John 1:45-46 - Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
In Jesus' day, we would consider Nazareth to be a 'hick town,' or 'just a slick spot in the road.' It is situated at base of the mountain range that connects to the Valley of Jezreel. It was, what archeologists have called, 'an agricultural village of about two dozen families.' Most Judeans did not even know where it was. They had to, first, explain how to get to the town where the prophet Jonah was born and ask the folks there how to get to Nazareth. It was so obscure, that when Pontius Pilate hung the sign "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" historians say he meant, " The King of the Jews is Jesus from Nowhere." Nathanael was from the town of Cana which was not too far away from Nazareth. So, as a citizen of a neighboring town, he was probably qualified to ask the question, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?"
As committed Christians, all of us will have 'Nazareth experiences' from time to time. We trust God that He is 'leading us in paths of righteousnes.' We believe that 'all things work together for good.' But sometimes, we find ourselves surrounded by circumstances that would lead us to question, "Can any good thing ever come out of this situation." The blessings aren't flowing like they have at times. Our financial situation isn't the 'open the doors of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that you don't have room enough to receive.' Instead, we're searching the sofa to piece together the gas money to get back and forth to work. The life of peace and joy promised to us seems to have turned int a dry wilderness filled with rough spots. And our precious Christian friends don't help us very much. They see us going through these less than shouting times and give us that "Which sin did you commit?" look. They are, also, sweet and kind enough to go spend their time on the other side of the church with folks that are walking in the 'blessings.'
Green Cove Springs, Florida used to have a Navy base in it. In the 50's, that base was billed as "The World's Largest Mothball Fleet." It brougt a lot of business and prosperity to Green Cove. However, in the 60's, the base was closed. Businesses left. People moved closer to Jacksonville to work and live. Green Cove became just a spot on Highway 17 between Palatka and Jacksonville. As a matter of fact, several of us kinfolk moved away because of jobs or just to move away. There was not much reason to go to Green Cove Springs except for the fact that a lot of my relatives still lived there.
But for me and these other kinfolk, there was one of the greatest reasons for us to return to this spot in the road. We would make that journey to this place to see Nellie Hendricks, our grandmother. I can remember, as a three and four-year old child sitting by my grandmother at the original Assembly of God Church in Green Cove Springs. I sat with her because I loved her. That made me listen to the songs of Zion sung by a handful of spirit-filled saints. Back then there was an old upright piano but no one to play it. Every now and then Bro. Sapp's son Everett would bring his guitar. Sitting by my grandmother, I heard Bro. Henry Harry Sapp preach the Word of God straight from Heaven itself. I came to know Jesus and learned to worship Him while sitting with my grandmother. I would always come back to this washed-up little town not to just come to the town. I came to see my grandmother.
Nathanael asked Phillip, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Phillip answered, "Come and see." His answer was not to come and see the town, but come and see Jesus. Don't let the 'Nazareth experiences' that we all walk through blind your faith. It is through these experiences that we need to look at Jesus instead of the circumstances. If you are trusting Him to guide you every day and you wake up in Nazareth, there is something good there. It's Him. Away from the bright lights, the glitz and the glamour, great relationships can be found if we look to Him. The sweetness and grace of life can be found if we look to Him. Strength and courage for the next battle can be found. Uncanny wisdom can be learned by looking to Him. Yes, there are many great things that can come from 'Nazareth experiences,' but they all start by looking to Jesus and not the circumstances.
What you learn and experience when you find Jesus in Nazareth will prepare you for the rest of your journey. It will leave pleasant memories in your soul. There will be times, during our journeys when we will see 'Nazareth' on the horizon again. This time, instead of cringing, our hearts will cry out to us----I'm going to see Jesus there. Every time I made that long trip from Tennesse to Green Cove Springs, Florida, my heart would say, "But, I'll get to see Grandma again." That reward made the trip more than worth it.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
God Will Restore And More
Joel 2:25- And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
Mark 10:29, 30 - And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Joel is a book of revival. It tells of a people who have grown cold. Before some of you get into that Old Religious stuff of God sent awful stuff on people who did not deserve it. You'd better watch out with that sacred cow and read carefully the whole Bible. God warned the people way back in the book of Deuteronomy the 28th chapter, that if they walked in sin, judgement would come in various forms. It's like any of us cooking supper. Cooking supper is a good thing. But if a disobedient child comes up and grabs one of the burners after we told them, "Don't touch it. It will burn you" none of you will say that you cursed the child. You gave the warning. The child didn't listen. But what do you say next. You say, "I told you it was hot. Why did you grab that burner." Then like a good mommy or daddy you tend to your child who cries out to you in repentance. They know how to get in trouble by themselves but they need parents to help them heal when they are hurt.
Now, let's look at this scripture. Deut 8:2 - And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee, to know what [was] in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
The curses in Deuteronomy 28 are for the sinner. In Deuteronomy 8, there are times when things don't exactly line up with what we consider to be the blessings of God. However, just like the fourty years in the wilderness, this was only temporary. God never designed it to be permanent. God's promise was to bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey. Those that held on and believed His Word were restored in grand fashion and more.
