Saturday, October 29, 2016

All Other Ground is Sinking Sand

Luke 6:47-49

47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

In this parable, there are two different houses, two different foundations, and two different men. In this passage of scripture Jesus divides the whole world into two groups of people: The Wise and the foolish. The Lord is showing us that it is up to us which category we fall into, it’s a choice. No one is born with the predisposition to be a fool, and no one is born with the predisposition to be wise.
This parable is a teaching of contrasts and variables, but one thing is the same: the storm. It is clear from this story that storms come to everybody. Regardless of how well prepared you are, storms are going to come into your life.

I live in South Mississippi and there is no doubt as to whether we are going to have storms, we are. The only questions are when, how big, and how much damage will the storm cause. Some have had the advantage of the daylight hours and have been able to see the storm coming and could brace for it, or get out of the way. But for others there was no warning, they went to bed and woke up to the sound of a powerful storm ripping their house apart. In the morning light all that remains are the broken shattered pieces of a life that used to be, a home that used to be

The same can be said of the storms of life that people face every day. Many of them could have been predicted, but some of them come on us while we were sleeping and they left destruction in their path. A marriage that used to be beautiful, a body that used to be healthy and strong, a family that used to be close, that used to love each other, a mind that used to be clear and sharp uncluttered by drugs and alcohol, or a retirement plan that used to exist but got blown away by the storm. And it all happened without warning it happened while they were sleeping.

I wonder how many storms could have been avoided had we not been sleeping. I know some storms are unavoidable, but there are some storms that could be avoided if we would just wake up. God didn’t intend for marriages to end in divorce. All financial struggles don’t have to end with bankruptcy. A lot of things happen in our lives simply because we are asleep, we’re not watching, we’re not paying attention.

I Thessalonians  5:7- For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

Samson is a great example of what I am saying. Samson didn’t have to have his eyes punched out, he didn’t have to suffer humiliation and play the part of a fool and a slave in a Philistine prison. This was a storm he could have avoided.

Samson’s problem was that he was sleeping when he should have been praying, sleeping when he should’ve been meditating upon the word of God, sleeping when he should’ve been listening to the anointed word of God, taking notes and making preparation to build his foundation. Samson was sleeping while the storm was brewing. Samson closed his eyes to the obvious threat around him and pretended everything was all right, when he knew in his heart it was all wrong.

I’m trying to warn somebody today: you’re about to head into a storm! I know some storms are unavoidable, but there are some storms that you don’t have to go through. Some of you are in storms right now that you didn’t have to go through, hell you didn’t have to go through, heartbreak you didn’t have to experience. These are storms that are the product and the fruit of fleshly desires and decisions.

Sampson’s life was a series of storms, tragedies, loss, heartbreak, and every one of them was a product of his own self-will and actions birthed out of the desires of his flesh. We’ve all been there, and no one can point a self-righteous finger, especially not me, without pointing at yourself first. We’ve all blown it. We’ve all moved in the flesh. We’ve all ignored wise counsel, and did what we wanted to do. And like Sampson we found ourselves in a storm.

Then are the storms that you cannot predict. They are spiritual in design and origin. And if you are seeking to live a holy life, they are unavoidable. These storms are not the result of carnal choices; they are the product of a satanic conspiracy. These storms are designed to destroy your faith, and to take you out. They are fiery furnaces designed, formed, and created for the sole purpose of destroying your life.

Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace was supposed to prove publicly that the faith of the three Hebrew children was worthless; it was his intention to publicly humiliate the testimony and the confession of these three children of faith. That’s the purpose of these spiritual storms; that’s the reason that they come. They come to humiliate you, to ridicule you, and to destroy your faith in God. The devil wants to put you on display in front of the world, and to proclaim, “They couldn’t make it, and neither will you! I destroyed them, and I’ll destroy you too!

The sad truth is, many in the church that have been blown away by the storms. Why? Because they built their house on the sand. They went to church, they heard the preacher, they shouted, they danced, they even paid their tithes, but they built their house on the sand.

Sand represents that which is moving, shifting, changing, and unstable. They built on their religious affiliation, good deeds, morality, legal righteousness, or wisdom and knowledge. All of these are mere sand, moving and shifting with the rising tide. No wonder the songwriter said, “On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand!”

Jesus reveals that when the house is destroyed in the storm, the foundation is the problem. Everything depends on your foundation, and this is where so many people miss it. They want to build something that looks nice and that they can be proud of, and that will impress others. They want the anointing and they want to minister. They want to preach, they want to teach, sing, or evangelize. They want big houses, fancy cars, reputation, and popularity. They put all of their energy into what you can see, and they fail to build a strong foundation.

