebrate….We must be like that donkey, our job is to bring Jesus everywhere we can, and He’ll do the rest! The quickest way to destroy the heavenly atmosphere, is to start thinking that you are some great thing, because God is using you. When we feel like it all depends on us, we have opened the door to paralyzing fear, intimidation, doubt, guilt and limitations everywhere we go and in everything we do….Hey, we are just the mail man, delivering the mail. Just be God’s delivery system, and there is no end to what He can do in your life!!!

Isaiah 43:19 “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”.

I want to close with this prophetic word God put in my spirit… I wrote it down…

This is the hour that Jesus is shaking up our world view. And I am so glad He is!! I see Him calling out to many who have been sick, frail, in tremendous pain, weak, wounded, plundered and some even left for dead. He says over us, “Dead bones – (our life, our families, our churches) – COME TOGETHER. Be joined, built up and restored.” And there is a rattling sound happening now. Right Now Today! With every connection and organ and cell in place working properly. Be brought together and be made whole.” And we are coming together, we are being healed and being united. We are being given the strength to stand in the brilliant, transformative truth that is pouring through us and regenerating us. 

“Breath of the Spirit – fill with Life! It is time. Now is the time. So, Arise My Love! The grave and the grip of death, which wants to send us backward instead of forward, no longer has a hold! It’s time to dance!! Sing with me as I sing with you, Beautiful songs of the Spirit arise. As we Praise, see what He is about to do! The bells of Freedom are ringing!” Shouts that shatter barriers and break down dividing walls have been amplified! Holy Spirit, enter into us in a fresh visitation. Open wide our hearts and spirits to You. Help our unbelief. We invite You into our bodies, minds and desires. Strengthen our spirits to be able to receive revelation of who You really are and Your great design, in and through us. 

Open the dusty drawers, clean out things in our closets that simply clutter and take up space, with no purpose or profit. Cleanse, purge, prune us of all that is not of You. Reveal to us the places we are full of unbelief or pride, fear or doubt, anger or bitterness. Root it all out, Jesus. Plow up our hearts to be ready with good soil for all the seeds of Your Word You want to plant in us. Fruitful, beautiful things from You that can now grow and abound. We now take up the weapons, tools and authority You have given us and bring every thought captive for Christ. We now receive creative designs, fresh insight, new direction, and knowledge and wisdom that is from above. To the praise of Your glorious grace!

Let us receive it, in Jesus name!!

What is amazing is that the bible was written by 44 different writers, who wrote 66 books over a period of 1,500 years. The proof that the real author behind the writers, is God almighty, because its inspiration has caused it to be in perfect harmony and sequence.. and that, in spite of all attempts to destroy it, since the first book was written, 3,400 years ago, it is preserved in it’s accurate form for us to receive and learn from today.   

That same Holy Spirit is in us to inspire us today….

I want to begin where we ended last Sunday, as we closed with Peter at Cornelius’ house. A Roman and a Centurion who would never even be on Peter’s radar, if it hadn’t been for God giving him a wake up call, changing his priorities and his value system, and rewriting his story. 

Acts 10:34 “Most certainly I understand now that God is not one to show partiality [to people as though anyone was excluded from His blessing], v35 but in every place and time, the person who fears God and does what is right [by seeking Him] is acceptable and favored by Him”.

I begin with a story of two lives that came together at Christmas.It’s about two students, that through a brief encounter, would cause one boy’s values to forever change. One boy, Larry, now an older man, said, "when he was in elementary school, they did a Secret Santa. All the kids drew a name and then they exchanged presents the last day before Christmas break". His parents went out and bought a nice new toy to give to the child whose name he had drawn. His mom wrapped it up real pretty and the kid loved the present that received it." He then said, he went and found his present from a boy he didn’t really know. It had been wrapped with newspaper. He opened it and it was a dirty, little match box car with the paint all chipped and it looked like it was well used. Larry said "I was very upset that I had given such a nice gift and he had put so little effort into his". I felt cheated until later he learned that the kid lived in the slums. His mom was sick and his daddy had left them years before. They barely had enough money to have heat and food and when I realized he had given me one of his only few toys. I felt ashamed for the way I treated him when I got the gift. I only learned how poor he was after he quit coming to school and we were told his mom had died and he had been sent to foster care. I never saw him again. But I kept this little car all these years because I know it was the best present I have ever gotten in my life.

A moment when two stories merged at one of life’s intersections and Larry walked away with new understanding about the great exchange that God is working out in our lives every day if we could only see it. 

We’ve been talking about how God deliberately authored His book so that the stories He included, could be the story of any one of us. I’m thinking of another character in the bible whose story could be our story also... 

Because when we look at the story of Isaac, and Ishmael, we see something very significant. The Jewish custom said that the right to be the head of the family went to the first born, and yet, it was Isaac, the second born, that God said would receive the first bornblessing. I say this because his story is our story. God chooses whom he will, God has no second born, but we are all the first born of Christ, and heirs of the promise. We are highly favored, and blessed as the firstborn of the King. We see this also with Joseph and with David as well. Though they had many brothers ahead of them, it was they whom God chose to lead the tribes if Israel. (tell someone, “You are highly favored”)

Our true inheritance is not based on our natural birth, but our spiritual birth, when we became the children of God through Christ….and joint heirs. Our Spiritual birth covenant is greater than our natural birth covenant. Your natural birth covenant is contaminated with generational stuff, and the curse which was passed down to all of us through Adam. But our Spiritual birth covenant passes through Christ the second Adam, who cleansed, redeemed, and replaced the old blood line. Opening a new stream of blessing. 

Romans 8:17 “And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if indeed we share in these momentary tests and trials we also share in His glory”.

A florist got the flowers mixed up and the arrangement which was for the grand opening of a business, was accidentally sent to a funeral. When the family came up to admire the flowers which many had sent, they read the card attached to the arrangement which was sent to the wrong place. The card said, “Congratulation On Your New Location”….How accurate for the person who has received Christ as their savior….. It assures us that there is much more beyond!!!!!  (I want one of those messages)

Somebody shout…. “There’s more beyond”…. We are the living, who are going toward live more abundant!!

The story of Jacob is our story… Things didn’t look too promising in the beginning. Some bad decisions were made (we’ve all made them) His past tried to attach itself to him like super glue and define who he was. His history tried to block his destiny, and there was always someone or something there to remind him that his reality would always fall short of his dreams. His delays tried to design his future. You read his story, and it could be your story, couldn’t it. Working and never making any headway, giving it your best only to see someone else get the credit and the reward...

But God recorded his story, because there are a lot of Jacob’s who have refused to give up, and they keep on pressing toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ. They believe there’s more beyond… And that having done the will of God, they will reap the reward. Jacob was faithful in the ordinary things, so God gave him some super natural things. 

Romans 8:18 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us v19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed”.

I like the Phillips translation of this verse: 

“The whole creation is on tiptoe to see the wonderful sight of the sons of God coming into their own.”

A family moved from the city to the country and besides a huge pecan tree, there were no other trees on their property. It was all pasture land, so the father, after seeing an add for assorted plants for sale, ordered all sorts of berry and fruit trees at great prices at the local farm supply. He ordered blueberry and blackberry bushes and a number of apple, peach and plum and pear trees. When it came time to pick up the order, their neighbor asked if he could pick hers up, too. He told her he would be glad to and he rented a second truck, for his wife to drive, that way they could fit it all in. 

When they got to the farm supply they were surprised to find the loading area empty except for some little bundles of twigs tied with string. He asked where his order was and the attendant led him to one of those bundles. They were bare root cuttings, which took up hardly any space. You could easily lift 3 bundles with one hand.

He told the attendant that he felt silly bringing a truck to pick up the order. It was then that he noticed a man behind him. The guy said “Don’t feel bad; I brought a tractor trailer to get my trees and bushes.”

My point here is….Right now, it may not look like much, but where you are, is full of super natural potential, and it’s a lot more than what it appears to be! Little is much when God is in it, because it is not just natural, it has supernatural potential and possibility!!! The little woman only had a little meal and oil, but God saw enough. In her hands it was insufficient but in the prophet’s hands it was enough. It just depended on whose hands it was in!

Five loaves and two fish in the little boys hands was not enough, but in Jesus’ hands it would feed a multitude! It just depended on whose hands it was in!! When all was said and done, he went home with 12 basket fulls of left over bread and fish…. 

Now that’s abundance. Your abundance is contained in your obedience.                                                                                                                         God has never gotten to the check out and realized He didn’t have enough to pay for it… We don’t need to have a whole lot to have the Lord work through us. We just need to be willing to give Him whatever it is we have.

When we meet the needs of others, He makes sure our needs are met….

When the Hebrews got to the promised land, spies were sent in to scope out the land and you know the story of how they had one cluster of grapes that took two men to carry on a pole. They said, “truly this is a land of milk and honey. It’s everything God promised us it was. BUT….. (look out for the BUTS) There are giants in the land, and walled cities, and we are grasshoppers in their sight! 

The giants of insufficiency, sickness and infirmity, lack, intimidation, the past, (and on and on we could go) will say “No way” you can have your dreams, your hopes, the destiny God has promised.

A nation hung in the balance, which story would they believe?Would they buy into the fear and unbelief, that ignored the story God had written out for them, or would they listen to another story? The story of a man named Caleb, who said “We are well able to go in and possess it”!!!

Outnumbered, and definitely in the minority, One man’s story was about to change the destiny of an entire nation. One man’s faith was about to turn history around and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat!

Caleb’s story was attached to Abraham’s covenant, Isaac’s covenant, and Jacob’s covenant. What was spoken to them, was now flowing thru him!

What was spoken to them is now waiting to flow thru us!!

A pastor was driving with his children to his wife's funeral where he was going to do the service. As they came into the small town and stopped at the light. A large bus pulled up beside of them, and blocked the sun and it’s shadow covered them and went into the lot across the street. The dad told his children, who were feeling the loss of their mom, "Do you see that big bus, see how its shadow completely blocks the sun and covers us?”. If you had to be run over, would you rather be run over by the bus or by the shadow?" His youngest child said, "The shadow can't hurt anybody." "That's right," the dad continued, "and death is like that bus, If you have accepted Christ as your saviour, the shadow is all that ever touches you. Jesus was hit by the bus, so that we only get hit by the shadow." 

Whatever we are going through, Jesus took the hit, so we only have to deal with the shadows. The Psalmist wrote…“Though I walk through the valley of the shadows I will not fear, for Thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. You go before me and prepare a table in the presence of my enemies.” 

Remember that Fear, means False evidence appearing real!

That’s not just the Psalmist’s story, it’s also your story!

Hey, let’s move forward in time….Billy Graham’s dad was just a North Carolina farmer, who joined with some neighbor farmers, for years, to pray for someone to be raise up that would bring revival to the nations. (little could he know that the answer was in his own house, as he raised Billy with a heart after God) There’s a miracle in your house, God has appointed you to care for it, to bring it to maturity!

Reinhart Bonkee, was a poor German missionary in Africa. Struggling to reach a handful of people, when he discovered that they loved getting their own bible. So he began to give out bibles and training courses. The demand was everywhere he went. Eventually he brought in T.L. Osborn who was well known internationally for his miracle ministry. Everything was set, thousands gathered and after one night, T.L. announced that he had to leave and turned the crusade over to Bonkee. The missionary had never done anything like this, but he pushed ahead and God showed up. The rest is history, with millions being reached for Christ. God’s story for one man became the story for the nation of Africa and America also…..

Your story is not just about you. God has something much bigger in mind as He is writing. Keep going, keep believing, keep obeying. You’re going to be so amazed when you look in the rear view mirror!

1 Corinthians 2:9: “But it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him”.

On the afternoon of April 18, 1775 a young stable boy hurriedly ran down the Boston streets until he came to the silversmith shop of Paul Revere. He reported that he had overheard some British army officers talking about an event that was to happen the next day.

Earlier in the day he had heard some information that came from the men who worked the wharves of the Boston harbor. They had taken notice of two ships in the Boston harbor, the Somerset and the Boyne, two of (His Majesty’s Ships) from Great Britain. The British officers had carelessly discussed some plans that would lead to the arrest of colonial leaders John Hancock and Samuel Adams in Lexington.

After getting the information, Paul Revere and his close friend Joseph Warren determined to do something with the informationand the rest is history. Paul Revere took to his horse and rode through the streets of Boston and on to the other towns along the way on his mid-night ride. He rode through Charlestown, Medford, North Cambridge, and Arlington before reaching Lexington. He sounded the alarm, “The British are coming! The British are coming!”

Before long, church bells started ringing, drums begin beating and the news fanned out all over the countryside. The news ran on through Lincoln by one A.M., Sudbury by three, Andover by five, and by nine it had reached as far west as Ashby, near Worcester.

When the British finally begin their march on April 19, 1775, they were shocked and stunned by the resistance they found from the minutemen and the patriots along the way. Resistance was organized and fierce and the militia soundly defeated the British. From that incident came the American Revolution that would start the steps toward an American nation.

We all know of “The midnight ride of Paul Revere” and yet, no one knows the name of the young stable boy who first sounded the alarm. Or the workers on the wharves who first saw what was about to take place and began to speak it out so that it could get in the hands of someone who knew what to do about it, but history is glad they did….                         Abraham’s story is our story….Can you imagine Abraham’s thoughts when God told him that nations were within, he and Sarah? They had no children, they were well past child bearing, they were living in tents out in the desert. Then God changes their names to match the story He was writing for them. Certainly folks must have been laughing behind their backs when Abraham, this childless old man introduced himself… “Hi, I’m Abraham….(his name meant “Father of Nations”…. 

We like Abraham, don’t even understand right now, what’s inside of us. But God is writing our future, and he is overriding our past, and he is planning out some miracles, signs and wonders that are part of that, in order for it all to come together in His perfect timing. 

Stop worrying about the delays, the interruptions, the road blocks and the detours. Those are all seen by the father, and He has already written in..  “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord”!!!!

“With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible”….

A dying man asked his Christian doctor to tell him something about the place he was going when he died. As the doctor thought of a reply, he heard a scratching at the door, and he had his answer. "Do you hear that?" he asked his patient. "It's my dog. I left him downstairs, but he has gotten impatient, and has come up because he hears my voice. He has never been allowed in this room, and has no idea what is inside this door, but he knows that I am here, and that’s enough to make him want to be in here with me. 