Let's take Abraham for an example. He was nice and comfy in his home town, around his relatives, and becoming prosperous. Then God calls him out and told him that he was going to be the father of many nations and that the whole world would be blessed by his seed. Which, by the way, he didn't have any. Now, anybody trying to figure God out would have said, "Well, I guess God meant for me to take a lot of wives and have a lot of children if I am to become a great nation." But that is not what God promised. They tried it and God didn't dig it. He said that Sarah would bear the promised child.
So, here we go. Abraham tells all of his several hundred servants that their seventy-five year old boss and his sixty-nine year old wife were going to father a multitude of children. Right! And so. They kept watching Sarah, and kept watching Sarah, and kept watching Sarah and nothing happened. For twenty four years, they watched and nothing happened. Don't you reckon that by now they were just a little skeptical?
Listen to what God did. He publicly embarassed them. Even though they were rich, they were considered cursed because they had no children. For twenty four years, all the servants kinda looked at them as 'Those poor old fools---believing such nonsense." The high-brow kings that they visited thought the same thing when they finally found out they were married. On top of that, they had gotten so old that their bodies weren't in reproduction mode any more.
But in the twenty-fifth year, God showed up and changed history. The bodies that couldn't, did. Instead of ho-hum around the camp, laughter was heard. The impossible had happened. What everyone saw as a curse, God was using to see what was in Abraham and Sarah's heart. Would they follow Him all the way to the miracle? Indeed they did, and indeed God did. God restored their bodies. God restored their laughter. God restored their pride. They held on to the promise and remained faithful to Him and He did just exactly what He said that He would do. Their paitience, their faithfulness, their praise to God in ungodly circumstances brought God's restoration in a greater way than they had imagined. Their sacrifice (Mark 10), was greatly multiplied by millions of children down through the years, including Jesus. When God got through restoring, Abraham and Sarah had more than what they had sacrificed. God was faithful. He will restore and more.
Let's look at Joseph. He had a Godly dream. He shared it with his brothers a his daddy. His brothers were so enthused about his Godly dream that they faked his death and sold him as a slave. That's a lot of good thanks and appreciation for being able to hear God. (Have you ever said that about ungodly circumstances that have surrounded you when you've done your best? Just wonderin'.) As a slave in Potiphar's house, Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him. When he refused because of his relationship with God, she lied on him and had him sent to prison. (Have you ever been thrown in an ungodly circumstance when you did what God asked you to? Just wonderin'.) Joseph's heart for God was tested for fourteen years. His heart ached for his father and brothers. He longed to be back in a place that he called "home." He had to live every day around people that he had no heart-ties to. He had to live every day with nagging questions, "Did I really hear God? Was that dream real? How long do you have to wait? Have I missed God and lost my blessing?" Now, I know that you have never asked these questions but they have entered my mind a couple of times.
Then, in one day, God promoted him from prisoner to prince. He became second in command of all of Egypt. He married Pharaoh's daughter and lived in the lap of luxury. Then, a couple of years later, he was re-united with his family and was able to provide for them greater than they could have done back in the home country. God used the riches of Egypt to bless His faithful servants. The end was better than what they expected. God will restore and more.
Again, when the children were slaves in that same land. They were made to serve "with rigor." Even though it looked like it never would happen, God had a plan already in progress to bring His people back into the promised land. His plan never included leaving them in a strange land wondering if God really cared. His plan was to bring them into a land that would be theirs for keeps. While they were serving Egypt for four hundred years, God had people in the promised land of Caanan that were building it into a garden for His people. God will restore and more.
Whatever we have had to sacrifice to serve the Lord, God is faithful to keep an accurate record. Nothing ever slips past Him and He will never forget the smallest item. Meditate on this, Heb 6:10 - For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Don't let the enemy tell you that your reward is in the 'sweet by and by.' Mark 10 said that we would receive one hundred fold now in this time of whatever we have had to sacrifice to live for Him. Instead of looking down all day, we need to be looking up and praising Him in the middle of our lack. We need to be praising Him not for the lack that we are experiencing but for the one hundred fold return now in this life that we will receive. Not because it looks like it, but just because God said so. And God has proven Himself to be faithful to restore and more.
Are you ready for the greatest faith stabilizer? It is Ps 16:10 - For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. God told His Son, 'You will have to go there for a short time, but I won't leave You there. You're not going to rot in hell all of your days.' How many times has the enemy told you it's all over and you will never be any better off than you are now? As a matter of fact, he will try to tell you it will get worse. But, I've got news for that ole loser. God is no respecter of persons. If He did it for one, He will do it for all. It might feel like hell for a while, but God has never planned for you to stay that way. He will restore and more.
