Monday finally had rolled around and it was time for me to go to the Secret Service office in Jacksonville and turn myself in. Wow! This was really happening! I drove the hour drive to the office and went inside the building, the next hour or so I spent cuffed to a chair and table, both hands and feet. We finished the appropriate paperwork and headed to another room where, I was digitally finger printed, weighed and my stats we taken all at once(aside from the situation that part was really cool); it felt like CSI! But the reality was beginning to set in, this was happening!
The time had come to make the transfer to the Federal Court House, which was across town. I was cuffed and lead to the side entrance of the building where another agent had a SUV waiting for us. I was lead in the back and given a type of "rights" that I'd never heard before. The agent that sat in the back with me held his gun to me and asked me if I planned to injure him or his partner, to which I replied, NO! Then he informed me if I tried to do anything, he would shoot me on the spot and that it would be in protection of his and his partners safety. I had never heard of this one before, but you don't argue with a man who is pointing a gun at you, which he kept pointed at me the entire 30 minute drive. That was a blast...NOT!
When we arrived to the Federal Building, I was escorted to a holding cell, which is basically a room with a bench all the way along three sides of the room and a toilet in the corner. So I had nothing to do but wait, this I would soon learn was the way of the Feds, wait! I had arrived at the Secret Service office at 7am and was escorted to the Federal Building by 9am. I was waiting to see the Judge for an arraignment which basically means that I get to hear what I'm charged with and what my rights are. Then I would be transferred to Miami, where the case originated. So there I waited and prayed and praised. A lot of things were going through my head at that time, but most of the things were prayers of thanksgiving that the situation wasn't worse. For example, the Secret Service didn't have to let me turn myself in, they could have had the Marshalls come and storm my house and get me like a fugitive, which I would soon find out is very common.
So I waited and waited and waited. At some point I had actually fell asleep, well passed out would be a better term for it. But when I opened my eyes next there was a Mexican man sitting across from me, starring at me. Then he smiled, a toothless smile at me and said, Hola. I merely replied Hola and began to pray again. Now I was praying that this man doesn't go crazy and attack me. But suddenly God began to speak to me and show me that He loves this man too, so I began to pray for peace in his life. But I was still worried that this guy might want to hurt me in some way! Man, judgment comes so easily for me!
After and eternity, a man in a suit comes out into the hall and calls for me. I stand and am re-shackled and led into the courtroom. We are literally underground, there are no windows and no clocks, I have no idea what time of day it is or anything. All I do know is that it has been forever, I haven't eaten at all today, I haven't had anything to drink since 7am and I don't know if I'll ever make it home. I
I walk in and sit where the man tells me to sit and there in front of me is a very high bench with a judge sitting there glaring at me, yet another criminal. I wasn't prepped for this and had no lawyer, I was totally lost. Yet in that moment, I wasn't afraid, I felt warm and peaceful. The judge uttered some very official words in a language foreign to me, English, yet foreign. I would later find out that those words were the various charges against me and that the following meant that all he was doing was saying that I showed up and in 24 hrs would appear in Miami for the "official" arraignment. Then they sent me back into the holding cell, the Mexican man was gone now. I was alone again, well seemingly alone. I knew that God and His heavenly host was all around me bringing me peace and love.
Hours went by again and finally an officer came and led me up the elevator, not in shackles this time, which was a good sign. We came to the 3rd floor of the building and to an office, where a woman gave me a huge stack of papers to sign and asked me if I had a ride home. Home? I was not being held! Thank God! I told her no and she let me use the phone to call a cab to get back to my car. When I made it outside to wait for the cab, it was almost dark. By the time I reached my car, it was 7pm. 12 hrs had gone by since I first arrived at the Secret Service building. Now I had to be in Miami the following day to be in court for my arraignment there.... Where was this going to take me?
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
The Incident
I had finally decided to live the life of a seeker, seeking Christ and His beauty(Psalm 27:4)! God had me, I'm taken, He has ravished my heart. Things were only improving at the time, money was getting better and I was saving more of it. Got a brand new car, great apartment, great church, great family, growth was the word for the season. One night we had a youth get together at my brother's house, so I just spent the night with him, when I got home the next morning there was a business card on my door. When I first looked at it, it looked fake. It said Secret Service and the name on the front was scratched out along with the number and a new one was written on the back.
My mind was reeling, was this some sort of joke? So as I got ready for work I called the number on the back just to see what it was all about. Several things were flowing through my mind as I dialed the number, this could be about my oldest brother, who had been in a lot of trouble through out the years, perhaps it was one of those joke message services like "the rejection hot line" that would tell me that I wasn't cool enough to talk to. Then it began to ring...then another ring, it felt like hours were passing in between each ring and finally an answer. "Hello" the man said, "This is Agent Sean." So I explained who I was and that I had received a card with his name on the back of it. He said, "Yes, I left it there" wow he really was wanting to talk to me! He asked if we could meet up in the next hour and I told him that I was headed to work, but we could meet afterward. So we meet on the deck of the restaurant I was working at at the time and there it was, my past all in a nice little binder.
