2 Chronicles 16:9--For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of [them] whose heart [is] perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
Here's the short version of the story behind this promise/warning to Asa, one of the kings of Judah. Instead of trusting God, he hired one of his enemy nations to attack Israel. Hanani the seer came to him and delivered to him this prophecy from the Lord. The essence of this prophecy is that we have two choices. We can either choose to trust God's supernatural ability or we can trust our own physical ability. When we trust our own ability, we begin asking for trouble instead of getting away from it.
If we were to take a look at all of the promises of God, we could sum them up like this. Man is able to do only the physical while God is able to do the supernatural. In this scripture, we find that a supernatural God is looking for a physical man whose heart is right so He can do some supernatural things for him that a physical man cannot do.
As we have discussed many times on this blog, Abraham and Sarah did what they could do. They believed God that His word was true. That's all God asked them to do. Believe Him. When it looked like their bodies had shut down for good, God supernaturally strengthened their bodies ABOVE their normal abilities and Sarah conceived and bore Isaac. It happened just like God said that it would.
Here is another scripture. Eph 3:20--Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Paul declares that this supernatural God could do more than the physical man could imagine. What it takes is for man to do all that he can do and trust that God will take over where man's ability ends.
Malachi 3:10 describes the promise. If we would physically bring our tithes to Him, He would supernaturally bless with an abundance.
It would take too long to list all of the promises that God has made and give examples of His faithfulness. Besides, you need to spend some time in the Word of God and find them out for yourself. The bottom line in every promise is that God is looking for and waiting for a physical man to meet His conditions of a promise. Then God will supernaturally do what He promised to do.
Let's have the boldness of Elisha. When God supernaturally took Elijah to heaven in a whirlwind, he dropped his mantle back down to his servant Elisha. Elisha picked it up and physically did what he had just seen Elijah do. He slapped the Jordon river with the mantle of Elijah and asked "Where are you God?" Notice that the physical did all that he could do and God supernaturally opened the Jordon River just like He had done for Elijah.
We have seen great revivals. We have seen miracles in the past. We have seen the hand of God move providentially. It all came about through prayer. We need the boldness of the saints. God is looking for bold prayer warriors that will come to the front and do the physical thing Ask in His name. Ask largely in His name. Ask boldly in His name. Hebrews 4:16. It is only when we physically come boldly to the throne of grace that God supernaturally shows up with more than enough of His grace to help us in whatever it is that we need.
God's looking for somebody to show himself strong to. Let's raise our hands in prayer and praise and say, "Here I am, Lord. I'm ready for Your supernatural power to be poured out."
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
The Father Is The Gardner!
(NLT)
John 15:1--I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.
In my last blog, I was sharing my thoughts on why some churches don't grow. I would like to finish those thoughts on this one. Please do not take my remarks the wrong way. I DO NOT say that those who serve in these churches are not Christians. As I mentioned before, I have served as pastor in a few churches that just would not grow. I was a sincere Christian. The deacons, teachers and choir were all sincere Christians. Everybody wanted the church to grow. Everybody wanted souls to be saved. So, why not? Why couldn't the church grow? In the last blog, I suggested that they were plugged into something else besides Jesus. Next, we will deal with an even greater and more biting issue.
Notice that Jesus says in this verse that His Father is the gardener. In churches that don't grow, it is obvious that they someone or something else MUST be the gardener. I can irrefutably say that because the Father has never failed at anything He was allowed to do. Notice I said in anything He was ALLOWED to do. Just because you are a Christian, you are serving in a denominational church and the church has been around for ages, is NO proof that the Father is your gardener. You can start all kinds of ministries, churches, choirs and prayer circles and it doesn't mean that the Father is the gardener of it.
The question you have to answer is this. IF this church is plugged in to Jesus, and IF the Father is allowed to be the gardener, WHY AREN'T WE GROWING? Out of the three choices you have: Jesus, the Father and you, which one has proven to be the flop? Jesus proved Himself successful by doing exactly what the Father told Him and He got exactly what the Father had promised. The Father has been successful in carrying out His Word EVERY time that a servant would wholly lean on Him and do as He asked. That leaves me and you.