Mark 10:29, 30 - And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Joel is a book of revival. It tells of a people who have grown cold. Before some of you get into that Old Religious stuff of God sent awful stuff on people who did not deserve it. You'd better watch out with that sacred cow and read carefully the whole Bible. God warned the people way back in the book of Deuteronomy the 28th chapter, that if they walked in sin, judgement would come in various forms. It's like any of us cooking supper. Cooking supper is a good thing. But if a disobedient child comes up and grabs one of the burners after we told them, "Don't touch it. It will burn you" none of you will say that you cursed the child. You gave the warning. The child didn't listen. But what do you say next. You say, "I told you it was hot. Why did you grab that burner." Then like a good mommy or daddy you tend to your child who cries out to you in repentance. They know how to get in trouble by themselves but they need parents to help them heal when they are hurt.
Now, let's look at this scripture. Deut 8:2 - And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee, to know what [was] in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
The curses in Deuteronomy 28 are for the sinner. In Deuteronomy 8, there are times when things don't exactly line up with what we consider to be the blessings of God. However, just like the fourty years in the wilderness, this was only temporary. God never designed it to be permanent. God's promise was to bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey. Those that held on and believed His Word were restored in grand fashion and more.
Let's take Abraham for an example. He was nice and comfy in his home town, around his relatives, and becoming prosperous. Then God calls him out and told him that he was going to be the father of many nations and that the whole world would be blessed by his seed. Which, by the way, he didn't have any. Now, anybody trying to figure God out would have said, "Well, I guess God meant for me to take a lot of wives and have a lot of children if I am to become a great nation." But that is not what God promised. They tried it and God didn't dig it. He said that Sarah would bear the promised child.
So, here we go. Abraham tells all of his several hundred servants that their seventy-five year old boss and his sixty-nine year old wife were going to father a multitude of children. Right! And so. They kept watching Sarah, and kept watching Sarah, and kept watching Sarah and nothing happened. For twenty four years, they watched and nothing happened. Don't you reckon that by now they were just a little skeptical?
Listen to what God did. He publicly embarassed them. Even though they were rich, they were considered cursed because they had no children. For twenty four years, all the servants kinda looked at them as 'Those poor old fools---believing such nonsense." The high-brow kings that they visited thought the same thing when they finally found out they were married. On top of that, they had gotten so old that their bodies weren't in reproduction mode any more.
But in the twenty-fifth year, God showed up and changed history. The bodies that couldn't, did. Instead of ho-hum around the camp, laughter was heard. The impossible had happened. What everyone saw as a curse, God was using to see what was in Abraham and Sarah's heart. Would they follow Him all the way to the miracle? Indeed they did, and indeed God did. God restored their bodies. God restored their laughter. God restored their pride. They held on to the promise and remained faithful to Him and He did just exactly what He said that He would do. Their paitience, their faithfulness, their praise to God in ungodly circumstances brought God's restoration in a greater way than they had imagined. Their sacrifice (Mark 10), was greatly multiplied by millions of children down through the years, including Jesus. When God got through restoring, Abraham and Sarah had more than what they had sacrificed. God was faithful. He will restore and more.
Let's look at Joseph. He had a Godly dream. He shared it with his brothers a his daddy. His brothers were so enthused about his Godly dream that they faked his death and sold him as a slave. That's a lot of good thanks and appreciation for being able to hear God. (Have you ever said that about ungodly circumstances that have surrounded you when you've done your best? Just wonderin'.) As a slave in Potiphar's house, Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him. When he refused because of his relationship with God, she lied on him and had him sent to prison. (Have you ever been thrown in an ungodly circumstance when you did what God asked you to? Just wonderin'.) Joseph's heart for God was tested for fourteen years. His heart ached for his father and brothers. He longed to be back in a place that he called "home." He had to live every day around people that he had no heart-ties to. He had to live every day with nagging questions, "Did I really hear God? Was that dream real? How long do you have to wait? Have I missed God and lost my blessing?" Now, I know that you have never asked these questions but they have entered my mind a couple of times.
Then, in one day, God promoted him from prisoner to prince. He became second in command of all of Egypt. He married Pharaoh's daughter and lived in the lap of luxury. Then, a couple of years later, he was re-united with his family and was able to provide for them greater than they could have done back in the home country. God used the riches of Egypt to bless His faithful servants. The end was better than what they expected. God will restore and more.
Again, when the children were slaves in that same land. They were made to serve "with rigor." Even though it looked like it never would happen, God had a plan already in progress to bring His people back into the promised land. His plan never included leaving them in a strange land wondering if God really cared. His plan was to bring them into a land that would be theirs for keeps. While they were serving Egypt for four hundred years, God had people in the promised land of Caanan that were building it into a garden for His people. God will restore and more.
Whatever we have had to sacrifice to serve the Lord, God is faithful to keep an accurate record. Nothing ever slips past Him and He will never forget the smallest item. Meditate on this, Heb 6:10 - For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Don't let the enemy tell you that your reward is in the 'sweet by and by.' Mark 10 said that we would receive one hundred fold now in this time of whatever we have had to sacrifice to live for Him. Instead of looking down all day, we need to be looking up and praising Him in the middle of our lack. We need to be praising Him not for the lack that we are experiencing but for the one hundred fold return now in this life that we will receive. Not because it looks like it, but just because God said so. And God has proven Himself to be faithful to restore and more.
