You Got To Hate It, To Crucify 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! You Have to hate it to crucify it!

"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." (Galatians 5:24 KJV)

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!

What Meaneth This?

Acts 2 :1-12

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

³ And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

⁵ And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

⁶ Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

⁷ And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?

⁸ And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

⁹ Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

¹⁰ Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

¹¹ Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

¹² And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

We Should live every day in the expectation that God will move ‘suddenly.’ We should preach every sermon, teach every lesson, sing every song, sow every seed, pray every prayer; with the expectation that, ‘suddenly,’ someone will fall under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and be saved, ‘suddenly’ someone will be healed, ‘suddenly’ the chains of alcoholism and drug addiction will be broken, ‘suddenly’ a marriage will be restored, suddenly hope and joy will be restored to someone who suffers from depression, ‘suddenly’ fear will be destroyed, ‘suddenly’ someone will be filled with the Holy Ghost!

The two identifying marks of Pentecost were and still are:

1.     “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.”

2.     “And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?”

The truth is we need some ‘what meaneth this’ moves of the Spirit in our midst today. Something that has no other explanation other than God. These men are full of new wine. This was spoken critically, but it was spoken truthfully, they recognized that they were full. The sad truth is today, most of us are not full like that. Most people in churches today are satisfied with just enough Holy Ghost to get them to heaven.

The prophet Elisha said to the little widow women who borrowed the empty vessels, to set aside that which was full. Full meant ready for service, we’re not truly ready for service until we’re full. That’s why Lu 24:49 Jesus told his disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with Power from on High.

When the upper room got filled, the occupants of the upper room got filled. When the occupants of the upper room got filled, it overflowed out into the streets. And when we get full, we will overflow. When we are truly filled with the Holy Ghost, it will not be limited to church services. Jesus said out of your belly shall flow rivers of living waters.

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and spake with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

The first evidence of being filled with the Holy Ghost was, they spoke with other tongues. There are many other responses to the Spirit; shouting, dancing, running, jumping, crying, laughing, or all the above, but when we get full there will be an outward manifestation. Many of the Issues we struggle with could be solved forever by this powerful Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

One of the reasons so many continue to struggle with the sinful habits of their past, is that they are not filled with the Holy Ghost. It is not enough to just believe, you must be baptized of the water, and of the Spirit. (Acts 19 shows that you can believe and not yet have the Holy Ghost).

You may be asking yourself or saying to yourself, “why do you Pentecostals always harp on being filled with the Holy Ghost?” because, you cannot be full of the Holy Ghost and be full of lust, full of anger, full of hate, full of unforgiveness, or jealousy, and strife at the same time. The infilling of the Holy Spirit, is the indwelling presence of God in the believer, and God cannot coexist with sin.

This condition of being full must be maintained, it’s not a little dab will do you experience. You must keep in contact with the source. The Apostle Paul said, “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess but be ye filled with the Spirit.”

That means, keep being filled. Paul is speaking of being full of the Spirit in contrast to being drunk with wine. He is saying that when a person becomes full of the Spirit his or her life will show that they are under the influence. When you are under the influence of the Holy Spirit you live holy, you think holy, you talk holy. You sing different, preach different, you testify different, walk different, talk different, everything about you demonstrates that you are under the influence of the Holy Ghost. You are drunk on the New Wine!

They said on that day: What meaneth this? Somebody said: They’re drunk that means they are full, intoxicated, inebriated, under the influence of.

The crowd asked the question: What Meaneth This? What meaneth this, when a drug addict is suddenly free from the need and the desire for drugs? What meaneth this, when the alcoholic suddenly has no more desire for alcohol? What meaneth this, when a husband and wife are on the verge of divorce, but they walk out of church hand in hand, like high school sweethearts, head over heels in love? What meaneth this, when someone who has given up on life and given up on themselves and is ready to commit suicide, but suddenly hope springs up and joy fills his or her heart and they walk around singing and praising God and thanking him for the privilege of being alive?

What meaneth this?! How can these things be?!

