The Message and The Manifestation

The Message and The Manifestation

Mark 3:14-15 

“And He ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach, 15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils: He chose twelve first of all to be with Him to have fellowship and relationship with Him so He could send them out.”

Relationship here is speaking of His presence and power is referring to ministry, warfare, and Kingdom authority.  The Holy Ghost is the continual presence of Jesus in our lives, it is what makes it possible for us to have a personal relationship with Him.  And the message that Jesus has given us to preach: “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38), is the power to renew the sinner and give new life.

Luke 9: 1-2 

Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.  And they departed and went through the towns preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”

The gospel is not just about speaking convincing words or demonstration of eloquent speech, it’s about producing results for the Kingdom of God through the power of the Holy Ghost. 

I Corinthians 2:2-5

For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.  3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.  4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

The message must be accompanied by the manifestation!  Look at the example that Jesus himself gave us:

Matthew 4:23 

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.”

Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom, then He manifested the reality of the Kingdom.  The healing of the sick, casting out evil spirits, deliverance of those in bondage, and freedom for the captive. Jesus set our example, and before someone says we’re not Jesus, Jesus said that everything that He did we would do, and “even greater things."  In addition the Apostle Paul said in his letter to the Roman church that the same power that raised Christ Jesus from the grave lives in us ( Romans 8:11).  My point is that the gospel always two parts: the message and then the manifestation.

1 Corinthians 4:20 11

“For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in Power.”

In other words: The Kingdom of God is not just a concept or theory to be grasped intellectually, but the Kingdom of God is a kingdom of the Power of God.  Jesus is the King and when He manifests himself in us as the Holy Ghost, that is the Power.  The Kingdom of God is the rule, the dominion, and the authority of Jesus’ name manifested through us by the power of the Holy Ghost to prove to the world that Jesus is alive.  The gospel of the Kingdom is a gospel of Power.

Romans 1:16 

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Romans 14:17 

“For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

The Kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom.  It’s a Kingdom of righteousness: You can’t have sin in your life and operate in Kingdom authority and power.  You can’t just join this Kingdom, you must be born into it.

John 3:3 

“Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

The Kingdom of God is not for the passive, it’s for the passionate.  If you want Kingdom Power: You have to pursue it.

The Holy Ghost is the one who manifests the Kingdom of God.  That’s why Jesus told his disciples to wait for the power of the Holy Ghost that is why Jesus commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the father.

Acts 1:8 

“But ye shall receive Power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.”

If we are going to be credible witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus, we must have the manifest power of the Holy Spirit living in us.

Acts 4:33 

“And with great Power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all.”

When Elijah met Ahab, the backslidden nation of Israel, and the false prophets of Baal upon Mt. Carmel, nothing less than the Power of God being manifested could melt their hearts.  It took fire from heaven, a demonstration of the supernatural power of God.  And it is no less true today: Nothing less than the demonstration and manifestation of the power of God, will convince people that Jesus is alive.  The cry of every man and woman of God, should be:  “God send the fire on me, manifest your power through the Holy Ghost in my life!”

That’s what they meant in Acts 4:29-30, read it for yourself if you want to verify this truth, they asked God for boldness to preach his word, and then they asked for him to stretch out his hands with signs and wonders and miracles.  They knew they needed more than a message, they needed the manifestation, and they needed the power!

When the Kingdom of God comes, it comes with Power.

Acts 10:38 

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with Power who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him.”

Jesus message was, “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And then He delivered the people from their sins and He healed their bodies and He drove out the demons, and He raised the dead.  Then he sent his disciples out and they did the same thing.  And He has commanded us to do the same as well.

Mark 16:15-18

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

They preached the Kingdom of God, they cast out devils, and they healed the sick, and destroyed the works of the devil everywhere they went.  And so can we!

2 Corinthians 5:20

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christs stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

Ambassadors are sent forth with full power and authority to represent the Kingdom that sends them.  We are ambassadors of the Kingdom of God, we are here representatives of Jesus Christ, and we have been given full authority and power in the name of Jesus over all the works of the devil.  

It is my purpose today to declare to you that Satan is a thief, a liar, and a trespasser and he has no legal right or authority over your life in any way shape or form.  Jesus paid in full for your salvation, your healing, your deliverance, your miracle, the restoration of your marriage, the freedom in your mind, and your peace.  On the cross he paid it all.

Gods plan is that every single one of us get the revelation of His kingdom in us and that you go in Jesus name and start setting people free.