Are you ready for the greatest faith stabilizer? It is Ps 16:10 - For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. God told His Son, 'You will have to go there for a short time, but I won't leave You there. You're not going to rot in hell all of your days.' How many times has the enemy told you it's all over and you will never be any better off than you are now? As a matter of fact, he will try to tell you it will get worse. But, I've got news for that ole loser. God is no respecter of persons. If He did it for one, He will do it for all. It might feel like hell for a while, but God has never planned for you to stay that way. He will restore and more.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Another Look at the Lord's Prayer
In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus taught the disciples how to pray. Let's take a look at a few aspects of it and reap some great encouragement. Keep in mind, that if anyone knew how to get a prayer through to God, it had to have been Jesus. Think for a little bit. Surely, the Precious Son of God should KNOW how to approach His Father and how to pray effectively.
In verse 9, the first thing He does is declare that God is His Father and begins praising His name. The devil would have us to believe that we are here all by ourselves; a little, defenseless sheep left to a world of ravenous wolves. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus never prayed like a defenseless little sheep.
What He did pray is defined in verses 10 and 13. He spoke to His Father and said, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven. And- For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Then He finished it by saying "Amen." Now, folks, that's not religious talk for "10-4, over and out." Amen is a Hebrew word dating back to the time of the Exodus and it means "so be it." It was used when a listener heard someone speak a vow and he wanted to agree with what that person said. Get ready to shout, now. What Jesus was saying to Father God was "Hey, I might be living down on this devil-infested earth, but You're still in control. Father God, I believe You are in control and not the devil. Blessed, Almighty God, I believe that You are going to bless me on this earth just as if You would if I was standing with You in Heaven."
Jesus was an expert in the Word of God and He knew that as a blood covenant believer, God was honor-bound to pour out Heavenly blessings according to Deuteronomy 28. It would do you good to read the first 14 verses of that chapter to see just a portion of what Jesus was Amen-ing. What was that, you just asked? Why not read all of the chapter? Silly, believer. The rest of the chapter is filled with curses against the people who would rather walk in sin. By the way, it's about twice as long as the first 14 verses. I'm not planning on walking in the curses. I'm concentrating and Amen-ing the blessings that God has already ordained for me to walk in. Jesus prayed in agreement with the Word of God and said "Amen. So be it, Almighty God. I believe that all of these blessings are coming to me, because You said so and I agree with YOU."
Look at verse 13- Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. You might be asking yourself, if Jesus is praying "lead us not into temptation," why did He have so much rough stuff happen to Him. And then again, am I being punished by God, or left out by God? Because, right now, as well as in the past, I have seen some awfully rough roads. Here's a point that I had missed for years. Jesus is not asking His Father to never have a temptation or a trial or to let Him live in a bed of roses. He Himself said in John 16:33-These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Did you notice the almost contradiction? He said "I am going to tell you something to give you peace." Then He says, "In the world ye shall have tribulation." I knew it. I knew it was too good to be true, right? But He doesn't stop there. He tells us to be very happy--good cheer--because He has overcome the world. Now, back to Matt 6:13. Jesus' attitude in this verse is, "Father, I know that you are not leading me into a temptation just to throw me to the wolves. You a leading me into deliverance from all of the power of the devil."
Folks, even though, right now, you are going through hell on earth, it's not the end of the story. You have lived a good life, trusted God and you are still smack dab in the middle of the valley of the shadow of death. Remember the Lord's prayer. All of the kingdom power that God has He bestows on us. He is not leading us to destruction. Let Him finish what He has started. Grab His hand and praise Him that He is your Heavenly Father and let Him tug on your heart strings and lead you into deliverance. You might not be there right now. Just like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was hurting with fear until He prayed His flesh under control. Then, when He surrendered to His Father's will, He had the strength to go through the valley of the shadow of death because He feared no evil. Shout about this thought for a couple of days. The Heavenly Father was not leading Jesus to the cross. He was leading Jesus to the resurrection and the restoration of His presence in the lives of His people. The cross was only a 6 hour hitty-bump in the road. Now, tell the devil that what you are going through is only a little hitty-bump in the road and you've got enough Holy Ghost shocks to keep you on the road to God's blessings.
Enjoy Jesus and enjoy today.
In verse 9, the first thing He does is declare that God is His Father and begins praising His name. The devil would have us to believe that we are here all by ourselves; a little, defenseless sheep left to a world of ravenous wolves. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus never prayed like a defenseless little sheep.
What He did pray is defined in verses 10 and 13. He spoke to His Father and said, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven. And- For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Then He finished it by saying "Amen." Now, folks, that's not religious talk for "10-4, over and out." Amen is a Hebrew word dating back to the time of the Exodus and it means "so be it." It was used when a listener heard someone speak a vow and he wanted to agree with what that person said. Get ready to shout, now. What Jesus was saying to Father God was "Hey, I might be living down on this devil-infested earth, but You're still in control. Father God, I believe You are in control and not the devil. Blessed, Almighty God, I believe that You are going to bless me on this earth just as if You would if I was standing with You in Heaven."
