2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are new creations. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come”. Positionally, through the transforming power of God’s grace, we have become new creations in Christ, but experientially, we are still processing what it means to be released from the person of the past that we were, in order to fully enjoy and function as a new creature in Christ! Let’s suppose for a moment, that twins, a sister and brother were talking to each other in the womb. The little sister says to the little brother: 'I believe that there is life after birth!' Her brother protested: 'No, no, this is all there is. This is a dark and cozy place, and all we have to do is just stay attached to the cord that feeds us and sustains our life.'
But the little girl insisted: “There must be something more than this dark place, there must be something else where there is light and freedom to move.” Still she could not convince her twin brother. Then...after some silence, she said hesitantly: 'I have something else to say, and I am afraid you won't believe that either, but I think there is a mother!'
Her little brother now became furious: 'A mother, a mother, what are you talking about? I have never seen a mother and neither have you. Who put that idea in your head? As I told you, this place is all we have so let's be content with it.'
The little sister finally said: 'But, don't you feel the pressure sometimes? It's really unpleasant and sometimes even painful, but it pushes against us.' 'Yes,' he answered, 'what's special about that?' 'Well,' the sister said, 'I think that pressure is there, to get us ready for another place”.
If you have felt that pressure, get ready for the next level, the next place
I think Paul must have felt the same way, in writing to the Corinthians, in 2 Corinthians 5:17, that the pressure we now experience is there to get us ready for another placewe have not experienced yet. ...
Just like the baby in the womb, who comes to the place that it is released to move on to the next place.... I am hearing in my Spirit, that we have come to the place of release, where we are being moved to the next place....(can you say “we’re moving to the next place”)
My message today is “2023, The Year Of The Lord’s Release” 1 Samuel 12:16 “Now then, stand still and see the great things the Lord is about to do right before your eyes”.
I believe that God’s people (myself included) have yet to comprehend the commanding power we have been given, by the anointed, God breathed word that is within us!
Moses stood before the most powerful person in Egypt, with a God breathed word he had been given to declare, and when he said “Let my people go”... it was no longer Moses speaking, it was God proclaiming what was about to happen.... and things started shaking & releasing!!!
I have a God breathed word in me today, that says “THIS IS THE YEAR OF THE LORD’S RELEASE” In your lives and in Eagle’s Rest!!
Sometimes we look at ourselves and say, “Oh, we can’t do this and we can’t do that because we are too lacking in this or that. I’m reminded of the story of a man who had done something wonderful in service to the king and the king called him in and told him he could mark off as much of the kingdom as he wanted and it would be his. The man took a stick and drew a circle in the dirt around himself. The king watched as he finished and said, “Is that all you want? Just what’s in that circle?” The man said, “NO. I want everything OUTSIDE the circle.” What if we drew a line around ourselves and said, In 2023 I want everything you have for me Lord, outside the limits I have put around myself..... The purpose of the New Year is for us to learn, the reward of the New Year is to grow, the nature of the New Year is to change, the challenge of the New Year is to overcome, the virtueof the New Year is to care, the opportunity of the New Year is to be your best self, the mandate for the New Year is to love. This New Year comes so that everything can heal. Your heart will heal, yourmind will heal, your hurts and wounds will heal. Your happiness will always depend on you, not things. Bad times won’t last but theywill prepare you for the blessing that is coming your way.
This is not a Sunday Morning fix.... it is not a “get you through the week spiritual vitamin supplement”....It’s not a “feel good” goose bump visitation.... I’m talking about a new direction, in a new thing, that releases a new creation!
Jesus said it Himself as He often quoted from portions of... Isaiah 58 in describing His ministry..... Isaiah 58:5 “I have not chosen a fast for a man to afflict his soul..or to bow down his head in great sorrow, or to spread sackcloth and ashes under him and be in anguish. 6 For the fast that I have chosen, is to release people from the power of wickedness, to undo their heavy burdens, to let the oppressed of the Devil go free, and that you destroy every yoke of bondage. 7 It is to feed the hungry, and to provide shelter and safety for the poor. That you clothe those who have no covering, And that you be reconciled to your own flesh.
8 Then shall your days break forth as the morning, and your health shall spring forth speedily, and your deliverance, victory, and prosperity shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord shall bring your reward unto you, and separate you from all that was in the past. 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer you, you shallintercede, and He will say, Here I am”. So I guess the Lord is saying that He can handle our stuff far better than we can if we just turn it all over to Him....
God is entering into covenant with His people that He will bring a great release in 2023 if we will put Him first, before being distracted by all the things that keep rendering us ineffective and spiritually eviscerated....
Jesus quoted Isaiah to highlight the disconnect between the temple and the people in the streets. He was describing to them what to expect in His earthly ministry.
Jesus told his disciples, “I have prayed for you that you fail not in bridging the gap and restoring the broken relationships by bringing people back to Me.”
Matthew 11:10 says “Behold, I send my messengersbefore My face, which shall prepare the way before Me”. Who are these messengers, He is sending.... It is every believer, It’s you and me, to bring the release of the Lord, and fulfill the promise He made.
Jesus is the Source of our Authority
When He says “It is written,” It is Imperishable and unbreakable.
Matthew 5:18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or comma shall pass away until all is accomplished,”
“He is the ultimate in Truthfulness, durability and reliability...
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (could I add, “In 2023) Jesus has come to bring release and restoration. Job lost everything, he was rich but became poor. He lost it all, but Job trusted God and everything was restored back to him. As a matter of fact he received all he lost and then God doubled it!! I have been hearing in my spirit that God is ready to restore all the things He has promised for us as well. When God restores you, He does not only restore to you what you lost but He also adds even more blessing to all that was lost. Oh, my, He wants to amaze us in 2023!
The Bible tells us that “the Shemitah” is an important key in this release....”Shemitah” actually means “to release”. It is the 7th year cycle, in which everything is released back to God. Debts, land, slaves, and any desire for retribution and unforgiveness is all released or given to Him.... Basically God promised that if His people would turn everything over to Him, (the source of all things), every 7th year, and not plow and plant the fields, release the slaves for that year, not charge interest for loans for that year, give forgiveness of debt that year....then the other 6 years, He promised that there would be more abundance in every area, than there would have been if they held on to everything for themselves, (as they usually did). So as the people gave it to God, God would give it all back, full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.... The Shemitah is when everyone decides if they want just enough in the coming year, or if they want abundance and overflow!!!
One of the most apparent ways you can tell if a person has turned things over to God, is if they have patience....Long lines at the grocery store are not for the impatient,having someone pull out in front of you on the highway and then drive extremely slow, is not for the impatient. Waiting for hours at the doctors office, slow service at McDonald's, long winded preachers who talk way too long. -- all will try your patience, won't it? We go on a diet and expect to lose weight an hour later.... One church advertises a 30-minute church service and their motto is "Church designed with you in mind"... Yes, with the impatient people in mind !!Everything about our culture is oriented towards that which is fast. Fast is good. Slow is bad. We have fast food, quick print shops, faster and faster computers, expressways, instant messaging, and overnight delivery. We think the faster life goes, the better it is for us.
The Shemitah declares to us, “give it to God, and He will add His blessing and give it back to you”... just be patient! There are places in all of us, that God designed,which only He can fill. Everything else will only fail and fall short of what He can do.... Activate the Shemitah, when you are struggling in your finances, release it to God. God wants to bless us, so we need to put our finances in their proper place.. In God’s Hands. God will take care of us better than the stock broker, the banker, or the IRS agent. We simply need to surrender our money and obey His leading which He makes very clear in His word.. God didn’t ask for an amount, He asked for a percent. That means whether you make a lot or a little, the percent is the same. So in God’s eyes, you are not rich according to what you have, but according to your obedience in the financial Shemitah.... How you obey Him with your finances.. (would you say, “Do the Shemitah”.... Tithe and offerings, are proof that you are doing The Shemitah.
Activate Shemitah, when you are struggling in your marriage and relationships, let go and release it to God. He can handle it. In obedience to His Shemitah marriage guidelines, every marriage will prosper. (would you tell someone “do the Shemitah in your relationships”)
When fear and worry over what the future holds has you paralyzed, do The Shemitah, and release it to God. Give up Control, and Give up the Worry.... they are very connected. We worry about what we can’t control.
1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) tells us to “Release all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.” I’ve mentioned that when my mind won’t rest, and I lie in bed trying to fix what hasn’t happened yet, I only lose sleep. But if I get up, write it down, do the Shemitah by releasing it to God, and go back to bed, I can sleep. (Can you say, “Do the Shemitah”.....You see, I did what I could about it, until I could do what I needed to do about it. By writing it down, it’s on the paper, not on my mind.... I handed it to God, and He doesn’t sleep anyway, so I might as well let Him stay awake with it instead of me. Why should both us stay up all night!
So, Give it to God – activate Shemitah, and give up your stuff... The old saying is that “you either control your stuff or your stuff controls you.... You either own your stuff, or your stuff owns you”..
It’s not one thing, it’s many things wrapped up together. It’s a job, school, money, work, health, bills to pay, your husband, your wife, your ex-husband, your ex-wife, the in-laws, the kids, and on and on it goes. Any one thing we could handle or even two things, but when you get three or four together, your knees start to buckle.., Which may be a good thing if it takes you to your knees!
A survey showed that when we don’t do Shemitah, each week we spend 14.31 hours worrying. That equals 744 hours of worry each year. Which turns into 45,243 hours of worry over a lifetime.
That equals 1885 days in a lifetime spent doing nothing but worrying. Which means that we spend 5.2 years of our life worrying. The modern word “Worry”, comes from the Old English word, which means to strangle or to seize by the throat.
It’s referring to “excessive concern over the affairs of life.” Yes we should be concerned, but not excessively concerned. Excessive Worry is a sin for two reasons: First, because it displaces God in your life. When you commit the sin of worry, you are living as though God did not exist. And you are living as though you alone can solve your problems. So you replace God with yourself....
Second, because it distracts you from the things that really matter in life. As long as you are worrying, you can’t do other things as well as you should. You are strangled by worry.
Let’s face it, the only way to get rid of all the things that we tend to worry about is to die!! (I’m sure I won’t get a lot of takers)
Give it to God... Activate The Shemitah and release today, this moment, to Him ... What 2023 will look like, starts today, it starts right now.
Everyone is going to go on a diet tomorrow, go to the gym tomorrow, be a better person tomorrow. We can only change the now that we are in, yesterday is gone, tomorrow isn’t here yet.. Living in the future robs us of the joy of today just like living in yesterday strangles the opportunities of today. The old song says it well, “One day at a time, sweet Jesus, that’s all I’m asking from you.”(Good advice) The devil is defeated one choice at a time. One attitude adjustment, one moment of surrender, one letting God have His way at a time.
Trying to control the future is like trying to control the wind. You may be able to harness the wind, but you can’t control it.
Luke 17:21 “Do not say, Lo the kingdom is here! or, lo it is there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within younow”. This is about fully believing that the Kingdom is operating in your todays, not someday in the future. Not if this or if that happens or something changes. This is the definition of Contentment, which is the belief that the working of the kingdom of God is right now, today, and that belief will prevent our eyes from wandering off into the maze of the procrastination that is tomorrow. It prevents us from operating in the philosophy “Why do it today when I can put it off till tomorrow”.
When Jesus ministered, He ministered in the moment. He was 100 percent in the moment.
2023 can be composed of thousands of these “Now” moments all put together, to form a life well lived...2023 will be fulfilled in you and me, as we “Carpe Diem” or seize the day, we are given in the now! That takes a “now faith”... Hebrews says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.”
Living well, in 2023 is a lot about “Carpe Diem”... seizing the moment.... The Lord began shouting this into my spiritas I was developing this message.....Holy Spirit said to me....
“This is the Shemitah which I have planned to become your tangible reality, as I pour out My blessings upon all who have waited for Me and trusted in Me, says the LORD. I will restore, restore, restore, says the LORD. I will rebuild, rebuild, rebuild. I will release, release, release. I command, and your help is on the way. What is broken shall be mended. I will heal your wounds and bring health to your life. For I Am YOUR GOD that heals you. Believe, and receive, for all that you have need of has already been provided. Walk in Me and you will be made complete in ME, and you will see it working out in your life as you walk in complete faith and trust in Me,regardless of the circumstances around you. This is a time that I have chosen, it is a way you have not considered. It is already in you now, and it is waiting on your obedience, for the fullness of what I have for you is according to My Word. My will and My work are aligned with My Word and MY voice within your spirit. BELIEVE AND RECEIVE it, for I bring you a new thing for a new year and I tell you, This is that which I promised, for I have come into covenant with you who believe and are ready to receive it. You will not be disappointed, says the LORD, and the desires of your heart shall be granted for I have remembered you. When others said they would pray, but forgot, I remember. When others promise you, then forget, I remember. Wait and see! For the ruins shall be rebuilt. The waste places shall be restored. The good work of returning to you again shall begin. Hope is NOT lost. For I will breathe new life in you, and cause you to flourish once again. I am releasing energy, your health is returning, lost things are being found, dreams of the past are being renewed, honor is coming, promotion is coming, a better life I am even now bringing forth. I will complete the good work that I have begun in you, and your purpose and your future shall be secured”.
One Chorus says, “Leave it there, leave it there. Take your burdens to the Lord and leave it there. If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out. Take your burdens to the Lord and leave it there”.
As we have our closing prayer. Let us present all our stuff as we enter this new year. The year of the Lord’s release. Let’s leave it with Him, and hand it all to Him. The kids, the bills, the job, the education, the relationships, health issues, the wisdom and guidance we need.... leave it all with Him....
(Closing Prayer) ....“Lord, when I’m troubled by thoughts and feelings of fear, You know, and You are here waiting for me to give it to You. You know how deep the hurt goes and how long I have lived with it. But I don’t want to live with it any longer. I don’t want to be a fearful, hurting person any longer, so I surrender it and let it go. Lord, I release my loved ones into your care. You know all my concerns and You understand them, So, I release them into Your hands and I choose faith in You, instead of fear and worry.
Lord, I release and I surrender my need to feel in control, and embrace the truth that You are the one in control. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot control, the courage to change the things I can (my thoughts and my actions) and the wisdom to know the difference. Lord, I release all the negative thoughts, feelings and impressions that cause me to live as a victim. I choose to live in the truth of Your Word that says I am more than a conqueror rather than a victim, through the One who loves me and gave Himself for me.
I give it all to You and choose to live a victorious life from this moment on. Lord, Your Word says there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ the law of the Spirit who gives new life has set me free.” I release all the shame, the guilt and condemnation that has come, because of the lies I’ve believed about myself. I declare that in Christ, old things have passed away and now all things have become new. Lord, thank you for freeing me from any thing that has me bound, spiritually, mentally and physically.
Thank you for creating in me a clean heart and renewing a right spirit within me, as I walk forward to never go back there again.Wash me, cleanse me and make me whole. Help me to renew my mind to think like the free, redeemed, child of God, that You say I am. Father, You have found me, you have forgiven me and you love me with Your unlimited love. I stand upon these truths, and I set my feet firmly upon the rock of my new life. In Christ’ name, Amen.
To me, Bethlehem represents that place we never intended on ending up, but somehow, some way we got there. It’s as though in spite of all of our planning and preparing for another direction and another place, there were forces at work that had another idea about our lives.
Let’s start by asking, how did you get to where you are today? I’m sure none of us could begin to recount the millions of events, people and circumstance all through our journey, that got us to this place and this time in our lives, and yet, here we are… We could have ended up in a thousand other places, but HERE WE ARE!
Two cowboys come upon an Indian lying on his stomach with his ear to the ground. One of the cowboys stops and says to the other, "You see that Indian?" "Yeah," says the other cowboy. "If you’ll notice, he's listening to the ground and he can hear things for miles in any direction."
Just then the Indian says "There’s a Covered wagon, about two miles away. It has two horses, one brown and one white. There’s a Man, woman, child, and all their household effects in the wagon."
"Wow, that’s Incredible!" says the cowboy to his friend. "This Indian knows how far away they are, how many horses, the color they are, who is in the wagon, and what they have in the wagon. I am amazed that he can tell all that by listening to ground! "The Indian looks up and says,"It ran over me about a half hour ago."
Well, life is full of surprises, and along with the plans we have planned, it’s those very unplanned events that have usually brought us to where we are. The Bethlehem story, would have been altogether different, if it weren’t for some unplanned surprises. One of those surprises is in… Luke 2:1 “There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.”SURPRISE!!!
Caesar Augustus was one of the greatest of the Roman emperors, greater even than his grand-uncle, Julius Caesar. It was said that when he came to Rome it was a city of brick, and when he left it was a city of marble. He reigned as emperor for 41 years. His greatest single act–that would have the most lasting effect on world history–was to call for a census of the empire. It’s the kind of thing governments have been doing every since.
When the time came to take the census in Israel, it meant that the Jews would have to return to their ancestral hometowns. That would explain why Joseph and Mary had to return to Bethlehem at a most inconvenient time–in the ninth month of Mary’s pregnancy.
So, Merry Christmas, Caesar Augustus. You played a part you never knew and paved the way for the birthday of the King of Kings.
As a matter of fact I want to take time to thank all the folks and situations that taken all together, brought you to exactly where you are today, doing what you are doing at this time in your life, and perhaps, for you being the person you are now….The truth is, we have all been on our own unique journey filled with unplanned events, to our own Bethlehem.