Isn't it the same with us? We don't know all that lies beyond the Door of the future, but we know that our Master is there."  AND THAT’S ENOUGH! Stay faithful where you are, He is the rewarder. You have no idea of what God can do right where you are and where He has stationed you right now at this point in your life…. It’s not about the job, it’s not about a lot of things you think it is… There’s a much bigger picture!!!

Friend, as long as the Master has written your story and recorded it all in His book, the bible….I can tell you that your future holds so much in store! There’s always more beyond, and it’s more than you could think or ask or imagine! You’re in the right place at the right time!

He is working all things out for your good and His glory!!!

I close where we started…Acts 10:34 “Now I know that God is no respecter of persons” (What He has done for anyone else, He will do for everyone else).

Begin now to thank God that where you are is right where you need to be, because it is connected to the glorious story that He has written for you. He is turning stumbling stones into stepping stones, failure into favor, disappointment into Divine Appointments!!!

We are all part of one another’s story, the people, places, events and personal experiences. Most folks grow up, not understanding that it is their choice, as to who will be influential in their own world view. We choose which values we retain and which we discard in forming our own life values. That process can elevate us or bring us down. Ladies check out one another’s homes to see what they can learn in setting up their own home…. Guys are checking out your car, your gun collection, or your big screen TV….. We are borrowing from each other’s story….. Jesus came to earth so we could borrow from His story, how to live the best life possible here and in eternity too!!

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful (to us) for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness”.

One morning in 1888 Alfred opened up the paper and read his own obituary. His obituary was printed as a result of a simple error. You see,  it was his brother that had died and his name and picture was published instead of his brother. But to Alfred the real shock was because the obituary showed him himself, as the world saw him. The "Dynamite King," it said, the great industrialist who had made an immense fortune from explosives. This, was how the public saw the entire purpose of Alfred's life. None of his greater efforts to break down the barriers that separated people and ideas for the purpose of peace were recognized or given serious consideration. He was simply a merchant of destruction, and that’s how he would be remembered. As he saw himself as others saw him, It became adefining moment in which he resolved to make clear to the world the true meaning and purpose of his life. In His last will and testament—he provided an endowment of five annual prizes for outstanding contributions in physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, literature, and peace (the sixth category of economics was added later)—It would continue to be awarded after he was gone. This would be the expression of his life's ideals and ultimately would be why we would now remember him. The result was the most valuable and sought after awards given to those who had done the most for the cause of world peace. Today, the world knows Alfred Nobel, as the provider of the "Nobel Peace Prize, which is awarded 5 times each year."

When he saw himself through the eyes of others, It allowed him to change who he was and how he would be remembered…..                                                                                Acts 13:36 "For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, he fell asleep, and rested among his fathers…”

The Bible is a mirror, which is filled with stories of people’s lives, with parables, life values and eternal, unchanging truth.

When I look at the story of David, I read his story, but as I see the good and bad, I ask myself if I am just reading about David, or am I reading my story through the life principles which God ispresenting to me through the life of David. 

I am often, just like David, oblivious to the bigger picture that God is painting for my life. I am often unaware, like he was, that God is using the delays and interruptions, the valleys and the mountain tops, the failures and successes, to shape and mold me and to refine the rough spots as He polishes the gifts, and skill sets He has given me. 

I see David falling down and getting back up… and using the experiences to rise to the next occasion. I see him as he allows his heart to overwhelm his head, as he let’s his emotions cancel out common sense, as he shoots before he aims. But with all he did, it is David killing Goliath, David and his mighty men, David the Psalmist shepherd, David the heart after God, David the flawed, the falling short, the failure, but still chosen and used mightly by God…..

And I realize that His story is written out, with all the good and bad, to help me with my story. To know that God is greater than my short comings and my failures. He chooses imperfect people, to show His power and His might. And I realize that He does this so that He might get the greater glory. 

It’s not just David’s story, it is also our story. And that story is bigger than the different places in it. We are more than our parts, because when we are weak, He is strong. When we are uncertain, He is all knowing…. Our times are in His hands….I must be careful that I don’t judge God’s working in my story, by any given place or time that I may be passing through at the moment. 

I can face the future in Faith because God has a greater purpose than any delays of the moment. Faith is believing God for what you cannot see….

I recall Linda when we first came to Key West, and she was single and all her friends were married with kids, and her concern was that she still hadn’t found Mister right in her life. I remember we encouraged her that God has perfect timing for each of our stories. And that story is already written If we will be open and receptive. Winnie then prophesied over her, and described the man God was sending to her, now we know that it described Craig perfectly, even though it would be years before they would meet….and Craig was hundreds of miles away and we had lost touch with him. Then the Lord directed Craig’s story so that he came to Key West. Our family was walking along the beach at Bahia Honda, when Chris ran up to us and said that he saw Craig and Linda walking towards us, holding hands. When they saw us they dropped each others hands, but we laughed and let them know that God had told us that day was part of what He had written, years earlier….(I think Linda would say it was worth the wait)!!!

Whose story is it?..... His Story, is working through our story, and we are the instruments He has chosen to use, and work through. He is the hand and we are the glove, that he puts on and moves with and through. The glove cannot do anything separate from the hand….He’s laying out even the small details of our lives. Each connection, each relationship, each contact….

There is a statue of Christopher Columbus in the town in Spain, where he died in 1506. At the base of the statue is a lion that is destroying one of the Latin words that were part of Spain's motto for centuries. Before Columbus made his voyages, the Spaniards thought *…..they had reached the outer limits of earth. So their motto was "Ne Plus Ultra," which means "No More Beyond." 

The word being torn away by the lion is the word,"Ne" or "no". With that word removed, it now reads "Plus Ultra." Columbus had proven that there was indeed "more beyond."

Whose story is it? It’s not just Columbus’s story, it’s you’re story and my story…. Other’s may see your story and say, “that’s all they’ll ever be, there’s no more”. “That’s all they’ll ever accomplish, there’s no more”…. “They’ll never change or be different, there’s no more”…. “Their marriage will never make it”…. But the Lion of Judah is tearing away the “No more”…from our story and if we believe His version of our story, He is letting us know that “There is much more beyond”…..

I recall when I boarded the train for Bible College, full of concern and feeling unprepared for what was ahead. I had sold my 1959 Ford Fairlane convertible with a T-Bird engine, to buy a ticket, pay off my bills and get some spending money. I had never been on a train, and I got off at the wrong stop at a loading platform, on a dirt road, in the middle of a hundred acres of corn field in Pennsylvania.

I’m thinking as the train disappears, that I had reached the end of my journey on a loading platform, by a dirt road with corn as far as you could see, and no one would ever know what happened to me… But God said “There is more beyond”….. “I didn’t bring you this far to leave you”….and as I stood there in the hot sun, a cloud of dust came down that dirt road and it was a cab, being driven by a cabbie that had attended the very college I was trying to get to. He turned off the meter and he took me to the front steps of the college, 2 hours drive away. 

I had 20 dollars to my name and the driver said, “whateveryou’ve got, That will be enough”…. Look at someone and say, “God says, whatever you’ve got is enough, I can get you there with that”….  

When Alexander the Great was getting ready to march out on his conquest of Asia, he was concerned about the families of those who followed him. He inquired into their finances during their time away from home. To ensure that they would be able to provide, he distributed crown estates and revenues among them. When he had given out nearly all the royal resources, his friend General Perdi-cas asked Alexander what he had left for himself. I leave "Hope," for myself answered the king.

"In that case," said Perdi-cas, "we who share in your labors will also choose to partake in your hopes as our share." He then refused the estate allotted to him, and several other of the king's friends did the same. When the crusade was over, those who chose hope, received far more than those who had accepted the Caesar’s other gifts at the beginning…..

Peter had been on the roof and saw a vision where God let down a sheet with every kind of unclean animal. God said take and eat. Peter was disgusted and said “No way Hosea”…. (I’m paraphrasing) Then God let him understand because someone showed up and asked him to come to Cornelius’ house. Now that’s a hoot, because Cornelius was a Gentile, and on top of that he was a Roman Centurion. In Peter’s Jewishness, those were to “Not very good” things. But Peter obeyed, they all received Christ, and were filled with the Holy Spirit. It was then that Peter wrote these words in Acts 10:34 “Most certainly I understand now that God is not one to show partiality [to people as though anyone was excluded from His blessing], v35 but in every place and time, the person who fears God and does what is right [by seeking Him] is acceptable and favored by Him”.

God swore an oath that He would stand behind His word and scripture says because there was none higher that He could swear by, He swore by Himself, to watch over His word and perform it….

God did that to guarantee that your story could have the best outcome possible as you follow His word and the inspired promptings of His Spirit within you. It is your GPS that is built into you. Peter had a vision, you may have dreams, inner promptings, words from friends and associates, or an actual prophecy. I have picked up a magazine, and the Holy Spirit spoke to me through it, or TV, or radio, but whatever, we have been given a guide within to help us in writing our story…. 

Seek and you WILL find, Ask and it WILL be given, Knock and the door WILL be opened!

Ben Franklin wanted the Turkey to be the bird used as our national symbol, but folks agreed that the turkey’s place was on the table, not on the official seal of the United States. We’ll leave that place for the Eagle, thank you very much. 

Thanksgiving means different things to different folks…. To some it is football… to others it is stuffing yourself like you were the turkey…. To others it is “how to burn off all the calories you just swallowed (there’ll be a lot of folks jogging and walking that off, and others who just lay back down on the couch!!!…. Some look forward to the family get together, some to time off, or parades, or parties and picknicks at the beach…

But here’s Paul’s approach to Thanksgiving…..

Colossians 1:12 “Giving thanks (that means a perpetual, never ending stream of thanksgiving) to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. v13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son”.

Giving thanks, as Colossians says here, is about building a culture or a way of living. A culture is how a certain people group, has chosen to live their lives. In that culture, they have developed traditions and customs that identify them as unique from other cultures. Christianity by it’s very name is a Eucharistic culture!   

The Greek word for “Giving Thanks” is (Eucharist) or the actionof giving thanks... Eucharist loses it’s power when we make it a noun that describes a religious service. Its true power is only released as a verb of action .. “giving thanks”.

1st Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.

So, we also see here that when we set up a continual process of praise, and thanksgiving, we are staying in the will of God, because He has clearly told us that this is His will. 

With this never ending stream of giving thanks, we thank Him in the storms, we thank Him in the valleys, and we thank Him no matter what the circumstances because…

Romans 8:28 tells us that “all things will work together for the good, to those who love God and are called according to His purpose (will and plan)”                                                                                                                               We can grieve and still be thankful. We can hurt and still be thankful. We can be confused and still be thankful we can be broke and still be thankful…

It has been said that people can't wait to grow up and then they long for their childhood days again, They lose their health making money, then lose all their money trying to restore their health. They're so anxious about the future that they don't fully live in the present, They think they will only be happy in another time and place and are never hoppy where they are. They live as if they will never die and they die as though they have never really lived. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you and my strength is made perfect in your weakness”.

Giving thanks prevents us from living our lives from a position of what we don’t have and what we aren’t able to do…It changes our perspective and focuses on what we do have and how much we are blessed. It’s the guard rail that keeps us from becoming the train wreck of greed and covetousness….

So today we’re in search of the Eucharist in our Thanksgiving .

T.H.A.N.K.S.G.I.V.I.N.G. There it is, and in that acrostic are some words that extract the meaning of “Eucharista” in some form and at some level in our lives. Here we go…..

We begin with T. which is for Truth … When Pontius Pilate interrogated Jesus, he asked the question, “What is truth”?                                      Every true Hindu, values all life, because it may be the incarnation of a family member. A science teacher showed a Hindu student that they were destroying life every time they took a drink of water. They were horrified and when they looked thru a microscope and saw the microscopic life forms, they pulled out a hammer and destroyed the microscope. I find it interesting that people demand truth in the physical realm but try to undermine and explain away God’s absolute truth which lays the foundation for all truth. 

John 17:17 Jesus said: “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” The evidence of a life of truth and the freedom it brings, is a life of thanksgiving and gratitude. Many have sought to produce research which would disprove and deny the truth of God’s word and discredit who Jesus was, only to have that very truth lead them to faith in Him. Thousands are turning to faith in Christ in the Muslim countries as they open themselves to the truth. 

H. Is For The Harvest….In the natural, Thanksgiving is acelebration which declares that it is harvest time.

John 4:35 “Say not, there are four months, and then comes theharvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are now white and ready to harvest.” 

We can certainly be grateful that wherever we are, whatever we are doing, it’s the right time for the harvest of souls. Crops won’t put themselves in the barn. God gets it ready and we discern that it is the right time and we work with Him to bring in the harvest. 

If we could truly understand John 4:35, this building could not contain us. Scripture tells us they went forth rejoicing in the harvest. Nothing is more contagious than a grateful heart and a spirit of rejoicing. 

Mark 1:16, To fishermen he said, “Come follow me” – 

Mark 2:14, To Levi the tax collector, he said, “Follow me – We follow Him as we help and assist others to do the same, no more excuses, no more comparing our goodness with others, simply following Jesus….

A. Is For Agreement…. The Greek word for agree, is "sumphoneo", which in English, is "symphony." In a symphony orchestra, this is when a large number of instruments work together to fulfill the composer’s plan. It’s a beautiful thing when grateful hearts truly walk in agreement and work together to allow God to produce a symphony!!.

We find this word in Ephesians 4:16 “The body of Christ is fitly joined together or is “working in symphony”, that all it’s parts may be supplied, causing the body to grow and mature in the love of Christ.”

N. Is For No Compromise… (that’s 2 words, I know) But If you compromise your values, you are valueless. If you compromise your convictions, you are without conviction. If you compromise your faith, you are faithless. (those are dangerous places to be) If you’re riding a two seater bike, make sure they’re not applying the brakes while you’re doing the peddling. 

Charles Finney said, “Great sermons lead the people to praise the preacher, but great preaching leads the people to praise the Savior”. 

A woman approached the pastor after the sermon, and thanked him for the great sermon. "I found it so helpful," she said.

The minister responded "Sister, I hope it wasn’t as great as the last sermon you heard me preach."

"What do you mean?" asked the astonished woman.