My friends there are some things that have only one answer, it’s not technical and it’s not confusing, it’s simple: Jesus breaks every fetter!

When the church is truly full of the Holy Ghost, it will still provoke the same question today: What meaneth this?

Two Patterns, Jesus' or the World's: One Choice

 Romans 12:1-2 (King James Version)

12 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.

Conform: to take on the pattern, through pressure (to be pressed into the mold)

·       behave according to socially acceptable conventions or standards. "the pressure to conform" synonyms: follow convention, be conventional, fit in, adapt, adjust, follow the crowd;

This morning, in the light of the fact that school is starting all over America for many young people, and no matter how many years removed I am from youth ministry my heart will always lean toward the youth of our churches; so, I felt compelled to share.

Just like the three Hebrew children in the book of Daniel, we live in a foreign land, a hostile environment, we are strangers and aliens to this place. God never intended that we would fit in or blend in. But that we would stand up and stand out. As Christians, not just those that profess the things of God with their mouth, but actual Christians seeking to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord; we are supposed to be exhibiting an entirely different nature than the world. The worlds nature is darkness, The Christians nature is light.

Ephesians 5:8-13

⁸ For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

⁹ (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

¹⁰ Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

¹¹ And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

¹² For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

¹³ But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

Darkness cannot over power the light; the only way darkness can prevail is for the light to refuse to shine. The devil’s strategy is to convince you to put out your light. How does he do this? Through peer pressure. He tries to make you feel like what you are standing for is foolish, and that you are all alone.

They separated Daniel and the 3 Hebrew children from their own land, houses and families, and then they changed their names. Why? Because their names tied them to their spiritual heritage, and defined their destiny in God:

Hananiah = God has favored (changed to- (Shadrach)

Mishaal = Who is what God is (changed to- (Meshach)

Azariah = Jehovah has helped (changed to- (Abednego)

Satan hates our spiritual heritage, he hates the Holy Ghost, and there is nothing that grieves the devil more than to see our young people, filled with the Holy Ghost shouting and dancing and speaking in other tongues. 

Last Sunday our pastor baptized one of our teenagers who had decided to follow Jesus. I stood there and wept, why? Because all too often, as I spent 18 years in youth ministry, I’ve seen one young person after another destroyed by sin and I couldn’t stop thinking, “In your face devil, this is another one for Jesus; another child that you don’t get.”

For these four Hebrew young men there was pressure from their enemies., but Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the kings’ meat. This is the easiest battle to win, because it’s natural to fight against our enemies.

There was pressure from their friends. This is where our commitment is really tested, there were many of those who were carried into captivity who were of Daniels brethren, yet they were content and happy to surrender their names and their identities to fit in and be accepted.

There is the pressure from within - this is the most dangerous and destructive of all. All the other pressure was external, but there is internal pressure to conform. This is when like Nebuchadnezzar we set ourselves up an image, and we create in our minds the kind of god we choose.

Worshipers of the image can be identified by phrases like these:

·       Everybody’s doing it.

·       I don’t see anything wrong with it.

·       It’s nobody’s business but mine.

·       I don’t feel any conviction over it.

·       It’s not hurting anybody

What is happening in the hearts and minds of these people, is that they are bowing down and worshiping a false image. They are bowing to a god of our own making.

But when the trumpet sounded, when the world’s music began to play, the young men who had committed not conform, refused to bow down and worship an image created by man. They chose to offer themselves as living sacrifices. The king’s wrath was kindled. Friends this is important to note: For anyone who dares to stand for God, there will be criticism.

The music today is playing, it’s seductive and destructive, it leads to self-will, rebellion, perversity, and violence. Be careful what you allow to entertain you, because once sin fascinates your mind, it will assassinate your soul.

When you turn down that cigarette, that beer, that joint; when you turn down that invitation to a party, and purpose in your heart that you will keep yourself pure, and maintain your virginity; when you refuse to listen to and laugh at dirty jokes, there will be criticism. But you never go through the furnace alone.