Joseph was a good carpenter, but probably knew nothing about bringing babies into the world. One well read, theologian, his research, submitted that there was another woman there in the manger, and that Mary probably had the help of a local midwife, which was very common in those days, to assist with the birth of Jesus in the lowly stable. How could this lowly midwife have known that she would be called upon to bring the Son of God into this world. What an unplanned event she was brought into, as the first one to introduce the Messiah to the world. She was probably called upon because the local folks knew she had done this before, and would have sent for her.
It makes me think that the Messiah is looking for some midwives to help Him to be born into the lives of those who need some help, in making that important life changing decision. How wonderful that there are some among us who are known for being the assistant for Jesus to be born into many people’s lives. We think of Billy Graham, the TBN network, 700 club, Reinhart Bonke, and we could go on and on…. But what if each of us made the history changing decision to be God’s mid wife in the world, to see Jesus born into the lives of families, friends, neighbors and those many folks without Christ in our city….
Philip Yancey has a line in his book, “The Jesus I Never Knew”, where he puts it this way: “The God who came to earth came not in a raging whirlwind nor in a devouring fire. Amazingly, the Maker of all things shrank down, down, down, so small as to become a single fertilized egg barely visible to the naked eye, an egg that would divide and redivide until a fetus took shape, enlarging cell by cell inside a nervous teenager. Growing in her womb toward the time of birthing…. Scripture tells us that He ‘made Himself nothing . . .and He did it to give us everything”!
This Bethlehem story tells us that as folks are going about their daily tasks, just living life…. Working, playing, interacting and just doing their daily stuff….suddenly God shows up, and GOD INVADES the natural order of things with the supernatural! It may start small, but HEY, THERE’S AN INVASION GOING ON! It’s those times when things begin to develop that take us to another level and we are launched onto an uncertain path that takes us in an uncertain direction…..that changes everything forever!
The road to Bethlehem is about never giving up….There is no way they could have known, that what was being done in the palaces of Caeser, would touch the lives of this teenage girl and the man she was espoused to, but they persisted in spite of all the surprises,. I wonder how many times, things that didn’t look spiritual at all, none the less, positioned and located us in such a way, that God moved thru them, to bring about Spiritual transformation and a Holy birthing!
So many have heard the call of God on their journey to their ownBethlehem, and because they refused to give up…they ended up as a Martin Luther King Jr…. a Paul Crouch, a Pat Robertson, a Joel Osteen, T.D Jakes, or maybe a little woman who anointed and washed the feet of Jesus. The apostles were fishermen, carpenters, a doctor, and a couple of religious zeolots…. Who ended up changing the world!
Perhaps you didn’t know that when he was 15, the award winningactor Jim Carrey, had to drop out of school to support his family. His father was an unemployed alcoholic musician and as the family went from “middle class to poor,” they eventually had to start living in a van. Carrey didn’t let this stop him from achieving his dream of becoming a comedian: He went from having his dad drive him to comedy clubs in Toronto to starring in mega-blockbuster moviesand becoming known as one of the best comedic actors of an entire era.
Benjamin Franklin dropped out of school at age ten. That didn’t stop this determined young man from his journey of learning and self-development. He taught himself through his constant reading and studying, and eventually went on to invent the lightning rod and bifocals. He was a world traveler, and Oh yes, he became one of America’s Founding Fathers, who helped compose and sign, the Declaration of Independence! And a favorite picture of him is on the $100.00 bill!!! I guess that makes us all art collectors!
Vincent Van Gogh only sold one painting in his entire lifetime and it was bought because his brother’s girlfriend felt sorry for him. It was sold for 80 dollars. Today that same painting sold for 82.5 million and is exhibited at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. Van Gogh is considered one of the greatest artists of all time, and even though Van Gogh made no money while he was alive, he still painted over 900 works of art. Each one of these paintings are now worth millions. Even though his persistence went unnoticed when he was alive, Van Gogh proves that you can’t judge your success by what you see at the moment.
Here's some quotes I found about success….
Jay London wrote, “Your window of opportunity sometimes involves a rock”. Darrin Weinberg wrote… “Before you start climbing the ladder of success, be sure you have it propped against the right wall”. An anonymous writer, said “ Don’t get too attached to the scaffolding that is part of the construction, It will be removed as the building is completed.”
If you were to ask one of the locals, of that day “How far is it from the gates of Jerusalem to Bethlehem”?. He would tell you that it is about eight kilometers or just a two hour drive from Nazareth to the sleepy little town where Christ was born. Sometimes things seem to take forever, as you’re walking through them, but as you look back, it’s amazing how quickly it happened. As we look back at some points in the journey that seemed to never end, it’s amazing how the time has flown. The older you get the faster it flies… and the hurrider you go the behinder you get. Why make mountains out of molehills? We can’t be like the man who was making a big deal of washing the dishes… He said, ‘I washed the forks, then the spoons, then the knives, then I washed the plates and saucers, after that I did the cups and glasses…. And that was just putting them in the dishwasher! He could have just said, “I did the dishes”....We call that much to do about nothing! An NFL player, gets a lot of bumps and bruises on the way to the playoffs…. But he keeps moving forward, because his eyes are fixed on the purpose for which everything else is preparing him in his skill level and his endurance. He’s not a champion because of winning the big games, but he becomes a champion through the journey to that goal. The journey is shaping and molding him into the champion he becomes and there comes a point where he realizes that it wasn’t about the big games, it was about the personal journey. It’s about what you do before and after football!
There’s A lot of history tied to that two hour drive called theBethlehem road. It was in Bethlehem that Rachel was buried, and it was to Bethlehem that Naomi and Ruth returned, and where Ruth married Boaze and became part of the linage of Christ. King David was born and raised in Bethlehem and the prophet Micah wrote in…. Micah 5:2 “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come forth from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.” On your journey to your personal Bethlehem, you will find a lot of great inspiration and direction from so many who have gone before you. We can benefit from the history of our Bethlehem, or we can ignore it and we’re doomed to repeat the parts that are not so good… We need to learn from the mistakes of others, because we can't possibly live long enough to make all the mistakes ourselves.
The Bethlehem road today, is a two lane highway, but long ago it brought a virgin girl with child to a stable on that starry night.Today, just as then, when you take that road back to Jerusalem, it brings you as it brought them, to Calvary’s hill. “How far is it from Bethlehem to Calvary?” Compared to the Millenniums that have come and gone since God spoke the world into being, the thirty-three year life span of Jesus is a relatively short period of time. There is only a short lifetime between singing angels, shepherds and wisemen, to cursing soldiers with cat of nine tails, at the Savior’s whipping post, (for by His stripes we are healed).
It’s Just a few short years from swaddling clothes and a babe in the manger straw, to a crown of thorns…. from dimples and stubby fingers to blood stained cheeks and nail pierced hands. And yet as close as it might be, it is a sad fact of life that not enough have made that all important journey from Bethlehem to Calvary. Yes, it’s just a 5 mile drive, from Jerusalem to Bethlehem… but from Bethlehem to Calvary, is a journey from Christmas trees, bells and bangles, to Easter Lillies, a cross and a tomb. But one cannot find the real power of Christmas, separated from that place called Calvary…. Whether society wants to admit it or not, When they celebrate Christmas, they are joining in the celebration of the Messiah’s birth. Our Father’s road map will always take us from a stable manger to Calvary’s hill where the crude wood of a manger is spiritually transformed into an old rugged cross.
It was Dr. Seuss who wrote….“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more”. (That was a transforming thought for Mr. Grinch) Every advertisement for Christmas keeps the name of Jesus in front of people for it is after all “Christ Mass”. And while local stores may not play “Victory in Jesus” or “Power in the Blood”…they proclaim the birth of Christ to everyone in the store with “Silent Night”, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, and “It came upon a midnight clear”…. Christmas without Calvary is like a snowman in August, it’s just a puddle….
A Christ child in a manger is a safe place, because a baby makes only temporary carnal demands on our life. But a crucified, resurrected Savior, requires that we make a decision about Him, to accept what He offers, or to walk away and refuse His gift of forgiveness and salvation. You see, without Calvary, there would be no Bethlehem celebration, because Jesus would have been just another fake…. A good, wonderful person, but just a fake.
A guy bought his wife a beautiful diamond ring for Christmas. After hearing about this extravagant gift, a friend of his said, "I thought she wanted one of those sporty four-wheel-drive vehicles." "Oh yeah, She did," he replied. "But when I checked, a fake Jeepis much easier to see that it is a fake than a diamond?" Thank God Jesus is the real deal….and there is coming a day when the world will see and know that He is exactly who He said He is!
Jesus Laid Aside His Godhead….And when He was born in Bethlehem, He chose to leave His divinity, and become flesh and blood. He chose to live with the same limitations that you and I have. He told the disciples that the glory He had with the Father, was available to them also. He said that He did nothing of himself, but that it all came from the Father in Heaven. Jesus said that the Father showed Him what He was to do, and as He obeyed. The Father’s glory was what made the difference. The mystery of the incarnation is that He was fully man, while being fully God. The story of Christmas is a mystery of integration, where the life force of God entered the seed of a woman. God the Son, chose to lay aside His God part, as an example and as sin’s remedy foreach of us.
So, the big question is… how can Christ, dying on a cross, cleanse my soul from it’s sin, 2000 years later? That’s simple….. He’s not dead! He’s alive and after leaving us as the heirs of His kingdom, He came back to be sure that we would receive what He left for us. Hebrews 7:25 tells us… “Wherefore He is able also to save all of those totally and completely that come unto God by Him, seeing He forever lives to make intercession for them”.
Why should we be content to stay in Bethlehem when there is so much waiting for us just a 2 hour drive down the road? After all Bethlehem holds the promise of eternal life but it’s Calvary and an empty tomb that holds the actual gift of eternal life.
Mary Ellen Chase said “Christmas, is not a date on the calendar, it is a state of the heart and mind transformed. ”
Luke 2:8 tells us that some shepherds were in the fields outside the village that night, guarding their flocks of sheep. . What an announcement They received! They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. But what about those Christmas shepherds? I hate to malign the shepherds but I tend to think of them as flash in the pan believers. They had this great choir of angels who told them about the Christ child, and if anything should move you to action I would think this would. Luke 2:17 tells us that the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.
But that’s all Luke wrote, we don’t hear anymore about the shepherds, no aged shepherd 33 years later, are recorded making their way to the cross to worship at the feet of Christ, as they saw the promise told them by angels fulfilled. None of the disciples of Jesus were shepherds, there were no shepherd witnesses at the trial of Jesus. No,they stayed in Bethlehem, for them it was too far to travel that 2 hours to get to Jerusalem, where Calvary is located outside the city walls. When the thrills, and angels singing stopped they just melted back into the hills. They had a historical experience, it was something that happened long ago, but never maintained and kept current. They were spectators, but not followers.
The reason the Christian faith and the Christian Church has survived and flourished over the past 2000 years is because there are some who after the angels have gone, the visions and thrills have subsided, and the heavens are still, and life is life again, they still believe and stick fast.
Then there are the words “No room in the inn” that are part of the Christmas story…. When the gospel of Luke records the arrival of Mary and Joseph and the unborn Jesus in Bethlehem, as they come to the inn, it doesn’t say that there was no room in the inn….. It says that there was no room for THEM in the inn. How would you like history to record that YOU were the one that rejected Jesus. And yet this guy has lots of company, for he is just one of multitudes who could never get their heads around the amazing mystery of the incarnation! But just two hours away at calvary, it will never say that there was no room for anyone…. There is always room for more, at the foot of the cross, for as many as will come….For all who are willing to make the journey, there is a place for them and a blood covering for them.!
You see the truth is, the Bethlehem inn keeper just didn’t care…. He was busy, he was distracted, he didn’t understand the importance of the moment he was in….But no one can ever be able to say, that there is no compassion at calvary. The sacrifice made there is self explanatory!
We know that Joseph died at some point after Jesus was 12 years old, because that’s the last mention of him….but out of all of the people that were there that first Christmas, there is only one that we know for sure followed Christ from Bethlehem to Calvary and that was the young virgin who was his mother. Her life was changed forever by the child that she gave birth to that day. For her, every moment of every day would be changed from that point on. It’s the difference in just knowing something and having it birthed in you. You see Mary’s experience was not just a Bethlehem Christmas experience, or a commitment of someone caught up in the celebration and the excitement. She was 100% committed to the child she called Jesus. And that is what He is looking for today. He wants us to come to the manager with the same attitude as Mary, who was in it for the long haul. Because it’s only when we are completely convinced of who Jesus is and what He offers all of us, that we will be able to make the trip from Bethlehem to salvation’s birthplace at Calvary.
Bethlehem was the birthplace of the Savior, but Calvary was the birthplace of salvation!
Satan will try every way possible to keep us from going from Bethlehem to Calvary. He will use people who disappointed you and let you down, he will use religions that said one thing but did another, he will use circumstances and life itself to seduce your perspective. Listen, Stop remembering what God has already forgotten. Just because the past keeps tapping you on the shoulder doesn't mean you have to turn around, give it attention, and stop moving forward.
It was at Calvary, that He bore our offences, it was there that the power of sin was defeated, and a person forgiven, who walks in repentance, puts Satan out of business. It was there that the power of death was broken. And if we no longer fear death, then what else is there to fear! Christmas is the beginning of the journey, and Calvary sets us free, so that what was done in Jerusalem gives us confidence, courage, boldness and assurance in Key West, Florida!!!
If the Son has set you free, then you are free indeed!!!
To me, Bethlehem represents that place we never intended on ending up, but somehow, some way we got there. It’s as though in spite of all of our planning and preparing for another direction and another place, there were forces at work that had another idea about our lives.
Let’s start by asking, how did you get to where you are today? I’m sure none of us could begin to recount the millions of events, people and circumstance all through our journey, that got us to this place and this time in our lives, and yet, here we are… We could have ended up in a thousand other places, but HERE WE ARE!
Two cowboys come upon an Indian lying on his stomach with his ear to the ground. One of the cowboys stops and says to the other, "You see that Indian?" "Yeah," says the other cowboy. "If you’ll notice, he's listening to the ground and he can hear things for miles in any direction."
Just then the Indian says "There’s a Covered wagon, about two miles away. It has two horses, one brown and one white. There’s a Man, woman, child, and all their household effects in the wagon."
"Wow, that’s Incredible!" says the cowboy to his friend. "This Indian knows how far away they are, how many horses, the color they are, who is in the wagon, and what they have in the wagon. I am amazed that he can tell all that by listening to ground! "The Indian looks up and says,"It ran over me about a half hour ago."
Well, life is full of surprises, and along with the plans we have planned, it’s those very unplanned events that have usually brought us to where we are. The Bethlehem story, would have been altogether different, if it weren’t for some unplanned surprises. One of those surprises is in… Luke 2:1 “There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.”SURPRISE!!!
Caesar Augustus was one of the greatest of the Roman emperors, greater even than his grand-uncle, Julius Caesar. It was said that when he came to Rome it was a city of brick, and when he left it was a city of marble. He reigned as emperor for 41 years. His greatest single act–that would have the most lasting effect on world history–was to call for a census of the empire. It’s the kind of thing governments have been doing every since.
When the time came to take the census in Israel, it meant that the Jews would have to return to their ancestral hometowns. That would explain why Joseph and Mary had to return to Bethlehem at a most inconvenient time–in the ninth month of Mary’s pregnancy.
So, Merry Christmas, Caesar Augustus. You played a part you never knew and paved the way for the birthday of the King of Kings.
As a matter of fact I want to take time to thank all the folks and situations that taken all together, brought you to exactly where you are today, doing what you are doing at this time in your life, and perhaps, for you being the person you are now….The truth is, we have all been on our own unique journey filled with unplanned events, to our own Bethlehem.
Joseph was a good carpenter, but probably knew nothing about bringing babies into the world. One well read, theologian, his research, submitted that there was another woman there in the manger, and that Mary probably had the help of a local midwife, which was very common in those days, to assist with the birth of Jesus in the lowly stable. How could this lowly midwife have known that she would be called upon to bring the Son of God into this world. What an unplanned event she was brought into, as the first one to introduce the Messiah to the world. She was probably called upon because the local folks knew she had done this before, and would have sent for her.
It makes me think that the Messiah is looking for some midwives to help Him to be born into the lives of those who need some help, in making that important life changing decision. How wonderful that there are some among us who are known for being the assistant for Jesus to be born into many people’s lives. We think of Billy Graham, the TBN network, 700 club, Reinhart Bonke, and we could go on and on…. But what if each of us made the history changing decision to be God’s mid wife in the world, to see Jesus born into the lives of families, friends, neighbors and those many folks without Christ in our city….
Philip Yancey has a line in his book, “The Jesus I Never Knew”, where he puts it this way: “The God who came to earth came not in a raging whirlwind nor in a devouring fire. Amazingly, the Maker of all things shrank down, down, down, so small as to become a single fertilized egg barely visible to the naked eye, an egg that would divide and redivide until a fetus took shape, enlarging cell by cell inside a nervous teenager. Growing in her womb toward the time of birthing…. Scripture tells us that He ‘made Himself nothing . . .and He did it to give us everything”!
This Bethlehem story tells us that as folks are going about their daily tasks, just living life…. Working, playing, interacting and just doing their daily stuff….suddenly God shows up, and GOD INVADES the natural order of things with the supernatural! It may start small, but HEY, THERE’S AN INVASION GOING ON! It’s those times when things begin to develop that take us to another level and we are launched onto an uncertain path that takes us in an uncertain direction…..that changes everything forever!