You have His Blood, His Name, His Word, His Spirit, so you have His Power.  The gospel is a gospel of Power.  You don’t just carry a message you carry the power, you carry the King of kings.  The kingdom of God is in you, the King lives in you and wants to manifest His power through you.

Beauty For Ashes

Isaiah 61:1-3

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, 3 To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (NKJV)

The Word of God tells us that the Holy Ghost is our comforter.  I can’t speak for anyone else, but I am glad foreseen that I would need to be comforted.  That I would have times of broken heartedness and need healing; that there would be times of mourning that would need to be replaced by joy; That in my life there would be times of heaviness where only worship could lift me up; and that I might make mistakes that would devastate my life, a time where my sin would leave my life in a pile of rubble and ashes so that I would need the restoring power of the Holy Ghost to replace my ashes with the beauty of His love.

In our scripture text it says that God would console those who mourn in Zion, or those who are of His household.  His word specifically tells us that those in God’s house are going to get God’s attention.  As a father, former youth minister, and former baseball coach I can tell that even though I cared for all the children, my own children, those in my family, the children in my household were my priority.  If, then you are of the household of faith, you have God’s attention and when you cry out He is focused on your need.

If there is anyone that I want to have their attention – it’s God.  I want His eyes focused upon me.  I want His ear tuned in to my cries.  I want to be underneath the umbrella of His divine protection. I want to abide in the secret place of the Most High and abide under the shadow of His wings.

The Word says that He will give us beauty for ashes. In Biblical times it was the custom in great times of mourning and difficulty lay in ashes. Just think about that for moment. You are facing a difficult situation, you’ve got a problem in your life and it is getting the best of you, so you just sit down in a pile of ashes. There is nothing beautiful about ashes.

But the Word of God tells us that He is going to take your difficult, disgusting, and depressing situation and give you beauty. He is going to pick you up out of the ash pile of life and make something beautiful out of you.  The Hebrew word for ashes is “epher” and the Hebrew word for beauty is “pheer.”  Just move the “e” and you have a whole different word. And just as quickly as it takes for you to move one letter God is going to turn your sorrow into joy. He speaks and it is already done.

You may be in a place right now where you feel like your life is ugly and insignificant. But many times things that appear ugly, just need the right climate to grow:

Take for example “Mexico’s Wonder Plant,” the “Maguey.”  It is a species of century plant that grows in the harsh environment of the Mexican desert.  It goes for long periods of time with no water, when it does rain the plant is able to store the water in its heart to refresh itself in the times of drought.  It grows for years with great course leaves, three inches thick and very long. It sprouts sharp thorns and is just as ugly as can be. The longer it’s alive and the more it grows, and it just seems to get uglier all the time. But then suddenly, in just a couple of days, it begins to shoot up and a great shaft tall and thick begins to grow. Its spreading head is now covered with thousands of flowers and becomes a beautiful and fragrant plant.  The potential for all that beauty had always been within that ugliness.

Many times the fragrant beauty that God has for our lives is hidden beneath calloused rituals, smothered by daily schedules and the monotonous grind of a chaotic world.  Many times we grow through times when it seems like it is never going to rain again, one ugly situation after another seems to overtake us, but if we have stored up the rain in our hearts, if we are filled with the Holy Ghost, we have a reservoir from which to draw comfort in times of spiritual drought and the times painful experiences will lead to something beautiful.

Isaiah said that the Lord will give you beauty for ashes. God knew that many times we would be burnt by life’s experiences. But He also knew, that if we called upon Him, He could replace that burnt out mess with something beautiful.

An old song we used to sing when I was a kid, I haven’t heard it in years, but the Lord just brought it to my mind while I was writing just now.  It was written by Bill Gaither and it says:

“Something beautiful something good,

All my confusion He understood,

All I had to offer him was brokenness and strife,

But He made something beautiful of my life.”

Whatever God’s hands touches eventually becomes a thing of beauty.  All you need for your transformation is a touch from the Master’s hand.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”

When Job was burnt by life, he burnt the devil because he fell down and praised God.  When the three Hebrew children were in the fiery furnace, they burnt the devil by praising God.  When Daniel was in the lion’s den, He burnt the devil because he prayed and thanked God.  When Abraham was commanded by the Lord to sacrifice his son, his faith burnt the devil because he said, “I and the lad will go and worship.”

Hannah, the day she gave Samuel back to God, burnt the devil because she cried out, “My heart rejoices in the Lord.”