"Well," said the minister said, "that sermon lasted you for three months" before we saw you again…..

K. Is For Kindness…. This is kindness we don’t deserve and can never earn. It is poured out to all who are unworthy, because it’ssource is God’s love, and it is based on Jesus taking our place and loving us before we were even able to love Him. 

Psalm 103:2 “Oh give thanks to the Lord and forget not all His benefits. v3 Who forgives all of your transgressions, Who heals all your diseases, v4 Who redeems your life from death and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy”. 

My granddaughter Zoe and her friends decided to go to the city park and just ask people if they had something they could pray with them about. One young man told them he had come to the park to spend his last day before committing suicide. They talked and prayed with him, and saved a life last week. K is for kindness!

S. Is For Sincerity…. Thankfulness with sincerity,  keeps our hearts in right relationship with the Father and to one another. Without it, we become arrogant and self-centered. We cannot offer sincere praise and worship unto God without a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving. Sometimes you just want to ask… “Where did sincerity go in our culture”? Insincerity is referred to as double mindedness… or hypocrisy. 

James 1:6 “He that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. v7 For let not that man think that he shall be able to receive any thing of the Lord”. v8 For a double minded man is unstable in all his ways”.

We begin to believe that we have achieved everything on our own.How many times have we told someone, “I’ll be praying with you about that”… and we walk away and never pray or think of it again, so we leave them struggling uphill, and alone, because of our lack of sincerity. Hmmmmm..

G. Is for Generosity. A thankful person is a generous person. What we give is not as important as the spirit with which we giveit. If the little boy’s lunch which Jesus multiplied had only been 2 hot pockets, it would have still been enough. If it had only been 2 crumbs and a fish tail, there would have been the same results. 

God has never gotten to the register and discovered that he doesn’t have enough money. But He offers us the privilege of being part of the miracle. At the heart and core of the gospel is “GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE”. That giving never stops and every living creature receives their supplyon a constant basis.

I like the way Paul puts it… 1 Corinthians 11:23 “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you.” What an honor to be God’s delivery system of blessing in the lives of others. God will keep pouring it in when He finds those who will keep pouring it out….(Keep on Pouring)

I. Is For Integrity. This word comes from the word ''integrate.'' It is the ability to integrate the values of ''honesty,'' ''faithfulness,'' ''sincerity,'' and ''innocence” into our daily actions and relationships.                                        1 Chronicles 29:17 “I know, my God, that you test the heart and you are pleased with integrity. All these things, you have given willingly and with honest intent.” 

No one just accidentally falls into integrity with a big “OOOOPS!”, because integrity is intentional. 

Warren Buffet said “there are three things I look for in hiring someone. Integrity, Intelligence, and Energy. If Integrity isn’t there, then intelligence and Energy will undermine everything else”.

A college student needed a job for the summer. Two jobs were coming up and she really liked one but the other job called herfirst, so rather than take a chance, she grabbed it. 2 weeks later the other job called her. She called her dad and told him the situation. Her Dad asked her, “When you took the job you have, did you tell them you would work for the summer” The daughter said “Yes I did”. Her dad said “Then why are we even having this conversation?”… (INTEGRITY!)

Do we expect God to keep His word, even though we don’t keep ours? Someone suggested there are three types of people in the world, believers, unbelievers, and make-believers. Are we people who can be counted on to be on time, to fulfill our promises, to do the right thing even when others don’t.

V. is for Vida… (Or Fullness of Life)…. Doctor Robert Emmons,a psychology professor, did research at the University of California, which shows that thankful people had less depression and stress, lower blood pressure, more energy, and greater optimism about life. He calls it 

“The forgotten factor in the science of wholeness and well-being." His research also found that a grateful outlook slowsdown the aging clock!! (so it can become our true fountain of youth) 

Jesus said in John 10:10. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

A woman stepped into the ice cream shop and after paying for her ice cream, she turned and there was Elvis, who had decided to get an ice cream on the spur of the moment. She was overwhelmed as she went out the door in a star struck haze and realized she had forgotten her ice cream. She turned around and Elvis was coming out. He said, “Ma’am, If you’re looking for your ice cream, you put it in your hand bag with the change you got back”. She got overwhelmed by Elvis!

When is the last time you have been so caught up by the presence of God that you forget what was going on around you? You forgot the dinner cooking at home… You forgot what you planned for this afternoon… You forgot the problems of the week… You forgot what the folks around you might think if you just freely worshiped God… When did you last enjoy being with God so much that nothing else really mattered?

I. The Second I, Is For Insightful. Insight Is what allows a blind person to see and a deaf person to hear. At the same time, a hearing person is deaf without it, and a seeing person is blind.                                               Ezekiel 12:2 God tells his people "They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear." Seeing without insight is seeing without understanding and hearing without insight is hearing w/o understanding. It is hidden in plain sight…

Two old friends met one day after many years. One was very successful. The other never had much ambition. The successful man said, "How has everything been going?" the other guy said "Well, one day I opened the Bible at random, and dropped my finger on a word and it was oil. So, I invested in oil, and boy, did the oil wells gush. Then another day I dropped my finger on another word and it was gold. So, I invested in gold and those mines really produced. Overnight, I was as rich as Rockefeller."

The following day, the braggart was in his hotel room, grabbed a Gideon Bible, flipped it open, and dropped his finger on a page to see what was next in store for him. But when he opened his eyes, his finger pointed to the words, "Chapter Eleven."

Luck will take you no further than good sense can keep you. 

Ephesians 1:18 Paul prayed for the Ephesian church…"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope to which God has called you, to receive the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints" 

N. The Second N, Is For Naked…(oh, you weren’t expecting that one were you) It means to be open and transparent.. Another way of saying transparency is “Thru me you see”… What you see is what you get. No hidden agendas, no double talk, and no manipulation. 

Have you ever seen someone that was “too good to be true” and you think to yourself, “What are they really like?”                                                                      Jesus was transparent in everything that He did. His goal was that we would look through Him and see the Father. Jesus is one of the few things too good to be true that is better than everything you’ve heard!!!

John 14:8 “Philip said unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us. v9 Jesus said unto him, Have I been this long with you, and still you have not known me, Philip? he that has seen me has seen the Father; and how do you say then, Show us the Father”? (If you have Jesus, you have enough)

G. The Second G, Is For “Go Ye”… That’s what Jesus said… When your heart is filled with gratitude, you will want to Go everywhere you can with the good news. 

When we became Christians, we became gratitude driven… 

We get the “Go Ye” when we have good news to share like when we got engaged, then married, we had to share the good news…. We got the “Go Ye” when we were expecting a baby to be added to our family…we wanted to tell everyone…. We got the “Go Ye” when we got our driver’s license and our first car… We told everybody… Our gratitude drove us to tell somebody, anybody, everybody!

But what greater news could there be, than that Jesus came to give us eternal life, power over death, a free ticket to heaven, to be with Him forever.

To know Christ and to make Him known is the highest calling given unto man…

I want us to come together and pray over every family member, every church, every pastor, every prayer team, every witnessing team. And especially for the Franklin Graham team as they make Christ known to this community….

…. Now, I want to clarify that “the other side” is not about dying, but it’s about really living the life we were meant to live!

Mark 4:35 “On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” v36 Leaving the crowd, they *took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; (that’s another sermon right there, “Come as you are”…. and other boats were with Him. v37 And there *arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. v38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” v39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. v40 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? O you of little faith?” v41 For they were very much in awe and wonder, and said to one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

I have heard a lot of sermons about the storm which the disciples were caught in, which threatened to sink their boat. I have preached a few myself. Jesus is asleep in the boat, which is amazing, when you consider the violence of the storm.                                                                       But today I want to consider, right up front, the reason they were in the storm in the first place…. 

They were there, because they were doing what the Lord told them to do. He said, “Let’s go over to the other side”…. And right on cue, there was a fierce storm that arose between them and the other side”…

The scripture tells us that Jesus rebuked them because they gave the storm more authority than they gave to the word of the Lord. Instead of waking Jesus up to tell Him how big their storm was, they should have been telling the storm how big the word was that He had deposited inside of them!!!

The Lord has told some of you to go to the other side where there’s healing….but you’ve hit some storms.. For some of you, the others side meansfamily members, saved and serving the Lord…. The other side for others is a Christian home and marriage…. Perhaps on the other side lies freedom from some form of toxic life pattern or wrong thinking and that freedom is waiting for you…..Or maybe it’s the next step in the fulfillment of a dream or a goal which you have been striving for. For others the other side means “Prove me now says the lord that I will pour you out a blessing such as you cannot contain”…. 

So you’re in some fierce storms, and you aren’t hearing any clear direction,now that you have launched out on some uncharted waters.

What are you doing, Jesus, sleeping while we’re drowning… (ARE YOU FOR REAL JESUS) I’m going through all this, and I’m bailing like crazy to keep the ocean out of the boat, and you’re SLEEPING! WHAT’S WITH THAT, JESUS!! (Of course, no one here has EVER QUESTIONED JESUS….EVER, RIGHT! I want to tell you here…IT’S OK TO QUESTION GOD! He won’t get nervous.. He said “ask, and it shall be given, seek and you will find, knock and the door shall open”….

You see Jesus isn’t at all nervous about his spoken word coming to pass….

Psalm 68:8 “The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even the mountains of Sinai were moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel”.

Psalm 46:6 “Nations will shake with fear and kingdoms will fall at the voice of the lord and His word makes the earth to yield.”.

This is the same voice which said “Let us go over to the other side”….

I believe Jesus is allowing them to come up against all the old boundaries which have stopped them before. He is showing them in a dramatic way, the limits which fear and intimidation had placed in front of them and which wanted to end their amazing destiny before it began.

So, this wasn’t about the storm, it was about breaking the back of any and all powers which would prevent them from hearing and obeying the voice of God.That would cause them to come short in operating in their God given authority.

Comedian George Carlin nailed it when he wrote the following item about what happens when we fail to rise up to the next level that is waiting for us.

“The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, and yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life, not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We’ve conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush around, but we have not learned to wait”.

Look at what Jesus told them in Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” 

Grab your neighbor by the hand and say, “You are designed for greatness. Don’t live beneath your privilege. As a Christian, you have tremendousauthority”.                             The storm that was sent to break you is going to be what God uses to make you!! 

It’s time to flash your Luke 10:19 badge at the storm. When a policeman knocks on a door, the first thing he does is show his badge. He displays his authority.

It’s time to raise your hands over the situation and say, according to my boss, I have received power and authority over your power, Devil!! 

Flash your badge over your marriage and declare “My marriage is strong, secure, and blessed”!!! The storm that tried to break you, only served to make you!

Flash your badge over that physical condition and declare “Body, body, get in line, nothing missing, nothing broken, everything working fine”!!!

Write the scripture address of the promise, on the bottom of your shoe, because the only place the Devil belongs is under your feet!!! That’s Winnie’s thing, she puts the scriptures for that storm in her shoe and walks on it… Didn’t scripture tell us that “Every place on which your feet shell tread, I have given it to you”?

Jesus is inviting us to “go over to the other side of understanding our authority”….

Own it, don’t just confess it. You can confess something without possessing it.It’s one thing to say something but quite another thing to really take it as your own. 

There are many people who are going to miss heaven by about 18 inches (that’s the distance between their head and their heart). They have head knowledge but their will has not been surrendered to His will and they’re heart does not truly submit to him as the rightful lord and ruler of their life. 

Some day when scientists discover the center of the universe, many people are going to be disappointed to find out that it isn't them. Many folks can talk the walk but they cannot walk the talk….                                                                                                               Some children were learning about the Good Samaritan. To make the story vivid to the children, the teacher really got into detail, describing how the Samaritan was beaten, robbed, cut and bleedingand then left for dead. Then she asked the class what they would do if they saw someone on the side of the road, beaten and all bloody. One little girl raised her hand and said, "I think I'd throw up." 

God has a great plan for all of us, but it’s obvious that He's not done with most of us yet!! But He won’t quit, if we just don’t give up….and we push beyond the nausea….

Hebrews, chapter 3 and verse 1. "Wherefore holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus." 

The word profession is interchangeable with the word confession here, but profession goes much further, because it deals not only what you say, but it declares that what you say comes out of who you are and who you have become. 

Paul wants us to consider, to pause and ponder the depth of what he has just said. He's talking to every believer in Jesus Christ and calls upon us to understand the power of our words, spoken under the direction of our High priest, Jesus, who is the great apostle of the church.

The High priest is our covering and our mediator with the Father and His Apostleship stirs us up, sets us in our calling and releases the Spirit’s power within us. 

Now I want you to think for just a moment about the fact that we live in a power filled universe. We are told that there is enough unharnessed power that is contained in one cubic foot of air to blow the largest city in the world off the face of the earth. We know that we pass through billions of atoms every moment but when scientist discovered how to split just one atom, its power was released and the atomic bomb came into being.                                                                                                                       There is an endless supply of water in the air all around us every moment, and it would be more than enough water to irrigate every desert region and supply all the people in it, and never run out. We are surrounded by power that is waiting to be directed and harnessed.                                                                                               When missionary Hudson Taylor went to China, he made the voyage on a sailing vessel. As it neared the island of Sumatra, the missionary heard an urgent knock on his door. He opened it, and there stood the captain of the ship. "Mr. Taylor," he said, "we have no wind. We are drifting toward an island where the people are heathen, and I believe they are cannibals." "What would you have me do?" asked Taylor. "I understand that you believe in God. I want you to pray for wind." "All right, Captain, I will, but you must do something first, raise the sails." "Why that's ridiculous! There's not even the slightest breeze. Besides, the crew will think I'm crazy." But finally, because of Taylor's insistence, he agreed. Just minutes later he returned and found the missionary still on his knees. "You can stop praying now," said the captain. "We've got so much wind it’s about to rip the sails!"

Hudson Taylor understood Dunamus.. (power over power or the ability to harness power). That there is unreleased and untapped power all around usThat power was intended by God for man's blessing and for God's glory. All of that power was set in motion by words and that power can be controlled by words if we learn the secret of the power of the spoken word.

Jesus is inviting us to “go over to other side” and tap into power….                                                                                   In John 4:13 Jesus said to the woman at the well “Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up (endlessly) forever”.