Young people you are not alone, Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

If you will stand up for Jesus, he will stand up for you. But it is also true that Jesus said:

Mark 8:38

“If you are ashamed of me and my words, in this wicked and adulterous generation then I will also be ashamed of you when I stand before my father and all the holy angels.”

From Desperation, to Manifestation

Mark 6:45-51 – Suggested Reading

This morning while reading this passage I was reminded of the positive power of desperation. As difficult as it is to goes through some storms, and as hard as it is to accept that they are part of God’s plan, many times the desperation that is created by the storm is exactly what we need to position us to receive the help and revelation that we need to, “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (I Peter 3:18)

Desperation is where we come to an end of ourselves. Desperation is where I was when God delivered me from the bondage of drugs and alcohol. The best part of coming to the end of myself, I found Jesus.

In the text from Mark 6:45-51, the disciples had received an instruction from Jesus, a word from the master, but not just any word, it was a prophetic declaration of destiny, “Cross over to the other side.”

As they were obeying the Lord, don’t miss this aspect of the story it’s significant, the storm arose. If you plan on doing anything for God, you better get ready for the storm. Pew warmers, those who never do anything for God, don’t have to worry much about the storm. But those who walk in obedience to His voice will find themselves constantly facing opposition. I’m talking about satanic opposition! When you start moving in destiny hell will resist you, and the satanic forces of this world will try to stop you.

Anyone can serve God when the sky is clear and the seas are calm, but it takes committed people of faith to stay the course through the storm. It takes courage to stay on board when everything around you is telling you to abandon ship.

God allows the storms, because they benefit his children and make them stronger. The storm tests our level of commitment, helps us see what is important and what is excess baggage, it shakes loose the things that aren’t connected in the spirit of Christ, it exposes your best and your worst. The storm brought these disciples to a place of desperation.

Why did they need to reach this place of desperation? Because Jesus was coming to them in a different way than they had ever seen him before and if they had not been desperate they could have easily missed this fresh revelation. Jesus waited until they were exhausted, worn out, and desperate. In other words, they knew that self-effort was useless, and without God’s help, they were going to die. It’s amazing how far we must go sometimes to run into grace.

They saw Jesus on the water but Fear almost kept them from receiving him. Fear hinders us from receiving from God: Fear of the unknown, fear of what other people might think or say, fear of breaking a tradition, but desperation forces us to overcome our fears. Their desperation became a positive force in preparing them for this awesome revelation and manifestation of the power of God.

Friends, I know God gave me this word today specifically for some of you, I feel in my spirit what God is showing me today. Many of you have sensed a growing desperation in your spirit. You have not known which way to turn, nothing seems to be working anymore, and your exhausted. The word that He gave me for you is simple, ‘don’t give up, Jesus is on the way.’

I believe you’re on the verge of a revelation that is going to bring you into a deeper relationship with God than you have ever known before, and you are about to experience a greater manifestation of the power of God in your life than you have ever imagined was possible. He can do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or even imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)

Nobody likes to feel weak, or unsuccessful or like they don’t know what they’re doing, but sometimes we must reach that place before our ears open to really hear what God is saying, and our eyes are open to see how to do it Gods way.

Like the woman with the Issue of blood for 12 years, it wasn’t until she had spent all her money and exhausted every avenue at her disposal that she came to Jesus. Had she had more money, or another doctor to turn to she may never have come to Jesus.

It was desperation that caused Jairus to risk his reputation by coming to Jesus because his daughter was dying. It was desperation that caused Bartimaeus to cry for mercy, despite the persecution of those around him. In 2 Kings 4, it was desperation that brought the widow woman to the prophet, her husband had died and left her in debt, and her creditors were coming to make slaves of her two sons. Her desperation created an avenue for a miracle of divine provision, as she poured from her pot of oil into many borrowed vessels.

Friends I know what it’s like to struggle with the feelings of desperation, when you’ve done all you know how to do. You have prayed, fasted, you’ve confessed, and it seems like nothing has changed. I’m on a mission from God this morning to tell you to get ready, because on the other side of your desperation is a miracle, is a greater revelation of Jesus than you have ever known.