The Apostle Paul burnt the devil when he was in chains because he proclaimed, “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.”

You can burn the devil in times of difficulty by refreshing yourself with the streams of living water that flow forth from within you because you are filled with the Holy Ghost.  Even in the darkest moments of our lives we have a reservoir of hope within us, during the drought we have an internal and eternal source of hope to sustain us if we call upon His name and give Him praise and glory.  Then when all is said and done, when we’ve come through the fire, when the flood waters recede, and when we stand on the other side of the Jordon God’s beauty will be evident in our lives.

Without The Altar, The People Falter

1 King 18:14-30

Ahab comes at Elijah with this question, “Art thou he that troubeleth Israel?”

The people and King Ahab had drifted so far away from God, that Elijah’s commitment, consecration, and love for God caused so much agitation that Ahab called him a troublemaker.

If you’re going to live for God when most of the country has decided to live for themselves and do what is right in their own eyes, then you better know this: When you are serious about serving God, when you consecrate yourself to live a holy life, and when you refuse to be sit silently by when the choices people are making around you are wholly ungodly then you, like Elijah, will be viewed as a troublemaker.

Why?  Because most people are satisfied just living in the vicinity of the altar.  What does that mean?  Most people are satisfied just being religious.  They want to look Christian and sound Christian, but they don’t want to live a surrendered life; they don’t want to be “living sacrifices.”  When you choose to live on the altar and to make your life a living sacrifice, you upset this worlds system and you will disturb religious people.

Romans 12:12:1-2

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

In 1 kings 18 Elijah called the nation of Israel back to the altar.  Elijah is not known through the scriptures as a great preacher, but when the bible shines the spotlight on Elijah, we see him on the ground with his head between his knees praying.  He was showing us what the altar looks like.

The great need of our day is for men and women who will rebuild the altar: I'm not talking about a wooden piece of furniture.  That long piece of wood in the front of most churches cannot save anyone, or heal anyone, or deliver anyone; it cannot pick you up when you get knocked down, or carry you when you're too weak to walk, It can't mend a broken heart or restore a ship wrecked marriage, it can't break the power of drugs over your life or drive cancer out of your body!  It’s just a piece of wooden furniture, separated and set apart for sacred purposes, but still just a piece of furniture.

The altar I am referring to is the altar in the heart.  A heart that is humbled before God, surrendered to God, consecrated to God, and faithful and obedient to God.  The altar I'm speaking of is a life that has been laid down in sacrifice to fulfill the will of God.

Where there is no altar, your faith will falter!

What does falter mean?  To falter is to move hesitatingly as if you are about to give way, to be unsure or weak, to walk unsteadily or stumble, or to lose faith and abandon the cause.

This is the message I want to get across to you, so many in the church are faltering; because they have forsaken the altar.

Jeremiah 2:13

“For my people have committed two evils; they have (forsaken) me the fountain of living waters and they have hewn them out cisterns, broken cistern's that can hold no water.”

Let me ask you a question: what good is it to have a new house, a new car, a great retirement, money in five different banks, and lose your soul?

The greatest need of the world we live in is not natural, or physical, our greatest need is not financial prosperity, its spiritual prosperity.

Mark 8:36 – “For what doth it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his soul?”

I believe God wants to prosper us in every way including financially, but the danger is when we substitute natural prosperity for spiritual prosperity.

3 John 2 – “Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth.”

The bible says that the children of Israel lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted God in the desert, then it says: that God gave them their request but sent leanness to their souls.  That means they were physically and naturally satisfied, in other words they were fat and happy, but their souls were starving to death.

This is happening today to people all over America in our modern politically correct churches.  Church members are getting fatter and fatter engorging themselves on the natural, the carnal, the desires of the flesh, and their souls are starving to death.

Many churches today do not even have an altar. Many of the ones that do are mostly covered with dust because they're hardly ever used. They're just for looks.  Again, I know that the altar is just a piece of furniture made up of a few pieces of wood, but it is often the place where we meet God.  The altar is where we climb our Mt. Moriah and give our Isaac's up to God.  The altar is a place of sacrifice, it is where self is put to death

The altar is where the sinner comes to find a savior, where the broken come to find a healer, where those in bondage come to find a deliverer, where the prisoner comes to be pardoned, where the weary come to find rest, and where saints come to find power.

Why is there such a low state of spiritual power in the church today?  Because so many have forsaken the altar.