I can easily say me because I realized several years ago that there was nothing wrong with God SO there MUST be something wrong with me. I had prayed for years for a strong revival and for souls to be saved and nothing had happened. Nothing wrong with God must be something wrong with me. I remember the Saturday night that I was in prayer. I saw the utter uselessness of what I was doing. It was obvious that there was no increase. God dealt with me and told me to step down from my position at this particular church. The church thought I was doing a good job, but they weren't the gardener. The people liked the way that I lead worship, but they weren't the gardener. They even paid me a salary, but that wasn't a gardener either. God told me to go back to a church where I previously served as worship leader and serve in whatever capacity I was asked. When I obeyed over all the objections of the church I was serving, THEN I was allowing God to be my gardener.
He has pruned. He has pointed me in a few different directions. Even though this church that I am at right now is one of the many churches that do not grow, the Gardener is working in me. I am where He wants me to be and doing everything He wants me to do. Will He move me to where He needs me? Yep. When I am ready. Right now, I am seeking HIM, loving HIM and listening to HIM. I serve where He says to serve. I minister to people that I come across in my daily walk through life. I remain open to the Gardener and I trust Him to do whatever is necessary to His planting. Do I wish that I was pastoring again? You betcha! Would I want to lead worship at a vibrant church hungry for the Lord? Nothing gets past your lightnin' fast mind does it? Like the apostle Paul said in Phil 4:11--for I have learned, that whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
In essence, you don't grow because of your denomination. You don't grow because you have been a church for 100 years or more. You don't grow because your denomination sent you. You don't grow JUST because you have a position in the church. You don't grow because you have been a teacher for 25 years. You don't grow because your daddy puts in a lot of money to the church. You don't grow because your momma says you're called to preach. You don't grow through anything that you can accomplish.
Church growth comes from being plugged in to Jesus 24/7/365 and being obedient to the Gardener 24/7/365.
John 15:1--I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.
In my last blog, I was sharing my thoughts on why some churches don't grow. I would like to finish those thoughts on this one. Please do not take my remarks the wrong way. I DO NOT say that those who serve in these churches are not Christians. As I mentioned before, I have served as pastor in a few churches that just would not grow. I was a sincere Christian. The deacons, teachers and choir were all sincere Christians. Everybody wanted the church to grow. Everybody wanted souls to be saved. So, why not? Why couldn't the church grow? In the last blog, I suggested that they were plugged into something else besides Jesus. Next, we will deal with an even greater and more biting issue.
Notice that Jesus says in this verse that His Father is the gardener. In churches that don't grow, it is obvious that they someone or something else MUST be the gardener. I can irrefutably say that because the Father has never failed at anything He was allowed to do. Notice I said in anything He was ALLOWED to do. Just because you are a Christian, you are serving in a denominational church and the church has been around for ages, is NO proof that the Father is your gardener. You can start all kinds of ministries, churches, choirs and prayer circles and it doesn't mean that the Father is the gardener of it.
The question you have to answer is this. IF this church is plugged in to Jesus, and IF the Father is allowed to be the gardener, WHY AREN'T WE GROWING? Out of the three choices you have: Jesus, the Father and you, which one has proven to be the flop? Jesus proved Himself successful by doing exactly what the Father told Him and He got exactly what the Father had promised. The Father has been successful in carrying out His Word EVERY time that a servant would wholly lean on Him and do as He asked. That leaves me and you.
I can easily say me because I realized several years ago that there was nothing wrong with God SO there MUST be something wrong with me. I had prayed for years for a strong revival and for souls to be saved and nothing had happened. Nothing wrong with God must be something wrong with me. I remember the Saturday night that I was in prayer. I saw the utter uselessness of what I was doing. It was obvious that there was no increase. God dealt with me and told me to step down from my position at this particular church. The church thought I was doing a good job, but they weren't the gardener. The people liked the way that I lead worship, but they weren't the gardener. They even paid me a salary, but that wasn't a gardener either. God told me to go back to a church where I previously served as worship leader and serve in whatever capacity I was asked. When I obeyed over all the objections of the church I was serving, THEN I was allowing God to be my gardener.
He has pruned. He has pointed me in a few different directions. Even though this church that I am at right now is one of the many churches that do not grow, the Gardener is working in me. I am where He wants me to be and doing everything He wants me to do. Will He move me to where He needs me? Yep. When I am ready. Right now, I am seeking HIM, loving HIM and listening to HIM. I serve where He says to serve. I minister to people that I come across in my daily walk through life. I remain open to the Gardener and I trust Him to do whatever is necessary to His planting. Do I wish that I was pastoring again? You betcha! Would I want to lead worship at a vibrant church hungry for the Lord? Nothing gets past your lightnin' fast mind does it? Like the apostle Paul said in Phil 4:11--for I have learned, that whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
In essence, you don't grow because of your denomination. You don't grow because you have been a church for 100 years or more. You don't grow because your denomination sent you. You don't grow JUST because you have a position in the church. You don't grow because you have been a teacher for 25 years. You don't grow because your daddy puts in a lot of money to the church. You don't grow because your momma says you're called to preach. You don't grow through anything that you can accomplish.