Some have thought, “If I could just go to a Benny Hinn meeting” I could get my healing… If I could just get to someone with the gift of miracles… then my miracle would be released…. They’re running around with their bucket, looking for someone to fill it…. But listen to Jesus’ words to the woman at the well… and throw your bucket away…. If you have the Holy Spirit within you, then you have a well springing up with a full supply. 

Here’s the great miracle Jesus has come to give you… an abundance of resources within you, so that you can thrive, not just survive. Jesus says, “If you will believe, I will put in you that well, so you can continually draw upon it and enjoy it and drink deeply from it, and it will never run out!

In another place Jesus repeats it at the Passover, in                                                               John 7:37 “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. v38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” v39 Andthis He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive.”

He’s inviting us to go over to the other side…. The place of abundance, of wholeness, the place of miracles!

Believe Him, if He said you can go there, don’t let your storms cause you to believe it’s not possible. Don’t let the storm have more authority in your life than His words of promise and power. 

God’s word will always work but we always have to work it….                                                                     Our destination is determined, but we must be determined to get there, and know that what He has said, He will do!

So, go on over to the other side!

Good sailors are never the results of calm seas. Good sailors have come through some storms and applied the knowledge, skills and wisdom which is the result of that.

I was counseling with a young lady who was burdened down with a number of things in her life. As I was speaking to her, she stared at me and said, “you council out of your own brokenness, don’t you Pastor”… Folks, we are broken people who bring hope to others from our own brokenness. Because through our brokenness we have tapped into the well within, which is a boundless supply, and a river with no end. Let’s pour out the river on some folks that are dry and are wandering in a spiritual desert. 

Tuesday night at the training session, I heard Steve share this, and it meant so much to me, because I remembered that we had the same experience.                                                                                                          When our son David was a wee thing, he loved the small porcelain figurines that Winnie cherished. They were collector’s items and valuable. He wanted to hold them in his chubby little hands. So he would hold out his hands and Winnie would tell him that he needed to be very careful, because they would break easily and they were very important to her. She would put it in his hands but hold on to it. Again she would say, “now be very careful”…. He would almost be tremblingat this point, eagerly waiting. She would say, “are you ready?” and he would nod eagerly.. “Are you sure you’re ready”. 

Then she would let go and he would stand there, savoring the moment, as she hovered close by, to catch it if it should slip. 

That’s how we should feel about the word of God and the gift of God that has been entrusted to us… it’s the sacred word, the God breathed word, the powerof His presence, that we have been given….

It’s the word, breathed by the Spirit that will take us to the other side!!!.

God desires that our spirit be the living, breathing, worshiping, praising, serving, Holy of Holies, where His glory rests upon the mercy seat.                                                              1Corinthians 6:16 “ We are the temple of the living God, as God has said, I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people”.        If we are His temple, then His glory fills and flows out of His living temples. We are the epi-center here on the earth, where His glory is manifested and revealed.

Begin your thinking and your planning and your choosing from the point of Jesus’ fullness in your life. Always begin with the abundance of God! Face life from the place of all you have in Christ. Never face life from the place of your problems and your troubles and your needs. But come at your life from the river of His abundance and endless supply. 

The storm will always focus on everything that wants to sink your boat, but the river that flows out of your inner most being, will carry you through the storm and into the fulfillment of His promise. 

Last, I want us to see that in order for the disciples to get to the other side, they had to leave the safety of the shore… they had to leave something behind.Hey, you can’t walk away and stay there at the same time….You can’t eat you cake and have it

Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me”.

The disciples had to launch out into the deep and uncharted waters. They had often fished these waters, but now conditions had changed, the weather had changed, what they were facing in areas they thought they knew so well, were all different now. 

One day, you’re healthy and vital, and the next, you’re struggling. One day you’re cruising at 50 knots and the next, your motor has frozen up. One day everyone is your friend, the next, they’re the windshield and you’re the bug! How things can change in a day….

I remember, when David graduated, he wasn’t sure he wanted to go to college and study for the ministry. He was struggling with what direction he needed to go with his future. Overnight, he was launched into the worst week of his life, to the point that his very life was threatened. The storm had descended. He came to us and said, “How quick can you get me to college!?”

Sometimes you have to leave the comfort of the familiar, leave some friends and old patterns, leave behind your idea of how it is supposed to be, and push off to what you’ve never done and where you’ve never been.

His call has reached you, “Go on over to the other side”….

4 weeks before the kick off meeting for the Franklin Graham crusade, (I had not heard about it at this point). I had a dream that a man in a blue striped shirt came up to me and when I woke up, I told Winnie, that I was going to be approached by a man in a blue striped shirt, and it would be important, and very significant. A week later I heard about the Crusade and the kick off meeting, which was on the Monday the 4th.

When we got there at the meet and greet, someone introduced me to one of the team, and lo and behold, he had on a blue striped shirt with the official team logo on it. 

This past Tuesday, the ministers were invited to a luncheon and the team leader had on a different blue striped shirt. The official shirt of the Billy Graham advance team, is a blue striped shirt!

Folks, I’m excited…. Jesus has shown us the other side, and I’m going over. 

Something powerful is on the other side, something life changing is there, something that is transformative is on the other side. That’s where we are going….

Will some storms come up and try to sink this thing…. OH YES…                                     Will there be distractions, and difficulties…. OH YES…                                                             But we’re not coming from the place of trouble, fear, stress, and problems, we’re coming by way of the river of God, by way of the well of endless blessing and supply!

We should be more afraid of not really living, than we are of dying!!!

I recall reading that the African impala can jump to a height of over 15 feet and cover a distance of greater than 30 feet at a bound. Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a 3-foot wall. They will not jump if they cannot see where their feet will land. 

How many things have kept us from the other side, simply because we could not see where we would land….

Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see, and with faith we are freed from the flimsy enclosures of life where fear wants to keep us and prevent us from launching out from the safety of the shore. This does not eliminate the importance of Trying every spirit to see if it is of God….or looking before you leap!

I would like to call on our church, and I’ve posted this call to prayer on the internet….to find time to go over to the ampi-theater and the park, as often as possible in the weeks leading up to the crusade and just pray over that place, and those that will gather for the crusade. Pray over souls that need to come to Christ, from the local government officials, the business owners, the military, the tourists, the residents, the families and to all the whosoevers that the Holy Spirit is calling to receive Jesus at this season of harvest. 

Jesus is calling the Christians and churches of Key West to come over to the other side, the place of renewed witnessing to our city, of leading others indiscipleship, and of connecting with those we meet every day with eternity in mind. 

So, Let’s go forth with the well of his fullness in us, wherever He calls us, whatever we are doing. Mother, go home to your family with the well insideand fully know that there is nothing that is outside of your power to handle. Dad, go home with the well inside and know that as you lead your home for Jesus, the blessing of His fullness flows through you. Church, go into the work place with the river of endless supply, confident that there is no situation togreat for you through His power within.          Let’s get our children to walk in this, at school and in their neighborhood.

We are going to the other side where we see revival, lost souls saved, marriages healed, enemies reconciled, love and forgiveness in place of hatred and anger…. Addicts delivered and set free… a turning back to God among young people, business people, government leaders, and the general population. 

Let’s believe it and receive it…. Jesus is in this boat with us. Nothing can stop His plan and His agenda, if we will pray, go, love, and serve. 

Let’s all be in agreement together, for the churches and those who are committed to seeing our God on the move in Key West, and the Keys….

Lord Jesus, we desire nothing greater than to see Your Glory revealed and that folks would come to know You better and for some, that they might know You for the first time.                                                                                                                                             Prayer……                                                                                                                                    Lord Jesus, Open hearts that are still closed against you, and open their understanding that in knowing Your plan for them, lives would changed and spirits would be made open. Give me an understanding heart, that I may see the precious lives that you treasure all around me. Lord we cry out in behalf of the people, all around us, that their eyes may be open to Your truth so they might receive Your mercy and forgiveness. Help us, that as we walk in love, You would shine through us to dispel the darkness, so that all can run into Your transforming light.  Bring our loved ones, friends and neighbors into Your saving grace.       

Holy Spirit, bring conviction unto righteousness, and draw those who are away from you to faith and to repentance. We now take back everything the enemy has stolen from our lives and our community in the name of Jesus. We open ourselves to the fullness of Your wisdom and guidance. We receive the knowledge we need at this time in our lives that we might serve You and serve those around us. Our greatest desire is that we may bring glory to Your great Name.                                                           Lord, shine through us so they may see You, and may Your light never dim. Lord Jesus, as we lay aside all the weights that might hinder and distract us, may we join your multitude of reapers in this end time harvest, as we wait for Your appearing. Continue to move upon our hearts to mold and shape us more and more for Your honor and glory we ask. For it is all in Jesus’ name.

The song “I will follow” which we sing, is a song of intention. It says, “Where you go, I'll go, Where you stay, I'll stay, When you move, I'll move, I will follow you. Who you love, I'll love, How you serve, I'll serve, If this life I lose,   I will follow you”….WOW, that is purpose!!

The word INTENTION is about a determination to conduct yourself in a certain way with commitment and resolve…

RESOLVE is about steadfastness of purpose with boldness and deep personal conviction.

So if you break it down, An intentional life has purpose, discipline and vision for an attainable future.

If anyone should ask why this is so important, the answer is simple:    If we do not have a clear agenda for our lives, one will be provided for us—either by the events of life itself that we are experiencing, or by other people that we inter-act with.

We will follow the crowd or follow the vision….Someone said, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way, but don’t block my purpose”

It’s about taking control and determining with God’s help, how we will live our lives and spend our time, our energy and our resources.                                      Without intentional living, our lives can easily “get away from us” and our outside world can have us at its mercy.                                                      I’m reminded of the story about the old West, or “the wild west”,when a devout Quaker had been bullied and harassed until he could stand it no longer. Speaking up to his tormentors, he announced: "Sirs, I do not believe in violence and I would not harm thee for anything in the world. But my compassion for all men compels me to warn thee, that thou art standing in the very place where I am about to do some shooting."

Intentional living is about staying on course while being responsible for the wake that we are creating as we move through our uncharted waters…. as we move toward our own goals and dreams. 

    So, watch your wake!!! I have a neighbor in our building, who   

    used to play his bass guitar through his boom box, till 3:00 in the 

    morning..

    My gut level response after 3 months of this was to bang on his    

     door and give him a piece of my mind (which I can’t spare) but While 

     I applaud his dedication, I don’t like his wake!!! 

I wrote a nice, neighborly, reasonable, note that would hopefully let him see the insanity of doing that, and posted it onhis door, and we have not had a problem since. 

     I don’t believe God wants us to live a life, controlled by the world 

     around us, because we understand our higher purpose.

1 Corinthians 6:12 "All things are lawful for me," but not all things edify (are profitable for my life). All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any (but Christ)”. This word “Edify”, is from the Greek word, oikodomeō, which literally means “to build a house.” So, it’s a fact that not all things will build up the house that I choose to live in.

The reason Paul begins with “All things are lawful for me”.. is because he is stating the excuse which those in the church have used for not living intentionally!

The laws of the land, might permit you to live in such a way, that you are able to break the law of Love towards God and one another without suffering any consequences from the law of the land.

If you back up to 1 Corinthians chapter 5, Paul is actually addressing a problem that has come up in the church in Corinth because they tolerated a guy in the church who was having a sexual relationship with his step mother (or his father’s wife). They figured that it was not his biological mother, so there was no law broken, and it was a personal matter between consenting adults, therefore it should be up to them to work it out. 

Paul was emphasizing that it might be legal, and with consent, but it was not expedient as an example that the church should be reflecting before the world. 

If our light is no brighter than the darkness, then what good is it. 

If the salt has lost it’s saltiness, how can it salt anything. 

Salt is a preservative, not only a means of flavoring something. 

So how can your claims in Christ, keep back the rottenness of society, if it is also rotten! 

How can your faith in Christ, enhance, improve and make a difference in people’s lives if your life is no different than their’s, and your priorities are no different than their’s.

In one of the Peanuts cartoons, Lucy has a sign up that says “Advice—5 cents.” Charlie Brown is her client in the cartoon, and Charlie Brown is not happy with the way his life is going, and asks Lucy’s advice on finding a purpose in life.

Using the example of the deck on a cruise ship, Lucy tells Chuck, “Some people go through life with their deck chair facing backwards, and they can only see where they’ve beenand not where they’re  going.” Then she asks him, “Charlie Brown, which way is your deck 

chair facing?” Charlie Brown tells her in an uncertain, shaky tone, “I really don’t know—I’ve never been able to get my deck chair unfolded!”                                                                                                                                                          

      So unfold your deck chair! And make sure it’s facing in the right direction! And make sure your ticket isn’t on the Titanic!!!

Paul councils the church in 1 Corinthians 6:2 “Do you not know that the saints will one day rule the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to judge in the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more then should we be competent to judge the issues of this life”?

Then Paul shares with them something that they clearly understand, because they were big on taking the Lord’s Supper as an external practice of their faith. They know that the communion bread is to have no leaven in it, but Paul makes it a personal matter of the heart. 

1Corinthians 5:6 “Do you not know that a little leaven (yeast),leavens the whole lump of dough? v7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, so that you are in fact unleavened (and without yeast). 

Throughout scripture, yeast is likened to sin and compromise. So Paul is telling the church to live intentionally, on purpose for Christ. Choose the materials which you want to build with….He’s emphasizing that you can’t be double minded, compromising and undisciplined, without it affecting everything else in your life. 

Another truth that Paul shares is 1 Corinthians 3:12 “If anyone builds on this foundation (folks can have a good foundation, but we must must carefully choose which materials we will use to build on that foundation) using gold, silver, costly stones, or wood, hay and straw, v13 their work will be revealed for what it is, because the Day (of the Lord) will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work”.                                               One of the signs that psychologist look for as an indicator that a person has matured properly, is whether or not they understand that actions have consequences and then accept responsibility for their own actions.  

A guy was eating breakfast with his wife....when he hears a knock at the door, he gets up and opens the door and sees two people. "You need to be saved!" the first person at the door says. "Get outta here with that mess" the guy says. "But sir, if you don't get saved, the time is coming when it will be too late!" the second person says. "I don't give a blankety, blank, blank. Now get off of my porch and out of my yard!" The guy slams the door, goes back to the table and opens his newspaper. His wife asks him, "Who was that, the Jehovah Witnesses, at the door, dear?"  "Naah, just A couple of fireman" The guy says….