Jesus was an expert in the Word of God and He knew that as a blood covenant believer, God was honor-bound to pour out Heavenly blessings according to Deuteronomy 28. It would do you good to read the first 14 verses of that chapter to see just a portion of what Jesus was Amen-ing. What was that, you just asked? Why not read all of the chapter? Silly, believer. The rest of the chapter is filled with curses against the people who would rather walk in sin. By the way, it's about twice as long as the first 14 verses. I'm not planning on walking in the curses. I'm concentrating and Amen-ing the blessings that God has already ordained for me to walk in. Jesus prayed in agreement with the Word of God and said "Amen. So be it, Almighty God. I believe that all of these blessings are coming to me, because You said so and I agree with YOU."
Look at verse 13- Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. You might be asking yourself, if Jesus is praying "lead us not into temptation," why did He have so much rough stuff happen to Him. And then again, am I being punished by God, or left out by God? Because, right now, as well as in the past, I have seen some awfully rough roads. Here's a point that I had missed for years. Jesus is not asking His Father to never have a temptation or a trial or to let Him live in a bed of roses. He Himself said in John 16:33-These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Did you notice the almost contradiction? He said "I am going to tell you something to give you peace." Then He says, "In the world ye shall have tribulation." I knew it. I knew it was too good to be true, right? But He doesn't stop there. He tells us to be very happy--good cheer--because He has overcome the world. Now, back to Matt 6:13. Jesus' attitude in this verse is, "Father, I know that you are not leading me into a temptation just to throw me to the wolves. You a leading me into deliverance from all of the power of the devil."
Folks, even though, right now, you are going through hell on earth, it's not the end of the story. You have lived a good life, trusted God and you are still smack dab in the middle of the valley of the shadow of death. Remember the Lord's prayer. All of the kingdom power that God has He bestows on us. He is not leading us to destruction. Let Him finish what He has started. Grab His hand and praise Him that He is your Heavenly Father and let Him tug on your heart strings and lead you into deliverance. You might not be there right now. Just like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was hurting with fear until He prayed His flesh under control. Then, when He surrendered to His Father's will, He had the strength to go through the valley of the shadow of death because He feared no evil. Shout about this thought for a couple of days. The Heavenly Father was not leading Jesus to the cross. He was leading Jesus to the resurrection and the restoration of His presence in the lives of His people. The cross was only a 6 hour hitty-bump in the road. Now, tell the devil that what you are going through is only a little hitty-bump in the road and you've got enough Holy Ghost shocks to keep you on the road to God's blessings.
Enjoy Jesus and enjoy today.
Friday, June 5, 2009
It's Not About Your Ego
One of the greatest hinderances to our faith is our ego. We can start off believing the Word of God with a shout. But, when the trial we start going through starts messing with our ego, we tend to back down and start moping instead of hoping. Let's take, for example, the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. When God gave him two prophetic dreams about his family bowing down to him, he shared it with everybody thinking that they would rejoice with him. I don't think they did. Now, I may be wrong, but I just don't think they did. They didn't dig it at all. As a matter of fact, they didn't dig it so much that they faked his death and sold him as a slave. Boy, howdy! That did a lot for Joseph's ego. Have you ever been there? Are you there right now?
Let's take a look at something real important. Gen 39:2-And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. Verse 3-And his master saw that the LORD [was] with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. Verse 4-And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him. Notice that the Lord was with Joseph and made stuff prosper for him. Even with a deflated ego, Joseph chose to serve the Lord with a shout and not a pout. When your pride is being challenged, it is important for you to know that God will always honor His Word. Notice that Joseph's master saw that the Lord was with him. Now we have to answer the question. Is it more important for me to maintain an ego, or is it more important for the lost loved ones to see that the Lord is good?
Sure it was degrading to go from his daddy's pet in a beautiful, on-of-a-kind coat to a slave in a foreign land. But, Joseph placed his honor in the integrity of God Almighty and His Word. He walked through the life he was forced to live as if he knew a wonderful secret that no one else knew. Oh, by the way, no one would believe it.
It was not important if anyone else believed it or not. Many times in the New Testament, Jesus told people that it was their individual faith that had made them whole. It wasn't the faith of the High Priest, their spouse, their neighbor or the anchor on the nightly news. It was their individual faith in God and His Word that had worked the miracle for them. Joseph did not someone else to help him believe it. He kept up an everyday relationship with the God of his fathers. For fourteen years he believed God's Word. For fourteen years he sacrificed his ego waiting for the Word of God to come to pass.
Now, let's turn the page. What about the day he was promoted from prisoner to prince? His ego got a tad bit of a boost that day and from that day on through the rest of his life. God's Word was worth waiting on. Let's take heart my friends. God will always be faithful to His Word. Remember, it's not about your ego, it's about the integrity of the Word of Almighty God.