Church growth comes from being plugged in to Jesus 24/7/365 and being obedient to the Gardener 24/7/365.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Why Doesn't Our Church Grow?
A cousin of mine e-mailed me this question yesterday. It just so happened that the chapter of the Bible that I read for my morning devotion was probably the best answer that could be given. I can report from experience because I pastored a couple of churches that never did grow. As a matter of fact, the vast majority of the churches in America are less than 100 in membership and never, never, never grow. And, there are reasons why. There are also reasons why some churches grow steadily.
John 15:1--I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Here ya go. Does everybody want to come up around the altar and repent in bitter tears? No? And, I know why. Just about every faithful church member in these go nowhere churches are going to tell me that they are plugged in to Jesus.
John 15:7-If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8--Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
So, Bro and Sis Gonowhere, are your prayers getting answered and are you bearing much fruit? I didn't think so. Like I said before, I pastored a few churches. Everybody, including myself, was convinced that we were abiding in the vine. The plain truth from the mouth of Jesus is, if that was true, your prayers would be answered and you would be bringing in the lost. If you are not, then plain and simple, you are not plugged in to Jesus.
What are you plugged in to? One of the things that you are plugged in to is the church itself. You judge yourself to be OK because you have been to that same church for years. You might have been born and raised in that church. Your mama and your daddy founded that church. Everybody watched you grow up in that church. It's YOUR church because everybody approves of you. If you dared to entertain the thought of leaving, everybody would be down your throat asking, "How can you even THINK of leaving? You were raised in this church. We need you here." Yep, you're plugged in to the church and not Jesus.
Paul was busy working in his home church in Tarsus. In Acts 11, Barnabas came and got him to come win the lost at Antioch. In Acts 13, God spoke for the two of them to begin a missionary journey. Were they doing good where they were? Yes. And yet, they were plugged in to Jesus enough to move on to a field that HE said for them to go to. If Paul had been plugged in to the local church, he might not have ever left home. Then again, his home church and the church in Antioch were plugged in to Jesus. Instead of balking at the thought of sending out "one of their own," they gladly sent them out because the church was plugged in to the vine.
It is great to be faithful to your church. It is greater to have your faithfulness plugged in to Jesus. He might not ever tell you to leave. He might not tell you to stay. Staying or leaving is not the question that should be asked. We should shape our lives by the question, "What do YOU want me to do today, Jesus?"
Our thoughts should never be how can I bless the church through what I do.
Being plugged in to the true vine means putting your complete trust in Him. We should come to Him every day and draw from His presence. We should never read His Word and think, "Boy, I know someone in the church that needs to hear that scripture." We should read His Word daily and ask Him, "Feed me on your Word. Jesus, even the scripture that convicts me would wind up building me up. Say anything You want to. I want to hear from You." Gauge your progress not on what the church would think but on what you KNOW Jesus thinks about it. When you do this, it will bring a whole new outlook on how you serve the Lord. It will make your service to the church you serve in more enjoyable because your are properly plugged in to the vine.
There is much, much more. Stay tuned.
John 15:1--I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Here ya go. Does everybody want to come up around the altar and repent in bitter tears? No? And, I know why. Just about every faithful church member in these go nowhere churches are going to tell me that they are plugged in to Jesus.
John 15:7-If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8--Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
So, Bro and Sis Gonowhere, are your prayers getting answered and are you bearing much fruit? I didn't think so. Like I said before, I pastored a few churches. Everybody, including myself, was convinced that we were abiding in the vine. The plain truth from the mouth of Jesus is, if that was true, your prayers would be answered and you would be bringing in the lost. If you are not, then plain and simple, you are not plugged in to Jesus.
What are you plugged in to? One of the things that you are plugged in to is the church itself. You judge yourself to be OK because you have been to that same church for years. You might have been born and raised in that church. Your mama and your daddy founded that church. Everybody watched you grow up in that church. It's YOUR church because everybody approves of you. If you dared to entertain the thought of leaving, everybody would be down your throat asking, "How can you even THINK of leaving? You were raised in this church. We need you here." Yep, you're plugged in to the church and not Jesus.