Jesus said: The wise man dug down deep and laid his foundation on the rock. The wise man understands, that the most important thing in his house is the foundation. The wise man is more concerned with what others cannot see, than what they can see. Jesus spent 30 years of his life laying a foundation for a three-and-a-half-year ministry.

We know Jesus was born, we saw him at 12 years of age in the temple, but we know nothing of his life up until he was 12 and we know nothing of his life after 12 years old until he started his open ministry at 30 years of age. What was Jesus doing in all those silent years? He was building; he was laying the foundation for his ministry.

Jesus was teaching us how to build our lives. In Matthew 6:1-8 Jesus taught us to do our praying in secret in the closet, to do our alms between ourselves and God, to fast secretly unto the Lord, not seeking attention from others. This is the foundation, then He told us that once we have done these things secretly, our father, God, will reward us openly.

The wise men dig down deep, he was willing to invest time and effort in building a good foundation. Laying the foundation for a successful life is hard work. Anyone can shout, dance, and run, but it’s hard sometimes to shout and dance, and holler when you’re digging and hitting rocks and roots and getting things out of the way that are unstable, undependable, shifting and loose.

The wise man digs down deep. You have got to dig down past your feelings, your emotions, popular opinion, religious pedigree, head knowledge, and second hand revelation. You cannot build your life on who others says that Jesus is, you’ve got to know him for yourself.

To many who know me now it may look like I got it all together, but that don’t mean I’ve never been through a storm. I try to write words of encouragement and blessing that will lift you up, but that don’t mean I have never been down. My blog entries are long, so I don’t have time to write about all the storms I’ve been through in my life. Some I could have avoided and some I couldn’t, but the most important point I want to get through today is this: I’m still standing!

I took a good hit, but I’m still standing. It was a bad storm, but I’m still standing. I lost some stuff I thought I couldn’t live without, but I’m still standing. It blew some people away that I thought were my friends, but I’m still standing. Sometimes it felt like the storm would never end, but I’m still standing.

How do you make it through the storm of sickness? How do you make it through the storm of the loss of a loved one? How do you make it through broken relationships and through the storm of divorce? How do you make it when everything you love and hold dear is taken from you?

The secret is: Dig past everything and ever body else, until you find the ROCK! Dig past your church, dig past your religion, dig past your emotions, dig past your feelings, dig past all opinions until you hit the ROCK. Do whatever you have got to do to find God, His name is Jesus, and take the time to discover who He is.


Saturday, October 22, 2016

He's Under my Feet

Gibeon was a great city, but now Gibeon was a threat to the kings of the Amorites because it had chosen the Lords side. The leaders of the city of Gibeon recognized that God was with Joshua and the children of Israel and they had come into covenant with Joshua and the children of Israel. Now all hell rose up against them, but the good news is that by choosing Gods side, all heaven came to their aid.

Joshua 10:1-6
Now it came to pass, when Adonizedec king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; 2 That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty. 3 Wherefore Adonizedec king of Jerusalem, sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel. 5 Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it. 6 And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.

Just a word to someone who feels like you’re going through hell, that the devil is throwing everything imaginable at you. I want you to know that you are not alone, God knows what the enemy is trying to do, and he will not forsake you. The devil is not going to win. He may have won a round or two, but you’re going to win the war.

Joshua 10:15-26
15 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal. 16 But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. 17 And it was told Joshua, saying, the five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah. 18 And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them: 19 And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand. 20 And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities.    21 And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. 22 Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave. 23 And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. 24 And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, (Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.) 25 And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight. 26 And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

I have word for somebody today: The Lord told me to tell you to put your foot on it! You’re getting ready to change positions!

Someone who has been feeling down, someone who has been feeling distressed, disappointed, and confused is getting ready to change positions. You have felt as though something has had its foot on your neck, like it’s been trying to choke the life out of you, it’s not killing you but it’s cutting off your breath, making it hard to breathe, and taking the joy out of your life. The Lord told me to tell you that today the tables are turning, today your changing positions, you’re going from being under your circumstances, to being on top of your circumstances, and from being under pressure to being the one applying the pressure. God said, “You’re going to put your foot on it!”

Putting your foot on it means that you are in charge! It means that you’re on top of it, that you are in control. It means that whatever it is, has lost it’s power to affect you, it means that you have won.
I don’t know what “it” is for you: These five kings could represent anything. They could represent financial problems, marital problems, physical problems, or spiritual problems. You’re problem may be labeled debt, sickness, or addiction, but no matter what it is called, it’s time to put your foot on it!