Desperation is like the last stages of pregnancy. You’re uncomfortable, nothing feels quite right, you cry for no specific reason, your emotions are right on the surface all the time, none of your clothes fit you, you can’t sit where you used to sit, and you’re desperate to get it over with. Meanwhile, something inside is growing, you may not be able to see what it I or touch it, but everyone can see your pregnant.

That’s the way it is for those who follow the voice of the Lord, even in the storm that creates desperation. There is a ministry growing inside you, a new anointing growing inside you, a special gift, a new vision, or a new level. Something is getting ready to be birthed, and desperation is that last stage before manifestation, and it is here that you either break down, or break through.

It is at this point that the devil will try to convince you that it’s not worth it. That God has changed his mind, that you misunderstood God, or that you just dreamed your own dream. I feel I need to let you know, to help you understand, that delay is not denial and desperation is a positive power when it causes you to surrender yourself completely to the one who, “even the winds and waves obey.”

Destination Destiny, All Aboard!

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (KJV)

“For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope.” (AMP)

God has a plan for all our lives. We often refer to it as our ‘destiny.’ It is a predetermined plan for the outcome of lives, but that plan is not forced upon, or even revealed to us, if we do not submit to the authority and Lordship of Jesus Christ. When we are in rebellion to God, we may see glimpses of what He desires for us, but we will never fully experience our ‘destiny,’ without complete surrender to His will.

Many have disputed predestination, but the bible is full of this truth. God predetermined that through Isaac he would bless all the nations of the world. He predetermined Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations, Samson to be a judge and a deliverer to Israel, and John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus. God predetermined for Jesus to die for the sins of the world, and to restore what Adam lost, before Adam ever sinned:

Revelation 13:8

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

God has a perfect and divine plan for your life. God is a God of destiny and purpose, everything about Gods dealings with man is connected with purpose.

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 17

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven… I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

Romans 8:28-30

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

God has a desired outcome, His will for every person; it is that they should be saved, and can be saved, and can be conformed to the image of His Son. But beyond this, there is God’s predetermined plan for your individual life, your ‘destiny.’

It is a tremendous disappointment to the heart of God, that there are so many who will never fulfill their destiny. We will never find our individual destiny until we have fully embraced His will. We must act upon the Word of God and seek to be conformed to the image of Jesus, following Him daily through obedience and faithfulness. You will never know your ‘destiny,’ if your life is not in submission to His will.

So many in the church wonder why they constantly struggle, they are constantly in turmoil, and they cannot figure out how to get stability. It is because they are not living a surrendered life. They want life on their terms, instead of on God’s. They talk the way they want, they dress the way they want, and they live the way they want. God has called us to be like Jesus, but they want to be like the world. God’s blessings will never fall on lives like these, never!

Whether you reach your destiny, or not, is not up to God, or the devil. God has already predetermined what he desires for your life. Now it is up to you to set your course so that you reach your destiny.

We set the course of our destiny with our tongues. The Apostle James compared the tongue to a bit in a horse’s mouth, a rudder of a ship, and to a fire. The bit and the rudder, show us how something very small has the power to determine the course of something very large.

The tongue is compared to a fire, it can literally set on fire the course of nature. The tongue can totally alter the natural course of your life. The tongue is said to be an unruly member, full of deadly poison. The power of Your tongue in setting the course of your destiny.

Your life is that ship and your life always moves in the direction of your most dominant thoughts, and your most dominant thoughts will always find expression through your tongue.

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

Luke 6:45: “For Of the abundance of his heart his mouth speaketh.”

Your tongue is the rudder of your life: You will either steer your life toward your destiny or away from it, with your tongue.

Proverbs 18:21

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

Your life today is the fruit of your words. With your tongue, you determine what comes to you in life

Mark 11:23

“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”

You Speak what you believe, and when you speak what you believe it releases faith, and that faith that is released in your words will produce fruit, according to your faith.

Job 22:28

“Thou shalt decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee.”

Galatians 6:7

“Be not deceived God Is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.”