Paul was busy working in his home church in Tarsus. In Acts 11, Barnabas came and got him to come win the lost at Antioch. In Acts 13, God spoke for the two of them to begin a missionary journey. Were they doing good where they were? Yes. And yet, they were plugged in to Jesus enough to move on to a field that HE said for them to go to. If Paul had been plugged in to the local church, he might not have ever left home. Then again, his home church and the church in Antioch were plugged in to Jesus. Instead of balking at the thought of sending out "one of their own," they gladly sent them out because the church was plugged in to the vine.
It is great to be faithful to your church. It is greater to have your faithfulness plugged in to Jesus. He might not ever tell you to leave. He might not tell you to stay. Staying or leaving is not the question that should be asked. We should shape our lives by the question, "What do YOU want me to do today, Jesus?"
Our thoughts should never be how can I bless the church through what I do.
Being plugged in to the true vine means putting your complete trust in Him. We should come to Him every day and draw from His presence. We should never read His Word and think, "Boy, I know someone in the church that needs to hear that scripture." We should read His Word daily and ask Him, "Feed me on your Word. Jesus, even the scripture that convicts me would wind up building me up. Say anything You want to. I want to hear from You." Gauge your progress not on what the church would think but on what you KNOW Jesus thinks about it. When you do this, it will bring a whole new outlook on how you serve the Lord. It will make your service to the church you serve in more enjoyable because your are properly plugged in to the vine.
There is much, much more. Stay tuned.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Persevere For The Greater Joy
Ps 118:24-This [is] the day [which] the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
John 14:27--Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 16:24--Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
This is the day that the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. But, how can we say that when it looks like things are getting worse and not better? Or, how can we maintain our faith when it seems like things are at a standstill and not progressing? All of us reach moments like this. And, sometimes these points turn from moments to years.
When I reach these times, I begin to ask the question ‘What is God doing?’ (Some of you might remember that I have a blog on this subject.) One of the first things we need to understand is that God never sleeps. Also, God hears and answers our prayers. You can have a valid argument by wondering where is the answer when you need it. I’ve been down that road several times myself.
One of the things that we must consider is that God is faithful. If He answers prayer for one person, He has to answer prayer for all. Let’s take the promise He gave to Abraham and Sarah. It was 25 years before Isaac was born. They went through a lot. Through that lot, their faith was tested. They stumbled but finally LEARNED how to walk by faith. I believe we might have touched on a key.
The prophet Samuel anointed David to be king of Israel when he was just a teen. As you remember the story, it was several years before God fulfilled that promise. David had to go through a rigorous training process. Mind you, it wasn’t a PHYSICAL training program. It was a training program that God designed to strengthen his inner man. There were hardships to go through as well as hatred and mistrust he had to endure. He had to learn to deal with poverty and with poverty-stricken people. If you remember, he was able to take a rag-tag band of miscreants and shape them into a lean, mean fighting machine.
God allowed His heroes to go through some pretty tough character building processes before He manifested His answer. Why did He wait so long? Did He just enjoy seeing them suffer? We’re back at those questions again, aren’t we. The answer is found in the scripture (John 16:24.)
Hebrews tells us that hope is the anchor of our soul (Heb 6:19). In previous blogs we’ve quoted Heb 12:2--Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.. God had a greater joy for them in mind. There were some things that God wanted to accomplish that would enhance the joy of His provision.
How much joy and/or glory did Abraham and Sarah enjoy when a child was born to them at an impossible age? Don’t you think that a whole lot of people’s ears perked up when the word got around that a 91 year old lady was pregnant with her first child? How much attention did that grab? I am sure that at Isaac’s birth, Abraham had a congregation set and ready to hear about how great our God is. As people who knew them saw the miracle before their very eyes, they would be hard pressed to say anything else but “It had to be God.”
As handsome and manly as David was, the people thought more of him as he overcame the obstacles he faced. They watched as he rose to glory and then faded from view as he lost favor with King Saul. Many of the people of that day were on King Saul’s side. They watched David as he waited on God’s answer. When God raised him to the throne, even a lot of his enemies had to admit that it had to be God that did it.
As I have mentioned in a previous blog, God was busy creating some ‘greater joy’ during the 400 years between Malachi and Matthew. Yes, I know the Greeks were doing their thing and the Romans were doing their thing. HOWEVER, God was orchestrating the whole 400 years to bring ‘greater joy’ to His apostles. In God’s scheme of things, He had to get a way prepared for His men and women to carry out His instructions. He knew that after the day of Pentecost, highways and by-ways would be filled with people that were ready to spread the ‘greater joy.’