The road to Bethlehem is about never giving up….There is no way they could have known, that what was being done in the palaces of Caeser, would touch the lives of this teenage girl and the man she was espoused to, but they persisted in spite of all the surprises,. I wonder how many times, things that didn’t look spiritual at all, none the less, positioned and located us in such a way, that God moved thru them, to bring about Spiritual transformation and a Holy birthing!
So many have heard the call of God on their journey to their ownBethlehem, and because they refused to give up…they ended up as a Martin Luther King Jr…. a Paul Crouch, a Pat Robertson, a Joel Osteen, T.D Jakes, or maybe a little woman who anointed and washed the feet of Jesus. The apostles were fishermen, carpenters, a doctor, and a couple of religious zeolots…. Who ended up changing the world!
Perhaps you didn’t know that when he was 15, the award winningactor Jim Carrey, had to drop out of school to support his family. His father was an unemployed alcoholic musician and as the family went from “middle class to poor,” they eventually had to start living in a van. Carrey didn’t let this stop him from achieving his dream of becoming a comedian: He went from having his dad drive him to comedy clubs in Toronto to starring in mega-blockbuster moviesand becoming known as one of the best comedic actors of an entire era.
Benjamin Franklin dropped out of school at age ten. That didn’t stop this determined young man from his journey of learning and self-development. He taught himself through his constant reading and studying, and eventually went on to invent the lightning rod and bifocals. He was a world traveler, and Oh yes, he became one of America’s Founding Fathers, who helped compose and sign, the Declaration of Independence! And a favorite picture of him is on the $100.00 bill!!! I guess that makes us all art collectors!
Vincent Van Gogh only sold one painting in his entire lifetime and it was bought because his brother’s girlfriend felt sorry for him. It was sold for 80 dollars. Today that same painting sold for 82.5 million and is exhibited at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. Van Gogh is considered one of the greatest artists of all time, and even though Van Gogh made no money while he was alive, he still painted over 900 works of art. Each one of these paintings are now worth millions. Even though his persistence went unnoticed when he was alive, Van Gogh proves that you can’t judge your success by what you see at the moment.
Here's some quotes I found about success….
Jay London wrote, “Your window of opportunity sometimes involves a rock”. Darrin Weinberg wrote… “Before you start climbing the ladder of success, be sure you have it propped against the right wall”. An anonymous writer, said “ Don’t get too attached to the scaffolding that is part of the construction, It will be removed as the building is completed.”
If you were to ask one of the locals, of that day “How far is it from the gates of Jerusalem to Bethlehem”?. He would tell you that it is about eight kilometers or just a two hour drive from Nazareth to the sleepy little town where Christ was born. Sometimes things seem to take forever, as you’re walking through them, but as you look back, it’s amazing how quickly it happened. As we look back at some points in the journey that seemed to never end, it’s amazing how the time has flown. The older you get the faster it flies… and the hurrider you go the behinder you get. Why make mountains out of molehills? We can’t be like the man who was making a big deal of washing the dishes… He said, ‘I washed the forks, then the spoons, then the knives, then I washed the plates and saucers, after that I did the cups and glasses…. And that was just putting them in the dishwasher! He could have just said, “I did the dishes”....We call that much to do about nothing! An NFL player, gets a lot of bumps and bruises on the way to the playoffs…. But he keeps moving forward, because his eyes are fixed on the purpose for which everything else is preparing him in his skill level and his endurance. He’s not a champion because of winning the big games, but he becomes a champion through the journey to that goal. The journey is shaping and molding him into the champion he becomes and there comes a point where he realizes that it wasn’t about the big games, it was about the personal journey. It’s about what you do before and after football!
There’s A lot of history tied to that two hour drive called theBethlehem road. It was in Bethlehem that Rachel was buried, and it was to Bethlehem that Naomi and Ruth returned, and where Ruth married Boaze and became part of the linage of Christ. King David was born and raised in Bethlehem and the prophet Micah wrote in…. Micah 5:2 “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come forth from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.” On your journey to your personal Bethlehem, you will find a lot of great inspiration and direction from so many who have gone before you. We can benefit from the history of our Bethlehem, or we can ignore it and we’re doomed to repeat the parts that are not so good… We need to learn from the mistakes of others, because we can't possibly live long enough to make all the mistakes ourselves.
The Bethlehem road today, is a two lane highway, but long ago it brought a virgin girl with child to a stable on that starry night.Today, just as then, when you take that road back to Jerusalem, it brings you as it brought them, to Calvary’s hill. “How far is it from Bethlehem to Calvary?” Compared to the Millenniums that have come and gone since God spoke the world into being, the thirty-three year life span of Jesus is a relatively short period of time. There is only a short lifetime between singing angels, shepherds and wisemen, to cursing soldiers with cat of nine tails, at the Savior’s whipping post, (for by His stripes we are healed).
It’s Just a few short years from swaddling clothes and a babe in the manger straw, to a crown of thorns…. from dimples and stubby fingers to blood stained cheeks and nail pierced hands. And yet as close as it might be, it is a sad fact of life that not enough have made that all important journey from Bethlehem to Calvary. Yes, it’s just a 5 mile drive, from Jerusalem to Bethlehem… but from Bethlehem to Calvary, is a journey from Christmas trees, bells and bangles, to Easter Lillies, a cross and a tomb. But one cannot find the real power of Christmas, separated from that place called Calvary…. Whether society wants to admit it or not, When they celebrate Christmas, they are joining in the celebration of the Messiah’s birth. Our Father’s road map will always take us from a stable manger to Calvary’s hill where the crude wood of a manger is spiritually transformed into an old rugged cross.
It was Dr. Seuss who wrote….“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more”. (That was a transforming thought for Mr. Grinch) Every advertisement for Christmas keeps the name of Jesus in front of people for it is after all “Christ Mass”. And while local stores may not play “Victory in Jesus” or “Power in the Blood”…they proclaim the birth of Christ to everyone in the store with “Silent Night”, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, and “It came upon a midnight clear”…. Christmas without Calvary is like a snowman in August, it’s just a puddle….
A Christ child in a manger is a safe place, because a baby makes only temporary carnal demands on our life. But a crucified, resurrected Savior, requires that we make a decision about Him, to accept what He offers, or to walk away and refuse His gift of forgiveness and salvation. You see, without Calvary, there would be no Bethlehem celebration, because Jesus would have been just another fake…. A good, wonderful person, but just a fake.
A guy bought his wife a beautiful diamond ring for Christmas. After hearing about this extravagant gift, a friend of his said, "I thought she wanted one of those sporty four-wheel-drive vehicles." "Oh yeah, She did," he replied. "But when I checked, a fake Jeepis much easier to see that it is a fake than a diamond?" Thank God Jesus is the real deal….and there is coming a day when the world will see and know that He is exactly who He said He is!
Jesus Laid Aside His Godhead….And when He was born in Bethlehem, He chose to leave His divinity, and become flesh and blood. He chose to live with the same limitations that you and I have. He told the disciples that the glory He had with the Father, was available to them also. He said that He did nothing of himself, but that it all came from the Father in Heaven. Jesus said that the Father showed Him what He was to do, and as He obeyed. The Father’s glory was what made the difference. The mystery of the incarnation is that He was fully man, while being fully God. The story of Christmas is a mystery of integration, where the life force of God entered the seed of a woman. God the Son, chose to lay aside His God part, as an example and as sin’s remedy foreach of us.
So, the big question is… how can Christ, dying on a cross, cleanse my soul from it’s sin, 2000 years later? That’s simple….. He’s not dead! He’s alive and after leaving us as the heirs of His kingdom, He came back to be sure that we would receive what He left for us. Hebrews 7:25 tells us… “Wherefore He is able also to save all of those totally and completely that come unto God by Him, seeing He forever lives to make intercession for them”.
Why should we be content to stay in Bethlehem when there is so much waiting for us just a 2 hour drive down the road? After all Bethlehem holds the promise of eternal life but it’s Calvary and an empty tomb that holds the actual gift of eternal life.
Mary Ellen Chase said “Christmas, is not a date on the calendar, it is a state of the heart and mind transformed. ”
Luke 2:8 tells us that some shepherds were in the fields outside the village that night, guarding their flocks of sheep. . What an announcement They received! They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. But what about those Christmas shepherds? I hate to malign the shepherds but I tend to think of them as flash in the pan believers. They had this great choir of angels who told them about the Christ child, and if anything should move you to action I would think this would. Luke 2:17 tells us that the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.
But that’s all Luke wrote, we don’t hear anymore about the shepherds, no aged shepherd 33 years later, are recorded making their way to the cross to worship at the feet of Christ, as they saw the promise told them by angels fulfilled. None of the disciples of Jesus were shepherds, there were no shepherd witnesses at the trial of Jesus. No,they stayed in Bethlehem, for them it was too far to travel that 2 hours to get to Jerusalem, where Calvary is located outside the city walls. When the thrills, and angels singing stopped they just melted back into the hills. They had a historical experience, it was something that happened long ago, but never maintained and kept current. They were spectators, but not followers.
The reason the Christian faith and the Christian Church has survived and flourished over the past 2000 years is because there are some who after the angels have gone, the visions and thrills have subsided, and the heavens are still, and life is life again, they still believe and stick fast.
Then there are the words “No room in the inn” that are part of the Christmas story…. When the gospel of Luke records the arrival of Mary and Joseph and the unborn Jesus in Bethlehem, as they come to the inn, it doesn’t say that there was no room in the inn….. It says that there was no room for THEM in the inn. How would you like history to record that YOU were the one that rejected Jesus. And yet this guy has lots of company, for he is just one of multitudes who could never get their heads around the amazing mystery of the incarnation! But just two hours away at calvary, it will never say that there was no room for anyone…. There is always room for more, at the foot of the cross, for as many as will come….For all who are willing to make the journey, there is a place for them and a blood covering for them.!
You see the truth is, the Bethlehem inn keeper just didn’t care…. He was busy, he was distracted, he didn’t understand the importance of the moment he was in….But no one can ever be able to say, that there is no compassion at calvary. The sacrifice made there is self explanatory!
We know that Joseph died at some point after Jesus was 12 years old, because that’s the last mention of him….but out of all of the people that were there that first Christmas, there is only one that we know for sure followed Christ from Bethlehem to Calvary and that was the young virgin who was his mother. Her life was changed forever by the child that she gave birth to that day. For her, every moment of every day would be changed from that point on. It’s the difference in just knowing something and having it birthed in you. You see Mary’s experience was not just a Bethlehem Christmas experience, or a commitment of someone caught up in the celebration and the excitement. She was 100% committed to the child she called Jesus. And that is what He is looking for today. He wants us to come to the manager with the same attitude as Mary, who was in it for the long haul. Because it’s only when we are completely convinced of who Jesus is and what He offers all of us, that we will be able to make the trip from Bethlehem to salvation’s birthplace at Calvary.
Bethlehem was the birthplace of the Savior, but Calvary was the birthplace of salvation!
Satan will try every way possible to keep us from going from Bethlehem to Calvary. He will use people who disappointed you and let you down, he will use religions that said one thing but did another, he will use circumstances and life itself to seduce your perspective. Listen, Stop remembering what God has already forgotten. Just because the past keeps tapping you on the shoulder doesn't mean you have to turn around, give it attention, and stop moving forward.
It was at Calvary, that He bore our offences, it was there that the power of sin was defeated, and a person forgiven, who walks in repentance, puts Satan out of business. It was there that the power of death was broken. And if we no longer fear death, then what else is there to fear! Christmas is the beginning of the journey, and Calvary sets us free, so that what was done in Jerusalem gives us confidence, courage, boldness and assurance in Key West, Florida!!!
If the Son has set you free, then you are free indeed!!!
The 6 top things to say about the gift no one would want..
6. You know, I always wanted one of these! Jog my memory—what’s it called again?
5. You know what?—I’m going to find a special place to put this!
4. Boy, you don’t see craftsmanship like that every day!
3. And it’s such an interesting color too!
2. You say that was the last one? So glad you snapped that baby up!
1. And the number one thing to say about the gifts you didn’t like is: “You shouldn’t have! No, really, I mean it, you really shouldn’t have!”
Well, We wish one another a Merry Christmas, A Happy Christmas, and we talk about The Joy Of Christmas, The Reason for the Season, The True Meaning Of Christmas, and as I thought of all these Christmas greetings, I began to see a few that we don’t hear much about when we extract some of the aspects of the Nativity which Christmas offers us....
But what matters more than what Christmas meant to the angels that filled the heaven on that miraculous day, or to the shepherds and wise men, or even to Mary and Joseph...or the Apostles, and prophets, and the preachers who are expounding the message from large and small churches this Advent season.... (what really matters), is what Christmas means to you....and how it affects your daily life....Cause that’s what people in your family, your circle of friends and your neighbors and work place are going to determine what “Merry Christmas” really means to you. How has Christmas effected my behavior, and my actions,.... and MY LIFE!
So I want to begin with the first thing which I celebrate at the Christmas Season.... Christmas is about the Gift of Access....When we couldn’t get to God, He came to us, through a miraculous, sinless birth. You see, God put mankind in charge of the earth, so He needed to become a man, in order to undo, and reconcile what the first man and woman had brought into the earth. This act of rebellion and disobedience, opened the door for Satan to legally enter and gain authority to bring evil and the works of darkness into a perfect, sinless world. Knowing all the ramifications of this act allowing Satan into the garden, and knowing what it would take to reverse it, God laid it all out, “Satan will bruise yourheal, but the offspring of the woman will crush, Satan's head. So God had to bring redemption within the terms He had bound Himself to, by His own word, in order to give authority and power back to mankind, in taking back what he had given to the devil. “They who dwelt in darkness have seen a great light, and upon them the light has dawned.” Adam and Eve lost access to that God part of their nature, which they had in the garden, and now God was giving it all back.
The babe in a manger was God’s gift of His pleasure. No wonder the angels sang enthusiastically “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace, good will to all men” Or did they??.... The original Greek language which this song of the angels was recorded in, (Yes, to be understood, they sang in Greek, they speak and sing in every language) but the song actually says, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace, good will to those on whom His pleasure rests”
Wow, the angels are actually saying, that through this (God come in the flesh) baby, the pleasure of God is once again available and accessible. The results in the earth are peace and God’s will to those upon whom His pleasure rests!! Every good and perfect gift begins to be evident in those upon whom His pleasure rests!(How many want the pleasure of God on you).... His name is Jesus! Jesus is the pleasure of God....
When the Man Jesus came out of the water of baptism, and when He was transfigured before his disciples, the Father spoke the words, which in the original writing is .. Matthew 3:17 “This is my beloved Son, upon whom My pleasure rests”!!! Jesus accessed that, (God’s pleasure) as a man, so that we could walk in His pleasure as well.... Luke 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, (speaking of believers in Christ) for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom”. Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” God delights in seeing believers walk by faith as His grace empowers them. Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He takes pleasure in his way.” As a parent, I take pleasure in every accomplishment and every growth season in my children, grand children and great grands. Their first steps, first words, first birthday, first day at school, graduation, marriage, birth of their children... and on and on. God is the same, and takes great pleasure in all the seasons of growth and development in our lives. Jesus wants us to believe big, to expect abundance, and to receive something bigger and greater in this life, and into eternity!
So at Christmas, laying there in a manger, we get a look at God’s Gift of a New World....
Isaiah 9:6-7 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forever , more. The passion (or pleasure) of the LORD of hosts will do this”. God will do what He is now doing.... Lying in that crude manger, in a cow barn, was the future government of a new world, of peace without end, true and fair justice, and righteousness that will last forever! Imagine peace with no interruptions, endless justice and fairness, and righteousness everywhere and in everything. Oh, my, something bigger than just surviving in life, and making it to heaven is embodied in Christmas... No wonder Satan wants to make it about Santa, and materialism, and partying, and carnal joy andgreed and the almighty dollar.... because He wants to focus on those things, so we will get our eyes off the real meaning of Christmas! He wants it to be Happy Holidays, and Yuletide, and the Season’s greetings, but NO, NO, NEVER ABOUT JESUS!! In a Charlie Brown Christmas cartoon, Charlie Brown was having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit so Linus said, “Charlie Brown, you’re the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem.” (Well, Satan loves to do that)
Satan likes it just the way it is, and maybe a lot worse.... The last thing he wants is a New Government, and a New World....
The gift of Christmas is the Gift of Redeemed, Eternal Life. Notice, Isaiah 9:7 tells us... That the new government and that new world, “shall be from this time forth and forever.”Christmas gives new meaning to “the span of a person’s life”... When I was 15, Jesus appeared to me at Youth Camp. He walked up to my bunk, where I was worshiping, and I looked into His eyes. They were pools of eternity, that went on forever.... He said, “Follow Me” and I knew it was forever and eternally....My world was about to change!
Those who receive Emanual, have the pleasure of the Lord upon them, and they shall live forever! Oh, I love the message of Christmas! Buildings and every other structure of man, will crumble and collapse with time. The greatest achievements will become obsolete and gather dust in some ancient archive. But those who have the pleasure of the Lord, will be forever young.... (I like the idea of being 30 forever).
The Gift of Christmas is “All Things”..... Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him, freely give us all things”. When I was a kid, I would make a list of what I wanted for Christmas, and I knew I would get one thing on the list... But God says “All Things” come with the gift of Jesus! It is God’s pleasure to give us, Not a few dribs and drabs, Not to keep us barely making it, but He delights to freely give – without restraint or reluctance. He is NOT a withholding God. He gave us Jesus! He will not withhold from us any good thing!!!. Luke 18:29 “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that has left houses, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, 30 Who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting”.