You may attend a church with great programs, with great worship, and great preaching, but if you as an individual do not have an altar, your life will falter!  It will be unsteady!  You will be unsure and weak, you will stumble, and ultimately you will lose faith and abandon the cause.

And let me say also that without the altar, the Church will falter

God said: my house shall be a house of prayer!  He did not say it would be a house of magnificent entertainment, or a house of awesome fellowship, or a house of dynamic preaching, but it is to be A HOUSE OF PRAYER.

No prayer equals no power!

I want you to know that the only hope for America today is to come back to the altar: There's no president, no politician, no legislation that can turn this country around.  The only hope for change in America is God!  We need God back in our homes, we need God back in our schools, we need God back in the White House, and this may offend but to a great deal, we need God back in the church house.

The only way we will ever get America back to God, is to get Americans back to the altar!

Malachi 3:7 – “Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.”

The structure that needs to be rebuilt in America is not the world trade center, it’s the altar!

It wasn’t torn down by terrorists, there is no terrorist that could destroy the altar.  It was torn down through neglect, through decay, and through rejection.  It was torn down in favor of a more comfortable, less sacrificial, and more self-pleasing way. 

The Greatest sin of America is not homosexuality, it’s not abortion, and it’s not racism; the greatest sin of America is pride.  It’s not national pride that we need in America today; we need national humility and total dependence upon God.

Without the altar, America will falter!

2 Chronicles 7:14

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

I know there are wicked and evil things happening in the world, but God is not speaking to the world, God is speaking to the church.  He is speaking to “my people,” to those who identify themselves with God, those who go by His name.

Revival comes because we rend our hearts and not just our garments, Revival comes because we break up the fallow ground and seek God till he comes and rains righteousness down on us.

An Army of Rejects

1 Samuel 22:1-2

“David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him.  2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.”

If you were looking to put together an army, the men David chose would probably not have been most people’s selections.  They were not the Elite fighting men of their day, they were not what most people would consider the “A” Team of soldiers.  They were distressed, they were discontent, and they were broke.  They were a motley crew of ever there was one. It was a gathering of the worst that their society had to offer.

I know that some may get angry about what I am about to say, offended even, but this gathering of malcontents reminds me of the Church.  I know that most of us have been cleaned up real nice, and on Sunday we’re all fancied up in our suits and dresses and when we come to worship we smell all nice and clean.

But if all the dressings were removed, if someone were to do a spiritual background check on us, somewhere in the back of our closet, somewhere back down memory lane, there are some things we wished we had never done.  Somewhere back over our shoulders there's a bottle, somewhere there’s a needle, somewhere there’s a pipe, somewhere back down the road we’ve traveled there’s lust and sexual immorality that we wished we had never tasted of.

Somewhere back down the by-ways of our past, we had no friends, we had money, we had no hope, we had no peace, and we had no joy.

But praise God something happened: we came to Jesus with all our problems. But we didn't come to him all cleaned up.  We came bound, we came oppressed, we came high, we came drunk, and we came bitter, angry, and full of resentment.  Because he saw something of value in us, because Jesus saw something He loved in all of us.  We came to Him and Jesus accepted us just like we were, just like David did with these men.  He looked at the worst and he saw the best.

David looked at a bunch of rejects that nobody else wanted, and he said I'll put them on my team and I'll turn them into the greatest army the world has ever seen.  And that's exactly what David did with those four hundred men. They became an elite army of the highest levels of courage, ability, and integrity.

And God can do the same thing with you and I, rejects of society, rejected by the masses, dismissed by the religious elite, but chosen and anointed by the risen King of Kings.  And the Lord is using us to build His army.

Yes we have been cast out by many who are considered the “family of God,” dismissed as losers and prodigals, we are still part of the family, even though we may be the black sheep,  But there's a difference between a family and an army.  A family is held together basically by the bonds of blood and love.  An army is held together by commitment, by order, and by vision.

Luke 19:13

“And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.”

Jesus is not just speaking to the family of God, he is speaking to the Army of God.  He said occupy till I come.  Occupy is a military term and it is not passive, it is active; full of force and energy, it is not in the defensive it is in the offensive.  That means in order to fulfill this command one must be forcefully and aggressively moving forward, engaging and overcoming resistance.

Luke 10:19

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions (not hold down the fort) and over all the power of the enemy...”