Let’s digress for a few moments. Those 400 years were filled with hardships. The days of persecution after the day of Pentecost were not pleasant either. Understand, that hardships produce character and God was wanting to pour out His joy in an abundant measure.
Let’s rejoice in this day. God is working on something good for us. Dip into His peace and pull out a hunk of joy to chew on instead of chocolate covered yuck.
John 14:27--Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 16:24--Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
This is the day that the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. But, how can we say that when it looks like things are getting worse and not better? Or, how can we maintain our faith when it seems like things are at a standstill and not progressing? All of us reach moments like this. And, sometimes these points turn from moments to years.
When I reach these times, I begin to ask the question ‘What is God doing?’ (Some of you might remember that I have a blog on this subject.) One of the first things we need to understand is that God never sleeps. Also, God hears and answers our prayers. You can have a valid argument by wondering where is the answer when you need it. I’ve been down that road several times myself.
One of the things that we must consider is that God is faithful. If He answers prayer for one person, He has to answer prayer for all. Let’s take the promise He gave to Abraham and Sarah. It was 25 years before Isaac was born. They went through a lot. Through that lot, their faith was tested. They stumbled but finally LEARNED how to walk by faith. I believe we might have touched on a key.
The prophet Samuel anointed David to be king of Israel when he was just a teen. As you remember the story, it was several years before God fulfilled that promise. David had to go through a rigorous training process. Mind you, it wasn’t a PHYSICAL training program. It was a training program that God designed to strengthen his inner man. There were hardships to go through as well as hatred and mistrust he had to endure. He had to learn to deal with poverty and with poverty-stricken people. If you remember, he was able to take a rag-tag band of miscreants and shape them into a lean, mean fighting machine.
God allowed His heroes to go through some pretty tough character building processes before He manifested His answer. Why did He wait so long? Did He just enjoy seeing them suffer? We’re back at those questions again, aren’t we. The answer is found in the scripture (John 16:24.)
Hebrews tells us that hope is the anchor of our soul (Heb 6:19). In previous blogs we’ve quoted Heb 12:2--Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.. God had a greater joy for them in mind. There were some things that God wanted to accomplish that would enhance the joy of His provision.
How much joy and/or glory did Abraham and Sarah enjoy when a child was born to them at an impossible age? Don’t you think that a whole lot of people’s ears perked up when the word got around that a 91 year old lady was pregnant with her first child? How much attention did that grab? I am sure that at Isaac’s birth, Abraham had a congregation set and ready to hear about how great our God is. As people who knew them saw the miracle before their very eyes, they would be hard pressed to say anything else but “It had to be God.”
As handsome and manly as David was, the people thought more of him as he overcame the obstacles he faced. They watched as he rose to glory and then faded from view as he lost favor with King Saul. Many of the people of that day were on King Saul’s side. They watched David as he waited on God’s answer. When God raised him to the throne, even a lot of his enemies had to admit that it had to be God that did it.
As I have mentioned in a previous blog, God was busy creating some ‘greater joy’ during the 400 years between Malachi and Matthew. Yes, I know the Greeks were doing their thing and the Romans were doing their thing. HOWEVER, God was orchestrating the whole 400 years to bring ‘greater joy’ to His apostles. In God’s scheme of things, He had to get a way prepared for His men and women to carry out His instructions. He knew that after the day of Pentecost, highways and by-ways would be filled with people that were ready to spread the ‘greater joy.’
Let’s digress for a few moments. Those 400 years were filled with hardships. The days of persecution after the day of Pentecost were not pleasant either. Understand, that hardships produce character and God was wanting to pour out His joy in an abundant measure.
Let’s rejoice in this day. God is working on something good for us. Dip into His peace and pull out a hunk of joy to chew on instead of chocolate covered yuck.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
INVASION: A C.H.A.O.S. NOVEL
INVASION: A C.H.A.O.S NOVEL
By Jon S. Lewis
Colt McAlister didn’t want to go to the camp. When he found out that it was a military academy, he really didn’t want to go. It took quite a bit of nudging from his father just to get him to get out of the car. Even though He spent only a few moments of time inside the confines of Trident Industries, he realized that his life would be forever changed.