James said, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who GIVES GENEROUSLY to all men”. Christmas reminds me that I serve a generous God. He doesn’t just give to us to meet a need now, but He gives to provide for things we don’t even know we need yet and the wisdom to use it wisely.
Philippians 4:19 “My God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen”.…
And that is only the start of His giving to you. Ephesians 2:7 tells us that God saved us “so that in the ages to come He might show us the surpassing riches of His grace & kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” He NEVER STOPS GIVING! He never will! God saved you to show you the surpassing riches of His grace, and kindness, for all eternity! Paul said, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him”. You can't imagine all the wonder God has prepared for you, because of Christmas!
Jesus is the Father’s declaration of intention toward us for all eternity!
Now let me clarify something, God’s greatest gift is not things, Christmas means that God's greatest gift is Himself. Henry Scougal, a seventeenth-century Scottish minister, said, "God has long contended with a stubborn world, and poured down many a blessing upon them; and when all His other gifts could not prevail, He at last made a gift of Himself." I like how the Message bible interprets John 14:1 “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into theneighborhood”. – (That’s everyone’s neighborhood)! For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son!!! Romans 8:32 Listen again to Paul as he says. (I want this to sink down deep in our spirits....“Having given us Himself, will He not freely give us all things”... The most fundamental promise God gives us is this: I will be your God and you will be my people! God gives himself to you! Even if we have very little in material things we are still fabulously and greatly blessed in all that matters most. We should never be overwhelmed by any loss, when we see all that God has prepared for us. God said to Abraham, “I am your shield, your very great reward”. God gave Abraham himself. If you have come to know God, and seen and experienced his glory and experienced his love for you, then you know something of the riches of possessing the gift of GodHimself. If you have God with you, for you, and on your side, you have it all. When God spoke that to Abraham, Abraham was a stranger and a sojourner in the land; he did not own one sq ft of land, but he had God. This is a place you need to come to if you will ever be truly happy and content at Christmas and through the New Year, God has given us Himself!!.
All things..... that’s Food, work, abilities, marital bliss, money, families, children, laughter, friends, flowers, birds singing, sunshine and blue skies, orange and purple sunsets, rain to grow, rainbows to glow, bacon and eggs and sourdough pancakes, pizza on Friday night, walking, running, and music and song - all these are gifts from God! Anything that you find pleasure in (that is pure and wholesome), anything that is good, of value and profitable in your life, is from God!
I heard a missionary share a story about their little daughter who for a long time wanted an American Girl doll. But they had no money and couldn't get her one. So they cut out a picture of an American Girl doll and attached it to cardboard, then cut out some outfits to hang on it, put some clothes on it and that was her American Girl doll. Well a couple of years later they came into a situation where they could buy their daughter a real American Girl doll.
They were so excited to give it to their daughter on Christmas morning. They couldn't wait to see her face. Of course their little girl opened the present the next morning and was ecstatic with joy and jumped up and down and said thank you mommy and daddy. But this father said his daughter's joy could not have been greater than he and his wife's own joy in giving her that doll.
Then he said this, “How would we have felt if our daughter had opened that package and said, mommy and daddy, I don't want this doll, all I want is you, all I want is to be with you. We would have been shocked because, by receiving and enjoying our gift to her, she was allowing us our greatest pleasure, in allowing us to show our love to her.” Material blessings do not to make us lovers of things if we see “The Giver Himself” through the gifts He gives us! These things are to make us lovers of God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy! Jesus provided fish on the fire for the disciples, He multiplied the loaves and fish, He turned water into wine, and He put money in the fishes mouth, and enabled them to catch a boat sinking load of fish. In all these things, the gift only caused them to worship the giver....
Paul tells the Christmas story from the cosmic viewpoint. He tellsthe Colossians Christians, in Col.1:15-20 that the baby born of Mary, “is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible… all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together… For in Him the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things… making peace by the blood of His cross. Try singing that to the tune of “Jingle Bells” or “Deck the Halls with balls of Holly.” It just won’t fit, no matter how you sing it....
So then, Christmas is the Gift of A new beginning, when God restores His creation to its perfect and glorious condition, FROM THE INSIDE OUT, BY OPERATING FROM WITHIN IT. The baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger is none other than God’s “Behold I make all things new again” Our new beginning has arrived!!
Instead of using the option to destroy it all and return it all to oblivion, after sin entered into God’s very amazing creation, God chose to redeem His creation. He must renew and restore it. And for this, blood must be shed. Divine blood that makes all things new, and pure and holy and ‘very good.’
If Christmas is the promise, then Easter is the proof.
The flesh and blood of our new beginning must be the very fleshof God Himself so that it will be divine blood that poured out toconfront and destroy the curse. The swaddling clothes He is wrapped in is the promise of the grave clothes that He will be wrapped in. The manger He is laid in is a promise of the tomb that He will be laid in. The new beginning that God began when the Holy Spirit overshadowed the virgin Mary is accomplished when the baby she gives birth to, cries from the cross, “It is finished.” So, even if we cannot communicate all of this to those who we meet and greet during this holiday season, at least let US be aware of the meaning of what we are saying when we say, “Merry Christmas.”
Tell someone, “Merry Christmas is an amazing Gift which we are still unwrapping.
(shall we pray) Pastor’s prayer......Lord, Renew in our hearts the wonder and awe of the miracle of the Gift of Christmas. Not only us, Lord, but let it spread to our families and our friends. Let us come together to celebrate You and leave behind all the fuss and enter into the real beauty of Christmas. Let us sing Your praises with joyful thanks in love and devotion! Let us love our Lord who has loved us since the world began. In Jesus’ Name. I want to take this opportunity to wish you and yours all the happiness God intended you to have. May He shower His blessings upon you and bless you with every desire which He has designed for you. Have a God filled Christmas and a profitable and fruitful year ahead.
My message today is Be Still And Know That I Am God...
The title of my message was written during the reign of Jehoshaphat when the vast armies of Assyria came against and surrounded Israel. after Hezekiah went before God gave him this instruction, and then sent one angel to destroy 185,000 Assyrians. God arose as their strength and help with supernatural intervention in this national time of trouble.Regardless of what Hezekiah was seeing as the enemy surrounded the city, God wanted him to know that He had not changed, and His promise had not changed. So the message to Hezekiah was exactly what he needed the most in this time of bad news coming from every direction..
Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God”
These are the same words which God gave to Moses, when Isreal was trapped in a narrow place with the mountains on both sides, the Red sea in front of them, and the Egyptian army closing in behind them. Moses went before God in prayer and He said... Exodus 14:13 “Be still, and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again”.
The Bible is an exciting, supernatural book. It’s filled with world history, prophecy, theological principals, faith building stories, science, Geology, and ancestry…Anyone would have to really be an amazingly dull person to make the Bible boring!
But no one usually gets excited when they read through the begats in the bible, unless you just don’t have a life. You just try to get through them so you can get to the good stuff. I only read through the begats because I commit to read the WHOLE bible! Because all that begetting about as exciting as reading through the phone book.
It’s like the reaction of one college alumni meeting another, forty years later at the class reunion. The first guy says “Do you remember how I used to be so fat, well I’ve been on an exercise program for a few years, and now I compete in marathons.” “That’s great!” replied the other guy. “And…. (the first man continued), “Do you remember how I used to be so shy, and a fairly poor student? Well, I took a course in public speaking, and now I make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on the lecture circuit.” “That’s great!” came the reply. “So, what about you?” The first guy inquired. “How have you changed?” “Oh, Yes, I have changed,” said the very bored listener. “Remember how brutally honest I used to be and how when someone said something I was totally uninterested in, I would reply, ‘I couldn’t care less?’ Well now, I just say, ‘That’s great!”.
Sometimes waiting for God to do what He promised, is kind of like that.. We say about what God has promised... “THAT’S GREAT”... But when it comes to the waiting, we say “I COULD CARE LESS”.... The disciples find themselves In a storm which looks as though it will sink the boat they are in…and Jesus is asleep in the back of the boat… Mark 4:39 “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" 41They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" Well, this story is there in the bible, so we will understand that He’s the same today as He was then! Like the disciples in the storm, We know that Jesus is in the boat, but it’s hard to wait for Him to wake up and move into action, when the boat is filling with water! But the message from God is still “Be still and know that I am God”....
When everything is raging around you and you’re struggling just to hold on and stand where you are and the enemy has you boxed in, it’s hard to “be still”!
But when you know that before the enemy came up with your problem, God had already planned your solution and your victory, you can trust that the battle is the Lord’s and the victory is yours.
2 Chronicles 20:22 “And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were defeated”.
Jehoshaphat, the King was told by God to send the musicians and singers out in front of the army… DO WHAT!!!! Chronicles tells us that they were to face the enemy and sing out over and over, one phrase, “Give thanks to the Lord, Forhis love endures forever’” (Over and over)
They worshiped in 3 stages of the battle....
They worshiped God before the crisis, they worshiped during the crisis, and they worshiped after the crisis. Worship was not an event they attended; worship was a way of warfare for the people of God. And God responded to their worship by giving them a fantastic victory.
Perhaps we have underestimated the powerful weapon, that our songs and our praise really is, as we begin the service. Perhaps we fail to see how important it is that we all lift our voices and raise our shouts of praise. Perhaps we fail to see what it does to the enemy as it sends confusion upon his forces and interferes with his plans. Church, let us understand how it sets the atmosphere for needs to be met, and folks to have supernatural breakthrough in their lives. Oh, Church, let’s sing when it’s time to sing and praise when it’s time to praise and drive the enemy back, because we know that the Battle is the Lord’s and He is fighting for us! And He never loses!
So while we’re waiting, let’s sing, during the crises let’s praise, after the battle, let’s do a little shouting!
There is a time to hold your peace and there is a time to praise and shout and sing out…Oh that the Lord would find some folks at Eagle’s Rest, going into service time, singing and praising like warriors going into battle!!!
Please get a hold of this... Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint”.
Knowing the value of waiting, can revolutionize your life!
Waiting, in the original Hebrew tongue, is “kaw-vaw”... It means to be looking, believing, and expecting... It also tells us, that as a result of this waiting time, of looking, believing and expecting, They shall mount up to a higher place.... and they shall come forth from the waiting place, running, without getting weary and walking without fainting.... While we’re in the place of waiting, we can make the moments count. We can evaluate our priorities. We can make time for eternal things. We can make time to use the gifts God gave us. We can make a nobody feel like a somebody. Make your voice heard. Make time to enjoy the small, everyday things. Make someone smile. Make the change you know you need deep inside. Make reconciliation. Make a difference. Make sure to tell your people they are loved. Make sure you have no regrets. Make sure you are ready when the waiting is ended.”
He's The God of the waiting... Most of the best things that happen in our lives are revealed at the end of a time of waiting. We are told that Jesus was 30 years old when he began his public ministry after being baptized by John but that's actually not the case. You see, Jesus was 30 years plus 9 months of waiting. He was God become flesh in Mary's womb, he was as much God in the womb, as He was when the waitingwas done..... Look at the scripture that tells what happened when Mary who was about 3 months pregnant, got with Elizabeth who was almost 9 months pregnant with John the Baptist... … Luke 1:40 “Then Mary entered the home of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. v41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. v42 In a loud voice she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb”!… John leaped inside of Elizabeth, when he came in contact with Jesus within the womb of Mary... Most theologians believe that John was filled with the Holy Spirit on this occasion, to prepare for the assignment before him. Jesus was still God, even though hidden in Mary’s womb... (OH SUCH A MYSTERY)
My point is that God is as much God in the waiting, when He seems to be hidden from us!
In the space race of the 60’s, A Russian Cosmonaut went up into space and said, “I see no God up here”… But an American astronaut went up into space and the American said “I see God everywhere”… The difference was not the place or situation they were in, but it was the eye of the beholder, that had changed. While you’re waiting, see God everywhere! It’s easy to get distracted by a lot of things, but when our quest and our priority is to look for Jesus, to find Him wherever we go and whatever the situation, then we will begin to see Him all over the place.
Song of Solomon 2:13 “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come forth with singing. 14 I have hidden you in the cleft of the rock, in the place of safety..” Have you considered that the place of waiting, was your place of safety, where God hid you from the enemy who was out to destroy you. While you were complaining that nothing was happening, God was saving your very life.....
While Moses was waiting on the mountain, for a word, ofguidance and instruction... Exodus 33:22 says “I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have finished passing by”.
Believe me, there were many powerful forces out to destroy this tool which God used so mightily to deliver His people from bondage. Your waiting place may well be, the place where God is protecting you because Satan knows what God has planned for you.
We need to understand, that perhaps while you’ve been waiting on God, He’s Been Waiting For You.... I hear Him saying to all of us what He spoke to me....and I wrote it out....
”Come with Me to the narrow place, to the place of your first love. It is the place of your lost passion. It is the place where you will recover your joy and peace. It is the place where worry, anxiety and fear cannot enter because fresh revelation and clarity in the Spirit, banish these carnal and soulish things. Allow Me to restore and refresh the vision of your youth and renew the hope that was once so vibrant and strong. Through all the twists and turns, I have brought you to this place of deep desire to know My touch and hear My voice. I have been speaking, but there were so many other voices. I have been moving in your life, but you thought you could make it happen. Welcome back to My unending grace and My all-encompassing love. I have been waiting for you to return, now cast aside the restraints which have been placed upon the gifts I gave you, and the anointing upon your calling. Now, is the time of My fresh stirrings and the rekindling of the flame. Step through the veil and come into an open heaven. I have been waiting for you.
In the waiting, you are revitalized with the strength of God that is endless and renewable. You are cleansed and purified in the complete perfection of God's sanctifying sacrifice. You are redeemed – mind, body, and soul. By faith, God is bringing it into the clear light of manifestation. It is there already available inside of us, ready to come forth, Jesus said, believe you have received it and you shall have it..
No matter what the body is saying, You are well, whole, vital, and strong in your spirit being. The God life is already withinyou, inside of you. The energy of God awaits your call. The power of God flows through you now, renewing and restoring you. Failure does not exist with our Father, through Jesus the Son.....
You are strong, because God is your daily strength. Sometimes you may think that the challenges you face are greater than your strength. At such times it is good to remind yourself that God is your strength and that you have the God-given capacity to meet and overcome all challenges. In our changing, transitional situations and circumstances, God has not, and will not change. Quiet your thoughts, your emotions, and your physical body, and affirm in prayer:
I AM STRONG IN MY SPIRIT, MIND, SOUL AND BODY. FOR GOD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY LIFE!
Makes me feel like going out and putting post em notes everywhere saying “Be still and know that I am God”......
Be Still and Know, as the world gets darker, God’s goodness and glory will be seen more and more evident in your life.
Be Still and Know that God’s heart is for you to possess His abundant provisions and thrive, Spirit, soul and body.
Be Still and Know that the challenges you face will not defeat you but make you stronger.
Be Still and Know that the battle is won before we see the victory…
Be Still and Know, The Lord has already prepared the way and everything you need is ready for you to win this battle and overwhelm this enemy. Just be still and know….
He didn’t bring us this far to leave us, He didn’t teach us to swim to let us drown, He didn’t build His home in us to move away, He didn’t pick us up to let us down…. Be Still and know again, and again, that He is God!!!
Prayer, Lord, I believe and declare that through Christ I am redeemed from the curse of the Law. He has made me to triumph over poverty, over sickness, over fear of the future, and all the ghosts of the past. I delight myself in the Lord and He gives me the desires of my heart. Through Christ I am positioned for His good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, that men shall give unto me. With the measure I give, it is now measured to me. I give cheerfully and my God has made all grace abound toward me and I have all sufficiency in all things. There is no lack for my God supplies all of my need according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ. Jesus came that I might have life and have it more abundantly, so that I might reign in life through Him as I am clothed in His righteousness. I will continually magnify the Lord, because He has placed His favor upon me and His grace abounds in my life. I am growing in God’s divine favor and I am maturing more and more in my faith walk. The favor of God goes before me creating divine appointments, connections and relationships. I seek the Lord with all of my heart and He delights in my prosperity, for He makes me the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. I expect and receive God’s excellence and overflow to manifest in my character, in the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit, and I expect the OVERFLOW to manifest in my health, my finances, my life, my family, my workplace and His church. The overflow will cancel out all the losses of the past and release more than enough for the future! Lord, I make the decision to be someone You can trust with finances. I have faith that I will experience an overflow of God’s blessings so that I may bless many others around me. I am decreeing these things because I have been positioned with authority which the Lord has given unto me! In Jesus Name! Now, I stand still as Your beloved child and allow You to do what You have declared over me… I am looking, believing, expecting and receiving, In Jesus Name….
The message title for today is “Talking To Mountains”….
Matthew 17:14 And when they had come to the multitude, there came a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, v15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic (afflicted with epilepsy or insanity), with painful and destructive episodes, often he falls into the fire, and into the water. v16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him.
v17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, (Those who turn away from the purpose of God) how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him to me. v18 And Jesus rebuked the devil and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. v19 Then came the disciples said to Jesus privately, why couldn’t we cast him out? v20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief, for surely I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you (means you) shall say unto this mountain, Remove from here to a far place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. v21 However this kind of results will only be achieved by prayer and fasting”.