Romans 16:20
And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

From a God perspective, the devil has already been defeated, Jesus has stripped him of his authority and his power. He has no power over our will, he has no power over our mind, he has no power over our spirit. It doesn’t matter what he does, he cannot take us out of God’s hand.

But to believe that the devil has no power, that he is weak and helpless, is to make a tragic mistake. The devil is defeated from a God perspective, but he is not dead. While he cannot affect our standing with God, but he can mess with our circumstances and our emotions, and he can manipulate people and things. The devil attacks us through people, through sickness, through financial problems, and he attacks us by attacking the people we love.

In this scripture Paul is Prophesying that there’s a turn-around coming! Paul is saying that what Jesus accomplished in the Spirit is getting ready to be manifested in your world, and in your daily existence. It’s one thing to know that Jesus defeated the devil, but it is another thing to see that victory manifested in our own personal experience. I don’t know about you, but I want more than just a revelation of how Jesus defeated the devil, I want that devil is under my feet!

Joshua said to his captains: Come near and put your foot on their necks. This was to demonstrate that the victory was real and it was personal, that enemy was under their feet. Joshua said to those men in essence, “Today is your day! Instead of running from it, crying about it, or even praying about it: Today you’re going to put your foot on it, and when you do your going to choke the life out of it!”
We are often waiting for God to move in some great supernatural way and with one swipe, wipe out all our enemies, but the truth is, to a large degree God has done everything he is going to do until we do something. He has given us His Word, His name, His blood, His Spirit, the power of praise, and the armor of God.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Notice that Joshua himself did not put his foot upon the necks of the enemy kings, but rather let his captains do it, this was to represent the fact that this victory belonged to every single Israelite, and that every single one of them were subduing their enemies that day.

In Mark chapter fourteen we read the story of the disciples out on the sea, and a great storm arose and they feared for their lives, then Peter looked through the storm and saw the sea walker, he saw Jesus walking on top of the thing that was on top of them. Then Peter said Lord, “I want to be on top of it too.”

Then Jesus said, “Well then, put your foot on it.”

Then Peter Jumped out of the boat and stood on top of the thing that was trying to kill them. He walked on top of the water, on the top of the storm.

They brought these five kings out of their cave, out of their hiding place, and they identified them by name. Before you get the victory over that which has plagued you and robbed you, and oppressed you. You have got to bring it out of hiding, you have to admit it, and you have to identify it. You have to stop pretending that it doesn’t exist, or that it’s not a big deal, and that you can handle it yourself. Before you can put your foot on it, you have got to bring it out of the cave. Whatever you keep in the dark, grows, and intensifies and multiplies and will eventually bring you into bondage, and if not dealt with it will destroy your life.

Before you can put your foot on it, you have to identify it. Recognize it for what it is, expose it, get honest with God about it, hate it, and want to be rid of it. You will never quit drinking if you love it. You will never quit quarreling and arguing if you love it. You will never quit looking at pornography if you love it. You will never quit holding grudges if you love it. You will never quit gossiping if you love it. You have got to hate it.

Your love for God must move you to hate the things that would adversely affect your relationship with Him. My flesh may want to lean toward sin, but if it is harmful to my relationship with God, then my spirit should hate it. Before you can put your foot on it you have got to hate it.

You can’t tolerate it and conquer it! You can’t pet it and conquer it! You can’t cover it and conquer it! You can’t deny it and conquer it! You have got to hate it with a holy hatred and when you do you will go after it to destroy it.

I don’t know what it is in your life today that on top of you. I don’t know how big or small it is, but I know the Lord told me to tell you, “it’s time for you to put your foot on it!”

And when you do, something supernatural is going to take place: God almighty is going to fight with you.


Just like Joshua told those men: If you will just turn and fight your enemies, then God is going to fight with you and not one single one of your enemies will stand!


Put Your Foot On It

Gibeon was a great city, but now Gibeon was a threat to the kings of the Amorites because it had chosen the Lords side. The leaders of the city of Gibeon recognized that God was with Joshua and the children of Israel and they had come into covenant with Joshua and the children of Israel. Now all hell rose up against them, but the good news is that by choosing Gods side, all heaven came to their aid.

Joshua 10:1-6
Now it came to pass, when Adonizedec king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; 2 That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty. 3 Wherefore Adonizedec king of Jerusalem, sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel. 5 Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it. 6 And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.