    One of the great challenges we all have is to live intentionally when the world all around us is on fire. That’s theability to judge between WHAT IS IMPORTANT and what is NOT IMPORTANT as we are building our lives into the future, .

Intentional living is manual, it’s hands on. It’s about us deliberately steering our lives in the direction of our goals, our plans and our hopes and dreams, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher…..

I would never have stood a chance at getting a second glance from Winnie, my black haired sweety, if she didn’t think that I would be the spiritual head of our home together. She was intentional about who she would let into her heart, in that way.                                                                                                                I learned to drive with a manual shift with no power steering. It was manual everything…. Most kids wouldn’t know how to shift gears, because they have automatic transmission. We have cruise control, so that if your foot gets tired of pushing the pedal you just set a speed and let her rip! Now engineers are working on sensors that steer the car for you and stop the car or decelerate if anything is too close to you. (I don’t think I would trust too much of that, I prefer hands on)

How many things are set on cruise in our lives? I’m talking about patterns we haven’t re-thought in quite a while, things we do on a regular basis (I mean we just keep doing what we’ve always done without asking why or if it’s producing anything in our lives)

A guy bought one of those CDs that teach you Spanish in your sleep. During the night, the CD kept skipping. So now, he can’t speak Spanish but he is able to stutter, in Spanish very fluently.

Doctor Phil has many folks who come to him with their lifeproblems, who keep doing the same dysfunctional things, over and over….And he asks them, “So, how’s that working for you”… They are doing things, that just don’t work, or don’t produce the results they need, because their actions are not attached to their goals and purpose….Since the purpose is not clear, the solution is never found. 

Ask someone….”How’s that working for you?”

Paul, made a powerful statement of intentional living in his letter to the Philippian Christians in Philippians 3:13 “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, v14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the high call of God in Christ Jesus”.…. Don’t let your past determine your future…

If we cut God out of the equation, money won’t get you there, or fame, or power, or the accumulation of stuff! When God is not a priority in our life of purpose, nothing else can fill that vacuum.

Now I’m from Virginia, so the Washington Redskins are my home town team. That being said, at least the Nationals didn’t let me down!

But when it comes to fulfilling your purpose, let me use the Redskins.. Question…. What's the difference between the Washington Redskins and Cheerios? A: Cheerios actually see a bowl…

How do you keep Redskin players out of your yard? 

A: Just put up a goal post….

What's the difference in the Washington Redskins and a dollar bill?    A: You can still get four quarters out of a dollar bill.

What is the difference between a Redskins fan and a baby?                A: The baby will stop whining after a while. 

What do you call 53 millionaires watching the Super Bowl on TV?       A: The Washington Redskins. 

How do you stop a Washington Redskins player from beating his wife? A: Dress her in a Patriot’s uniform! 

(Can you handle one more) 

What do the Redskins and the mailman have in common?                   A: Neither one delivers on Sunday. 

And that my friends, is just a few examples of not fulfilling your purpose and living intentionally!!!!

    Saint Augustine wrote, “You, oh God, have made us for yourself, 

    and our heart is restless until it finds its place of rest in You.”

We cannot give to others what we do not have ourselves. The most effective impact on others, must flow out of our own purpose filled life. If we have lost our purpose, how will we help others to find theirs. The blind will be leading the blind.

    Hey, here’s some intentional living for you….. how about…

    “thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven”.

What God desires should be a major part of what we desire. And His greatest desire is to see all people everywhere, saved and following Him and His plan for their lives. 

I would love to see everyone at Eagle’s Rest, be part of the training program of witnessing, in preparation for and leadingup to the Billy Graham Crusade on January 16th.

    Now that’s a great item on your intentional list, if you truly want to   

    see revival in our city and the Keys!

Intentional, is about putting actions where our belief for the future is! If we are praying for revival, and believing it is coming, we will put action behind it and be involved in improving our confidence level and aptitude level in being a witness for the Lord.

Don’t pray for revival and have your deck chair turned in the wrong direction!

Regardless of how we choose to live our lives, and how we decide to build upon the foundation we have been given in Christ, when all is said and done, we will all stand before Him and give an account for what we have done with our lives. 

Romans 14:10 “In that day, we shall all stand before Him. v11 For it is written: “‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee shall bow before Me, and every tongue shall confess that I am Lord.’ v12 So then every one of us must give an account of ourselves unto God”.

I remember when I was a kid, there was a time when my mom, owned a restaurant and had to be there a lot, so when I got out of school, she fed me, called a cab, and sent me off to the movies, until she closed up. She was so busy, she never checked what was playing, so I watched all kind of movies. I remember sitting there in some of the movies, praying that Jesus would not come while I was there, because I was afraid I would miss the rapture. 

I was very aware that I had to stand before him and give an account. 

Without that awareness of making God our priority in all we do, we have no North Star to guide us, and we can easily lose our direction. 

I’m not saying that we must live in fear, but we have the knowledge that there is something greater than this temporary place and time. Otherwise we are just existing and not really living. 

It’s knowing that there is a greater plan for our lives than the problems on the job, or the conflicts in our home, or the financial stress, and momentary health problems…. Knowing our purpose gives us a greater and larger view of life and what it’s all about. 

The world, as we know it, WILL END—The rapture WILL TAKE PLACE--The tribulation WILL HAPPEN----Jesus WILL RETURN to earth to reign for 1,000 years----There WILL BE a new heaven and a new earth---- God has an intended outcome— and that outcome is that we will be with Him and have a loving relationship with HIM forever!!. 

If we understand the bigger picture….We’ll see ANGELSinstead of DEMONS everywhere…. We’ll see PROMISESinstead of just PROBLEMS…. We’ll see BLESSING instead of DISAPPOINTMENT all around us…..It’s the difference in the boat being in the ocean and the ocean being in the boat.

Scripture says “This light affliction is not worthy to be compared with the glory that is waiting for those who are in Christ”….

I can stay on course and fully expect a good outcome because Philippians 1:6—tells me to “be confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion”.

I can move forward with confidence because He tells me in Hebrews 13:5— “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

I don’t have to get up tomorrow worried that God is in a bad mood, so I’d better tread softly….. He tells me in John 10:10—"the thief only comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly.” He’s the same yesterday, today and forever!

We had a dear friend, whose husband was an alcoholic and chained to the bottle. Many times she would have to go out and find him passed out in a drunken stupor somewhere. She told us that she had found him passed out in the rain in a rain filled gutter and had to drag him out and bring him home. When his little daughter passed away, he went into the funeral home and took the new shoes off of her body and pawned them for a drink. I had the opportunity to invite him to come with me to church. At the end of the service, I took his hand and walked him up to the altar where he received Christ. He became a sold out Christian and saw God do some incredible miracles in his life. 

So we call the things that are not….We look not at things that are, but we call the things that are not. THAT IS INTENTIONAL LIVING, FOLKS!!!! That’s what intentional people do!!

God has a plan for the drug addict, for the prostitute, for the sex trafficker, for the gender confused, and for all those he has created.

Our task is to take away the veil, and help them open the curtain, so that their purpose may be revealed and that, my friend is the glorious work of the Holy Spirit, who is waiting to work through us!

When His plans become my plans, a powerful force is released into the earth! So, Jesus take the wheel!

It all begins when we honestly and sincerely declare from the core of our being… JESUS, YOU ARE THE LORD OF MY LIFE!!!!

JESUS, YOU ARE THE CAPTAIN OF THIS VESSEL!!!

JESUS, YOU ARE THE ARCHETECT OF MY FUTURE!!!

ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER, ALL TO HIM I FREELY GIVE!

Any time is a good time to refocus and make the proper adjustments. Any time is the best time to evaluate our priorities. Any time is a great time to tune in to what He is saying in the midst of all the voices and things that demand our attention….

I recall an altar service when I had finished the message and one young sailor, stood before God and tuned back in to God’svoice…He is now an evangelist who has established several bible colleges in Africa that is training and sending out pastors to establish churches. 

I recall another young man, who went off to bible college and is now a youth pastor who is influencing many young lives. 

Who can know what that moment will bring to pass in us, as we tune back in to His voice and let Him have His way!!!

Are you willing to let Him truly speak, and let Him have His way…..

You will be amazed at where it will take you. To do all that we do with the simple goal of pleasing the Father. To allow Him to have a say in our daily plans and work through our connections and relationships. 

Living intentionally begins with living for him!

It may be the perfect wife, perfect husband, perfect children, perfect friend, perfect church, perfect pastor, perfect job, perfect neighborhood.. etc, etc…

Well, to begin with, if you find perfect, you’ll just mess it all up, because you’re not perfect yet. We’re on that journey, but none of us have arrived yet!

Once upon a time, a perfect man and a perfect woman met. After a perfect courtship, they had a perfect wedding. Their life together was, of course, perfect. One snowy, stormy Christmas Eve, this perfect couple was driving their perfect car along a winding road, when they noticed someone at the side of the road in distress. Being the perfect couple, they stopped to help.

There stood Santa Claus with a huge bundle of toys. Not wanting to disappoint any children on the eve of Christmas, the perfect couple loaded Santa and his toys into their SUV. Soon they were driving along delivering the toys.

Unfortunately, the driving conditions deteriorated and the perfect couple and Santa Claus had an accident. Can anyone guess who survived the accident? …….

No one survived, of course. There is no Santa Claus, and there is no perfect man or perfect woman that ever really existed other than Jesus.

Having been around a few years, I have become acquainted with the terms which some have used to explain a person who is out of the will of God. Those terms which I refer to are “The Perfect” will of God and “the Permissive” will of God. The “Permissive” will of God refers to the fact that due to some wrong choices and bad decisions, a person must now live with less than the perfect will of God. It’s like getting a tattoo of a girlfriend or boyfriend in a prominent place on your body and then when you break up, they’re gone but the tattoo isn’t!

What if we thought of our decisions like tattoos which we have to live with long after the temporary circumstances we’re in have changed and are long gone.. Would you still want that tattoo? (You’re going with Bob, but Billy is always there with you!!)

*…...Many have used the example of the Israelites when God brought them out of the bondage of Egypt. We could say that the perfect will of God was for them to go directly into the promised land and enjoy the land flowing with milk and honey, which would take 4 weeks. But the permissive will of God allowed them to choose to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. …..We could say that but it wouldn’t make it so…. 

So, let’s look at what the record says…

The book of Hebrews expands on this point:

*…..Hebrews 3:16 “Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? v17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? v18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? v19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief”.

Hebrews 4:1 “Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith”.

Don’t take my word for it, God’s own inspired record doesn’t call it His permissive will, it is called “unbelief” and “rebellion”…..You can put lipstick on a pig, but it won’t make It a runway model…..(How quickly the new car smell wears off)

The problem with the “Permissive will” mentality of thinking, is that it’s often a way to sugar coat unbelief and rebellion.  It eradicates right and wrong, transforming them into just a series of excuses without accountability.  It turns the clear-cut directives of God into gray areas of our existence.

And let me add that there are folks who are living with someone else’s disobedience and rebellion through no fault of their own….But that doesn’t give them the right to live bitter and down in the mouth and full of unbelief!!

My mom used to come home from work and give each one of us kids a swat with her hand, then she’d say, “I don’t know what you did but I know you”. 

I’m so glad I have Jesus who says “I know what you did and I still love you, but I won’t leave you like that”….

He wants us to get wisdom, righteousness, the mind of Christ, and the knowledge that is from above. Another way of saying “Permissive will” Is to say that we are walking in less than the very best God has for us. 

He that knows to do right and does it not, to him/her it is a sin….

It’s not the same as buying a new car and saying, I could have had the deluxe seats with the vibrator, and heat massage. I could have had the computer screen in the dash and surround sound. And I could have had the TV for the kids in the back seat to watch. But I can live without all those things and still get where I need to be.

The big difference here, is that getting a car is not based on unbelief and deciding against God’s values, unless God specifically said for you to do that.

A young person starts dating someone who has no desire for God or any desire for leading their home in honor of Him. And they marry, and like the tattoo, when they change their mind about the unbeliever, they still have to live with it!!!

I have heard young Christians argue something like….. “But I believe God brought them into my life for a reason.” That may be, and I don’t argue with that.

Young folks need to be like the young woman who liked a guy but would only sit with him in church, would only go out with him with the church group, and on condition that he attended church with her every Sunday. Then after a month, she would not see him unless he received Christ as his savior. Then she would only see him if he was baptized. Then she would only see him if he tithed. After that she accepted his proposal of engagement, and would only marry him after she was satisfied that he read the bible with her and prayed regularly. They enjoyed a great marriage….

So when someone finds themselves in a bad choice situation, where they’re     living with the bad tattoo they no longer want, what can be done about this problem?

This guy put the face of his x girlfriend on his arm with “I love you”… bad choice!!!!

In this and every such case, when we make bad choices, the solution is always and simply the same.  It comes down to one word – Repent, and sin no more! That’s what Rebellion is a sin, it’s also temporary insanity!! Jesus said that Repentance releases righteousness, (or right thinking)                                         

Get back tight with God and let nothing come between your obedience and honoring Him! Get started and never look back. Get back on track. If you weren’t attending church faithfully….start. If you weren’t tithing….start. If you weren’t praying and reading your bible consistently…..start! If you weren’t witnessing to others, start!

A man was dying and he was concerned about getting into heaven. As he was praying about it, knowing his life was far from perfect, an angel showed up and said "Put your mind and heart at ease, Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you points for each item, and I’m sure you’ll be OK. When you reach 100 points, you get in."

"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."

"That's wonderful," says the angel, "that's worth five points!"

"Five points?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."

"Terrific!" says the angel, "that's certainly worth another 6 points."

"Six points? Wow, this is not easy. How about this: I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans for years."

"Fantastic, that's good for 3 more points," he says.

"THREE POINTS!!" the man cries, "At this rate the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!" ….."Alright, now you’re ready to come on in!"

Accept No Substitute, GRACE, is not a substitute for obedience and honoring God with our choices and decisions…. 

The word ‘good’ suggests the existence of another word ‘bad’. The word ‘light’ informs us of the existence of the word ‘darkness’. The word “perfect” suggests another word, “imperfect”…..