Let's take a look at something real important. Gen 39:2-And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. Verse 3-And his master saw that the LORD [was] with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. Verse 4-And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him. Notice that the Lord was with Joseph and made stuff prosper for him. Even with a deflated ego, Joseph chose to serve the Lord with a shout and not a pout. When your pride is being challenged, it is important for you to know that God will always honor His Word. Notice that Joseph's master saw that the Lord was with him. Now we have to answer the question. Is it more important for me to maintain an ego, or is it more important for the lost loved ones to see that the Lord is good?
Sure it was degrading to go from his daddy's pet in a beautiful, on-of-a-kind coat to a slave in a foreign land. But, Joseph placed his honor in the integrity of God Almighty and His Word. He walked through the life he was forced to live as if he knew a wonderful secret that no one else knew. Oh, by the way, no one would believe it.
It was not important if anyone else believed it or not. Many times in the New Testament, Jesus told people that it was their individual faith that had made them whole. It wasn't the faith of the High Priest, their spouse, their neighbor or the anchor on the nightly news. It was their individual faith in God and His Word that had worked the miracle for them. Joseph did not someone else to help him believe it. He kept up an everyday relationship with the God of his fathers. For fourteen years he believed God's Word. For fourteen years he sacrificed his ego waiting for the Word of God to come to pass.
Now, let's turn the page. What about the day he was promoted from prisoner to prince? His ego got a tad bit of a boost that day and from that day on through the rest of his life. God's Word was worth waiting on. Let's take heart my friends. God will always be faithful to His Word. Remember, it's not about your ego, it's about the integrity of the Word of Almighty God.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
The Word Will Outlast Your Problems
While reading John 1:1-In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, something very interesting came to me. Before any of your problems came about, God and His Word were here. When all of your problems are gone, God and His Word will still be ruling all things. Therefore, nothing was created outside of His ability and nothing can be destroyed without His permission. Let's take a look at how far-reaching that is.
Is someone your problem? Who created man in His image? Compare how long God has been around with how long your someone problem is. Which one has been supremely successful in all of His endeavors? Out of all of the people that stood up against God, i.e. Pharaoah, Nebuchadnezzer, Ananias and Saphira, the religious people of Jesus' day---how many of them kept God from performing His Word? None of them did. You will never find where someone outsmarted God or got one over on Him. Ps 46:6-The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. So go ahead, let that ole heathen rage, whether it's your spouse, in-law, bossman, mean-spirited pastor, teen-ager or terrible two-year-old. They can rage and move others to frustration. They can even move kindoms towards destruction. But. when God utters His voice, or He has already uttered His voice, they will melt. Now if you believe that, give God a shout AND QUIT WORRYING ABOUT THAT HEATHEN!!!!!! God and His Word will be around a lot longer than him.
What kind of situation are you facing? Nerves? Bills? Oppression? God and His Word were here before any of them and God and His Word will be here long after they are gone. Take some time to read 2 Chron 17:14-19 and add up all of the men that waited on Jehoshaphat. Over one million men!!!!!! That did not count the people that the king put in the cities as guards. Now read 2 Chron 20:1-3. An army came to fight him so big that it made Jehoshaphat afraid. Just how big of an army could that have been to make a one-million-plus army afraid and the king call for a nationwide fast!!!! They were looking at destruction, pestilence, death, poverty and slavery.
Read 2 Chron 20:10. It is almost a prayer quote of God's Word in 2 Chron 7:14. Jehoshaphat spoke God's Word back to Him in his prayer for deliverance. God honored his prayer by telling him and the people not to be afraid. The battle was His!!! Then the Levites did what I want to do about now and that's lift up a shout!! I bet campmeetin' broke out. They were still in the mood the next morning when they assembled to march towards the enemies camp. They discussed it and said that if God gave His Word and said not to fear, then the only alternative is to sing praises to Him because the battle is already won. They put praisers out in front of the army and praised the beauty of holiness and declared that the mercy of the Lord endures forever. By the time they got to the battlefield, every last one of their enemies were dead. The people of God were not only free because of the Word, but the enemy had brought so much gold and jewelry with them that it took three days to haul it away.
When it looked like all was lost, God's Word turned certain defeat into vast riches. WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE. The moral of the story is.....The Word Will Outlast Your Problems.
Is someone your problem? Who created man in His image? Compare how long God has been around with how long your someone problem is. Which one has been supremely successful in all of His endeavors? Out of all of the people that stood up against God, i.e. Pharaoah, Nebuchadnezzer, Ananias and Saphira, the religious people of Jesus' day---how many of them kept God from performing His Word? None of them did. You will never find where someone outsmarted God or got one over on Him. Ps 46:6-The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. So go ahead, let that ole heathen rage, whether it's your spouse, in-law, bossman, mean-spirited pastor, teen-ager or terrible two-year-old. They can rage and move others to frustration. They can even move kindoms towards destruction. But. when God utters His voice, or He has already uttered His voice, they will melt. Now if you believe that, give God a shout AND QUIT WORRYING ABOUT THAT HEATHEN!!!!!! God and His Word will be around a lot longer than him.