Just a word to someone who feels like you’re going through hell, that the devil is throwing everything imaginable at you. I want you to know that you are not alone, God knows what the enemy is trying to do, and he will not forsake you. The devil is not going to win. He may have won a round or two, but you’re going to win the war.

Joshua 10:15-26
15 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal. 16 But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. 17 And it was told Joshua, saying, the five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah. 18 And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them: 19 And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand. 20 And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities.    21 And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. 22 Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave. 23 And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. 24 And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, (Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.) 25 And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight. 26 And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

I have word for somebody today: The Lord told me to tell you to put your foot on it! You’re getting ready to change positions!

Someone who has been feeling down, someone who has been feeling distressed, disappointed, and confused is getting ready to change positions. You have felt as though something has had its foot on your neck, like it’s been trying to choke the life out of you, it’s not killing you but it’s cutting off your breath, making it hard to breathe, and taking the joy out of your life. The Lord told me to tell you that today the tables are turning, today your changing positions, you’re going from being under your circumstances, to being on top of your circumstances, and from being under pressure to being the one applying the pressure. God said, “You’re going to put your foot on it!”

Putting your foot on it means that you are in charge! It means that you’re on top of it, that you are in control. It means that whatever it is, has lost it’s power to affect you, it means that you have won.
I don’t know what “it” is for you tonight: These five kings could represent anything. They could represent financial problems, marital problems, physical problems, or spiritual problems. You’re problem may be labeled debt, sickness, or addiction, but no matter what it is called, it’s time to put your foot on it!

Romans 16:20
And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

From a God perspective, the devil has already been defeated, Jesus has stripped him of his authority and his power. He has no power over our will, he has no power over our mind, he has no power over our spirit. It doesn’t matter what he does, he cannot take us out of God’s hand.

But to believe that the devil has no power, or that he is weak and helpless, is to make a tragic mistake. The devil is defeated from a God perspective, but he is not dead. While he cannot affect our standing with God, he can mess with our circumstances and our emotions, and he can manipulate people and things. The devil attacks us through people, through sickness, through financial problems, and he attacks us by attacking the people we love.

In this scripture Paul is Prophesying that there’s a turn-around coming! Paul is saying that what Jesus accomplished in the Spirit is getting ready to be manifested in your world, and in your daily existence. It’s one thing to know that Jesus defeated the devil, but it is another thing entirely, to see that victory manifested in our own personal experience. I don’t know about you, but I want more than just a revelation of how Jesus defeated the devil, I want to experience the reality of the devil under my feet!

Joshua said to his captains: Come near and put your foot on their necks. This was to demonstrate that the victory was real and it was personal. The enemy was under their feet, and they could feel it for themselves. The victory wasn't conceptual, it was real!

Joshua said essence, “Today is your day! Instead of running from it, crying about it, or even praying about it: Today you’re going to put your foot on it, and when you do your going to choke the life out of it!”

We are often waiting for God to move in some great supernatural way and with one swipe, wipe out all our enemies, but the truth is, to a large degree God has done everything he is going to do until we do something. He has given us His Word, His name, His blood, His Spirit, the power of praise, and the armor of God.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Notice that Joshua himself did not put his foot upon the necks of the enemy kings, but rather let his captains do it, this was to represent the fact that this victory belonged to every single Israelite, and that every single one of them were subduing their enemies that day.

In Mark chapter fourteen we read the story of the disciples out on the sea, and a great storm arose and they feared for their lives, then Peter looked through the storm and saw the sea walker, he saw Jesus walking on top of the thing that was on top of them. Then Peter said Lord, “I want to be on top of it too.”

Then Jesus said, “Well then, put your foot on it.”

Then Peter Jumped out of the boat and stood on top of the thing that was trying to kill them. He walked on top of the water, on the top of the storm, and if he hadn't taken his eyes off of Jesus, and let the thing that sought to destroy him, cause fear and doubt, it would have stayed under his feet!

They brought these five kings out of their cave, out of their hiding place, and they identified them by name. Before you get the victory over that which has plagued you and robbed you, and oppressed you. You have got to bring it out of hiding, you have to admit it, and you have to identify it. You have to stop pretending that it doesn’t exist, or that it’s not a big deal, and that you can handle it yourself. Before you can put your foot on it, you have got to bring it out of the cave. Whatever you keep in the dark, grows, and intensifies and multiplies and will eventually bring you into bondage, and if not dealt with it will destroy your life.