Jesus compared the situation which this father faced with his tormented son, as a mountain, that needed moving.
Mountains are a symbol of the hardships and difficulties of life, they rise and tower high over our heads and represent the insurmountable problems that we often face. We can’t be like the old Jewish man kibitzing at the Wailing wall, when someone asked him how many years he had been doing this. He said, he had been coming every day since 1967. The question was then asked, “How do you feel about all that praying here at the wall”? The old man said, “It’s like talking to a wall”... Mountains are about problems to be solved, obstacles to be overcome, crosses to be lifted high in triumph, burdens to be borne successfully, troubles to be triumphed over, and difficulties to be dispatched and resolved. Sickness can be a mountain. Troubles are mountains. Hardships are mountains. Family crises are mountains. Death is a mountain. All of our lives are like a mountain range stretching out before us. But Jesus reminds us in our scripture today that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to each of these mountains, "Move from here, to way over there," and it will have to obey you. This tells me that Faith never has to stand alone, it always has the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as it’s partners. And there are forces far greater than the seed, but that tiny seed sets in motion, violent energy which produces amazing results.
Matthew 11:12 “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." —An intercessor releases a violent force against the kingdoms of darkness. A tither releases a violent force against the destroyer.... Those who witness to others about salvation’s plan, release violence against Satan’s kingdom and all these are taking it by force.....There is a domino effect that begins to happen to topple the mountains one by one. It is not your mountain that determines the outcome, but it is the seed which you sow, which puts a demand upon your mountain,that has your destiny and your desired outcome attached to it. The seed puts a demand upon the earth to bring forth and produce. By faith we must change ourinner outlook before we can change our outer reality…. That change comes when we are honest with our inner areas of rebellion and disobedience, then we can find alignment which will bring us into harmony with our destiny. Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 1, says, "Faith is the inner substance of things hoped for, which contains the outer evidence of things not seen." And, frankly, that makes all the difference. It's not always what's on the outside looking in, that matters, but what's on the inside looking out that really makes the difference. When Hannibal’s African army was crossing the Alps and struggling to march into Italy. It was an amazing and unbelievable accomplishment, Infact, it was one of the greatest acts of military strategy and courage in human history. In the account given of this event, it is said that when Hannibal got to the Alpine mountain range, his army began to rebel. The soldiers saw these mountains rising up into the clouds, like a giant colossus before them. They saw this incredible barrier and were so intimidated, they were paralyzed with fear. They were ready to quit, turn around, and go home. But we’re told that with defeat staring him in the face, Hannibal rallied his troops by positioning himself between them and the mountains, then, pointing toward the Alps, he declared, "Forward march, we don’t see the mountains, we see beyond the mountains to the prize which awaits us!" And with those words the army of Hannibal went forward, against incredible odds, across the mountains and on to victory. Your obstacles may look like Hannibal’s mountains….but sometimes you’ve got to get right up to it and just declare, "Forward march”… We don’t see the mountains, because there’s someone standing between you and the mountains. He’s the God of the mountains and His name is Jesus. All I can see is the prize that He has promised if we will be faithful! “Forward march”, I don't see that problem, I see Jesus standing in front of it, saying because I have overcome, you shall overcome also….. “Forward march”, I don't see that obstacle, I see Jesus raising up a standard of victory …..“Forward march”, I don't see that hardship, I see Jesus, my greater reality saying “come unto me all that are weary and I will give you rest…..“Forward march”, I don't see that cancer, I see Jesus, taking the stripes on his back for my healing, for by His stripes I am healed!.... “Forward march”, when Jesus stands in front of the mountain, the mountain shrinks in size compared to his greatness, and His power!" The reality and substance of your Faith can change your outlook.. And if your outlook has been changed, it doesn’t matter what mountain Satan has placed on the horizon. In Colossians 3:1 the Apostle Paul, is facing his own eminent death and says “If you are now risen with Christ, then seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. v2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. v3 For you are dead to the flesh (the carnal appetites and desires), and your life is hidden with Christ in God” Unbelief and doubt are matters of the heart. Paul is telling us that if we have our hearts full of trust and devotion to God, there will be no place for doubt and unbelief to get into our heart, or our affections, and Faith will keep transforming our outlook and our outcome as a result…… That’s why Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 “Where your treasure is, there will your heart (your desires and affections) be also. v22 For the light of the body is the eye, if therefore your eye be single (focused and centered), your whole body shall be full of the light (of truth)”. Faith can move mountains, because faithtransforms your outlook on life so that it’s about what’s inside your spirit, not what lies outside, on your horizon. “Faith can move mountains because faith will always find a way where there Is no way”. Faith enlarges your view, and finds another way which couldn’t be seen before. Faith enlarges the possibilities of your life. Faith expands your options because faith brings God directly to bear on any situation. The SOURCE OF OUR FAITH is stronger and more eternal than any mountain in our life” Fear and doubts focus on your limits, what you don’t have, what you can’t do, and is based on your failures and short comings of the past, while faith grabs hold of the possibilities, potential and promises that lie ahead in your future.
Doubt, fear, and all the enemy’s lies and intimidation, belong in only one place.... UNDER YOUR FEET! Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace; that brings forth a good report, that publishes salvation; that declares in my Holy Hill, Thy God reigns! In the constant principles of Math, when you have an equation and you change one variable in the equation, you change the outcome of the equation. An equation is a mathematical statement that has two expressions separated by an equal sign. The expression on the left side of the equal sign has the same value as the expression on the right side. One or both of the expressions may contain variables. Solving an equation means finding the value of the variables on each side by manipulating the expressions. (let’s simplify this) Theexample we have here is (x = 4+8) …to solve this equation we would add 4 and 8 and find that x = 12, but if the equation were changed so that (x=8+8) the value or outcome becomes 16… So, when God is factored into your life’s equation, the outcome is required to changeWhen (x=God). Everything changes, it has no other option. We all want God's grace to operate through our trials. We want God's grace to move through united prayer, through laying on of hands, through a Rehma word from God, or through a prophesy or teaching….but it’s wonderful to know that God's grace will move through any means necessary to bring about the end that God would have for us. Grace will find a way, where there is no way, a way we never deserve or qualify for! Faith enlarges your vantage point and creates new unseen, never thought of possibilities. A problem is only a problem as long as there is no solution. If there is even a hint of a possibility of a solution, then you don't have the same problem any longer…. The equation has changed. Now you have options. In the midst of famine, A cloud the size of a man’s hand changed the equation and the outcome for Elijah and Israel….The jawbone of a wild donkey, changed the equation and the outcome for Samson, when facing overwhelming odds…. A mere walking stick, changed the equation, and changed the history of a nation, as Moses picked up the rod, and plagues came, the Red sea opened, water flowed from a rock and the promised land was reached and occupied….. A small stone, changed the equation as David placed it in his sling, and brought down the giant and victory came instead of defeat….. If you've got God in your life, sure you'll have problems, but with God in your life there are always other possibilities. It changes the equation! With God, all things are possible....Here’s the equation.... (x= with God all things are possible, which means on the other side of the equation, if the unknown is with man, then, with man all things are possible..... Before creation, there was nothing.. but God changed the equation with words of faith…and authored a new possibility and Creation came into physical reality…. Jesus died on the cross, and His disciples thought all was lost, but God created a new possibility and presented another option instead of death and raised Him who is our first fruits, to new life and we are raise up with Him…..Faith can move mountains because faith enlarges the possibilities and probabilities of life. Faith can move mountains because faith connects us to the God of the Mountains! Our God is a mountain shaking, mountain moving God. We used to sing a song that says… He’s God in the middle of the ocean, He’s God in the middle of the sea, He’s the God of all creation and He’s the God for me, I know God and He don’t ever change, I know God and He always will be God…He’s God way up in heaven, He’s God way down in hell, He’s the God who speaks to the mountains, He’s the God who makes me well, I know God and He don’t ever change, I know God and He always will be God!! God does some of His best work when you’re surrounded by mountains. The devil is like an old barking dog trying to stop your parade….He’s barking out to you, that it’s over, (Woof) that you’re dead in the water, (Woof) your dreams and hopes are never going to happen, (Woof) just give up and die and get out of my way…(Woof) You’re never going to see those children saved, their hearts are too hard, it’s just a pipe dream…(Woof) You’re never going to get out of debt, that’s for other people to enjoy, but not you. (Woof) And when you look at your present circumstances and what you’re seeing and feeling, it can be tempting to agree..... But somebody needs to make up their mind that they are going to hold on to the promise and hold on to the prophecy, hold on to the dream and the vision and keep moving forward, because Jesus has positioned Himself between you and your mountain and He has changed the equation and made it possible for you to have a different outcome! What we don’t realize in these times is that we are building a place in our obedience and perseverance, for God’s blessings to come flooding in to offer new options and new possibilities! We are expanding our capacity to receive a greater glory, a greater power, a greater anointing a greater blessing than we have ever had in our lives. Be not weary in well doing for in due season you shall reap if you faint not. This is the due season of Divine fulfillment… and your obedience has blasted open the barriers and opened up the way. John 14:2 says, “ I go before you to prepare a place (kho'-rah…an expansive territory that you may occupy), that where I am, there, you may be also. If it were not so, I would have already told you”. In the same place where the enemy said “it’s over”, God says “the famine is leaving”. In the same place where the enemy said “I’m going to destroy you”, God says “you are more than conqueror”. In the same place the enemy says “I’m going to destroy your ministry”, God says “the anointing breaks the yoke of bondage”. In the same place the enemy says “I’m going to destroy your marriage and your family”, God says in “Acts 11:14 “Your household shall be saved” . The enemy says “I’m going to destroy your health and your finances”, God says Isaiah 59:19 “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him”.. In that same place where the devil said “you’re going to dry up and die”, God says, Psalms 118:17 “You shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD”.. John 10:10 “The thief comes, only to steal, and to kill, and to destroy, but I have come that you might have life, and that, more abundantly”. In that very same place, you’re getting ready to tap into a fresh anointing and a brand-new supply of the glory and the power of God. You could have quit, you could have given up on your dreams and your hopes, but something entered into you, and something began to stir inside of you, something that was a shout in your spirit, that your season was changing, something that shouted, that it’s going to get better, something within, shouted that, “weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning”. You’re going to rise up with a new boldness and a new faith and determination and a new anointing and you’re going to go into the enemy’s camp and you’re going to take back everything he stole from you during the drought, the hard place, the mountain experience. The prophet said, “I hear the sound of an abundance of rain”…it hadn’t appeared yet, but the equation had changed and he began to respond to that new sound!” The smell of miracles is in the air. The sound of revival is in the air. The fragrance of a new anointing is in the air. It’s on its way and You can’t see it now, but it’s already been released from heaven. What has already been done, assures us of what will be done. There is a breakthrough and God is trying to tell you (its closer than you think). You’re on the edge of your miracle; the drought is breaking right now, the season is changing (that financial strangle hold is breaking). You’re getting your joy back, you’re getting your fire back, you’re getting your vision back, you’re getting your passion back, you’re getting your health back, your family back, your finances in order, and a fresh jump start to your career. And when you look back, it just took one more shout, one more thank you Jesus, one more Hallelujah, one more dance, one more march around the walls, one more push, before something began to happen. Your praise has broken through the heavenlies. Your praise is creating an open heaven atmosphere for the power and the glory of God. So, start praising God: like you already have it. Start praising him like the mountain of debt has already moved far away. Start praising him like the marriage is already restored. Start praising him like the sickness is already healed. Start praising him like those children are already saved, filled with the Holy Ghost and working in the church. Start praising him like those doors of opportunity have already swung open. Our praise, our hope, our joy and our confession, change the equation and make possible a brand new outcome! Your mountain has come to overwhelm you, but all it’s going to do is elevate you!.... It was in the mountain environment, that Moses met God in the burning bush and it was on a mountain that he received the 10 commandments, written by the finger of God. It was in a mountain setting that Elijah faced the prophets of Baal and God’s Glory was revealed by fire, which settled the dispute of who the true God really was. It was in a mountain setting that Isaac was offered by Abraham and the glory of God’s saving grace spared him from sacrifice by providing a ram caught in the thicket. Jesus was transfigured on a mountain top, and crucified on a mountain called Calvary, where God’s heart of mercy allowed a better sacrifice than the blood of bulls and goats, and the glory of His redemption plan was offered to all men who believe…… We serve.. El Shadi...(The Almighty God) The God of the Mountains! Matthew 17:1 And after six days (of teaching the disciples who he was, and what was ahead) Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, up into an high mountain alone, v2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light…… God didn’t bring you to your mountain to disfigure you, but to transfigure you… you’re not here to retreat, but to defeat your enemy….You haven’t come to this mountain to be brought down but to be elevated to new levels of hope, joy, peace, power anointing and provision. He can make mountains, and move mountains, He can shake mountains and break mountains, He knows when to take us up and when to humble us, when to inspire us and when to take us by another way. And our faith connects us to our God and allows us to stand transfigured before our mountains. When that happens, our lives become connected to something greater than the mountains and those mountains have to move.
The next time you face an impossible “mountain”, tell it that the God of the Mountains says to “MOVE!” AND if YOU AGREE….. (SHOUT….”MOVE” )
Tell your loneliness that the God of all Comfort says “Get out of my way!” Tell your frustrations, God will have the final say, so, “Move on down the road”! Tell your turmoil that the God of Peace says, ‘Leave me now!” Tell your poor health that the God of Healing says, “I’ve had enough of you!” Tell your mountain, “Mountain, I command you to move, because the one who is my creator, has given me authority over you”. You are expanding your capacity to receive a greater glory, a greater power, a greater anointing a greater blessing than you have ever had in your life. You’re putting on some spiritual muscle, getting a backbone of steel, lifting the mighty sword of the Spirit, and getting some diamond spikes on your shoes, so you can run up a mountain….! Let us rise up with a new boldness and a new faith and determination. As we move into the rest if the year ahead….There’s the scent of miracles in the air. The sound of revival is in the air. The fragrance of a new anointing is in the air. It’s the season for invading the enemy’s camp and taking back what he stole from you. It’s time for restoration. We are called to occupy until He comes! Isaiah 43:18 Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old. v19 For 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. Hallelujah, to El Shadi….. The God Of The Mountains!
There is a mountain mover inside of you right now!!
I was facing a spiritual mountain this past week, and I began to press in to God’s promises, I began to order my thoughts and proclamations to line up with God’s word and I was getting it on, folks. I was storming heaven, when the Holy Spirit said, “It’s already in You”.... Holy Spirit reminded me, that greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world.
He reminded me of Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh (energeo) in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure”. This word in the Greek this means “to take what is within you and manifest it outside of you”....
Then He took me to John 1-1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (skip to) v14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld the glory, of the one and only Son of God...” Think about it, the divine energy took the word which was deposited in a 13 year old virgin, brought it forth and manifested the Savior, creator, redeemer to the world.
The very Messiah which she, and those before her had prayed for hundreds of years was deposited in her and manifested to the world.... Just as God deposited His creative word in Mary, He has deposited his word in each of us, so that He can manifest His will and plan to our world. There is something you’ve been praying and believing for that is already in you. It is stirring and growing so that it can reach the point where it can be manifested.
God has planted buildings in me by His word, and they became manifest, He put a radio station in me and it was manifest, He put cars in me when I had no transportation, and they were manifest, there were Homes, and finances, which I had no way of acquiring.
When I was pastoring in Maryland, God put a Christian School in me and the church had no money to even think of doing that. Two people stepped forward and cashed out their retirement account, to get me started with 40,000 dollars. Then people began to invest in the vision, till we had 600,000 dollars to make it happen. When it was built it was worth over amillion and a half.
When Elijah fled from Jezebel and was by the brook, God put some things inside of him. Remember that he found a widow woman, with only a little meal and a little oil, and he came to her in a terrible famine, and asked her a key question...
What do you have in the house”?
God is speaking to someone, that what you’ve been praying for and believing for is already in the house.....what’s on the inside is waiting to be manifested on the outside... Say it with me, “Victory is where I live”...
Say it again... “Victory is where I live”.... Victory is more than receiving an answer to prayer.... Victory is a lifestyle....Victory is where I live!!! Lord raise it up and manifest it, raise it up and manifest it..... Raise up what is on the inside and display it on the outside.....
Prayer for today…… Father, in the Name of Jesus, thank you for opening supernatural doors in our lives today. Thank you for a double portion of your Spirit as we take back everything that the devil has stolen: Emotional Health, Physical Health, Finances, Relationships, Children, Jobs, Homes and Marriages. We cancel every plot, plan and scheme the enemy has devised against us in the MATCHLESS NAME OF JESUS. We declare that NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST US WILL PROSPER. I speak LIFE into every dead situation. And, I thank you that nothing is over until YOU say it's over! We speak prophetically into lives and situations. Our households are blessed, our health is blessed, our marriages are blessed, our finances are blessed, and our businesses are blessed. Father we declare that our jobs are blessed, our children are blessed, our grandchildren are blessed, Our parents are blessed, our siblings are blessed, our ministries are blessed and, our decisions are blessed. Marriage partners are on the way, mortgages are paid and debts canceled, and our lives are blessed because we love, honor, serve and exalt the Blesser. Where there is pain, give Your peace and mercy. Where there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence in Your Divine ability. Where there is weariness or exhaustion, I ask You to give understanding, patience and strength as we submit to You. Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask for renewal and greater intimacy with You. Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release inspired, bold, fearless courage. Where there is any issue that is blocking the way, reveal it, and break its hold.