Don’t blame God for the heartache from the bad tatoos we all may have gotten, just determine that your life will be a life of obedience to Him. He forgives, he heals and he restores…..

Romans 12:2 “and be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that of God, and acceptable, and perfect will of God”

Richard Rohr said that “Maturity is the ability to joyfully live in an imperfect world”       I came across some reminders that we are living in an imperfect world…we know…

1---That Light travels faster than sound. That’s why people appear bright until                 

    you hear them speak.

2--- Sometimes our concern is that If we agree with someone we’d both be wrong.

3---We don’t really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

4---War does not determine who is right – it only determines who will be left.

5---The evening news is where they begin with ‘Good evening’, and then spend the rest of the time telling you why it isn’t. (it’s an imperfect world)

6---If you think nobody cares about you, try missing a couple of payments.

7---Never take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

8---Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

9---Some people cause happiness wherever they go. Others cause it whenever        

    they leave.

Anyway, we all live in an imperfect world, with imperfect people….so let’s enjoy it!!!

God was making a strong statement when He brought the Hebrews to the entrance of Canaan, the land of promise….

Let me set this up for you. The place where they had come to, was between the Jordon, which opened so they could cross over, under the leadership of Joshua, and the entrance to the land of Canaan.                                                                                                                                                                      Achan had led a rebellion to overthrow Joshua as God’s appointed leader and many followed him. As a result, God allowed the people of Ai to defeat them and they repented before God and separated themselves from Achanand the rebellion. God opened the ground and swallowed up the rebellion, then He helped them defeat Ai and put them back on track. The first thing they did was to rebuild their altar (representing their worship and allegiance) to God and then they offered themselves once again to Him.

Joshua 8:30 “Now Joshua built an altar to the LORD God of Israel in Mount Ebal, v31 as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. v32 And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. v33 Then all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the stranger as well as he who was born among them. 

Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. v34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. v35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them”.

After they conquered the people of Ai, they came to a valley between two mountains, on one side was Mount Ebal and on the other side was Mount Gerizim. Mount Ebal is called the mountain of cursing and Mount Gerizim is called the mountain of blessing or mercy. It was between these two mountains that they entered the land. 

How prophetic, that they were prophesying about the death of Christ who would die on a mount of cursing, so that the blessing could flow out to the world. 

In each of our lives, there is a mountain of misery and there is also a mountain of mercy, and each person must choose one or the other, and we choose it every day. God calls us to the mountain of blessing, but wonder of wonders, folks choose Ebal over Gerizim every day. Everyone must choose which mountain they will climb.  

In John's Gospel, chapter 4, Jesus confronts the woman at Jacob's Well. In an attempt to change the subject of her own sin, she asked Jesus if Mount Gerizim was indeed to be a mountain of blessing. You see, Samaria was located at the foot of Ebal the mount of cursing. She was pointing back to the actual event that occurred in Joshua and was prophesied in Deuteronomy. Jesus replied that the mountains didn't matter, but only those who worship in spirit and truth. Jesus was saying that the Old Testament mountains were a north star to point us to the truth - to the fact that there is no place of perfect blessing, but there is a PERSON of perfect blessing - and that person is Jesus, who died on the mount of cursing for us to have the blessing!

Some years ago an artist portrayed temptation in a painting. The picture revealed a man standing at a fork in the road, where one direction was"Right," the other direction was "Wrong." Interestingly, each road looked the same to the man in the painting. For the person viewing the painting, however, there was a view over the hillside. Out beyond the path that wasWrong there was a great fiery pit waiting to trap the unsuspecting traveler, but unless the traveler knew what was beyond the hillside, he was trusting his feelings, and not the map he could have that would have steered him right. We have the map, it’s called the Bible, and unless you read it and know it, you will go by your unreliable feelings….

When you see pictures of Fantasy Fest, you see happy people, laughing and celebrating. They never show you the folks with venereal diseases, or hanging over a toilet bowl, or the broken homes and families from rebellious living, or lives out of control with drugs and alcohol….I love to have fun, but not at the cost of my values. 

Why would you put hot sauce in your eye and wonder why you’re going blind!!!!

Eve only took one bite of the apple and we have felt the bite marks everysince.        No one never thought that first cigarette could lead to cancer and heart disease, or the first drug experience could lead to an overdose and death, or the first act of unfaithfulness could destroy a family and affect generations…..

Some sing, “I did it my way,” but I’m glad I changed my song to, “I did itGod’s Way.” That, my friend, has made all the difference in my life and my eternity!

There is never a perfect time for you to take action. There is never a perfect time for you to launch that new project, to spend time with your family, to read the book you’ve been meaning to, or change a habit, or develop a new habit. Once we acknowledge this, our lives will become much more meaningful and fulfilling. 

I’m too tired. I don’t have the time. I am not capable. Someone else will do it. It’s too late now. Now is not the right time. I am not talented. I am not ready. I’m too scared. . I don’t feel motivated.  Nobody will help me. What if I fail

And on, and on, and on, and on…… TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!!…..

That’s the problem with waiting for perfect! That perfect person, perfect thing, perfect place, never comes! Even in the millennium, when everything is so great, the Devil will be released at some point! 

Studies consistently show that when we look back on our lives the most common regrets are not the risks we took, but the ones we didn’t take. Of the many regrets people describe, regrets of inaction and indecision, outnumber those of any actions that were taken by nearly two to one.

Have you taken time to look behind the curtain. God’s word lets you look behind the curtain. Some of you have been praying about a situation for a long time. You don't see anything happening. You could easily be discouraged. But what if God were to pull back the curtain and allow you to see into the future and you knew that on November 12, at 2:33 in the afternoon, it was going to happen, you were going to meet the person of your dreams, that new job would call,  the opportunity you’ve dreamed of would happen. You wouldn't be discouraged any longer. You would be excited. You would start getting yourself ready. You would go buy some new clothes. You would envision how it would be and prepare yourself accordingly. Why? You know the big day, the big dream is coming. IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN! You have His word!!!!

I know a young lady that was believing to meet the right man. She was at college and the big annual banquet was coming and none of the right people had asked her to go with them. She worked in the cafeteria to help with her school bill, and one day she had sat down by herself and was feeling badly about the situation. A young man who also worked in the cafeteria, saw her looking down in the dumps, and sat down at the table. He put a dry mop over his head to be cute, and said, “Hi, I am Ann Landers, and I’m here to solve your problems. You can tell me anything” She did and he offered to take her to the banquet. They began dating and he followed her home, and before long they got married and have had many great years together. Thatguy was me, and the girl was Winnie…. Was it coincidence, or just luck…. No it was a “Set Time”, arranged by the giver of every good and perfect gift, because we put Him first.

Didn’t God tell us in Jeremiah 29:11 “I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for success and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.”

How about 1 Peter 5:6 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, v7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you”.                                                                                                                                 And then there’s John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly”.

Trust and obey and let God have His way. The problem with waiting for perfect, is that you can miss God’s best for your life. 

Trust God's timing. Stand still and you'll see how God will deliver you. When you remain in obedience, you can trust that almighty God will fight your battles. Friends, there are set times in your future. Get dressed up, prepared and expectant. Quit worrying about when it's going to happen. God can see the big picture. He knows what's best for you. Dare to say like David, "God, my times are in your hand".

While you’re waiting, Let God be your only hope. Jehoshaphat’s prayer in…                                   2 Chronicles 20:12 “Our eyes are set upon you.” God is our only hope: “My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from this snare.”                             Psalms 25:15 “My eyes are continually toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net”.. Just be careful that your hope is not in someone or something other than God. Things, people, and situations change like clouds, but He never changes, there is no shadow of change with Him.

While you’re waiting, Be still and get alone with God.                                                      Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.” This is where your refreshing and renewal will come from. This is your source of right perspective and balance in the midst of an imbalanced world. Jesus is our best example here. He never ended His day or started his day, without getting away from everyone and everything and hearing from the Father. It was all about “Not my will but your will be done, Father”….

While you’re waiting, Give God the right to over-rule.  

Proverbs 16:9 “A man may make his plans, but God will have the final say.”God is sovereign, and that means Above or superior to all others….Supremein power, rank or authority. God reserves the right to work and move in His own time and in His own way. He always works all things out for our good. Do you fully believe that God is sovereign in your present situation and your future direction? Then don’t make plans in unbelief. He will make a way where there is no way!

We give Him the right to take away what is unnecessary, and unprofitable, and reshape our character, our attitudes and our values.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint!!!!

So, isn’t it interesting, after saying all this that Jesus tells us in

Matthew 5:48 “Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”

(WHAT YOU TALK’N BOUT WILLIS?)

Some might say, “That’s about as likely as the Washington Redskins, winning the national championship this year….!! Well at least the Nationals made me proud!!

God would never tell us to be something if we could never BE IT! 

Understand First, that God became us in Christ, so we could be like Him. When we receive Christ, we receive Perfection. Then, He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and when the Holy Spirit came in to dwell, perfection moved to the inside of us!

Also, let’s understand that the Greek word for “Be perfect” is in the progressive tense, which is actually “Be, Being Perfect”…. 

With Christ by the perfect Holy Spirit within us, we are being perfected as we experience all the diverse circumstances, interactions, and experiences of life. We have perfection within us, working it’s way out through us!

So you smile when you don’t feel like smiling. You give a cheery word when you don’t feel cheery. You help someone when it’s not convenient. You give when you have already given. You make time when you don’t have time. And you serve when you feel like you need to be served. 

It’s about being made perfect in love, perfect in hope, perfect in faith, perfect in surrender.

I’m not what I need to be, and I’m not yet what I’m going to be, but I’m not who I used to be, either!!!

But thank God, we have received the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. 

(Tell someone….”Go on into perfection)

Love never fails. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. We are moving to perfection and by faith, calling the things that are not as though they were!

We are declaring that God who has begun a good work in us will perfect it until the day of His appearing….

Every musician, every singer, every sports team will tell you that practice makes perfect!

As we practice toward perfection, it’s always good to have friends who can give you feed back. I’m not talking about the situation like the group of pastors who got together to share their trials and struggles to encourage, inspire and pray for one another. And one pastor said, I’ve really had a struggle with drinking lately. I used to be an alcoholic before I was saved, and I’ve been dealing with some strong temptation. Another pastor said, I was a womanizer before I was saved, and I have been hit with some strong temptations lately myself. Another pastor said, I did a lot of drugs before I was saved, and I’ve been taking opioids to deal with pain, and I’m concerned. Finally the last pastor said, I have a problem with gossip, and I can’t wait to tell everyone, everything I have just heard!…..

We all need a support group, who will nudge us in the right direction (just leave that one guy out!) We all need folks who will hold us up and not condemn us for our imperfections. Who recognize that there are two mountains we all must pass through to get to our promised land and those folks will walk with us and stand by us as we make our journey together through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit….

Thank God for are all those who are on their own journey to perfection of the heart. For out of the heart flow all the issues of life. 

Let’s close our time today with the words to the song, “A Perfect Heart”

Lord of life, giver of all things, Life and health, power and peace

Let my heart cleave always to You, And my will, find sweet release

I’m amazed at Your talents, I stand in awe of One so great 

Now my soul begins to sing out to the source from which it came.

Bless the Lord who reigns in beauty; Bless the Lord who reigns with wisdom and with power. Bless the Lord who fills my life with so much love, He can make a perfect heart.

Today we look at the account in the life of Jacob, when Laban came into his life and the ramifications of that 20 year encounter.

I want us to see up front that Laban showed up in Jacob’s life to teach him that there are those who will always place their wants and desires before your destiny. As a matter of fact, they want what’s theirs and what’s yours as well….They will form an attachment to you which will cause you to struggle between choosing them or choosing the dream that God has put in your own heart. This attachment will cause you to have a divided heart. 

A divided heart will try to lock you into a valley of indecision and confusion, so that you lose your way and make bad choices and decisions that will take you to a place you never would have otherwise gone…. The attachment to Laban, in Jacob’s case was Laban’s daughter Rachael. Because of her, Jacob really lost his way….

Speaking of losing your way, a family was driving through Louisiana. As they were approaching Natchitoches, they started arguing about the pronunciation of the town. They argued back and forth until they stopped for lunch. As they stood at the counter, the dad asked the blonde employee, “Before we order, could you please settle an argument for us? Would you please pronounce where we are…very slowly?” The blonde girl leaned over the counter and said, “K-e-n-t-u-c-ky F-r-i-ed C-h-i-c-k-en”     (Now I’ll be craving KFC the rest of the day)!!!

It has been said that when you’re walking through hell, keep moving…..So with an amazing destiny upon Jacob’s life, forces begin to work through the attachments in his life to circumvent and block his legacy….and he found himself negotiating through a mine field. But Praise God, The Lord will make a way where there is no way, and He will even use the enemy’s own plans and attacks to fulfill His promises… 

Genesis 29:18 “Now Jacob loved Rachel, (so he agreed with Laban’s terms) and said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” v19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.” v20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her”.

So, Jacob agreed to work for Rachel’s father (his uncle Laban) seven years. But on the wedding night Laban tricked Jacob and sent Rachel’s older sister, Leah, into Jacob’s tent, because Laban felt that his older daughter should be married first. He put his wants above Rachael’s wants and dreams. I MEAN, COME ON FOLKS, LET’S KEEP LABAN OUT OF THE BEDROOM!!! He was willing to betray his daughter and Jacob to have his own way. Folks think they know better than you, but they don’t have to live with what you have to live with.

Genesis 29:23 “Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob was intimate with her. v24 and Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. (she was his eyes and ears inside Jacob’s tent, today he would just put in a spy camera) v25 So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 But Laban said, “It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn”. (when greed and covetousness are caught, they always play the blame game, and any excuse will do)

Adam said, “She made me do it”….. Arron said “the people made me build the golden calf”…. Joseph’s brothers said “a wild animal has taken him”…. Someone said that no one has a gambling problem, till they start losing all their money….

Jacob’s problem was that he let his heart lead him, instead of leading his heart!

Laban reminds me that Arm chair quarterbacks always act like they know better than the players on the field, who are taking all the bumps and bruises. Someone described a football game as 22 players on the field with 20,000 in the bleachers telling them how to play the game…..Many folks like to tell everyone else how to live their lives, while their lives are a mess! 