Before you can put your foot on it, you have to identify it. Recognize it for what it is, expose it, get honest with God about it, and hate it! You will never quit drinking if you love it! You will never quit quarreling and arguing if you love it! You will never quit looking at pornography if you love it! You will never quit holding grudges if you love it! You will never quit gossiping if you love it! Your evil desires will keep dragging you into sin as long as your flesh loves what your doing. That is why you have to die daily. You have to hate it, put your foot on it, and crucify it!

Your love for God must move you to hate the things that adversely affect your relationship with Him. My flesh may want to lean toward sin, but if it is harmful to my relationship with God, then my spirit should hate it. Before you can put your foot on it you have got to hate it.

You can’t tolerate sin and conquer it! You can’t pet sin and conquer it! You can’t cover it up and conquer it! You can’t deny it and conquer it! You have got to hate it with a holy hatred and when you do, you will go after it to destroy it, and you will put your foot on it's neck!

I don’t know what it is in your life today that is on top of you. I don’t know how big or small it is, but I know the Lord told me to tell you, “it’s time for you to put your foot on it!”

And when you do, something supernatural is going to take place: God almighty is going to fight with you.

Just like Joshua told those men: If you will just turn and fight your enemies, then God is going to fight with you and not one single one of your enemies will stand!


Saturday, October 15, 2016

Holy Ghost Hellium

God gave me a message this morning that I believe many, including myself, need to hear. For some this word is going to shift you to another season. For some this prophecy is going to bring resurrection power! I am putting the word He gave me out there this morning and whether you receive it or not is your part, mine is to speak it. I pray right now in the mighty name of Jesus, that you would make this declaration: “I will hear your words Lord, I will receive your word, and I will believe you!”

God said prophesy to His people and declare that today is your day of restitution and a time of restoration. “Restitution” means to get back that which has been wrongfully taken from you, and “Restore” means to put it back in its proper place and in its proper order.

In John 10:10 Jesus said, “The thief comes but for to steal to kill and to destroy, but I am come that they might have life and that more abundantly.”

Many of you love the Lord with all your heart and you wouldn't think of ever turning your back on the Lord. You're doing your best to serve him and please him. You never planned for it to happen and you didn't think it would ever happen to you, but somehow somewhere in the course of life and the daily grind your joy has come up missing. A thief has entered your house and taken something from you. You don’t know how he got in, but you been robbed! Your Joy is missing and you don’t know what happened to it!

The truth is it happens to most of us at some point in time. Even David the great psalmist, prophet and king, who understood more about praise and worship and the presence of God than almost anyone living, one day found that the joy had come up missing. But David knew the source of his joy and that is why he cried out to God in Psalms 51:12, “restore unto to me the joy of my salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit.”

The devil knows that joy is a tremendous source of power to the believer. The Word of God declares in Nehemiah 8:10, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

I want to say it this way this morning: Joy is “bounce back power!” It’s “get back up power!” Proverbs 24:16 says, “For a just man falleth seven times and riseth again.” He gets back up. As long as you have the joy of the Lord no matter how hard the devil hits you, you will bounce back and be stronger than ever. let me say it another way, the joy of lord makes you unsinkable!

Secondly the Joy of the Lord is “take you through power!” It doesn't matter what you have to go through in life, the joy of the Lord will give you the ability to keep walking, to keep pushing, to keep praying, to keep praising, to keep sowing, and to keep going. We all have to go through stuff sometimes. In fact, I was just telling a young couple in my church last night, if the devil isn’t trying to put you through the wringer, you might need to reevaluate your spiritual life because the Word says clearly in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

But what I am really thankful for is that the joy of the Lord is also, “take you over power!” It is the joy of the Lord that gives wings to your faith and enables you to rise above the storms, the trials, and the attacks. The Joy of the Lord is Holy Ghost Helium, it's the internal substance that gives us lifting power. The joy of the Lord, the result of the indwelling power of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, gives us the power to break the gravitational pull that wants to drag us down into worry, fear, depression, and discouragement.

According to Genesis 49:22 Joseph was able to overcome every wall and every adversity because he was planted by a well. Joseph was continually drawing from the supply of the Joy of the Lord. The joy of the Lord is vivacious, it's alive, and it's contagious. If anything should distinguish us from the world it should be the joy of the Lord. When we can go through the same tests, the same trials, and the same hardships as the world and they're tripping out, flipping out, and freaking out, but we’re chilling out, because of the supernatural supply of power that the joy of the Lord has supplied us with, they're going to want what we have.