What kind of situation are you facing? Nerves? Bills? Oppression? God and His Word were here before any of them and God and His Word will be here long after they are gone. Take some time to read 2 Chron 17:14-19 and add up all of the men that waited on Jehoshaphat. Over one million men!!!!!! That did not count the people that the king put in the cities as guards. Now read 2 Chron 20:1-3. An army came to fight him so big that it made Jehoshaphat afraid. Just how big of an army could that have been to make a one-million-plus army afraid and the king call for a nationwide fast!!!! They were looking at destruction, pestilence, death, poverty and slavery.
Read 2 Chron 20:10. It is almost a prayer quote of God's Word in 2 Chron 7:14. Jehoshaphat spoke God's Word back to Him in his prayer for deliverance. God honored his prayer by telling him and the people not to be afraid. The battle was His!!! Then the Levites did what I want to do about now and that's lift up a shout!! I bet campmeetin' broke out. They were still in the mood the next morning when they assembled to march towards the enemies camp. They discussed it and said that if God gave His Word and said not to fear, then the only alternative is to sing praises to Him because the battle is already won. They put praisers out in front of the army and praised the beauty of holiness and declared that the mercy of the Lord endures forever. By the time they got to the battlefield, every last one of their enemies were dead. The people of God were not only free because of the Word, but the enemy had brought so much gold and jewelry with them that it took three days to haul it away.
When it looked like all was lost, God's Word turned certain defeat into vast riches. WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE. The moral of the story is.....The Word Will Outlast Your Problems.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
What Are You Prepared For?
After Jesus died on the cross, we pick up this scripture in Luke 23:56-And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
Luke 24:1-Now upon the first [day] of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain [others] with them. Notice the word 'prepared.' Just what were they 'prepared' for? They were prepared for what they believed. They believed that Jesus was dead and that all of their hopes for a brighter day, a better life and great fellowship with a tremendous man of God were all gone. (Do you somehow feel a shout coming on? Not yet? Stick around.) After all, that's what it looked like. All of the natural evidence was there. Three days ago, they saw Him mocked, beaten and crucified. They saw Him wrapped in a burial shroud and taken to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea. They were preparing for the 'Well, I guess the Word of God was just too good to be true" that most Christians believe in.
However, they were sadly disappointed when they got to the grave. Jesus wasn't there. Two men in white appearel were. They told the ladies, "remember how He spake unto you." Two men on the road to Emmaus were moaning and groaning about what it "looked like." Jesus started walking with them and let them moan and groan for a while and then He said, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: In other words, why didn't you believe the prophecy about me instead of what you saw with your own eyes? Later on, when Jesus appeared in the middle of the room where His disciples were sitting, moaning and groaning, He said, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
Guess what, folks? Jesus expected them to have been acting like the Word of God was true in the very middle of "It really doesn't look like it." We spend the majority of our time preparing ourselves for "what it looks like" instead of what the Word of God said it was going to be. Jesus scolded these folks for acting like sinners. All the sinners believed that Jesus was finished. His followers believed the same thing.
Think about about this. What was God thinking about when He allowed His only begotten Son to be arrested, beaten and crucified. Think, think, THINK!!!! He was thinking, "Yep, the High Priest and the Romans fell for it hook, line and sinker, just like I planned it. Now, satan will be completely destroyed. This is the day I have been waiting for." What is inconceivable to us was God's plan all along. He never got nervous. He never got an ulcer. As a matter of fact, you might say that He was "prepared" for it. Please try your best and THINK, THINK, THINK. God spent 400 years of never speaking to His people to let them drift into the religious mindset they were in. He spent years and years of raising up a brutal Roman nation and taught them a specific type of horrible death called the crucifixion. However, He was NOT "preparing" to kill Jesus. 1 John 3:8-For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. He was "preparing" to destroy the enemy of all creation by raising His Son from the dead. Jesus was "prepared" to go through death because He read and believed His Father's Word on the subject. His Father never, never, never said that He would leave Him in the grave or let the torture go on forever. Jesus "prepared" Himself by meditating on everything His Father ever said.
If the people actually believed the Word instead of what it looked like, they would have
"prepared" a worship service of shouting, singing, playing tamborines and dancing around the cross and praising God that His Word was true. They would have "prepared" two all night Praise Vigils outside of the tomb. The news that would have been on everyone's lips would have been, "Come watch Him when He rises from the dead. It's the Word of God coming true before your very eyes. Everyone come and see this miracle. You don't want to miss it." You talk about a Holy Ghost revival/riot there would have been one.
I can hear you saying it right now. "You're right, Bro. Henry. If I had been there, I would have been singing and shouting until I lost my voice. Then I would have danced so hard that I would have worn holes in my shoes. I would have gone to all of my loved ones and did whatever I had to do to get them to see the power of God unfolded right before their very eyes." Do you know what else you would have done? You would have fixed enough sandwiches and snacks for the couple of days' wait. You would have brought a lawn chair or two, blankets and pillows, cameras and recorders. Unlike the ladies in Luke 23 and 24, you would have "prepared" for a miracle instead of "preparing" for His death. All because we were convinced that God's Word was true.