Rumors abounded that the comic books he read had their origins in reality. After all, a hero with a jet pack fighting an enemy that was experimenting with a mind control chip was just a figment of someone’s imagination, wasn’t it? What about all of those UFO sightings that seemed to abound lately? Then, Colt heard the most absurd rumor of all. Could it be that the stories of the Phantom Flyer swirled around the part his grandfather played in WW II?
Up until this book, I was not interested in science fiction novels at all. However, Jon S. Lewis’ writing style has brought in a new convert. This book is fast paced and has more than enough twists to keep you guessing. There was no cursing or ungodly actions portrayed in the story. I enjoyed it immensely and would suggest it to anyone who enjoys some action with just a little tinge of romance.
I received a copy of this book from BookSneeze@ in return for an honest review.
What Are You Thinking About
Ps 19:14--Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
You can always tell what a person has been thinking about by the way they act or talk. If a person is always thinking about food, that's what they will talk about and they'll probably be a little bit bigger than you are. If someone is talking about sports all of the time, then that is what is taking up a good portion of their cranial space. If you ever ask yourself the question, what was Obama thinking, then just look at his actions. When Pujols, Hamilton or Fielder hit a home run, you'd better believe that they were NOT thinking of striking out. Those people that do strike out are usually think about it. For you race fans, Kyle Busch deliberately ran into another driver. What was he thinking? The same thing most of us do. We let our anger, fear or doubt become the cornerstone of our thinking process. The result is that we wind up doing something that we would not normally do and later would regret.
David, the great shepherd boy who rose to be a great king, wrote a song that gave us insight to the mighty deeds that God wrought through him. The cornerstone question that he built his life around is found in the verse from Psalm 19 that I have quoted. As we examine his statement we would evaluate it with the following qualifying questions. What I am thinking about right now, is that acceptable to God? My soul and my innermost thoughts are always open to Him, is His stamp of approval on what I am thinking? How does what I think about line up with His Word, His promises and His admonition? If I gave Him my thoughts as a gift offering, would He accept it or just stand there looking at my soul as if He were displeased?
Let's examine the Goliath incident. David knew that God's covenant was for him and against God's enemies. God had declared time and time again that His people would be blessed. He knew that slavery and bondage to an ungodly nation was a curse and not a blessing. God had promised in His covenant that His people would be the head and not the tail (Deut 28). David became the hero of the day, not because he was the biggest man on the battlefield. He was an over comer in battle, not because he was the best trained fighter. He was a winner because he thought of himself in the light of God's Word. He knew he was smaller. He knew he was not well trained in battle. However, he was well trained in prayer and meditation. He thought of himself the way that God did.
John 14:10 gives us greater insight. Jesus said, "But the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." You see, a Word centered thought process was the cornerstone of Jesus' ability, also. David thought of himself as God did. Therefore, God was the one who orchestrated the battle and it was God working on the inside of David that brought the victory. When our minds line up with what God says and we start thinking the Word of God instead of the worry of the world, God begins changing our lives and our circumstances from the inside of us.
You might try to argue that you look at the circumstances around you and view the world situation and declare that all is impossible. Let's look at Abraham and Sarah for a moment. If anyone was going to place bets on who would be the father of a multitude, these two would be way down on the list. Los Vegas would put their odds at a gazillion to one. Those odds would go up each successive year, also. However, (Heb 11:11) Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Sarah, thought God was faithful and, at God's time, her body received strength to conceive and bear a child. Her body kept getting older and deader. Her thought life was acceptable to God and her faith in Him kept getting stronger. Her faithfulness in her meditation brought her a supernatural ability to give birth when God's divine plan for her began to unfold.
What have you been thinking about lately? Have the problems of life and the condition of the world trained your thoughts? Down through the years has that process brought to you victory of any kind? Then, why not let your thoughts be acceptable to God and give Him and His Word a shot a straightening things out for you. Let the miracles begin.
You can always tell what a person has been thinking about by the way they act or talk. If a person is always thinking about food, that's what they will talk about and they'll probably be a little bit bigger than you are. If someone is talking about sports all of the time, then that is what is taking up a good portion of their cranial space. If you ever ask yourself the question, what was Obama thinking, then just look at his actions. When Pujols, Hamilton or Fielder hit a home run, you'd better believe that they were NOT thinking of striking out. Those people that do strike out are usually think about it. For you race fans, Kyle Busch deliberately ran into another driver. What was he thinking? The same thing most of us do. We let our anger, fear or doubt become the cornerstone of our thinking process. The result is that we wind up doing something that we would not normally do and later would regret.