Jesus is speaking to a group of people who are anointed and are aggressively moving forward to advance the kingdom of God. His words here are not for everyone in the church, He is not speaking to the pew warmers, He is not speaking to those who worship Christ on Sunday and Satan on Monday: He is speaking to an elite army of soldiers that are consumed with God’s mandate to establish the kingdom of God in the earth and they are treading under their feet anything that opposes this Kingdom mandate.

This elite group of people have chosen to serve on the front line.  They are an advancing army.  They are not a “hold the fort” army, they are not a “hang out” army, and they are not a beat up, bruised, head hanging, or barely getting by army.  They are the born again, Holy Ghost filled, blood washed, battle ready, and devil stomping army of the Living God!

II Corinthians 10:3-5

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,  5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

Listen to what I am trying to tell you! God did not give us these mighty weapons just so that we could hold down the fort till Jesus comes.  He has given us, the blood of Jesus, authority in Jesus’ name, the word of God, prayer and fasting, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit to lay hands on the sick, to release those on bondage, to proclaim freedom to the captives, to cast out demons and to destroy the works of the devil.  He didn't give us these weapons of power to us just to sit down somewhere and wait for our flight to heaven, He gave us these weapons of power so we could advance the Kingdom of God in the earth.

God told me to speak to His church and say: Now is not the hour to become lukewarm, self-seeking, self-preserving, and self-centered like so many in the church have.  Now is the time for the army of God to rise up and occupy, to advance His kingdom in the earth and destroy the works of the enemy! 

God is raising up His army!  The Church of Jesus Christ is not supposed to be a place where we hide out from the Devil and pray for Jesus to come and deliver us, the Church is supposed to be a military outpost.  A place where we are trained, equipped, and mobilized to take the world for Jesus.

I know this message is not for everyone, it's a little too sharp, a little too cutting, and a little too penetrating for a lot of comfortable religious people, but there is a breed of people that know they were bred for battle, that know God didn't just save you to fly away to heaven but to advance the Kingdom of God in the earth.

We are not just the family of God - We are also the Army of God!

As the Army of the Lord we are unified first by our love for God, second by our love for each other, third by our love for the lost, and we are bound together by our commitment to His call, to the vision He has given each of us, and to the great commission.

Mainstream religion and the liberal media will label us radicals, extremists, unorthodox, and out of control because we don't fit in their traditional and politically correct boxes.  It's difficult at times because the religious church goers will avoid you, and even criticize you.  Why?  Because radical devotion to Christ exposes, the lukewarm, the half-hearted, and indifferent.  That is why true, unbridled passion, and devotion to Christ will always stir up criticism and persecution from the religious and the unbelieving.

Remember the woman who broke her alabaster box and poured the entire contents upon Jesus? Immediately she was questioned, “Why was this waste of ointment made, it might have been sold for a great deal of money?”

Who would dare call anointing Jesus a waste?  Stingy religious people that’s who!

But if God is for us, who can stand against us?

This woman, who was a woman of ill repute, risked the ridicule of the religious elite so that she could bless the Lord with her most valued treasure.  She disregarded the scorn of these men and gave her best to the Lord, allowing it to be broken and spilled out for the Master.  If we will do the same, Jesus will take us as we are and raise us up in an anointing that we never imagined: Broken and used up for His kingdom.

My purpose today for writing this is to stand as a prophetic voice and to declare what I'm hearing God say, God is not looking for a low-flying, don't rock the boat, or don't disturb anybody kind of church.

God is looking for soldiers to join His army.

Fireproof your Certainty

I am finding out lately that living a godly life isn’t always as easy to do as it is to preach.  I have not stumbled greatly in my walk, but even though I already knew that when we make a conscious effort to be holy and oppose the kingdom of darkness, the devil doesn’t always tuck his tail and run.  One thing is for certain to me this morning, a godly life brings opposition, a godly life sometimes causes uncertainty to creep in, and a godly life brings hard choices.

The one thing I can tell you by watching the evening news these days is that we are living in very uncertain times.  We have a financial system that cannot seem to find a solid foundation, it’s up one day down the next.  People are losing their homes, retirement savings are being decimated, unemployment abounds, and the cost of living is going through the roof.  Not just in our country, but all over the world.

We are getting very close to an administration change again.  Our current administration is terrible in my opinion and I personally have uncertainty regarding many of the possibilities for the next one. 

We live in a different society that we did 10 years ago.  Our country has always been a bastion of liberty. Liberty is freedom with responsibility.  One of the greatest truths about our country was that we understood our responsibilities and we took them seriously.  But today freedom has changed from liberty to license.  We now live in a social environment that views freedom as a license to do anything I want to do – and you can’t do anything about it.  More than 150 years ago, French Historian Alexis De Tocqueville observed this truth, as he travelled America to discover why the American experiment was so successful, he noted, “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” 

And he also noted that “Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.”