Your words are seeds: You are sowing your destiny with the words you speak. I used to tell young people that I pastored, what you allow to come into your eyes and ears, takes seed in your heart, and once it takes seed in your heart it will eventually come off your tongue, and once it comes off your tongue it begins to steer your life.

Take control of the rudder of your life, seek holiness in all you do: in what your watch, in what you participate in, in your conversations, in the way you dress, and by speaking according to the Word of God.

Do not be conformed any longer to the patterns of this world, do not allow yourselves to be deceived by man-made logic and traditions that are not based in the principles of Christ, and offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, “holy and acceptable to God.” 

Set the course of your destiny by saying about yourself what God has already said about you: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,” and you will find yourself moving quickly in the direction of your destiny.

The Road Home

Luke Chapter 15

There are three stories being told in the fifteenth chapter of Luke, but the moral of each of these stories is clear: Lost things matter to God.

To really understand this story, you must pay careful attention to the first couple of verses. If you read intently, you will see that there is a great deal of tension in these verses. Jesus was given many titles in the New Testament: The Door, The Light of the World, The Alpha and Omega, but in this passage, we see him labeled, though not with affection, “Friend of Sinners.”

In the first story, a farmer has one-hundred sheep and one gets lost. Jesus shows us how the Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and goes on a search and rescue mission for the one. In the second story, a widow loses one of her coins and then turns the house upside down to find it. And when the lost son returns home, he finds the father not just waiting on him, but running to meet the son he has been eagerly watching for in the distance. There are many things we could point out about these three stories but there’s really one common thread: Whenever the lost are found, there is rejoicing.

In verse six the farmer calls his friends together and he says, “rejoice with me, I have found my lost lamb.”

In verse nine the widow says, “rejoice with me, I have found my lost coin.”

And when the lost son returns home the father throws a party, and again, they all rejoice.

I relate more to the son, so that is what I want to focus on today. He wants his inheritance and he wants it while his father is still alive. This was the same as saying, “Father, I’m eager for you to die.”

Normally in this situation a father would disown the son for making such a request. But instead the father gives it to him. He takes the money, leaves home and goes to a place the Bible refers to as a distant country. And there he spends his money down to the last cent. A famine comes in so not having any cash, he finds work. And the only thing he can find is to slop hogs. I’m pretty sure this was not the job he dreamed of, growing up as a Jew.

So how did he get to this place? How do you move from a life of luxury to living in a pigpen? Well actually it’s not as difficult as it may sound. The explanation, in my assessment, is simple: He was selfish, we all are to some degree because it’s in our nature, but he allowed his selfish desires to rule his heart.

Here’s why I relate to this story so much – I got lost the same way. After decades of preaching about the nature of all sin being rooted in selfishness, I forgot to ‘beat my body, and make it my slave.’

These are the words of the Apostle Paul, he says that we must do this as ministers of the Gospel, ‘so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

One decision of selfishness, led to another, and before long I was on the road to a distant country. A place I didn’t have any business going, because it led me away from the Father’s house.

I made a long string of bad decisions. This is the way sin works its way into our lives - one bad decision leads to another. You tell yourself, “I’m in pain, so it’s okay to take more of the medication than the doctor prescribed... Grandpa used to drink whiskey when he was sick... it’s not a sin to medicate yourself, and it just continues. Pretty soon you’re about 15 bad decisions down the road and then it’s just easier to keep traveling in the wrong direction.

Notice now what happens in verse 14. There was a famine in the distant country. That’s what happens when we lose our direction and we stray away. Everything looks good, plenty of opportunity; soon the money runs out, the road runs out and then you’ve lost everything. One who had it all, has now lost everything. He has bottomed out, and he realizes it. He came to his senses.