David, the great shepherd boy who rose to be a great king, wrote a song that gave us insight to the mighty deeds that God wrought through him. The cornerstone question that he built his life around is found in the verse from Psalm 19 that I have quoted. As we examine his statement we would evaluate it with the following qualifying questions. What I am thinking about right now, is that acceptable to God? My soul and my innermost thoughts are always open to Him, is His stamp of approval on what I am thinking? How does what I think about line up with His Word, His promises and His admonition? If I gave Him my thoughts as a gift offering, would He accept it or just stand there looking at my soul as if He were displeased?
Let's examine the Goliath incident. David knew that God's covenant was for him and against God's enemies. God had declared time and time again that His people would be blessed. He knew that slavery and bondage to an ungodly nation was a curse and not a blessing. God had promised in His covenant that His people would be the head and not the tail (Deut 28). David became the hero of the day, not because he was the biggest man on the battlefield. He was an over comer in battle, not because he was the best trained fighter. He was a winner because he thought of himself in the light of God's Word. He knew he was smaller. He knew he was not well trained in battle. However, he was well trained in prayer and meditation. He thought of himself the way that God did.
John 14:10 gives us greater insight. Jesus said, "But the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." You see, a Word centered thought process was the cornerstone of Jesus' ability, also. David thought of himself as God did. Therefore, God was the one who orchestrated the battle and it was God working on the inside of David that brought the victory. When our minds line up with what God says and we start thinking the Word of God instead of the worry of the world, God begins changing our lives and our circumstances from the inside of us.
You might try to argue that you look at the circumstances around you and view the world situation and declare that all is impossible. Let's look at Abraham and Sarah for a moment. If anyone was going to place bets on who would be the father of a multitude, these two would be way down on the list. Los Vegas would put their odds at a gazillion to one. Those odds would go up each successive year, also. However, (Heb 11:11) Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Sarah, thought God was faithful and, at God's time, her body received strength to conceive and bear a child. Her body kept getting older and deader. Her thought life was acceptable to God and her faith in Him kept getting stronger. Her faithfulness in her meditation brought her a supernatural ability to give birth when God's divine plan for her began to unfold.
What have you been thinking about lately? Have the problems of life and the condition of the world trained your thoughts? Down through the years has that process brought to you victory of any kind? Then, why not let your thoughts be acceptable to God and give Him and His Word a shot a straightening things out for you. Let the miracles begin.
Friday, November 4, 2011
What Did Jesus Think About satan?
John 13:3--Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything.
John 14:30--I don't have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me,
Have you ever watched episodes of "The Dog Whisperer?" Caesar is an amazing people trainer. And, he isn't too shabby at handling dogs either. If you watch the show closely, you will find the Caesar takes time to train the dog owners. He is always instructing them to remain in control. He tells them not to be afraid. Why? Dogs, and other animals can sense fear in humans. Caesar tells the owners to be more assertive because dogs also sense mastery as well.
Satan, also senses fear and mastery. In Matthew's gospel and the eighth chapter, Matthew gives his version of Jesus' encounter with a man possessed with devils. Everybody in the Gadara community was afraid of this guy. He was so mean and evil that he did not want to be around anyone. Therefore, he lived in a cemetery. Matthew says that this man was so fierce that nobody dared to come close to him. What was the difference between Jesus and everybody else?
According to John 13, Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything. That included the devil and his imps. To say that Jesus knew something would indicate that He thought about it and also, acted like it. Psalm 1 teaches us to meditate on the law day and night. I am sure that Jesus followed the commandments and followed the teaching of God. Undoubtedly, He must have been thinking that satan was a defeated foe. He undoubtedly thought that He was stronger than any devil around. There was no doubt in His mind that deliverance was coming for this helpless man. Why? Because, He did not allow His heart to be troubled about the situation (John 14:1, 27).
He pictured Himself casting those devils out. He thought about that man being freed and telling everyone about the mercy of God. He acted like He was going to cast those devils out. There was nothing in His facial expression that would even give the slightest hint of a doubt. The devils could not only see it, but, because they were spiritual beings, they SENSED the force of God's overwhelming power that was abiding within Jesus.
Jesus cultivated that power by meditating on God's word--day and night, just like Psalm 1 declared. Jesus cultivated that power by coming and refreshing Himself in His Father's presence. As He read and remembered what He was supposed to be like, as He fellowshipped with the Supreme Judge, there was no other way for Jesus to think or act. He also knew that NO devil had authority over Him. The devil did not have the authority to kill Him on the cross. Jesus went voluntarily. He GAVE His life. No one took it.