It’s sad, but true; our society believes that freedom is more of a license to do what we want rather than a liberty that carries with it responsibilities, and the things our society still sees as responsibilities are not defined by a faith and morality.  That is why we see today a nation that has ceased to be great, while Russia takes our place to defeat the evil ISIS, because she has ceased to pursue goodness by the power and strength of the Living God.

We are living in challenging and uncertain times.  As we view these things, it is easy to focus only on these changes and uncertainties and become discouraged.  And at time we may even question, “Where is God in all of this?”

But we can see from His word that it is often in times of uncertainty that God shows up in unbelievable ways.

Daniel 3:1-30

In this passage of scripture, these three young men are striving to follow God, to live godly lives, the best they can as foreigners in this pagan society that worshipped multiple gods and was filled with people that were all about themselves.  Does their situation sound familiar? It sounds a lot like how Peter told us we are to live: 1 Peter 1:17 – “live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.”

They knew God and had a reverent fear of Him and this helped them to live in a way that glorified the Lord.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, going about living there lives, doing their job, when times start to change.  They didn’t change, but their culture, society and circumstances changed and that made their beliefs stand out and brought about opposition.

Living a godly life will bring opposition.  This seems counter intuitive to us.  If we are living a godly life, shouldn’t we have an easy life?  Well, here is the problem with that thinking.  We confuse a blessed life with an easy life.  I fully believe that God will bless us as we live a godly life.  God’s Word speak about this all throughout.

God blesses us as we live godly lives, lives that show we “walk in his ways.”  But blessing does not always equate with ease of circumstances.  There are times when God does bless us with peaceful circumstances, but being blessed by the Lord is more about experiencing peace in His presence regardless of the circumstances that surround us.  God’s blessing is often finding comfort in the midst of Suffering.

2 Corinthians 1:5 – “For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."

John 16:33 - "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Living a godly life does not guarantee ease of life. In fact, it guarantees just the opposite.

2 Timothy 3:12 – “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”

We need to realize that as we strive to live a godly life, we are going to face opposition and persecution, especially during times of change and uncertainty.

Not only does living a godly life bring opposition, but living a godly life will bring hard choices.

These three young men had to make a choice.  They had to choose between worshiping a false idol and staying alive or worshipping the living God and most likely losing their physical life.

Now, we could make rationalizations and argue that God has given us this physical life as a gift and we should do all in our power to save our life for God’s glory, so in this case it might be ok just to outwardly bow down but not to really worship inwardly.

Exodus 20:4-5 – "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God”

Revelation 2:10 – “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

That is a tough choice for these young men.  They know what God wants them to do, but that means death.

It is not too often in this country today, that we are facing a choice that is going to risk our life, like these young men.  In many other parts of the world they do, however; Muslims who seek to live a godly life in Christ face death.  While we don’t typically face life and death choices based on living a godly life, we still face choices that are hard and could greatly affect our life.  What do you do with hard choices?

That is the choice that these 3 young men are faced with.  What choice do they have, really?  Dishonor God by bowing down and live or honor God by refusing and die.  These guys made the hard choice and the consequences were severe.

We respect that kind of stand, but really how do you make those kinds of choices in the heat of the moment like that?  I can tell you this: the responses that we make to hard choices we face that concern how we live a godly life are not made on the spur of the moment.  You have to be prepared in advance to make right choices in those moments.  We need to prepare ourselves to live godly lives in times of change and uncertainty.

And to truly live a godly life requires that we know who we believe in.  Look at what these three say to the king.

Daniel 3:17 – “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it”

They knew who they believed in and served.  They knew that the God they served was good.  They knew that the God they served was able.  They knew who it was they had put their trust and their hope in and it shows up in their actions.

They didn’t serve themselves.  They didn’t serve the king.  They served and believed in God almighty, a God who is powerful, who is able, and who is mighty to save.  They knew the God they believed in.

Who you believe in Matters!  It is not just about having faith or believing in something greater than yourself, it matters what and who you believe in.  I could put my hope in an idol, but it has no power to save me.  I could put my hope in a god that I make up, but that “god” is not able to do anything that I could not do myself.  People put their hope in things that offer no hope.

Even God is astounded by this. Listen to what He says in Isaiah 44.