Now. Do you believe God's Word about your current situation? Or, do you feel trapped and think that there is no way out? Faith in God's Word doesn't rely on 'it doesn't look like' to get it's answer. It merely relies on the fact that God loves us dearly and He meant every Word that He said. What we need to do as individuals is "prepare" ourselves for His Word coming to pass. We need to praise Him in advance for every need to be met. We need to rejoice that our unsaved loved ones are coming to Him and being filled with His Presence. We need to get excited about revival whether we are in one right now or not. My challenge to you is, find in God's Word what He has said about your situation. Believe that it will come to pass and begin giving Him praise.
Luke 24:1-Now upon the first [day] of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain [others] with them. Notice the word 'prepared.' Just what were they 'prepared' for? They were prepared for what they believed. They believed that Jesus was dead and that all of their hopes for a brighter day, a better life and great fellowship with a tremendous man of God were all gone. (Do you somehow feel a shout coming on? Not yet? Stick around.) After all, that's what it looked like. All of the natural evidence was there. Three days ago, they saw Him mocked, beaten and crucified. They saw Him wrapped in a burial shroud and taken to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea. They were preparing for the 'Well, I guess the Word of God was just too good to be true" that most Christians believe in.
However, they were sadly disappointed when they got to the grave. Jesus wasn't there. Two men in white appearel were. They told the ladies, "remember how He spake unto you." Two men on the road to Emmaus were moaning and groaning about what it "looked like." Jesus started walking with them and let them moan and groan for a while and then He said, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: In other words, why didn't you believe the prophecy about me instead of what you saw with your own eyes? Later on, when Jesus appeared in the middle of the room where His disciples were sitting, moaning and groaning, He said, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
Guess what, folks? Jesus expected them to have been acting like the Word of God was true in the very middle of "It really doesn't look like it." We spend the majority of our time preparing ourselves for "what it looks like" instead of what the Word of God said it was going to be. Jesus scolded these folks for acting like sinners. All the sinners believed that Jesus was finished. His followers believed the same thing.
Think about about this. What was God thinking about when He allowed His only begotten Son to be arrested, beaten and crucified. Think, think, THINK!!!! He was thinking, "Yep, the High Priest and the Romans fell for it hook, line and sinker, just like I planned it. Now, satan will be completely destroyed. This is the day I have been waiting for." What is inconceivable to us was God's plan all along. He never got nervous. He never got an ulcer. As a matter of fact, you might say that He was "prepared" for it. Please try your best and THINK, THINK, THINK. God spent 400 years of never speaking to His people to let them drift into the religious mindset they were in. He spent years and years of raising up a brutal Roman nation and taught them a specific type of horrible death called the crucifixion. However, He was NOT "preparing" to kill Jesus. 1 John 3:8-For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. He was "preparing" to destroy the enemy of all creation by raising His Son from the dead. Jesus was "prepared" to go through death because He read and believed His Father's Word on the subject. His Father never, never, never said that He would leave Him in the grave or let the torture go on forever. Jesus "prepared" Himself by meditating on everything His Father ever said.
If the people actually believed the Word instead of what it looked like, they would have
"prepared" a worship service of shouting, singing, playing tamborines and dancing around the cross and praising God that His Word was true. They would have "prepared" two all night Praise Vigils outside of the tomb. The news that would have been on everyone's lips would have been, "Come watch Him when He rises from the dead. It's the Word of God coming true before your very eyes. Everyone come and see this miracle. You don't want to miss it." You talk about a Holy Ghost revival/riot there would have been one.
I can hear you saying it right now. "You're right, Bro. Henry. If I had been there, I would have been singing and shouting until I lost my voice. Then I would have danced so hard that I would have worn holes in my shoes. I would have gone to all of my loved ones and did whatever I had to do to get them to see the power of God unfolded right before their very eyes." Do you know what else you would have done? You would have fixed enough sandwiches and snacks for the couple of days' wait. You would have brought a lawn chair or two, blankets and pillows, cameras and recorders. Unlike the ladies in Luke 23 and 24, you would have "prepared" for a miracle instead of "preparing" for His death. All because we were convinced that God's Word was true.
Now. Do you believe God's Word about your current situation? Or, do you feel trapped and think that there is no way out? Faith in God's Word doesn't rely on 'it doesn't look like' to get it's answer. It merely relies on the fact that God loves us dearly and He meant every Word that He said. What we need to do as individuals is "prepare" ourselves for His Word coming to pass. We need to praise Him in advance for every need to be met. We need to rejoice that our unsaved loved ones are coming to Him and being filled with His Presence. We need to get excited about revival whether we are in one right now or not. My challenge to you is, find in God's Word what He has said about your situation. Believe that it will come to pass and begin giving Him praise.
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