Some of you have been going through all kinds of difficulties, hardships, trials, and just plain old attacks from hell. It seems like you get victory in one area then you're attacked in another. It feels like you're in a continual cycle of warfare, like you're caught in the spin cycle in the washer and you can't turn it off. Here's the reason why. The devil wants to wear you out. Daniel 7:25 says, “he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High.”

Some of you have been going through all kinds of battles all kinds of tests and trials and storms and your joy has been under attack. If you’re honest about it, the devil has hit you hard, and not just in one area but in multiple areas. The truth is, sometimes his aim is pretty good and this time it was a good hit. I mean the devil hit you where it hurt, you felt it and it stunned you. 

The Devil's been after your strength, he's been after your “bounce back power”, after your “go through power,” and he’s after your “take you over power.” He's been trying to steal your Holy Ghost Helium, but I prophesy right now in the name of Jesus, today you're getting it back! 

Square up your shoulders and look the devil in the eye and shout I’m taking back my joy! In the mighty name of Jesus, I’m taking back what you stole from me! It’s restitution time you no good thief! It’s restoration time you stinking liar! I choose to believe my God, and He told me it’s mine and you can’t have it!

Declare right now in the name of Jesus, I'm getting my joy back! Come on and shout, I'm getting my wings back! I'm getting the pep back in my step, the fire back in my furnace, and the power back in my punch! I'm getting back my Holy Ghost Helium!

You hit me hard devil and I went down but that was the last round! You landed a few good shots in that last round, but the fight ain't over! I'm up again and greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world. I got my fight back, I got my joy back, I got my bounce back power back, and now I'm ready to put you under my feet.

The devil made a big mistake when he tried to destroy me. Yes, he hit me hard, he knocked me down, and he very nearly succeeded in destroying me, but he left me breathing. He should have killed me when he had the chance, but he left me breathing. And I had enough breath to crawl back to the Father’s house. I still had enough breath to cry out for His mercy and grace! I still had enough breath to shout His name and praise Him! I still had enough breath to access the power of God one more time, and that was all I needed for God to turn my life around.


Somebody needs to know today, the Lord told me that this is your time for a turn around. This is your time for a divine reversal. Your joy is going to catapult you into victory today! Your joy is going to catapult you over your enemies today! Your joy is giving you the power to blast through any adversity.


Saturday, October 8, 2016

Nothing But The Blood

Leviticus 14:14-18
And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot: [15] And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand: [16] And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord : [17] And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering: [18] And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord.

All week long I been struggling through some changes in my life, changes that were forced upon me by the circumstances of my secular career, and I have been praying for God to help me through this struggle. As I spent time in prayer, the Holy Spirit has been impressing on me the importance and the power of the blood of Jesus.

I sense, this morning, that the Holy Spirit is trying to send a strong advance notice to the church to get back to the blood, not only in our thinking but also in our speaking and in our living.
Rahab, the harlot, saved herself and her entire family from destruction when she hung a scarlet thread from her window: that scarlet thread represents the blood. The children of Israel saved their household from the death angel when they applied the blood of the lamb to the top and the sides of their door posts.

This Scripture I have chosen this week deals with the cleansing of those infected with leprosy. Leprosy in the Old Testament(OT) was a type for sin. What this text shows us is that the leper was not considered clean until the blood was applied, then after the leper was pronounced clean by the application of the blood, then the priest would apply the oil right on top of the blood: The oil was only applied where the blood was present.

Oil in the OT, is a type of the Holy Spirit. The importance of that to you and I is this: The Holy Spirit answers to the blood, witnesses to the blood, honors the blood, testifies to the blood, and He waits for the blood. In other words: The Holy Spirit only comes where the blood has been applied.
First it's the blood and then it's the oil. Without the blood there is no salvation, no justification, no sanctification, and no deliverance! Without the blood there is no oil, no anointing, no power, and no authority! Without the blood there is no peace and no joy. Without the blood, there is no protection!
Why is the Holy Spirit trying so hard to bring the Church back to the blood? Because there is no Pentecost without a Passover!

Hebrews 9:22 says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sin. When we are baptized for the remission of sin, we are baptized in essence in the blood, we are buried in the death of Jesus so that we can be raised in the power of the Holy Ghost! Cleansed by the blood and anointed by the oil! I’ll say it again, there is no Pentecost without a Passover! There is no fire, without Blood!

Acts 2:1-4
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

I want to speak boldly what I think many sometimes forget, you've got to go to Calvary before you can get to the upper room. The pathway to power of the Holy Ghost is soaked in the blood of Jesus. If you want to walk in power like the Lion, you must first be covered in the blood of the lamb.