Philip Yancey tells the story of a prodigal daughter who grew up in a small town in Michigan. Fed up with her old-fashioned parents who didn’t like the music she listens to, the length of her skirts, she runs away. She ends up in Detroit where she meets a man who drives the biggest car she’s ever seen. She calls him boss. He recognizes that since she’s underage, men would pay a premium for her so she goes to work for him. For a while she thinks life is good. But she gets sick for a few days and it amazes her how quickly the boss turns on her. Before she knows that she’s out on the street without a penny to her name. She earns very little and all the money goes to support her drug habit. One night while sleeping outside, she began to feel less like a woman of the world and more like a little girl again. She begins to cry. God, “why did I leave?” My dog back home eats better than I do now. She knows that more than anything in the world she wants to go home. She calls home…three straight phone calls home and she is connected with the answering machine every time. Finally, she leaves a message. Mom, dad, it’s me. I was wondering about maybe coming home. I’m catching a bus up your way and it’ll get there about midnight tomorrow. If you’re not there, I’ll understand.

It was a seven-hour bus ride so she has plenty of time to prepare her speech for her father. And when the bus comes to a stop in a small town where she was raised the driver announces the 15 minutes stop. 15 minutes to decide her life. She walks into the terminal not knowing what to expect. But not one of the thousands seems that have played out in her mind prepares her for what she sees. There in the bus terminal stands a group of 40 brothers and sisters and great aunts and uncles and cousins and a grandmother and great-grandmother to boot. They’re all wearing party hats and blowing noisemakers and taped across the entire wall of the terminal is a large banner that reads-'Welcome Home!'

I remember when I came to my senses. I had left the ministry, moved to a city about 90 miles from home to work, I eventually called my wife one night and told her, “I think we should get a divorce. I’m never coming home.”

I had been living a double life. The next evening my phone rang, I saw it was my father-in-law, I hit the ignore button. He kept calling, so I just answered so he would stop bothering me. He said, “What is going on?”

I knew he had been told. I responded, “I am tired of not getting what I need, I do not want to be married anymore, I am going to do what I want from now on.”

Then he spoke words to me that I will never forget, “Where was God in anything that just came out of your mouth? Did you mean anything that you have preached for the last 20 years?”

I hung up on him. About a week later I found myself lying in the middle of the hi-way, unable to move my legs after a head on collision with a minivan, on my motorcycle. I knew I was about to die, and I was going to hell. 

I called my wife, while lying in the middle of that road, and told her I just wrecked the bike and I don’t think I’m going to make it. When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, she was already there.

I didn’t see anger in her face, I didn’t see happiness either, I seen love – I got a glimpse of the face of Jesus, “Friend of Sinners.”

I repented and asked the Lord to forgive me. Three days later, broken back and all, I walked out of that hospital. And the next day I called her and asked if I could come home. She had every right to say no. I had given her grounds to divorce me, but she didn’t hesitate to drive that 90 miles and get me. She brought me home. There was some healing that needed to take place, but that was years ago - it hasn't been perfect and neither am I, but I have been completely sober for 4 years now, I was baptized in Jesus' name, and filled with the Holy Ghost three years ago, God is good!

Friends I shared this today, got up out of bed a 3 a.m., to tell you this: it doesn’t matter how far down the road you’ve traveled from the Father’s house, He’s waiting, He’s watching for you in the distance, and as soon as He sees that you have turned around and are headed home, He will run to meet you and walk you to His house.

It's Time to Fight Fire, With Fire!

Exodus 7:10-12

“So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what the Lord had commanded them. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent! [11] Then Pharaoh called in his own wise men and sorcerers, and these Egyptian magicians did the same thing with their magic. [12] They threw down their staffs, which also became serpents! But then Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.”

There is a word that has been in my mind all week, it’s the word ‘Fire.”

If someone were to walk into a room and yell, ‘FIRE,” the whole atmosphere would change, hearts would race, eyes would open wide, nobody would just sit there, everyone would be looking for the exits wondering where the fire is, and somebody would run for the fire extinguisher.

But I want to tell you this morning about a fire, that we don’t want to run from. A fire, that we’re not looking to extinguish, and that shouldn’t send us running for the exits. Friends I am talking about a fire that we should be crying out for; the fire of the Holy Ghost!