I told someone last week that I’m very careful who I take spiritual advice fromwhen they come with a vision or a dream, or a “word from the Lord”…..I want to know if their lives are in order and what their relationship with the Lord is. How can they be walking in disobedience and telling me how to obey and what to do?!!! Some folks have all the answers, but they don’t live where you live and face what you face. 

Don’t get me wrong, God can speak through anyone He chooses, but you better use discernment and Holy Spirit insight. Folks will prophecy over you and speak what they are picking up inside your soulish area. They will confirm what your soulish self-life, your emotions, your self-will and intellect wants to hear, instead of what your Spirit needs to hear. Paul says “try the spirits to see if they are of God”…..

A true friend will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. They won’t try to push it down your throat or manipulate you with it, but they will leave it with you and trust the Lord to confirm it. Do you have an arm chair quarterback speaking into your life and trying to call the plays…. It’s time to bench them….

So I realize that it was probably dark, but Jacob must have been plastered orlet his hormones replace his brains, because he didn’t notice until afterwards that Laban gave him Leah instead of Rachael, but by then he was legally wedand she got pregnant that night. Later on, He was allowed to marry Rachel as well, but only in exchange for seven more year of servitude. 

(Understand, that Satan always has “One more thing”)

Lack of discernment will take you where you never wanted to go, keep you there longer than you ever wanted to stay, cost you more than you ever intended to pay, and keep you from ever getting to where you started out to go in the first place!

We are told that he loved Rachel because she was beautiful but he didn’t love Leah because the bible says she had “weak eyes” (she had crossed eyes) We might call this the haunted honey moon!!!

Now Jacob wasn’t too happy about it, but this glitch wasn’t about to stop God, who calls the things that are not as though they were….. and believe it or not the Bible traces the linage of Christ through Leah, not through Rachael!!!.God will work His mysterious plan in ways we never dreamed of…. Stick with Him, He never fails!! I want you to realize that it was Leah, not Rachel who was in the linage of Jesus!

It reminds me of a woman who went to her doctor’s office. She was seen by one of the new doctors and after the visit, she was seen by one of the nurses as she went screaming and running down the hall. An older doctor stopped her and asked what the problem was, when she explained, he had her sit down and relax in another room. The older doctor marched back to the new doctor and demanded, “What’s the matter with you? Mrs. Terry is 63 years old, she has four grown children and seven grandchildren, and you told her she was pregnant?” The new doctor smiled smugly as he said to his boss. “Her problem was hiccups…and now she’s cured!”

Much in the same way, God will probably do it in a way much different than you might have expected Him to…..I believe that God is saying to us, let the Laban spirit pull his tricks and let Leah push her way in front of Rachael…. It’s not going to stop the plan of God, if you don’t quit and don’t compromise or settle for less than God has promised! ' He will do it through situations and circumstances you never would have suspected..

Sometimes God has to take drastic measures to get our attention.

Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts".

Before his deal with Laban, God visited Jacob at Bethel and God neverchanged His mind about Jacob…..Genesis 28:13 “I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your lineage. v14 And your lineage shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in you and in your lineage shall all the families of the earth be blessed. v15 And, behold, I am with you, and will keep you in all places where you go, and will bring you again into this land; for I will not leave you, until I have done all that which I have spoken to you of.”

Would you tell someone.. “God has not changed His mind about you”!

Not everyone is coming into your life to love you. Some are coming to teach you and the lessons may not be comfortable, but learn them anyway!!!

Jacob had his Laban, David had his Saul, Joseph had his brethren, Daniel and the 3 Hebrews had Nebuchadnezzar, and Jesus had his Judas…. Into every life will come betrayal, deception, and injustice. But it’s not what happens to you, it’s what you learn from it and how you respond to it! Don’t look at the situation and be foolish enough to camp there… Look at the principalsinvolved and be the wiser person as you move forth! Not everyone who dumps on you is your enemy and not everyone who digs you out is your friend! The Laban Spirit is very much alive today…. That spirit wants to have your cake and eat it too!

It’s time to tell Laban to get out of your business!

Laban and Jacob struggled back and forth to have the upper hand in the livestock which each had accumulated as per agreement the two had together.The agreement was that Jacob would work for the speckled goats and the black sheep which were very few in number and Laban agreed until most of the flock started being born that way. Then Laban changed the deal to work in his own favor but the Lord changed the color of the goats once again, to bless Jacob, and this flip-flop scenario continued until Jacob’s fortunes were increased and Laban’s were dwindling to the point that Laban and his sons were angry as Jacob’s livestock increased and theirs decreased….

*……Genesis 31:4 “And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, v5 And said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not favorable to me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. v6 And you know that with all my power I have served your father. v7 Andyour father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me. v8 If he said, “The speckled shall be your wages”,then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said, “The ringstraked shall beyour hire”, then all the cattle gave birth to ringstraked. v9 Therefore God hastaken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me”.

The Laban spirit wants to keep you serving your stuff instead of ruling over your stuff. It wants you to be owned by your stuff instead of you owning your stuff!

We must do what Jacob did in opposing the Laban spirit…. He kept speaking what God had told him…..Look at it….

Genesis 31:12 And He (God) said, “Lift up your eyes now, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban is doing unto you. v13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar, and where you vowed a vow unto Me: now arise, get out from this land, and return unto the land of your kindred”.

Jacob didn’t keep rehearsing what had happened, he didn’t keep rehearsing what Laban was saying, he rehearsed the words God had spoken to him, and gave no power or authority to what Laban was attempting to do in keeping him in servitude forever!!!

Even when Jacob broke free of this servitude after 20 years, and began to move on in his life, this spirit of bondage made sure that his wives would do something that would be the final attachment which would attempt to pull him back again. Rachael is really trying to get my boy Jacob in trouble…..                

Reminds me of another wife who got her husband into trouble…. The guy is pulled over by a cop and the following conversation takes place: As the officer walks up to the window, he asks, “What’s the problem officer? The Cop tells him, “You were going at least 75 in a 55 zone”. The man is adamant, “No sir, I was going 65”. The Wife speaks up and says, “Oh Harry. You were going 80and you know it”. (He gives his wife a dirty look.) The Cop says: I’m also going to give you a ticket for your broken tail light. To which he says “Broken tail light? I didn’t know about a broken tail light”! The Wife speaks up and says “Oh Harry, you’ve known about that tail light for weeks”.    (He gives his wife another dirty look.) The Cop says “I’m also going to have to give you a citation for not wearing your seat belt”. He replies “Oh, I just took it off when you were walking up to the car”. His Wife says “Oh Harry, you never wear your seat belt”. Harry shouts, “Shut your mouth, woman”! The Cop asks,“Ma’am, does your husband always talk to you this way”?.....”No, officer,only when he’s drunk”. OOPS!!!

Look at this….Genesis 31:27 And Laban said “Wherefore did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and did not tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp? v28 And did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? You have now done foolishly in so doing. v29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spoke unto me last night , saying, “Take heed that you speak not to Jacob either good or bad (do him no harm) ”. v30 And now, though you desire to be gone, because you long after your father’s house, yet why on top of this, have you stolen my household gods”? 

We can see that when Laban catches up to Jacob, he uses every scheme he knows in order to gain control over Jacob again. The Laban spirit uses these today..

He Uses Shame: v26 And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? You’re no better than a common criminal, a kidnapper, a human trafficker. You should be better than that Jacob - you should treat me and my daughters better than that. 

He Uses Flattery: v27 Why did you flee secretly and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? Yeah, right. I ‘m sure that was Laban’s plan, to send Jacob off with song and dance.

He Uses Pity: v28 And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Oh, Jacob, you didn’t even give me a chance to say goodbye.

He Uses Threats: Now you have done foolishly. v29 It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 

He Uses Belittling : v30 And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house……One commentator I read noted that there is sarcasm in Laban’s tone – “you poor thing, you got homesick and couldn’t cut it like a man, so you’re running home to daddy”.

These are the methods the Laban Spirit still hits us all with today…. I have seen a couple of people derail the vision of an entire church. Because they wanted to hold on to what was, and not let go and receive what God was bringing in, they used delay tactics, flattery tactics, pity tactics, shame tactics, condemnation tactics, and threats to destroy a move of God, and a new direction for the entire church body.

That’s a Laban Spirit. It will muddy the waters so that no one can drink. It refuses to enter in and blocks the way for anyone who wants to enter in. It is the spirit of delayed blessings, and delayed answers and refuses to change when God is working.

Someone said, "I'm not what I want to be, I'm not what I'm gonna be, but praise God I'm not what I used to be." I believe God is telling me to tell somebody that it’s time to leave the house that Laban built. You can’t afford to live there anymore!!!

If you are a child of God, everything that takes place in your life has a spiritual implication. Be careful of your attachments. Jacob didn’t know that Rachael had taken the household gods and hidden them in her belongings. Rachael’s attachments could have jeopardized Jacob’s future. Her difficulty in letting go, could have brought Laban’s vengeance down on Jacob’s head. 

How to recognize that you are being affected by a Laban Spirit…..                                      I wrote this down….. Those who suffer from the spirit of Laban, spend a much longer time to get what others get easily and quickly. They work much harder before they can get anything. By the time they eventually get it, all the joy of the achievement is taken from them.                                                                                                                         The Bible says, “hope deferred makes the heart sick” When you see men and women afflicted by this spirit, folks all around them seem to get things easily and quickly, but when they make their own attempt, progress becomes very slow and hard. They pay an unusual price in getting anything done and they always seem to be last on the line of blessing. The last to get admission to college, the last to get that job they are more than qualified for, the last to get married, the last to have children. They are always looking for their breakthrough when others are celebrating. Their middle names could easily be called brother or sister “Still Waiting”. They are people whose blessings don’t usually come early.

It's interesting to me, that Jacob made the final break at Gilead, which means in the Hebrew tongue, “The full circle of time”….And Laban is never mentioned in his life ever again, except in the rear view mirror.

The story of Jacob gave a clear picture of what the spirit of delayed blessings can do in a person’s life. Despite the blessings of Jehovah upon their life, they suffer untold hardship at the hand of Laban. Until they come to their full circle in time.                                                                                                      I’m believing with you today, that the Lord will break the yoke of this spirit off ofyour life and you will enter into your destiny in Jesus name.

When Jacob finally broke all attachments with the spirit of Laban, there was a wealth transfer, blessings that were delayed were loosed, and he was reconnected to his destiny!

We must do what Jacob did at Gilead when he confronted Laban. He came to the place of “No More” and drew a line in the sand. Scripture says that Jacob declared, “You shall not cross over to me and mine ever again, then he headed for the place where it all began, where he had deceived his dad, and stolen the birth rite of his own brother Esau. Now that the break was made with Laban, he needed to deal with the roots in his life that had allowed him to come under the Laban spirit.

Deuteronomy 8:18 " Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to get wealth, so that He may establish His covenant which he swore to your fathers, as it is even today."

If you identify with the effects of the Spirit of Laban anywhere in your life, I want us to pray a breakthrough prayer as we close the service today….”

1. “I renounce and loose myself from every inherited or acquired spirit of delayed blessings in Jesus name”.

2. “By the authority of the word of God, I break every curse of delayed blessings operating in my life in Jesus name”.

3. “Let the angels of the living God roll away every stone of hindrance to the manifestation of my breakthroughs in the name of Jesus”.

4. “I command every wall of Jericho standing between me and my destiny to collapse, and never to rise again in Jesus mighty name”. 

5. “I bind, plunder and cast out of my life, every anti-breakthrough, anti-blessings and anti-testimony spirits in the name of Jesus”.

6. “I refuse to continue to tarry in any satanic bus-stop; I must enter my destiny this year in the name of Jesus”.

7. “Lord, let all evil labels fashioned by the camp of the enemy against my life be completely rubbed off now, in Jesus name”.

8. “I break myself loose from the bondage of stagnancy and delayed blessings in the name of Jesus Christ”.

9. “Holy Ghost fire destroy anything that makes your promises to fail or tarry in my life in Jesus name”.

10. “I decree by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the rapid fulfillment of all prophecies and promises of God concerning me in Jesus name”.

11. “Having waited long for my breakthrough, I shall not be frustrated nor be disappointed in the end, in Jesus name”.

12. “Today, I activate the Abrahamic and the Messianic covenants operating in my life. By these divine covenants, let all my delayed blessings be released now in the name of Jesus”.

13. “In Jesus mighty name I move from the back to the front on the queue of blessings in Jesus name”.

14. “Father, from hence forth, let my life be a divine magnet that attracts diverse miracles all the time”.

15. “I resist, bind and overthrow all miracle hijackers, miracle deflectors and miracle interceptors operating in and around me in Jesus mighty name”.

16. “I shall submit myself to the prophetic words over my life and ministry so that they may be fulfilled, in Jesus name”.

In this life, there are many collectors who get all they can and can all they get. They hoard, and grasp and store up, for the rainy days and days when all you have is what’s left over. But unlike the natural realm, the things of the Spirit are diminishedand become useless, when we try to hoard them, and they are forfeited in the bottomless pit of the self-life,    when we try to store them up.

I came across the last Wishes of Alexander The Great .....

On his death bed Alexander summoned his generals and told them his three ultimate last wishes.

1. The best doctors should carry his coffin;

2. The wealth he had accumulated (money, gold, precious stones) should be scattered along the way to his burial place, and

3. His hands should be left hanging outside the coffin for all to see. Surprised by these unusual requests, one of his generals asked Alexander to explain. Here is what he said, 

1. I want the best doctors to carry my coffin to demonstrate that when it’s your time to die, even the best doctors in the world are powerless…  

2. I want the road to be covered with my treasure so that everybody sees that you can’t take the wealth acquired on earth, with you.                        

3. I want my hands to swing in the wind so that people understand that we come to this world empty handed and we leave empty handed after the most precious treasure of all, TIME has been exhausted.

We can’t keep the anointing by hoarding it for ourselves. The only way to keep the anointing and increase it, is to give it away! Hoarding is  dysfunctional, but hoarding God, is insanity…God won’t stay in our box!!! To refuse to give all that God has given you, back to Him to use any way He wants, is the ultimate hoarder and act of selfishness!                      Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is found in….

Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." (I can almost hear the theme song of Mission Impossible now)……Dum, dum, dum, …..