Father in the Name of Jesus, I proclaim that this is a season of intense physical, emotional, mental, and Spiritual favor from the Lord. A place of joy and laughter, a place of strength and refreshing, a place of Your glorious presence invading every aspect of our lives. Thank you for the fresh scent of miracles in the air, for the sound of revival, and the fragrance of a powerful new anointing. To God be all the Glory, for great things He has done, is now doing, and will continue faithfully to do. In Jesus mighty name, Amen
Our family planned to get together and tube down the Ichetucknee river. We got our tubes and everyone got to the river, and one by one they dove in, but I had to start with my toes, then work my way in, until I was all the way in. It was August, but the spring fed water was still about 65 degrees in the shade. Winnie never touched the water, she wanted to be on it, not in it... With the river of God, some folks dive right in, and other folks need some time to get confident enough to get all the way in, and other folks never get in, they only ride the tube that is in the river.
One man prayed, “Lord, I want it all, but I know You’re so vast and powerful, I can’t take very much of that, so give me what You know I can handle”
With the river of God, we can handle a lot more of it’s divine current, if we just let it flow through us...When we try to keep it, we lose it, but as we give it away, our capacity increases for greater and greater....
As followers of Christ, we come to understand that whatever gifts we may have in our lives, are given to us, to operate as He desires to operate them. The gifts are about allowing the Holy Spirit to flows through us to His chosen recipients. So, God is actually giving these gifts to others but the Holy Spirit chose to allow them to pass through us to get there. We become the delivery system, so that others may receive, and glorify Him and invite Him into their lives or make a deeper commitment to Him, or come to the next level.
1 Corinthians 12:4 “There are different kinds of gifts. But they are allgiven to believers by the same Spirit. v5 There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord. v6 There are different ways the Spirit works. But the same God is working in all these ways and in all people. v7 The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all".
Everything God has given you should not stop with you, but flow through you to bless all those you come in contact with….
Jesus said to the woman at the well John 14:14 “ But whoever drinks the water I give will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give will become an endless flow of water springing up to eternal life.” To his disciples Jesus said John 7:37 “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Jesus is reminding us that our belly or our center, should be a place where rivers of all that we have received of Him are flowing out of us. Peter said “Such as I have received, I give unto you”.. He has rivers to pour into us, but He has chosen for those rivers not to stop with us, but to flow through us….This principle is not about your potential, we all have great potential. But it is about using your capacity and increasing that capacity by how much you allow God to pour out of you….
LET’S ALL PLACE OUR HANDS ON OUR BELLY AND SAY “Through my inner most being, rivers are waiting to flow and I determine how much will flow out through me to increase my capacity. The more I allow, the greater my capacity”….
We are ordained to be channels of blessing to others. This is not about a bless me trip... It’s about getting plugged in so it builds up and blesses the body of Christ, and people are edified, enlarged, given guidance, and develop spiritually.
If you stick a paper clip in an outlet, you’ll get a reaction and a quickening... but if you plug a lamp into the same outlet, you’ll get light, the refrigerator will cool things, the stove will cook, the air conditioner will regulate the temperature, and the toaster will toast! I remember, when as a teen, Holy Spirit first started flowing out of me, and I felt that surge. My heart was pounding, my breathing was rapid, and when I couldn’t hold it any longer, I blasted out a “Thus saith the Lord”, and nearly blasted grandpa’s wig off and grandma nearly swallowed her teeth! But my pastor took me aside and explained the difference in a reaction and a response... It helped me tremendously to flow in the river of God...Complete the circuit!
When you feel the stirrings of the spirit, pray that Holy Spirit can flow through you in such a manner that someone will leave differently, more in tune, with more insight and understanding than when they came.
A guy went into the store for just a few minutes. When he came out there was a policeman writing a parking ticket for being in a handicap spot. So he called to the policeman and said, "Come on, buddy, how about giving a guy a break?"
He ignored him and continued writing the ticket. So he called the policeman a pencil-necked ticket abuser. The policeman glared at the guy and started writing another ticket for worn tires!
So the guy asked him if his psychiatrist makes him lie face down on the couch cause he's so ugly.
The policeman finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he started writing a third ticket!
This went on until he had placed 5 tickets on the windshield... the more he insulted the ticket writer, the more tickets he wrote. But the guy didn't care, that wasn’t his car! His car was parked around the corner. We are responsible for our actions, and our words, because they affect other people.
What is it that is flowing out of us to our spouse, our children, our neighbors and others in the community….And what effect are we having on them....What is their impression of Christianity because of the way we live our lives? Gandi said that he would like Christianity if it weren’t for Christians..
The only time a rivers stop flowing, is when there is a drought, a dry season, or a famine. Or something has blocked it and stopped the flow, And that should never be the case with those who are flowing in His rivers. The river of God can overwhelm any obstacle but sometimes we are the obstacle. Beavers love to build dams that stop the flow of rivers. They don’t like the current, so they build lakes that are calm and still. Many are like beavers, they want to just be left alone to go about their business, without the quickening force of God’s river.
John 4:14 Jesus told the Samaritan woman that it would never run dry and that she would never thirst again. His rivers of the Spirit are always flowing, no matter what is happening around us. The source of that river is not of this world, so the world cannot touch it, we only need to surrender to the river. Jesus is calling us to let His rivers flow in all the dry places of life, and to all who have a dry season in their lives….(Have another drink)!!
Matthew 10:8 “Freely give, even as you have freely received.” Oh, Yes, Let it flow through you… You can go weeks without food, but only days without water.. God will meet us atthe level of our desire. We can have as much of God as we wantand there’s more than enough. We don’t have to Force it, we just need to let it flow!
Bill Gaither wrote the line that says “We give the things we cannot keep, to keep what we cannot lose”….
The key to the principle we’re talking about today, is to struggle less and surrender more… Jesus said “out of your inner most being shall flow (please get that word..) FLOW…rivers of living water, flow”…
I have never seen a fruit tree straining and struggling to bear fruit. Or stressed out because it had to produce.. It knows that there is a law of productivity. Apple trees produce apples, peach trees produce peaches, and so on….We produce the fruit of the spirit, if the river is flowing and we’re allowing Holy Spirit to move.
It is in surrender to their purpose, that trees, vines, animals, fish and birds, reproduce and flourish. It is in surrender that they fulfill their purpose. We hear a lot about “surrender” but what does that really mean? Well, there is no one-step way to surrender to God, it’s a daily, moment by moment choice to give it to God. Let’s look at some ways that we can surrender to God spiritually… You can never truly enter into prayer without surrender. You can’t hallow His name without surrender. You can’t pray, “Your will be done, without surrender. Scripture shows us that this is the way Jesus began and ended every day… He shifted the focus off of himself and toward the Father. He said “Whatever the Father tells me is what I do. Whatever the Father says is what I say. I do nothing except what the Father tells me.
You and I will not continue to do something or be consistent about something that has no value to us or importance in our lives. It doesn’t happen in a day or a week, it’s a life pattern you begin to develop, because of a deep desire to do the Father’s will… We will all continue to be God’s unfinished projects, until that which is perfect is come.. But we press in....
A boat builder named Andrew Higgins, heard about the D day plans and notified those in command that they would need smaller boats to be successful in the Normandy landing. They brushed him off. He tried again to give them his proposal several times and they brushed him off again. So, as the invasion date got nearer, someone said, how do we get the troops from the battle ships and carriers to the landing site? And one of the generals said, “small boats... I’ll call Higgins”... So Higgins was called and told that time was running out and they had made a critical error, they would need some kind of landing craft. He told them, he had been waiting for the call, and he had already switched all the machinery over to the landing craft design and could begin immediately.
The boats were ready in time, because one man had the answer, when no one else knew there was a problem. Those boats were able to drop 20 to 30 troops at a time on the beaches of Normandy. Eisenhower said that Higgins won the war, because he was able to see ahead and solve a problem that didn’t even exist yet!!
When God’s river is flowing, that’s what happens.... It not only flows where we are, but it’s has already flowed where we’re going!
David wrote in Psalm 46:4 “There is a river, whose streams make the city of God to rejoice, the holy place of the most High”. If that river makes the heart of God to rejoice, then we should certainly rejoice that it is available to each of us.
It’s our connection to the Father, sending His love, His resources, His desires, and His thoughts and intentions, before you need them.
Fasting unstops the river. It is really a form of more intense surrender to the heart of the Father. It’s an important tool in opening our Spirit and bringing our soul and our flesh into submission. All through the bible we see breakthrough which is brought about by fasting and prayer.
Moses fasted and brought the commandments down from Sinai, written by the finger of God. Jesus initiated His ministry with 40 days of fasting. Fasting is an opportunity to increase our spiritual capacity… Our flesh is the enemy in surrendering to God more fully, and the purpose in fasting is to diminish the pull and power of the beavers of the flesh and empower the influence of the Spirit.
Fasting is a choice to deny ourselves, of food, of pleasures, and all that distracts from our greater need that I decrease so He may increase in me… Our bodies were fashioned to need seasons of famine and seasons of feasting… Christians are called to live a fasted life. We put aside other things so we can give our time, our finances, and our priorities to greater purpose
We fast to transform, then we can feast to celebrate….
Matthew 6.33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” God is a rewarder, so there will be plenty of time to celebrate...
Fasting is part of God’s surrender package, which taps into the supernatural. We’re tapping into the ending He has already written. So we can enter the fast, with celebration, and come out celebrating! As we surrender it creates an environment for miracles to flow. We bring ourselves under God’s power and authority. An atmosphere is created for heaven to touch the earth and transform our circumstances of lack, chaos, and fear into God’s opportunity to usher in His peace, to supply our needs and saturate the atmosphere with faith for others to receive as well.
Fasting sensitizes my Spirit to hear the voice of God. When we are at a crossroads and don’t know which way to turn, fasting helps us to hear God’s direction. When we are facing a difficult decision, or when there are too many voices in our heads, when like Job, our friends are encouraging us in the wrong direction… we need to put it all aside and give priority to the most important voice of all, and let God speak.
Fasting establishes our priorities….We come to places where what used to satisfy us doesn’t satisfy us any more. More food, more clothes, more television watching, more trips, more stuff, doesn’t do it anymore! We’re at a new place and we need a new plan. Our spirit is telling us something. It’s time to listen…We could miss an opportunity, or a connection, or a warning...When nothing else works, it’s time to fast!
Our Spirit becomes weak and vunerable, when we fail to nourish it with fasting, prayer and God’s word. When we allow our Spirit to rule and reign, then the power of God within us, will create opportunities and transform circumstances so that He can accomplish what we never could.
An important key to surrender is alignment. I can’t get to Hartford Connecticut, if I get on a plane going to Virginia beach. I can’t order a meal at Outback, if I’m looking at a menu at Denny’s. I can’t expect a paycheck at Publix if I’m working at Winn-Dixie…. There has to be alignment. Let me show you a scripture on alignment… 1 John 5:14 "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him." Well, that’s what we all want, right?
The words “confidence in approaching God....asking according to His will.... and if He hears us we know we have it”... leap out to us.... Unforgiveness will get you out of alignment....God’s word clearly tells us that His will is to forgive. Why would anyone allow the person who victimized you to keep victimizing you by letting them control you emotionally and spiritually. Unforgiveness is Satan’s way of holding you hostage. Unforgiveness is agreement with the Devil to let him hold you hostage. If your prayers aren’t being answered, check your forgiveness dip stick, you might be a little low.... Matthew 7:2 For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? Unforgiveness is just another way of judging someone, and God didn’t put judging others in our pay grade!
When you surrender in forgiveness, You bring yourself into alignment with freedom, healing, and breakthrough, so, rip out the roots which feed your unforgiveness....resentment, bitterness, revenge, pride, a judgmental spirit, and self love.
Luke 9:23 “And Jesus said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me”.
The cross is always our symbol of victory over the flesh, the intellect, the soulish emotions, and unprofitable patterns of behavior.
Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore, and be converted (ep-ee-stref'-o)”… This Greek word, connected to repentance, (ep-ee-stref'-o)means “return to the obedience of God”….”To turn around and come back”…. This is spoken as a command and not just a suggestion… If someone you loved was about to get hit by a car, you would not make a suggestion. You would immediately be in a command mode… “STOP, Turn around and come back, NOW”… If someone’s house was on fire, you would not suggest, you would command... “GET OUT OF THE HOUSE NOW!!”
There is an urgency here, that there is danger, that the alignment is urgently needed… “REPENT AND BE CONVERTED”….(or be aligned) There is an urgency from the Holy Spirit… There is too much that hangs in the balances, we may not see it, but He does….
Conversion is about establishing something right in place of what was wrong... that’s about transformation, into something different than what you had or were doing before...
It is important that we understand here, that scripture requires both Repentance and conversion. Repentance is not enough if conversion doesn’t take place as well. Someone may feel the need to repent, but never take the next step to turn around and begin the journey that goes the other way….
Alignment is what takes place beyond the repentance, and into the conversion process. Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore, and be converted”. So we surrender and come into Alignment because we value God’s presence, His plan and His purpose in our lives and we desire His anointing, His power, and His desires to flow through us, that many may know and follow Him….We eliminate all barriers and blockages which the busy little beavers want to keep building, so the river can flow!
Lord, let it flow through us, so that others may know, repent, believe, and be converted…Let us be willing to change directions, change priorities, and lock into Your priorities at the moment....
Give us ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to submit....Prayer.....Father, You are the Source of all Living Water, and we yearn to go so much deeper in the river of God. Lord, for times of refreshing, healing, and deliverance, keep us all in the river.Thank you for flowing all across this land with the river of God.
Today, we declare over our lives a new beginning, and a deeper walk, as deep calls unto deep. Holy Spirit our Comforter and Friend, we thirst for the rivers of mercy, let the rivers of grace keep pouring down over us. Holy Spirit flow through our day.
Show us things we have never seen before. Forgetting those things that lay behind us we press on towards the high calling in Christ Jesus. Give us the wisdom and discernment to know the how, when, where, and to whom of the river’s purpose. Let us never be the same, as we leave the dry parched places behind us, and we open ourselves to Your divine flow. Let us never be the same as Your spirit fills us again and again. Release those Living Waters You have placed inside of us and may the river of God's power flow mightily through us. We long to be used more and more for Your Glory, in Jesus name....Amen.
Scripture gives this description of our enemy and it gives you a vivid mental picture of this big lion charging forth with a terrifying roar, that strikes fear into the heart of his prey....
Let’s read it together.... 1 Peter 5:8, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Satan has many faces but only one set of fingerprints, and everywhere he leaves them, it is evil. The bible gives us some very sobering and descriptive information about this enemy of our souls.
He’s the universe’s public enemy number one, the chief opponent of God and his people, and the leader of uncounted demonic forces. Jesus says he’s been a murderer from the beginning, and he’s engaged in an all-out war against the forces of good in the universe.
Paul tells the Ephesian church to put on the full armor of God, so that they can stand firm against his schemes. James tells Christians that if they resist the devil, he will flee from them. Peter tells believers to beware: he is always on the prowl.
The name “Satan” means “adversary.” or “opponent.” Behind everything that wants to stop, hinder, distract or destroy you, is the real adversary or opponent, satan....That’s why we call it adversity....
Satan always gravitates to power, because he can cause the greatest damage and destruction to God’s kingdom by securing people with power and influence as his instruments. He can hold sway over cultures, nations and regions, by using leaders of local, state, national, and global influence. He’s proof that there’s strength in numbers. He starts while leaders to be, are children, teens and young adults, and he uses the scientific, educational, sports, political, media, financial, business and family units as his base for training and equipping!
Satan wants to come across as fun, cute, the fulfilling of your fantasy, a way to get what you want, a way to use people to your own ends, he can manipulate the odds in your favor, he promises power, influence, money, and fame.... But I’ve often wondered, “why aren’t all fortune tellers rich”? If they can really tell the future, why don’t they all win the lottery?
Satan has many faces and they can change at any time. Today he may smile at you but the following day he may destroy you. Today Satan may give you something good, but tomorrow he demands it back from you and more besides. He comforts with alcohol, drugs and pleasure today, and tomorrow, he controls your life. Folks feel like they’re casting off restraints and really experiencing freedom, until he destroys them later and they found themselves bound and hopeless.
He is called the thief, a liar and the father of lies, the deceiver, the destroyer, Prince of darkness, the evil one, a murderer, a fallen angel, and he is also known as fear, doubt, unbelief, rebellion, hatred, criticism, prejudice, division, rejection, retribution, pride, addiction, violence, abuse, lawlessness, greed, resentment, perversion, jealousy, lust, slavery, intimidation, shame, condemnation, and on, and on.....
Instead of a roaring lion, he will show up as hurt feelings, injustices done against you, poor self esteem which he can take advantage of, he will come as a false lover, a betrayal, he will destroy your trust, he will exploit your loneliness, your fears, your anger and your suspicions. And all of it is a way of controlling your life and pulling you further and further from freedom, peace, love, encouragement and most of all, eternal life through Christ.
Satan will use the loss of a loved one to gain entrance into a grieving heart, by sending familiar spirits to make them think they are seeing or hearing from their loved one beyond the grave and many have been deceived. Familiar spirits are satan’sdemons who have become familiar with that person, and can appear like them, sound like them, and know personal things about them that no one else would know.
But in Luke 16:26 Jesus said that there is a great void fixed between the living and the dead which none can cross over...