I know we’re all modern today and we’ve got access to the libraries of the world at our finger tips. We’ve got the Bible on our tablets, our iPads, and iPhones. We can study the Hebrew and the Greek meaning of bible words right from our cell phones We are in a hear it all, see it all and know it all Generation. But for all our technology and for all our intelligence and know how, I am concerned that we have lost something.

Our elders didn’t have access to all the modern conveniences and technology we have today, but they had something we have lost in our modern high tech church age: they understood the importance of living under the blood of Jesus. Those old timers would do something they would call pleading the blood, some churches still practice this.

They might not have understood it, but the act of pleading is a legal term. It was an answer to a judgment. The judge would say: You have been charged with such and such a crime, how do you plead? That means that the Judge was asking: What is your defense to this and the accused would answer I plead guilty, or I plead the fifth.

Well that legal proceeding carries over into the Spirit realm: When the devil comes around saying you have been accused of such and such, and the he reminds you have that you have sinned and come short of the glory of God. How do you plead? That is when you look the devil in the eye and you square your shoulders back and you say, “I plead the Blood!”

Thank you Sister Joann for introducing me that song we sing in choir! Man I feel the Holy Ghost right now! I plead, I plead the Blood! The blood is my defense! I will overcome this trial by the blood of the Lamb and my testimony that I have been born again, washed in the blood, and anointed with the oil of the Holy Ghost! I no longer have to answer for myself, the blood speaks for me!

It doesn’t matter how muscular a body is, how fit it appears, how attractive it becomes: without the blood, the body is dead! I'm going to be bold and tell you today: I don't care how big or how beautiful your church may be, without the blood it's dead. You may have beautiful singing, you may have great enthusiasm and you may even have educated preachers, but if you don't have the blood you're nothing but a pretty corpse. Just like a dead body dressed up by the undertaker to look good for a funeral, without the blood, you're dead!

I have to post a warning here: Rough road ahead, buckle your seat belts.

There's no such thing as a Christian without the blood. Jesus said: “Except you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you.”

Many churches today don’t talk about the blood, they don’t sing about the blood, and they don’t preach about the blood. Because it’s too offensive. But this gospel that I preach is a bloody gospel! Calvary was bloody, the cross was bloody, Jesus blood poured out of his body, Jesus carried his own blood into the holy place and offered it upon the mercy seat in heaven. God accepted Jesus blood as an offering for our sin.

And it is by and because of that same blood that we are saved today. We are washed by that blood, sanctified by that blood, justified by that blood, redeemed by that blood, protected by that blood, and delivered by that blood! Our consciences are cleansed by that blood and we are healed by that blood!
I love that old song that pronounces as it is sung:

“Come ye sinners lost and lonely Jesus blood can make you clean, for he saved the worst among you when he saved a wretch like me. And I know, yes I know, Jesus blood can make the vilest sinner clean. And I know, yes I know, Jesus blood can make the vilest sinner clean.

I really am not trying to be mean or hurt anyone’s feelings, but I feel in my spirit this morning that this message could be the difference between heaven and hell for someone. You may quit smoking and drinking. You may dress up and carry a Bible and sing on perfect pitch, you may look good, smell good, and feel good, but if you haven't been to Calvary you're lost. If you haven't accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior and you have not had your sins washed away by His blood, then you are lost and if you die that way you will go to hell.

God is going to hold us preachers responsible that don't tell the truth. The most important thing in your life is not a new car, a new house, a new wife, or a new self-esteem. The most important thing is your soul.

The reason why many of our churches today are lifeless and powerless is because they are anemic, they have a blood deficiency. That’s why they have to resort to lighting, and mood setting, and pageantry, and smoke and mirrors, and Holly wood theatrics. Because they have no power. And the reason they have no power is because there is no blood. There's no blood in their preaching, there's no blood in their singing, and there is no blood in their testimony!

If you want to see the power of God in the church again talk about the blood, sing about the blood, testify about the blood, preach about the blood, look for the blood. That’s what the Holy Spirit is looking for. That’s the question the Holy Spirit is asking every church: Where is the blood?


Just as surely as the death angel passed through Egypt and death came to every house where the blood was not applied. Death, spiritual death, is passing through the land today and the only safe place is under the blood. Death is coming to every house that is not under the blood, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a white house, or a black house. It doesn’t matter how religious that house is. It doesn't matter what kind of house it is: school house, crack house, penthouse, or church house: the only house that is safe is the house that is under the blood.