Isa 44:6-7, 9, 13a, 14-15, 19

6 "This is what the LORD says--Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.  7 Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come--yes, let him foretell what will come.

9 All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless…

13 The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker…

14 He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow. 15 It is man’s fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it. …

19 No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, "Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?"

Who are you serving?  In whom do you believe?

Is it the one true God who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and showed His power by resurrecting from the dead never to die again?

Or is it a block of wood?

• A block of wood in the form of our self?
• A block of wood in the form of our job?
• A block of wood in the form of our desires?

We say we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, as the God who came and put on flesh, the God who always was and always is and always will be, the God who resurrected from the dead to never die again, and the God who offers eternal life to all who put their trust in Him.

If we really believe in a God who is so able, then how is it that we end up worshipping other things in our actions?

So often we are like, I am like, those Pharisees that Jesus said this to in

Matthew 15:7-8

7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

The reason is that we are not preparing ourselves well.  We need to be growing deep in our relationship with the Lord, in knowing truly who it is we believe in, not just knowing about who we say we believe in. When we really know Him and trust Him, He enables us to stand in the face of all things knowing that He will watch over us and protect us and if not in this life, then for the next life which is far, far more important and permanent than the life we live right now.

How do we prepare ourselves?  How do we prepare ourselves to live godly lives?

Peter tells us:

2 Peter 3:18 to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

We grow in our grace and knowledge of Him through Bible Study, prayer, worship, and service.

Peter tells us to “crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” - 1 Peter 2:2

Make corporate worship a priority.  Stating out of church worship service for extended periods of time will only weaken you in your ability to live godly lives.

Read the Word of god daily and set time to pray and establish a relationship with the God you say you love.

Start serving the Lord through the church or in your neighborhoods by being a light for His truth.

All of these actions will help us keep our focus and that divine perspective that each of us need and will prepare us to live a godly life even in uncertain and challenging times.

As we are prepared and actually do live a godly life, We are going to find that living a godly life not only brings opposition and hard choices, but that living a godly life brings blessing and peace

Even as we face opposition and hard choices.

These 3 young men had a great peace as they went to what appeared to be certain death.  But let’s look at the end of this story after they are thrown into the blazing furnace.

Daniel 3:24-30

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king." 25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods." 26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

These three young men were able to stand firm in the strength and power and might of the Lord, trusting Him fully, even unto death, and God blessed them and glorified Himself by saving them out of the fire.

Our God is mighty to save!

But the even more amazing thing is that these young men trusted Him even if they died. That is the peace that God gives that surpasses all understanding.  Listen, there are many who will go to their death and suffer for living a godly life.  The apostles did, many missionaries throughout history have, and the way things are going some of us may too.

But we need to understand that peace and certainty does not depend on the fires that rage in our lives, our peace certainty depends on whether or not we experience His presence in the midst of those fires.

What Do You Say About Yourself?

It is sad to me that a majority of Christians have such a low opinion of themselves, and ignorance of their spiritual identity in Jesus Christ that they could literally write down everything they think of themselves on a post-it note and still have room for the groceries list.

It is absolutely necessary for all Christians to know exactly who Jesus is and to have wonderful revelations of what He has done for us, but if that is as far as you go, then you have missed the greatest revelation of all: Christ in you the hope of glory. The crowning glory of the revelation of Jesus Christ is that what He is, we have become.  The same power that rose Jesus from the grave lives in us.

1 John 4:17

“Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world.”

Our identity with Christ is so interwoven with Him that He calls us his body. He says we are flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone.

Ephesians 5:30

“For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.”

John 15:5

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

What I am trying to convey is that you must have a revelation of yourself in Jesus.

First, you not only need to have a revelation in the Word of God of who Jesus is, but as a believer you to need have a revelation of who you are in Him; you must be able to see yourself in Jesus.  It is paramount that you see yourself identified with Christ; not only in His crucifixion, death and burial, but also in His resurrection life and power.

Colossians 2:12

Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead.”

Ephesians 2:6

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

This is what God has done for us in Christ and we must see this important truth.

Second, once you see and realize what God has done for you in Christ, you must put a voice to what you see. It is your voice that establishes your position in the spiritual world.  Your voice is your address.  The only thing that carries any power in the spirit world is what you say.  What you think is of great importance, because eventually what you think is what you speak.