Satan saw it, sensed it and reacted to it. They forced this man to run up to Jesus and fall down before Him in hopes of throwing Him off the mark. It didn't work. Because of what Jesus KNEW and because of what He MEDITATED on day and night, there was only ONE action that Jesus would accept. That action was their departure from the man-child that God had created and was greatly in love with.
The devils believed in the power of God so strongly that their first comment to Jesus was not to torment them before their time (vs29). They knew something that Jesus had not even taught the disciples, yet. They knew their future. Jesus knew that there was a time of torment coming for them and they knew it, too. Jesus knew that they were going to have to release their hold on the man, the demons knew it, too. That's why they begged to go into the swine.
It's not what kind of situations you face that make or break you. It is how you face those situations. The more you meditate on His promises instead of the problem, the stronger your inner self will become through the power of God. The more that you spend time with Him on a daily basis, the more forceful His presence will become inside of you. The enemy, also, will begin to realize the power of God within you. Pray as if you will not take 'no' as an answer when it comes to the promises of God. Walk and talk with the assurance of a prayer answering God. Act like God is in charge and give the devil a heart attack.
John 14:30--I don't have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me,
Have you ever watched episodes of "The Dog Whisperer?" Caesar is an amazing people trainer. And, he isn't too shabby at handling dogs either. If you watch the show closely, you will find the Caesar takes time to train the dog owners. He is always instructing them to remain in control. He tells them not to be afraid. Why? Dogs, and other animals can sense fear in humans. Caesar tells the owners to be more assertive because dogs also sense mastery as well.
Satan, also senses fear and mastery. In Matthew's gospel and the eighth chapter, Matthew gives his version of Jesus' encounter with a man possessed with devils. Everybody in the Gadara community was afraid of this guy. He was so mean and evil that he did not want to be around anyone. Therefore, he lived in a cemetery. Matthew says that this man was so fierce that nobody dared to come close to him. What was the difference between Jesus and everybody else?
According to John 13, Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything. That included the devil and his imps. To say that Jesus knew something would indicate that He thought about it and also, acted like it. Psalm 1 teaches us to meditate on the law day and night. I am sure that Jesus followed the commandments and followed the teaching of God. Undoubtedly, He must have been thinking that satan was a defeated foe. He undoubtedly thought that He was stronger than any devil around. There was no doubt in His mind that deliverance was coming for this helpless man. Why? Because, He did not allow His heart to be troubled about the situation (John 14:1, 27).
He pictured Himself casting those devils out. He thought about that man being freed and telling everyone about the mercy of God. He acted like He was going to cast those devils out. There was nothing in His facial expression that would even give the slightest hint of a doubt. The devils could not only see it, but, because they were spiritual beings, they SENSED the force of God's overwhelming power that was abiding within Jesus.
Jesus cultivated that power by meditating on God's word--day and night, just like Psalm 1 declared. Jesus cultivated that power by coming and refreshing Himself in His Father's presence. As He read and remembered what He was supposed to be like, as He fellowshipped with the Supreme Judge, there was no other way for Jesus to think or act. He also knew that NO devil had authority over Him. The devil did not have the authority to kill Him on the cross. Jesus went voluntarily. He GAVE His life. No one took it.
Satan saw it, sensed it and reacted to it. They forced this man to run up to Jesus and fall down before Him in hopes of throwing Him off the mark. It didn't work. Because of what Jesus KNEW and because of what He MEDITATED on day and night, there was only ONE action that Jesus would accept. That action was their departure from the man-child that God had created and was greatly in love with.
The devils believed in the power of God so strongly that their first comment to Jesus was not to torment them before their time (vs29). They knew something that Jesus had not even taught the disciples, yet. They knew their future. Jesus knew that there was a time of torment coming for them and they knew it, too. Jesus knew that they were going to have to release their hold on the man, the demons knew it, too. That's why they begged to go into the swine.
It's not what kind of situations you face that make or break you. It is how you face those situations. The more you meditate on His promises instead of the problem, the stronger your inner self will become through the power of God. The more that you spend time with Him on a daily basis, the more forceful His presence will become inside of you. The enemy, also, will begin to realize the power of God within you. Pray as if you will not take 'no' as an answer when it comes to the promises of God. Walk and talk with the assurance of a prayer answering God. Act like God is in charge and give the devil a heart attack.
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