Walking in the anointing, leads us outward, and outside ofourselves, to what the anointing can do for others through us. Our nation, our culture, and the nations of the earth are starving for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The empty husks of humanism, intellectualism and false religion cannot fill the empty place, or hold back the darkness that wants to envelop and paralyze the hearts and minds, from our loved ones and those from the lowest of society to the aristocratic elite. 

The world is hungry to see men and women who will stand in the anointing of Jesus and His power and challenge the darkness. We, His Church, are the Bride of Christ, filled, prepared and anointed to share His life, His light and His healing power to a desperate and dying world. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, and He has anointed us to preach, to heal and to liberate those who are in bondage.

Fantasy Fest is a good view of bondage masquerading as freedom!

When the anointing oil was poured out by Samuel upon David, and produced the warrior king, who slew Goliath, and led Israel in victory after victory, that oil was poured out of the horn of a sacrificed animal.. The anointing poured forth from an act of sacrifice. 

1 Samuel 16:13 “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah which means in the Hebrew, (to go higher, to mount up, to be exalted)”.

As Samuel poured out to David, it was poured back to him.

Horns are the weapons of attack and defense for animals that have them. They are the means of demonstrating their POWER! When they are attacked, they defend themselves with their horns. Their horns are part of who they are, just like the anointing is who we are in Christ, the anointed one. The anointing is an appointment with true freedom….

We don’t nurse it, we don’t curse it, we don’t rehearse it, we give it to God and let Him reverse it!!                                                         

Isaiah 10:27 27 “And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing”. 

I want to direct your attention to the ingredients of the Holy Anointing Oil illustrates the anointing of the Holy Spirit resting upon Christ and upon the new Testament Church, the priesthood of believers. The Holy Anointing Oil with all its specified ingredients point to the excellences that are found in Christ. Those same ingredients are found in the anointing for us today. 

Exodus chapter 30:30-34, the LORD tells Moses to make a very special and “holy anointing oil” of “the finest of spices”, including “flowing (liquid) myrrh”, “sweet-smelling cinnamon”, “fragrant cane”, “cassia”, and “olive oil”. This highly perfumed oil was used to consecrate (and set apart) the articles and furnishings used in Temple worship, including the ark of the testimony, the temple itself, the priest, and the Levites. 

Exodus 30:32 says, "neither shall you make any other like it, after the composition of it."  There is nothing that can be compared to the anointing the Spirit places upon one's life. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of excellence.  V-33 lets us know that we cannot merchandise the anointing.

We see also that it is the Lord that chooses and names the spices and the weight of each. He uses the words "principal spices" which refers to the very best and that which exceeds all others in quality and excellence.  There is nothing second rate with the Lord.

The anointing oil, contained Myrrh…which was traditionally used for embalming. It is a symbol of death to the old man, and death to the self- life. It is through Jesus death that we are given true liberty. We are not our own, we belong to Christ. “Not my will, but Thy will be done”, is now the mission of our lives. In that mission, we experience freedom from the bondages of the past, and freedom from Satan’s deceptive snares. 

2 Corinthians  3:17 Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty...            A free and pure flow of oil…… Isaiah,…prophesying of Jesus in 

Isaiah 61, tells us that He was anointed to proclaim liberty to the captives. What a treasure our freedom in Christ is! The way to avoid those snares of resentment, regret, disappointment and discouragement with people, ourselves, and our situations and circumstances, is through the Myrrh of the anointing. It assures that we can continue to minister healing, comfort, and restoration, regardless of our environment or our personal challenges….

The anointing oil, contained Cinnamon, which means, "to burn with zeal"... "to be hot with jealousy" for the Lord, for righteousness, holiness  and truth.. The tree from which this spice is extracted is an evergreen, passing through no periods of seasonal inertness. So likewise, the anointing is unchanging and constant for those in Christ, whose leaf does not wither in time of drought, cold or harsh conditions. There is no laziness in the anointing ... there is a"zeal" to do good works and to minister to the needs of mankind under the direction of the Holy Spirit.                                                                                                                                In Song of Solomon 4:14 “A garden inclosed is my spouse; a spring guarded and protected, a fountain with the king’s seal upon it. v13  Yourfruits are from an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, v14 and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices.”                          

The Bridegroom is describing His bride here, symbolizing Christ and the church—he’s referring to that which the oils and spices of grace have imparted unto His church. 

The foundation of the balm of Myrrh which is mixed with the zeal of the Cinnamon, allows and sustains this steadfast joy and enthusiasm even in the valley of the shadows, and in the night seasons of life. 

Misguided zeal, without the sweetness of Grace, can be harmful, fleshly, and destructive and misguided humility and longsuffering can condone, empower and even sanction compromising activities. 

The challenge we have, is to be zealous without becoming harsh or judgmental. To be loyal without becoming fanatical, to be cautious without being timid, to be free without it becoming a license, to be confident without becoming arrogant, to be humble without becoming the spineless pawns of others. 

Psalm 45: 7-8 God says, "You love righteousness, and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness. So that all your garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made you glad" .

The Holy anointing oil contained Cassia, meaning, "to bow down"... "to bend the body"... This is about SUBMISSION AND HUMILITY.  True submission embraces the Lord’s will, not only when it is in agreement with it, but when it is not . This was Jesus' attitude as seen in John 5:30. "I can of myself do nothing"...  "I seek not my own will, but the will of my Father which has sent me."  The boiling water that hardens eggs, softens carrots….it’s not about what you’re in but it’s about what’s inside of you.

In John 15:5 Jesus says, "Without me you can do nothing." He is the hand which moves the glove. Without the hand, the glove has no life of it’s on and can do nothing. 

This is also a submission to God, which results in deferring to one another in the realization that none of us has it all. But together we form the body of Christ, each part fitted together to form the whole. Like the fingers working together on the hand. No one finger is the entire hand!

Exodus tells us that about 15 pounds of this Cassia spice was used each time a new batch of anointing oil was produced. The number 15 in Bible numerics is the number of "rest." There is a rest in submission.  There is no “I’ll do it but I really don’t want to” and every one will know “I really don’t want to”……

Submission means that we are under the authority of the Lordand directed by Him. In true submission. He transforms our “Want To” into   our “Will To”. 

In Psalm 45:8 it also says that the King Messiah’s robes would also smell of cassia (for He said, “what the Father does is what I do”)

Next, let’s notice that the Holy anointing oil contained sweet calamus, which is also the ‘spikenard’ of Scripture. It means, "to stand upright, "to contain the power to recover and remain standing"..

Even though this plant grows in muddy miry soil, the pull of heaven, is greater than the pull of the muck and mire and causes it to stand straight and tall. While many around us grovel and wallow in the mire, the child of God, is drawn heavenward and in the same conditions, still stands straight and tall by the anointing.                   

The fragrance of the sweet calamus is released as it is crushed. Likewise, the things that come to crush us and break us only release the fragrance of His grace. Instead of making us bitter, Heaven’s upward pull  fills the situation with hope and assurance, and sweetens the very trial that we pass through. When this spice is ground into powder, a sweet smelling oil is produced that promotes healing and kills the root of the disease. Calamus also is emblematic of internal feelings such as caring, calming, compassion and mercy. All of these systemic emotions have healing properties. In the Presence of the anointing is the "power of recovery."                                                           

Emotional, Spiritual and physical healing is released by the sweet oil of the Spirit’s anointing ... love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance,. These ingredients were in Christ as He ministered. He was moved with compassion, Divine love rose up within Himas He was compelled by the hurts and diseases caused by the curse, so that the sweet Calamus of the anointing poured forth…..

Last of the ingredients for the Holy anointing oil, is the Olive oil.        This was the catalyst into which the four Ingredients were bound together and sustained for delivery to the appointed task. All of the "principal spices" are gathered and infused into the oil. Then they are strained out - leaving a penetrating, prevailing fragrance in the oil itself. 

When God anoints us, He doesn't overlook or bypass our personality but He redeems it. He uses our individuality. The "spices" would be the gifts, talents, experiences, and knowledge which He has given to us. We don’t just have gifts, we are the giftwhich God anoints and releases!!!

He takes us and infuses us with the "oil" or the workings of the Spirit. He doesn’t just pour it upon us, but we pass through the oil and it passes through us, and He strains out the fleshly, carnal appetites, desires and thought patterns - leaving a sweet anointing on our lives –

The word Oil, means “that which flows from the source”. It comes from a root word meaning, "the source of our illumination"..

What is in the anointing?....  ILLUMINATION THAT IS CARRIED BY THE SPIRIT... KNOWLEDGE GIVEN BY THE SPIRIT... AUTHORITY FLOWING FROM THE SPIRIT. Without the Holy Spirit there would be no free flow of liberty… compassion ...  zeal ... healing... comfort... the power of recovery... mercy ... submission and much more. 

The ingredients of the anointing flow out through those who carry and release it’s properties, and meet the needs of mankind. It is by the Spirit of God that we are graciously equipped for priestly ministry, so that we may stand before God and man, as intercessors and reconcilers.                                                                                                      2 Corinthians 2:14, 15, "Thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ."  

Your “savor” will be determined by how long you linger and soak in God’s glory, the source of the anointing.                    

1 John 2:20 “But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know (the Greek word is eidō…to have insight into, to discern) all things”.                

The word “unction” in the scriptures, actually means, “ointment that is rubbed in.” New Testament anointing was much different than Old Testament anointing. In the Old Testament, the anointing was poured upon, in the New Testament, the anointing was rubbed in. 

Your effectiveness will never be determined by what is poured out in a single moment but what is rubbed in by prolonged times of worship and waiting in His presence.

When you ladies cook a turkey, you rub in those oils and spices real  good, and our God knows how to cook a turkey!!!       

The unction is always given for a specific purpose – and it’s not just to make us feel good or get goose bumps. Through-out the Bible we learn what happens when people receive the unction. Apostles move in miracles, signs and wonders….Evangelist, evangelize….Pastors pastor, Prophets prophecy, Teachers give inspired teaching and Kings and rulers concern themselves with justice, truth, and righteous judgment. 

In the New Testament we learn that a rag tag assortment of disciples who had no recognizable purpose, where they were, as they were, are transformed and re-formed into bold preachers and demonstrators of God’s power. The church began to hear from God, the people begin to pray with fervency and miracles became common place. They stopped being the thermometer which only indicates what the spiritual atmosphere is, and became the thermostat, which sets and determines the spiritual atmosphere. Revival comes when we move from being thermometers, to being thermostats!!!                                                                                                          And Jails were open, the dead were raised, missionaries were sent out and God added to the church daily, and multitudes were persuaded by the Holy Spirit into the church. This is not just a one time phenomenon, it was and still is produced by the unction of the Holy Spirit.

James 5:14 “Is any sick (astheneo) among you? let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord”. (this represents the spirit’s unction)                                     

The word here for sickness, is astheneo, and literally means “without strength” and may refer to spiritual depression, emotional distress, as well as physical sickness. 

In verse 15 it says the word sick and the Greek word is kamnosand is translated “to be weary, to lack strength”.

“At the sheep fold where the sheep are kept in safety for the night, the shepherd places a large bowl of olive oil mingled with spices, and a large container of water.                                     

As the sheep pass through the gate, the shepherd examines each one for wounds. These are carefully cleaned as the shepherd dips his hand into the oil to anoint the injury. A cup is dipped into the water and comes out overflowing and the sheep drinks until refreshed, as it enters into the safe and secure place within the sheepfold.”

We should never presume upon the Holy Spirit’s anointing – but cherish it – pursue it – and guard it. If you allow yourself to pass through the oil and the oil to pass through you every day, you will deal with others in grace, and life will be “better not bitter”, and if you daily seek God’s face in prayer and fellowship with the Holy Spirit – THEN, you won’t just have an occasional anointingbut the anointing will abide and reside in and upon you. God’s anointing will be cultivated in your life, and equip you for every good work. You’ll reside in the anointing, even as it resides in you. We are commanded to put on Jesus Christ; and as He clothes us more and more, His perfumes will be more and more perceptible to those about us.    

We usually don’t realize how ill-smelling our own attributes are, until we have drawn close enough to Him to discern the fragrance of His pure oils of the anointing. 

We begin to detect the offensive odor of our pride when we smell the pleasant fragrance of His humility. We detest the vile odors of our flesh, when we encounter the sweetness of His purity and holiness, His submission to God's will and His love and longsuffering, breaks in upon us. 

We realize the offensive odor of our impatience and our unforgiving spirit toward one another when we smell the perfume of His patience and forgiveness toward us. It is the sweet spices of His attributes that we need the most, which call to us and draw us as it drew John the beloved disciple, who laid his head upon Jesus chest. It is Jesus who taught us in… 

Luke 6:38 “Give and it shall be given unto you full measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.”

So we truly come to realize that to increase the anointing, we must give it away, freely, and unreservedly at every opportunity. 

Prayer of Agreement

Father we address every deception that has entered anywhere, that would limit, take away from, diminish or cancel the anointing upon our lives. Whatever it is, you will be broken in the name of Jesus. Let everything that gives strength to any evil covenant against us be taken away today. Blood of Jesus, shield our birthright from every attack of spiritual armed robbers, for we receive the power from above to fulfill our divine assignment from this time forward, anything that would limit our destiny this year be scattered and destroyed by the anointing, in Jesus name. We now take back everything the enemy has stolen from our lives in the name of Jesus. 

Lord, let Your healing, creative, restoring power flow into every area relevant to growth, increase, and wholeness. Lord, correct any disorder and dysfunction, so that every cycle of insufficiency, in our lives, be broken away from us and turned around in the name of Jesus. We tear down and dismantle the roadblock to our breakthrough, let the arm of the Lord, arise, O Lord and before this time next week, we claim unexpected income, sickness healed, deliverance realized, and the joy and freedom of the Lord, enjoyed and embraced.

Lord, Through the anointing, we receive victory over all the forces of wickedness, and we declare that we are no longer the tail, but the head, no longer beneath, but above, for we take our rightful place as power changes hands in every area of our lives, and signs, wonders and miracles begin to abound. Lord, we receive your mandate to break every curse and to put to flight every enemy of our high calling in Christ. And now, in the name of Jesus, and we thank You, Lord for giving us the victory for your glory, honor, and praise. Amen.