Luke 6:45

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”

When it comes to dealing with the enemy of your soul it is important for you to understand this important principle: Satan doesn't recognize you based on what God says about you, he recognizes you according to what comes out of your mouth.  What do you say about yourself?

Don’t misunderstand what I am trying to say; it is important to voice the greatness of God and magnify the name of Jesus, but you can talk about Jesus and magnify and glorify and shout his name until you are hoarse, but in a spiritual battle that does you little to no good.  David didn’t just shout how great God was to Goliath, he came at Goliath with the confession and demonstration of God’s power in his servant.

Satan and the demons already know about Jesus.  But you only become a threat to hell when you recognize who you are in Christ and understand the power that you have in the anointing of the Holy Ghost, and you shout it in the face of evil.

You are never going to back hell off of you because you know who Jesus is.  Satan will only back off of you when you realize who Christ is in you, who you are in Christ, and you declare it with authority in Jesus’ name.

The devil has gotten away with a lot of garbage because he has convinced many of God's people that they should never say anything good about themselves.  The enemy’s lies have convinced many potential spiritual power houses that humility means that you never say anything good about yourself.  After all we are taught that Pride goes before destruction. 

Let me clear this matter up for you: pride is not saying something good about yourself, pride is boasting of yourself falsely, or to think and speak more highly of yourself than you are.  But when we declare who we are in Christ, we are not boasting in ourselves, we are boasting in Christ and what he has done and continues to do in and through us by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Every time you acknowledge what Christ has done and who you are in him, you glorify God and bring honor to Jesus and joy to the Holy Spirit who is manifesting Christ in your life.

Philemon 1:6

“The communication of your faith becoming effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing that is in you in Christ Jesus.”

Your faith comes alive and goes to work and becomes effective when you give voice to who you are in Christ and what you have in Christ.

Hebrews 13:5-6

“For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say: the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

Notice: The writer of Hebrews said, “so that we may boldly say.”

Anything God has said about you in His Word, you may boldly say.

God expects us to take what He has said about us in His Word and put it into fearless, brave, courageous, cheerful, and confident words that give verbal expression to His work in our lives.

Proverbs 18:21

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

The truth is that your experiences in life, through the power of God, are limited only by what comes out of your mouth.  You will never be more than your confession.  What do you say about yourself?

The only thing that carries any power in the spirit realm is what you boldly say about yourself. The only thing that the devil will acknowledge about you is what you boldly say about yourself. If you don't know who you are, nobody else will either. If you don't know what you have nobody else will either.

Peter and John expected people to receive from them because they knew the power of the Holy Ghost was in them. If you knew and believed what was in you, you would expect people to receive from you too.

John 7:37-39

“Jesus said: he that believeth on me as the Scriptures have said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water thus spake he of the Holy Ghost.”

Do you believe in Jesus as the Scriptures have said?

Do you believe you have received the Holy Ghost?

Do you believe rivers of living waters are in you?

Do you say it? 

You need to say it! 

Fearlessly, courageously, cheerfully, and boldly proclaim that rivers of living water flow out of your belly!  Boldly shout, “I am anointed!  I have received power!  In Jesus name I shall cast out devils! I shall lay my hands on the sick and they shall recover!  I can do all things through Christ!  Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world!”

The same power that rose Jesus from the dead lives in us, the power that is in us is greater than diabetes or cancer, heart trouble or kidney trouble, addictions and bondages, or any sinful habits.

You need to boldly say, “He has raised me up together with him and made me to sit together with him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus!  I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus who loved me and gave himself for me!  I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! I'm an heir of God and joint heir with Jesus Christ!  I am no longer just a servant but now I am a son or a daughter of God!  Christ redeemed me from the curse of the law!”

You need to fearlessly, courageously, and audaciously inform Satan, “God has delivered me from the power of darkness and translated me into the Kingdom of his dear son!  The kingdom of God lives in me now!  Devil, you are under my feet, you are defeated, and Christ has dethroned, disarmed, and destroyed your power forever!”

The devil doesn't care how much you know, it's what you boldly say that sends shock waves through hell.  The most powerful weapon we have against hell is a secret weapon to many Christians.  It's a secret because they don't even know that it is a weapon. It's your mouth

Revelation 12:11

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”

The blood of the Lamb is what He has done for us, and the word of our testimony is what we say in agreement with God about what Jesus has done and is doing in us.

The reason so many are not seeing the power of God manifested is because they are not agreeing with God.  We are not saying what He said about himself, and we are not saying what He said about us.

Amos 3:3

“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

What do you say about yourself?