Satan’s goal is to keep us from Christ, from hearing His words, from receiving His love and grace, from experiencing the real freedom He brings — because Satan knows only Christ can deliver us from hell and make us overcomers, who will thwart his plans, be victorious over all his devices and rule with Christ over the earth when we get back from heaven. Acts 4:12 says that In spite of all the things that people will turn to....“Salvation is found in no one else, but Jesus Christ, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved”
Jesus turned to His disciple Peter one day and said, “Get thee behind me Satan”.... Because Peter, without realizing it had stepped over into the adversarial position to what Jesus was saying and doing. He was a distraction to the powerful message Jesus was trying to get them to understand....without realizing it, he had allowed himself to be used as Satan’s tool instead of the Lord’s instrument....Jesus is serious as snake bite about this stuff!
So it’s important that we understand that Satan doesn’t always appear as this overwhelming terrible event or situation, to oppose us. He is a master of disguise. Even though he has been cast out of heaven, he isn’t stupid, even though his pride gets him in some stupid places. He’s been working his destructive works for 1000’s of years..
Ezekiel 28:12–14 “You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God, you were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the glowing ones” . He fools many by transforming himself into an angel of light and good works, and acts of kindness as a substitute for salvation through Jesus Christ... We must know and recognize his strategies....
Every football or baseball or basketball team must know the opponents strengths and weaknesses.. They must be prepared for these things in order to set up the proper defense and then win over it! They spend a lot of time studying the enemy as well as building their strengths. On the field and in the locker room, the strategy is continually being developed.
What looks like a hand off, may be a pass, what looks like a pass may be a run, and what looks like a run may be a hand off.... There is constant deception in the game, to throw the opponent off and have them defending the wrong things....Those who are engaged in sports must stay physically and mentally fit. They must be in training on and off the field or they can defeat themselves.
2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ”.
Praise God, to the Christian, Satan is a defeated foe! That is our position in Christ. 1 John 3:8 tells us that The reason the Son of God came to this earth, was to destroy the works of the devil." James 4:7 encourages us to “Submit to God, resist the devil, and he must flee from us.” Luke 19:13, Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus told believers to “Occupy (advance My kingdom) until I return”.
What Jesus meant by “Occupy” is not just about accumulating this world’s goods, but it is better explained by a kingdom which has been invaded by another kingdom, but the invaded kingdom finds a hero, who leads them in overthrowing the invading army, and takes back what was rightfully theirs, Occupying is about taking it back!
In Matthew 12:29 the Lord Jesus said that unless the strong man is bound, no one can enter his house and plunder (or take back) what he has stolen. So, part of the process of occupying begins bytaking back all that the invader has stolen.
Satan is not really in total charge, as he would like to think he is, of all the demonic host that fell, because he rules a shaky kingdom. He rules by fear, intimidation, deception, threats and intimidation. You see, Satan is the supreme rebel, and his heart is filled with pride and every evil, so, all the demons who have followed him, are rebels like himself and filled with pride, blind pride, and no loyalty except to themselves! Jesus said a kingdom divided against its self cannot stand. Demons will turn on each other in a heart beat, because they are all constantly competing for position over one another, out of greed and lust for power. A satanic kingdom is easily broken up as you bind the leader, it sets them all against one another a weakens their power. Scripture says that... “we are to bind the strong man, and we can spoil his goods” that’s the leader over a strong hold.. which may be pornography, violence, depression, murder, lawlessness, gambling, adultery, hypocrisy, lying, witchcraft, and so on.
When the strong man is bound, the strong hold is set in total disarray, and becomes very vulnerable, as each turns against the other! Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”.
You are in one of three places... You are getting ready to enter a battle with the enemy, You are in a battle with the enemy, or You have come through a battle with the enemy. After every encounter with the enemy, he will depart for a season to find a new way to attack, and return again... Jesus said, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all.
Satan may leave you for a season, but the good news is that Jesus has said “I will never leave you, or forsake you, lo, I am with you always, until the end of the earth.”
You can defeat the devil when he comes against you...
First, Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom...” This means that head knowledge is not enough, but we need application of the word through the wisdom to Implement it strategically, as soon as the enemy begins to launch an attack. We can’t respond in the flesh, the emotions, or the natural mind. How often does the enemy get first strike advantage before we take out our sword. Satan knows our patterns, preferences, and opinions which can be our “go to”, before the word, and he can use our own opinions, preferences and patterns against us....
When Satan tempted Jesus, he didn’t tell satan his opinion, or his preferences, or what he felt emotionally.... He said “It is written”....and it was a word which fit that temptation, not a memorized rhetoric....
Second... Encourage yourself in the Lord... That’s what David did when he was in the battle. If you don’t do it, satan will take advantage of the situation and wear you down...
1 Samuel 30:6 “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, .....but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God”.
Daniel 6:23 “Daniel trusted in the Lord his God”. This is what Daniel did, he encouraged himself in the Lord, when they threw him into a den of lions, and he turned it into Daniel’s den, instead of the lion’s den....Daniel occupied that thing!
I remember CM Ward, said once, “if the people in a town I’m in rise up and run me out of town, I’m going to get up in front, and turn it into a parade for the glory of God as we march out of town.” Begin to encouraging yourself in the Lord, and give the devil a heart attack! Turn the lion’s den into your victory march.....
I will declare “These momentary troubles are achieving for me an eternal weight of glory”
“I can do everything God calls me to do, through Christ who gives me strength.”
“ I will be strong and courageous. I will not be discouraged, for the LORD my God is with me wherever I go.”
“His grace is sufficient for me, for his power is revealed even in myweakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly for in my weaknesses, Christ’s power is resting upon me.”
“I was young and now I am old, but I have never seen the righteous forsaken or my children begging bread.”
ARE YOU WITH ME HERE!!! Encourage yourself in the Lord.
Next, Don’t be a loner... Support one another. Satan wins when he can isolate us, and divide us. We all need support, because someone else may see things in a way you are not seeing. We are created and designed as a body with many parts and scripture says that each part has something to contribute. The eyes and ears need to work with the hands and feet. The brain and the heart need to be in harmony with each other and the rest of the body. So, we are told to pray for one another and lift up one another and we will fulfill the law of Christ. The law of Christ is the law of love and compassion. Realize that the loner spirit is there to destroy you, not protect you....God operates on the buddy system. He sent them out two by two, He said forsake not the assembling of yourself together.
Also, Don’t be a spectator, get in the game...be an activist for Jesus, because you are the one who will benefit the most when you do. Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might..” John 9:4 “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work”. Do it now, and defeat regret, and you won’t be saying “if only I had done this or that”, later down the road.
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Our labor is never in vain in the lord.”
However, don’t be like the believer who said, “The devil never takes a vacation, or a break, so I won’t either”.... Wait a minute, who ever said that the devil is our example!.... just keep following Jesus.... We can do a lot of the right things for all the wrong reasons.... I had to repent for not drinking alcoholic beverages for the wrong reason. That sounds crazy doesn’t it? I never drank because alcohol destroyed my home, and caused me to be an abandoned child.Alcohol was connected to all the bad that happened to me. But I needed to change my motivation, because my motivation had a lot of the wrong spirit in it. I had to turn my hatred, and anger, into “I don’t drink alcohol because it is not edifying to my calling and my purpose. I don’t drink alcohol because I am the temple of God. I don’t drink, because I have yielded my body as an instrument for God to use, and I will not come under the power of any other... (does that make sense”) I needed to take back control, because that anger, and resentment was controlling meand my life decisions....
I needed to turn all the negative stuff that was part of that, into something edifying and a positive part of my life... A re-bounding Christian, is sincere but still letting their decisions be built on the hurts and wounds and failures of the past. We are redeemed, new creations, delivered and set free by the blood of the lamb.
We must let God remove all the hay, wood and stubble from our foundation.... because satan will use it to weaken us and it will all be burned up in the refiner’s fire anyway....May we burn with such a holy fire, that the clutter of the past won’t stand a chance, but will be consumed by God’s holy fire! *In closing, I want to quote a word from the Lord that came through John Kilpatric, whom God used in the powerful Brownsville revival, that went around the world and set many churches and lives ablaze for God.
”Like a snake sheds its skin, you look behind you and see that you have left behind mourning, sadness and hopelessness. You will hardly believe you stayed in that place so long. You are letting go of it, and it is letting go of you. There is a mighty rumbling. It’s the marching feet of God’s angels to come and bring freedom to the captives. Their swords are drawn. Their banners are flying. Your enemies that have tormented
you are already nervous.
Your enemies even hear the sound of deliverance, too. They are losing their influence, and confusion has already set in as you hear this! They are scattering, they are becoming like loose soil where they once held you like concrete. Your enemies will leave your blessing and you will gather the spoils from the battle... This is a battle the Lord Himself will fight. Your enemies will scatter at the sound of the Lord of Hosts. This will be as a sudden thing. I say again, this will be a sudden thing”.
Let’s stand for prayer.
"Dear Lord, You are the God of deliverance and breakthrough. You are the God who bursts forth to bring the things of Heaven to earth. Release the breaker anointing through Your people, that there may be a breakthrough that will shatter the darkness and bring your light of revelation and illumination. You have given us the victory. Release Your angels of breakthrough and Your ministering and gathering angels and warring angels and give them Divine directions and Divine strategies and guide Your intercessors and spiritual warriors in how to cooperate with the heavenly realm. Let the situation on earth come into alignment with Your Will and Your Kingdom, that it be on earth as it is in Heaven.
Lord, I pray for them to understand and to believe Your Word. May they not be deceived by the voice of the enemy. Open the eyes of their understanding to know the hope of their calling and the resurrection power in all who believe. Lord, show how strong and mighty You are. Father, wake up the slumbering spirits of the people. Lord, download Your Word into their hearts and their minds so that they may have constant access to the Word and so that the Word cannot be stolen from them and that it may bear much fruit in their lives.
Lord, I am going to press into this because I am hungry for all of You. What I have is good, but it is not enough. I want my life to carry a breaker anointing. I want my life to lift people and to inspire people who are suffering so that they can experience breakthroughs in their own lives.. I want to contend at my city gates and bring heaven to earth! Lord, I thank You that what You have done in the past, you will do now, You are the same, yesterday, today and forever.
In Jesus Name I pray, AMEN"
Acts 3:6 Such as I have, I give unto you, rise up....
Today we’re going to unpack this challenge that comes from Jesus Himself in the book of Matthew... Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which when a man has found, he hid it, and for joy he went out and sold all that he had, and bought that field”.
John Steinbeck said “It is the hour of the pearl—the interval between what is and what can be. When time stops and examines itself.”
A Nigerian Proverb says “A pearl is only appreciated when it’s out of its shell.”
Chris Gardner wrote “The world is your oyster. It’s up to you to make some pearls.” –
I was reading about a tenant farmer in Suffolk England, a man called Peter Wattling. He lost his hammer in an overgrown field. So, he hired his friend, Eric Laws, with a metal detector to go looking. Instead of finding a hammer they discovered the largest collection of fifth century Roman artifacts in the world, worth about five million dollars. (Does anyone feel the urge to go out and buy a metal detector)
The point is that the value of the field was now based on the treasure that was discovered in it. How many had the field before, we don’t know. How often had someone walked across it’s surface, and seen only the value based on what it could grow, or the livestock which could be contained there. But someone looked below the surface and found the real treasure that was hidden out of sight.
I also read about a farmer in Africa who was clearing his field and piling up the stones to form a wall and one stone caught his eye. He liked it so much that, he brought it into the house and used it as a doorstop. A traveling vendor stopped at his farm to see if there was something he could sell. As he sat on the couch, he noticed the stone and asked about it. It turned out to be the largest uncut diamond ever found. The farmer said, oh, the field is full of them, they’re a nuisance when I’m trying to plow the field for planting. What he saw as a nuisance was a treasure in disguise worth millions! He was rich and didn’t know it
The plain, unlovely, oyster that contains the pearls, like the ugly uncut diamond, can be easily missed, if you don’t know what to look for. Oysters will never hold a beauty contest, that’s for sure! So Jesus gave us a parable to give oysters some badly needed attention
Matthew 13:45 “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it”.
Let’s suppose that this merchant is at the fish market where the oysters are and he buys a dozen oysters and as he opens one of them, he finds a valuable pearl, and he gets so excited that he buys up all the oysters at the market that day, because he realizes the potential treasure which may be found in these amazing sea creatures. Before you get that excited, just know that You’ll have to go through a lot of oysters to find some pearls. Only one in 10,000 oysters have pearls in their natural habitat. That’s a lot of oysters! But pearl farmers can cultivate pearls by stimulating every single oyster, that’s 100 percent... That’s what we’re going for! Cultivated pearls...Every test, every challenge produces a pearl....
We know that a pearl begins as an irritation in the oyster. Something has entered it’s life which causes it discomfort. So the oyster creates layer upon layer of shiny substance called nacar, or “mother of pearl” which transforms the irritating, uncomfortable object into a beautiful, desirable pearl!
Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like a pearl.....there is a piece of heaven in every trial, every disappointment, every hard place that we must go through.
There are two kinds of challenges we face in life. One is described in scripture as that which is common to all men. These things are just part of living, and learning, and going through the school of the hard knocks university.
The other kind is what the scripture calls pruning. It’s when God takes away, cuts away, and removes things which are stunting our growth, so that we can become all He wants us to be. A farmer will prune his orchard every year so that the growth can go into producing more fruit, instead of just growing more leaves.
So, we have things that are common to man, and we have those things that are part of God’s pruning process.
Another scripture describes our challenges in life as a smelting process which removes impurities and unprofitable things so that the purified substance which remains, might be realized.
Job 23:10 “But he knows the way that I take, and when He hastried me, I shall come forth as gold”.
My mission today, is to challenge each of us to find the treasure in the field. To lift our gaze a little higher that the circumstances we might be walking through at the moment, or the uncomfortable situation we might presently find ourselves in. Perhaps the irritating thing in your life is getting another layer of the mother of pearl substance applied to it, so that the real treasure can be revealed through it all.
Gwen Davis” wrote the following....Just like the oyster, irritants continually intrude into my personal and professional life. Some of these intrusions aren’t merely irritants but full-scale catastrophes, which through no fault of mine, have caused me and others great personal suffering. Unlike the oyster though, I now know that I have a choice. I don’t have to accept the pearl-making process. I could refuse, or resist, or complain it away. Or I could give in, deal with my emotions and choices, and make a pearl. Even if I won’t ever be the one to reap its value”.
That last statement is the generational impact of pearl making. We may never see some of it, but it will be seen by future generations...
An oyster that has not been wounded can never produce a pearl. Pearls are a healed wound. Pearls are the result of pain, discomfort, and a foreign or unwanted substance entering the oyster, such as a parasite or a grain of sand. Pearls are a constantexample of how a person who has experienced despair, failure, being overcome by the cares of life, and walking through hopeless situations, have come out of it all wiser, stronger, and better equipped to overwhelm what was overwhelming them. They have awakened to the “greater one that is in them than he who is in the world”.
Through every test, challenge and trial, God is challenging us to stop looking at what is, and begin to look at what can and will be, if we will allow Him to complete the process... Some of the introductory comments which come before the parable which Jesus is sharing with the disciples about finding hidden treasure, are found in.....
Matthew 13:16 “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it”.
Did you catch that...The blessing is not only in the finished product, but Jesus said that the blessing is on those who understand the process and allow the process to be accomplished with faith and hope, and excitement in their spirit, because they see the invisible, hear the inaudible, and handle the eternal, in order to receive the impossible.
Jesus said that too many of us longed to see it but did not see it, and longed to hear it but did not hear it..... When we go by sight and not by faith, and we go by feelings and not by hope, and we go by vain imaginations and not by the inner vision of our spirit...we miss the precious pearl that is waiting to be formed in us.
Oh, how often do I need to hear it, again and again.... Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.”
And I like this version, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the reality of things not seen”.
Also, this version...”Faith is presenting the title deed, guaranteeing the right to possess our promised inheritance”.
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for”, describes a conviction indicating that we have already taken possession —here and now—of what we hope for and what God has guaranteed is ours in the future”.
By faith Noah built the ark, saved his family, and became an heir of righteousness... By faith Abraham obeyed God and inherited the land of promise as he looked for a city whose builder and maker was God.... Faith, as the substance of things hoped for, activates believers to speak out boldly, pray unceasingly, love unconditionally, serve compassionately, work tirelessly, and invest in things eternal, as we look forth unto the perfect day of the Lord.
All of us oysters are different and yet the same.....We don’t all look alike and our stories don’t all sound alike and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Black and white, rich and poor, Ivy League scholars and high school dropouts, high profile citizens and nobodies from nowhere particular, are the types who belong in the kingdom through faith in Jesus. That means of course that we allhave a place, that we are all important in the kingdom where we all stand in a common reality... “FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR AND THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT YET SEEN”!!
We are each the pearl of great price, because of the price that was paid for us, and He has hidden us in a field, preparing us, developing us, getting ready to present us, as His treasure!
Psalm 8:4: “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, or a son of man that you should care for him? Yet for a little while you made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them authority over all things.’ Now when it says ‘all things,’ it means nothing is left out”.
In this parable of the pearl, the merchant sold all he had to buy the field and gain the pearl. You see, he did a careful cost-benefits analysis, he placed the total worth of everything in his life on one side of the scales and the total value of the pearl, on the other, and he found that the benefits of possessing the treasure, the total worth of the pearl, far, far beyond everything he had or could ever gain and it far outweighed any price he might have to pay in order to obtaining this treasure.