What we're seeing in this text is a power confrontation: The power of hell versus the power of God. I am compelled to tell you today; the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ must catch FIRE. There is an unholy, satanic, and demonic fire that is being unleashed in the earth today; and the sleepy, sloppy, passive, half-hearted slumbering, half-baked churches and church members aren’t qualified to deal with it. It’s going to take a Holy Ghost Fire baptized church that can pray heaven down and cast hell out.

Hell is on fire: The devil is sending his fire out against the church. In other words, the snakes are coming out of the woodpile, they're coming out of hiding, they are bringing hell fire destruction, and friends I’m telling you, that a bunch of wet blankets won’t extinguish their poison.

I am sure that most of you have heard the saying, “You’ve got to fight fire with fire.” Well, it’s true; nothing less than the fire of God that can put out hell's fire.

Even Shakespeare spoke of this fire against fire, “Be stirring as the time; be fire with fire; threaten the threatener, and outface the brow of bragging horror.”

Friends you might be saying by now, “you’re laying it on pretty thick aren’t you, surely it’s not that bad?” Yes, it is that bad! And any Pastor, minister, evangelist, or leader that does not sound the fire alarm to anyone who will listen is failing in their call, and is inviting disaster.

When witches are banding together and calling for the country to join them in casting spells hexes and curses against the president and the Supreme Court: We have a problem and it's not a disagreement of political parties, it's spiritual warfare! The snakes are coming out of the wood piles!

 And the most important thing the ministry can do today is to equip the saints to fight.

It's time for the Church to pray! ‘Now I lay me down to sleep’ prayers won't work here. If the church in the book of Acts would have prayed those type of wimpy prayers for Peter, he would have died. But the church went into deep spiritual warfare, they went into heaven-shaking, hell-breaking, unceasing prayer, and God sent an angel who delivered Peter from the same fate that James suffered.

It's time for the church to wake up! This is no time for the church to rest on her laurels, is the time for the church to catch fire!

I haven’t been focused on the Holy Ghost so much lately, because I think it would be neat for you to speak in tongues. I am focused on the baptism in the Holy Ghost, because hell is being unleashed against the church and in the world, and the only thing that will qualify you, equip you, and empower you to fight against it, is the Power of the Holy Ghost and Fire.

The Holy Ghost baptism is a fire baptism, you cannot separate the fire from the Holy Ghost. Fire has always been a symbol of the Lords presence among his people. Fire has always been an identifying characteristic of the people of God. Fire is heavens answer to our prayers, and it is heavens solution for our weakness. Fire is Heavens witness to an acceptable sacrifice, any time God finds an acceptable sacrifice he testifies and responds to it, and answers from heaven by fire.

Romans 12:1

“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.”

Fire is Contagious; if there is material, the fire will burn. Proverbs 26:20 says, “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out:”

Wherever there are hungry hearts, the fire will burn!

The Fire of God will burn out of you everything that is not like God; it will burn out selfishness, anger, drug addiction, alcoholism, lust, bigotry, fear, pride, deceitfulness, and unforgiveness. There are too many people in the church who want to know God, just as ‘Blesser,’ but God is not just a “Blesser,’ He is a possessor! God wants to possess you, He wants to fill you, control you, and flow through you. Jesus, the Holy Ghost, wants to make you a channel of his power.

When the Holy Ghost came on the day of Pentecost: He came as a rushing mighty wind and tongues of fire. Why? Because God knew the church without power was no match for the devil. He knew that hell’s fire was burning against the church, and the only thing that could put it out was fire From Heaven.

It’s still true today: I pray about many things through the week, but at the top of my list, and first in priority is, God send the fire. Baptize me with fresh Holy Ghost, and Baptize your church in the Holy Ghost.

The fire of God is not a mental concept or idea to be analyzed by the mind: The fire of God is the tangible manifested power of God – it is Heaven touching earth. The power of God invading the earth's realm, consuming your mind, your soul, your body, and setting you on fire for his Kingdom Sake.

This is not a time for the Church to go AWOL, it is the time for the church to catch fire, so that we can fight hell’s fire with fire from Heaven.