Saturday, October 1, 2016

The Lazarus Life

John 11:1-44 – The Story of Lazarus’s Resurrection

I love the story of the resurrection of Lazarus. Lazarus’s resurrection is so powerful because it reminds us of what I have heard my pastor say recently, “it's not over till God says it's over.” It reminds us that God can do anything, that he works in the darkest situations, and that man's impossibilities are God's opportunities. I also love this story because it teaches us that God is not glorified by our sin or sickness and disease, but by our deliverance, healing, and salvation.

In this passage of the book of John, word comes to Jesus that his friend Lazarus is sick, but Jesus waits two days to respond. How long He waited to go to Bethany is inconsequential, it could just as easily have been twelve years like the woman with the issue of blood, or thirty-eight years like the man at the Pool of Bethesda. The point I am trying to make is that it doesn't matter how long, how wrong, or how strong your circumstances seem to be, it’s all the same to Jesus. The same power that heals a headache, can drive cancer out of your body and the same power that helps people stop smoking, can cast out demons.

God told me to write and tell someone today, “your case is not too hard for Jesus.” It may be too hard for you, it may be too hard for your family, for all the skeptics, the lawyers, the drug counselors or the doctors, but Jesus will take your case!

Another thing that this story shows us is that it's never too late. Never give up, and never quit! Never quit praying, never quit confessing, never quit repenting, never quit praising God, and never quit believing. You're closer than you think, your miracle is on the way. Jesus has received the message, that you are sick, that you need His help, He's on the way!

This story also shows us that sometimes God delays answering our prayers. Why? So that He alone gets the glory. Lazarus represents a hopeless cause, an irreversible situation, and a condition that is beyond repair. Hope, from all natural evidence, is dead and buried. The stone being rolled over the opening of the tomb spoke of a situation that was beyond redemption and nothing was ever going to change. But then came Jesus! When there was no hope, God showed up, showed out, and there is no doubt that His power is absolute!

I feel the Holy Ghost stirring in me this morning and I am overwhelmed as He reminds me that the story of Lazarus didn’t end at the tomb. The whole message of this story is one of redemption, resurrection, deliverance, and of healing. I am reminded this morning that I am living example of a “Lazarus Life!”

There was a time in my life where my life, spiritually speaking, was in the tomb. I was dead and buried. I had given up hope of ever experiencing God’s presence again. People who knew me had written me off as gone. Hope was dead and buried in my life and the stone had been rolled over the opening of the tomb. But a praying woman sent word to Jesus, “your friend is sick.” She never gave up hope, she kept calling to the master: come Jesus Clayton needs your help. And Jesus came, He ordered the devil to move the stone, and I heard Him call to me, “I love you, I’ve been waiting for you: Clayton, come forth!”

I had become reprobate, I was killing myself with drugs and alcohol, I had betrayed the Lord, my wife, my family, and my brothers and sisters in Christ. I no longer deserved to be called His friend, but there He was, in the midst of a situation that was hopeless, calling my name, and praise God I heard his voice and I moved toward His presence. Today I am fully restored, saved, baptized in Jesus’ name, and filled with the Holy Ghost. Today, by the grace of a loving God whose name is Jesus, I am a living example of the power of His resurrection!

I was reminded this week how blessed we are to have a God, who is a God of resurrections. One of the men I used to pastor stopped by my place of employment to see me. I didn’t even recognize him when he first walked up to me because his face was very disfigured. It wasn’t until he laughed at something I said that I knew who it was. Then he began telling me a story that left me in tears. He had tried to kill himself with a shotgun, and had blown half his face off. I couldn’t believe it, this was a man I never seen unhappy, always joking, always upbeat, I would have never believed he would have been suffering from such a hopeless despair that he would feel like giving up. He said he moved the gun at the last moment as he said the Lord had whispered to him to stop.

He then began to tell me that the Lord had worked through all this to give him a stronger relationship to Jesus than he has ever had. He recently was baptized and recommitted his life to the Lord. He is living the "Lazarus Life." We talked for a while and as he walked away to leave we were both in tears. He knew me before my failure, and he knew of my return to the Lord. He told me we were both just listening to the wrong voice.

And that is the message God gave me to speak to you today: Listen to the right voice. The devil may be telling you that there is no hope, no chance, and no way out. Don’t listen! Jesus is standing beside you, just like the thief on the cross next to him on Calvary, just like Lazarus laying dead in that tomb, in the midst of your despair he’s calling you name. Go toward His voice and His presence and experience the joy of resurrection, and the life restoring power of the "Lazarus life!"