Jesus is our greatest treasure, having Him, knowing Him, enjoying the forgiveness that He can provide, having our consciences made clean through His blood, being adopted into His family, becomingheirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, being changed into His likeness from one degree of glory to another, being guided in all our confusions, comforted in all our sorrows, guided in all our wanderings, preserved through all our dangers, and brought safely home at last.... all of that makes Jesus Christ infinitely more precious, so that all who have Him can say about the Scriptures through which our Jesus speaks to us, “They are more precious to us than silver or gold,”
And we can say to Him, “Whom have I in heaven but You? There is nothing on earth that I desire beside You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but You Lord Jesus, You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever. You’re my treasure. You are the pearl of great price, more valuable to me than anything else in my life.”
Thomas Chalmers, one of the founders of the Free Church of Scotland, said, “Jesus, the pearl of great price, eliminates all lesser treasures. It awakens a new appetite, a new affection, a new sense, a new taste, a new longing in the heart that nothing but He can fill. And that longing and that delight in Christ out shines and out lasts every rival”.
Jesus, the greatest treasure, possesses our hearts, in such a way that we must have Him, and having Him, makes everything else of lesser importance. And our whole world finds it’s place in it’sproper order under Him.
It is only in the light of Jesus' worth that we find our value. When the merchant found the valuable treasure, it immediately increased his value as well.
Paul said “And the life I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 “Whereby, we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, from glory to glory”.
With each new revelation of Him, another layer of value is added to our pearl. Layer upon layer....line upon line.... precept, upon precept..... truth upon truth.
Scripture tells us that the glory of the last house shall be greater than the glory of the former house. This is such an exciting statement because we are the dwelling place God has chosen to live in.... we are the house of God.... and this indicates that as we go through each hard place, each refining place, and each pruning place, we will transition through it all, with greater glory than when we went in!
NO doubt, like the pearl in the oyster, when you come out, you’ll be more glorious than when you went in...
The philosophy of every oyster is “If I can’t remove it, I’ll just improve it”
What if we went into every life challenge with the thought....”Thisis my opportunity to make some pearls. This is my chance to walk in greater glory than I have ever known before. This has not come to diminish or destroy me, but to transport me into greater glory”.
1 Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God hasprepared for them that love him.” (Somebody say “I’ll take all of that!)
Before I close, let me point out something else Jesus said in Matthew 13:45 “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls”.
“The key statement here is that the merchant was LOOKING FOR FINE PEARLS!.... Did you get that?
Jesus said that many have eyes but do not see, ears but they do not hear.... In Genesis God told Abraham to lift up his eyes, and see the Land, then God said, I have given it unto you....Then God said look up, count the stars if you can, for your descendants shall be as the stars...
God had to change the way Abraham saw things, How He was looking!
Elijah told the servant during famine, to look and tell me what you see, the said I see a cloud the size of a man’s hand. Elijah said I hear the sound of an abundance of rain.... It’s about what you see...
The prophet asked the widow woman what she saw, she saw a little meal and a little oil, the prophet saw enough to last through the famine for her and the entire neighborhood... the difference was what he saw.
Louisa May Alcott ...“Contentment is a pearl that many seek for and only a few ever hold it in their hand”
Amos 3:7 “Surely the Lord God does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants”.
The merchant was looking for pearls, what are you looking for? If you only see the sickness, the pain, the problem, the impossibility, or the improbability, then that’s what you’ll get, but if you see the pearls are waiting to be formed through it all, then you’ll see beauty, redemption, restoration, renewal, and transformation....
My last point is that it’s hard to tell from the outward appearance, which oyster contains a pearl....Sometimes the ugliest shell contains the most beautiful pearl.
I would not have chosen shepherds as the first people to receive the announcement that God was born in a humble stable....but God did.
I would not have chosen the demoniac of Gadara to be the first to share the gospel with his community, but Jesus saw what I could not.
I would not have chosen a despised, tax collector who was considered a traitor to his own people, as an apostle of the gospel, but Jesus did...
I definitely would not have picked Paul, a murderer, and hatchet man for the religious hexarchy as the chief apostle, but Jesus saw beyond the outward shell.
God is calling on us to make some pearls, and we’ll miss it if we only call it like it is, instead of how it can and will be in Jesus Name!
Romans 4:17 “Abraham believed God, who quickens the dead, and calls those things which are not as though they were. [18] Who against hope he believed in hope...”
We’ll find what we’re looking for and believing for....There’s not enough pearls in the world, let’s make some more... and let God be glorified...
I believe everyone of us have some oysters, that are holding pearls in the making....
The old chorus says “I know the Lord will make a way for me”.... believe it, what He’s done for so many others, He’ll do for you!
I call out to Eagle’s Rest, Let’s make some pearls... what do you say?!!!
When this thought first came to me on Tuesday morning, I thought the Lord wanted me to tell Winnie “she was out of this world, to the moon and back, the stars in my heaven”... but when I rolled over, she had gotten up, and was out in the living room, in another world in prayer and intercession.... So I’ll tell her now.... “Baby, you’re out of this world”!! So, when I discovered she wasn’t there, I realized the Lord was giving me the message I was to share today.
I used to read all the magazines that predicted what it would be like in the future.... flying cars, space travel, time travel, robots doing all the work while we just enjoyed life... well, here we are, they really got it WRONG!.... IN THIS WORLD, we end up with inflation, nation against nation, leaders that are slaves to power, and everything wants to kill us.... or at least leave us limping.
The downward pull of the world is always working against any goal, any dream and any attempt which would strive to attain the success and prosperity that God promised believers. The God of this world is determined to do what he does best....Kill, steal & destroy. Hang on.... John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER, I have overcome the world. The good news still is, that at the end of the book which is still called “THE GOOD NEWS”... WE WIN!!!!
There’s a scripture that comes to mind on this subject which I call the real Lord’s Prayer. The prayer which we refer to as the Lord’s prayer, is actually the believer’s prayer or the “Our Father, prayer”...
So in John 17:15-21 We see the Lord’s prayer...."I do not ask You Father, to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who shall believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us, that the world may believe that You have sent Me.”
I’ve discovered and I’ve seen, that God’s supernatural beats Si-fi every time!!!
As believers, we can take it for a certainty, when Jesus prayed “Do not take them out of the world, but keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth.....”
The perpetual Christian life, of strength, consistency, faith, peace, joy, and good works, must find it’s source outside of this world. It can only be sustained by a source that is free of the resistance and down ward pull and drag of this earth realm.
Jesus said this is achieved by being in the world but not of the world. He uses the term “Keep them from the evil one”....
One pastor got so frustrated with all the folks that got saved, baptized and then backslid, that he said, “Perhaps we should get them saved, baptized, and then shoot them and send them right to heaven”. (I didn’t know Jeffery Daumer was a pastor.... Well, they would get to heaven, but the pastor sure wouldn’tmake it.....
Thank God, Jesus had a much better idea! The word (KEEP) them in the world, is the original Greek word “tay-reh'-o” which is a conditional term, and is based upon another Greek word Jesus uses, which is “hag-ee-ad'-zo”... which means“sanctified”, This action is presented as already finished and completed, if it’s conditions are met in the believer’s life. It means “to be set aside for God’s purposes.” But another Greek word comes into play here, and that is
“par-is'-tay-mee” to be consecrated or dedicated to.... Having said that, there is something which is the foundation of all this and it
and it is another Greek word, “al-ay'-thi-a” the foundation of this is truth...
Now if you put all this together, you have....
The foundation to this keeping power which keeps, sanctifies and sets us apart, by our act of dedication to His purposes, is to remain unmovable in obedience to the word of His truth....
Do these sound familiar, about the “al-ay-thi-a....?
”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. “He sent His word and healed them”.... “Thy word have I hidden like treasure in my heart, that I might not sin against You, oh God”....
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”.
Then we have “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away”.
Also, there is “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you”.
And of course Jesus said “Be not just be hearers only but doers of My word”.
The “Al-ay-thi-a” or Word of God is the foundation for truth to the believer....
One fellow came to church on a Sunday, received Christ as His savior and was excited and overjoyed. He told the pastor how the message had changed his life. He would never be the same! Then he wasn’t seen for a month....The pastor finally tracked him down and asked if everything was O.K. The guy said, Oh, it’s wonderful!That message you preached had a lot in it, and when I am able to get it all done, I’ll be back for more.....So be careful what you’re reading, watching, and listening to....it just might change your life!!....(but we would like to see you once in a while)
To be in the world but not of this world, we need something that is not of this world to be a perpetual force in our lives.
Have you ever wondered what a dog might be thinking when you are sitting in front of a computer or reading a book, or playing a musical instrument. Those things are not in a dog’s reference point.... He is not able to do any of those things proficiently. Even though he may be taught one of those things as a trick to perform.... The bible tells us that spiritual principles are foreign to those who are not believers, because the world is their reference point.
However, as we develop a vocabulary and a reference point whose source is the word of God, we have embraced a force in our lives that is not of this world as our new thought process.
The word of God is in the world but not of this world....it is something that exists beyond the scope of this world’s touch, feel and senses. Beyond it’s corruption, rust, and downward pull...
2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God (not of this world) and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
1 Corinthians 2:13 “These things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit of God, (out of this world) combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
2 Peter 1:20-21 “But know this first of all, (that means it’s a priority) that no prophecy of Scripture (the word of God) is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy (in scripture) was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit (out of this world) spokenfrom God.
If all this is true, and it is, then we, by virtue of this truth, are very different from the unbelieving world in which we live, weare different from its values, its priorities, its logic, its methods and its reference point. 1 Corinthians 7:31 “And we are those that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passes away.”
We are agents of transformation, who are commissioned to transform the things of this world as we dedicate and consecrate them unto God’s purposes...We have had many folks tell us that they are so glad we are meeting here in the resort, because it has inspired them and provided a positive atmosphere for them here.
I love that many churches in the early 1900’s started in bar rooms and that many of the early hymns were written to the music of bar room songs, because everyone knew the tunes and could sing along... There’s a church that meets in a bar every week, in Portland, Oregon, and another in Flora, Alabama. I love that we redeem the world’s money, and it’s resources, to build the kingdom that is not of this world... In the midst of all the worldly material on TV and internet, there are those who are using it for the gospel...
How then, does this “out of this world” difference, express itself in the way I live?
My values are different…I’m pro-life, pro-love, pro-family, pro-justice, pro-truth, pro-honesty, and Pro-God, because I seek to understand God’s point of view as expressed in the Bible before making decisions on how I will live my life and conduct my affairs. My reference point in relating to the world is governed by the truth of God’s word, to the best that I can understand itand apply it.
I spend my money somewhat differently than the world, giving priority to God and His church and the needs of others. A source that is out of this world, says that I should give 10% of all my increase to the storehouse, which is His church and He will bless the rest and hold back the Destroyer from my life and family. It says that I am to give offerings and alms, and I don’t question that because I want to live in this world but not of this world.
I spend my time somewhat differently from the rest of the world. I spend a lot of time at church. Even if this were not my chosen occupation, I would be here at every event this church sponsored. I do not neglect my family, which is another out of this world value. I spend time in prayer for others, and time with those who are shut-in, and with those who don’t know Christ, so they can discover out of this world living for themselves....
I use my talents and abilities differently from the world. I don’t spend them only in things that enrich or advance myself. I try to use my abilities for God’s glory, so we can influence others to live their lives “out of this world” as well!
Much has been done, but there is so much left to do.... Jesus told us to go into all the world, and share this “out of this world living”..... What meaning of the scriptural reference to the world?... The world is a system of beliefs, values, priorities, preferences and knowledge that is organized in active hostility and rebellion against God, which has the attitude of a 2 year old, who tells you, “I can do it myself.”... People have asked me what I think of the Homosexual issue, I tell them there is no Homosexual issue, it’s a anti-God issue. It's people saying “I don’t need you God, I’ll do it myself”. You know the saying.... “You can kick the can down the road, but it will still be waiting for you when you get there.”..
The Bible talks about the wisdom of this world, and the spirit of this world, that is opposed to the wisdom and spirit that is from above..
Sometimes we may refer to individuals, as “worldly Christians.” But that’s really a mis-nomer when you think about it. Billy Sunday, used to make fun of the term “worldly Christian.” He said, “To talk about a worldly Christian makes about as much sense as talking about a heavenly Devil.”
We become shaped and influenced by the things we value and cling to the most.. That’s the law of attraction....Of course if we are going to be great at following Jesus, we are going to hang out with His crowd, but still love everyone He loves, and I think, last time I checked, that’s everyone!
When I was dating Winnie, you little beauty you, I couldn’t get enough of her (and I still can’t) But I wanted to be wherever she was. I was at her house every chance I got, to the point of being a pest!! Because I loved her, I loved being in her house.... The point is, how can folks say they Love the Lord, and say they are Christians, but hardly ever go to His house. In scripture, Thelord calls it his house.... sure it’s filled with imperfect people, but if it was perfect, we would mess it up, if that was the requirement!!! (come on now)
I tell folks all the time that if you want to become good at basketball, you probably shouldn’t play football, because they have different rules, regulations, and reference points....
If you want to be just a so, so Christian, hang around those guys... but if you want to be a devil chasing, Holy Spirit filled, world changing Christian, then seek out those people, on TV, on the internet, and in person in the local church. The bible is filled with them, if you take time to read their stories, their faith, their challenges, and their triumphs, (which are really not that different than yours)
Our Shepherd is “out of this world”, and He is with us and in us. He knows the world is a dangerous place. When Jesus sent his disciples out to preach,
He told them, Matt 10:16 "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves." No sensible shepherd would ever do that, b/c wolves are dangerous predators. With one slash of their teeth they can rip a sheep’s throat wide open.
Maintaining a close and loving relationship with our (out of this world Shepherd) is what enables Christians to be in the world, but not of the world, to make contact with the world, to love them, but not their sin. Matthew 6:24. Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and a self-centered world." That’s the description of a spiritual schizophrenic, who has lost all sense of direction and will become lost in confusion, compromise and the enemy’s deception.
The teacher of the earth science class was lecturing on map reading. After explaining about latitude, longitude, degrees and minutes the teacher picked a random place off the top of his head and said, "Suppose I asked you to meet me for lunch at 23 degrees, 4 minutes north latitude and 45 degrees, 15 minutes east longitude?" After a confused silence, a voice spoke up, "I guess you'd be eating alone, in the middle of the Saudi Arabian desert."
Don’t get confused about your purpose, your identity, and your source of light, and life, and what makes you an “out of this world” believer!! Or you may find yourself out in the world at 23 degrees, 4 minutes north latitude trying to find your way back.
Get this down into the very center of your being...... 1 Corinthians 1:2 Paul wrote this entire letter “To those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ — their Lord and ours,”
The word sanctified is “to separate out from”....as in marching to the beat of another drum....
The moment we received God’s salvation through Jesus Christ, we were looked upon by God as being “not of this world”... or Separated out from.....
We need to understand and know the difference between our position and our experience....
Our position, is “Seated with Christ in heavenly places”... Our experience is battling devils here on earth...
When our Position gets more and more clear and more and more real to us. Then we will begin to know things in the spirit which are more real and have more substance than the physical world...
Here are some scriptures I want you to get into your spirit....
1 John 5:4 “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – even our faith”.
You may be battling, but God sees you in a position of victory, as an overcomer...Do you know your position...
You have favor, above your co-workers, your neighbors, in your finances, in your plans and dreams, in your physical body, and in your relationships....Favor is the work of God’s grace which we never deserve and yet still receive freely and without merit on our part....
Psalm 90:17 “The favor of the Lord our God is upon us;
And confirms the work of our hands..” (that’s positional)
Psalm 89:17 “For You are the glory of our strength,
And by Your favor our horn (influence and power) is exalted”.
Psalm 84:11 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord gives grace and glory, No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly”.
You are in a position of divine favor, promotion, exaltation, blessing, and honor....You are not of this world.....
In the midst of decay, Positionally, you are the salt... in the darkness, you are the light...in the midst of despair, you are the agent of hope.... In the midst of conflict and contention, you are the agent of peace....in the midst of sickness and disease, you are the agent of wholeness...
You are not of this world....You need to speak these things over your self and your family every day....(This message will be posted so you can access it as you need to...)
Don’t be afraid to be different, you are supposed to be different!You are redeemed to be different, you are separated to be different!
Colossians 3:1 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth”.
This scripture tells us to “set our mind”.... fron-eh'-o.. (have the same mind as those things above) This is not a suggestion, but it is in the form of a command to every believer who wants to live a victorious life....He whom the son sets free is free indeed!
God is giving us a command “Be an out of this world, Christian”.....
Let’s pray together in closing....Lord Jesus, I receive your mandate, to live a life that is out of this world. I realize that one of the things I must do is let go. Help me Lord, to take every thought captive, and to hand it over to You as it rises up in my mind, and help me to replace it with Your thoughts, words and actions. You have told us to think about whatever is lovely and pure and holy and good, and I pray that You would help me to turn the eyes of my heart upon those things, and away from any thing that would be anything less. So, I now receive Your mandate and I let go and give you control. I want to live and walk in what you desire for me. Help me to see the good in all your creation. Let me leave the judging to you, so that I can concentrate on living to please you! My heart is yours and yours alone.Thank you for all those who have entered my life and those you have removed as I move forward in my spiritual journey. I want to be who and what you want me to be as I continue to let go and surrender to you, Lord Jesus....Amen...