Flash backs of all the craziness and the parties and people, the horrible things I'd done. He had informed me that a friend of mine had been arrested along with my old roommate, both for wire fraud and they both pointed to me. The one said I was the mastermind behind a multi-million dollar operation. I was floored, I had put all this behind me and besides, they were involved much more than I was anyways. He asked for a statement, so I told him all that I could remember and they came over and searched my house and car. When they did that, they were convinced that I was no criminal mastermind! I asked what is going to happen to me, he told me that was up to the people in Miami since that is where I was living at the time of "the incident." I thanked him for coming out to my house, who thanks the Secret Service for searching their house? Me, that's who! Then they left and left me at my house, they didn't arrest me?!? I was totally confused!
I was a mess, what did this mean for me? People close to me told me that if they had really wanted me they would have taken me. So a little time passed, a week or two and nothing, then some more time and finally about eight months had passed. I was thinking everyone is right, if they had wanted me they would have already taken me. Besides I was no "major criminal" or anything like that, I made a mistake, who hasn't?
Just when all was normal, or as close to normal as could be, I got the call. It was a Friday afternoon, Agent Sean called to tell me that a FEDERAL WARRANT had been issued for my arrest and to stay in for the weekend and I could come to his office Monday and turn myself in... How was God going to save me from this one?
My mind was reeling, was this some sort of joke? So as I got ready for work I called the number on the back just to see what it was all about. Several things were flowing through my mind as I dialed the number, this could be about my oldest brother, who had been in a lot of trouble through out the years, perhaps it was one of those joke message services like "the rejection hot line" that would tell me that I wasn't cool enough to talk to. Then it began to ring...then another ring, it felt like hours were passing in between each ring and finally an answer. "Hello" the man said, "This is Agent Sean." So I explained who I was and that I had received a card with his name on the back of it. He said, "Yes, I left it there" wow he really was wanting to talk to me! He asked if we could meet up in the next hour and I told him that I was headed to work, but we could meet afterward. So we meet on the deck of the restaurant I was working at at the time and there it was, my past all in a nice little binder.
Flash backs of all the craziness and the parties and people, the horrible things I'd done. He had informed me that a friend of mine had been arrested along with my old roommate, both for wire fraud and they both pointed to me. The one said I was the mastermind behind a multi-million dollar operation. I was floored, I had put all this behind me and besides, they were involved much more than I was anyways. He asked for a statement, so I told him all that I could remember and they came over and searched my house and car. When they did that, they were convinced that I was no criminal mastermind! I asked what is going to happen to me, he told me that was up to the people in Miami since that is where I was living at the time of "the incident." I thanked him for coming out to my house, who thanks the Secret Service for searching their house? Me, that's who! Then they left and left me at my house, they didn't arrest me?!? I was totally confused!
I was a mess, what did this mean for me? People close to me told me that if they had really wanted me they would have taken me. So a little time passed, a week or two and nothing, then some more time and finally about eight months had passed. I was thinking everyone is right, if they had wanted me they would have already taken me. Besides I was no "major criminal" or anything like that, I made a mistake, who hasn't?
Just when all was normal, or as close to normal as could be, I got the call. It was a Friday afternoon, Agent Sean called to tell me that a FEDERAL WARRANT had been issued for my arrest and to stay in for the weekend and I could come to his office Monday and turn myself in... How was God going to save me from this one?
Friday, March 19, 2010
Cut To The Quick
This a continuation of my previous blog, Razor's Edge.
I had finally decided that I would try God on for size and see what He would do for me, so I went on a fast. The preparation time for this 3 day fast was about 2 months. I wanted to go about it the right way, so I began to eliminate one thing from my habits a week, until the actual fast. As part of the preparation process, I also wrote down a list of all my sins and a list of all the people that I had offended or had offended me, I had to set this all right. That was a difficult and long process, but it began the process of setting me free! On the day of the fast, I made 2 gallons of juice, both fruit and vegetable, I was ready for 3 days of only liquid!
All was going well and God was moving on my behalf, even though I still wasn't living according to His word, He was reeling me in. I was still pretending at this point, I was on the roller coaster of relationship going through moments of inspiration, condemnation and re-dedication. I hadn't learned that God loved and desired a relationship with me no matter my circumstances. I was still under the impression that God was somehow surprised or offended by my behavior. It was pretty ugly. I had done it again, messed with the wrong people and this time gotten drunk and high and messed around with someone who was dating a friend of mine, some friend I was. I was so made with my actions, I was tired of playing this game with God, I got mad and did what I did best, got wasted! I was belligerent, I was having it all out with Him, cursing Him and telling Him what I thought. Finally I screamed out to Him, "If you want me dead, kill me!"
Suddenly images began to flash through my mind of times that I should have died and didn't. For example, http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/112699/met_1355437.html. This is the link to a story of a former friend of mine, we were both working the restaurant that night and I happened to park in the front parking lot, which I never did. So when we were leaving, he went out the back and I went out the front. I got in my car and drove away.
When they were rebuilding the bridge in Panama City, Florida, I used to live there and work on the beach. I had to cross that bridge no less than 2 times a day. One evening while we were "celebrating" a friends graduation, I took several anti-anxiety pills and drank over a 12 pack of beer by myself. I then proceeded to get in my truck and drive home. On the way I decided to kill myself and drive off the bridge, which wouldn't have been too difficult seeing that there were no guard rails to stop me. I couldn't even turn the wheel, then at the top of the bridge I blacked out and made the 10 mile drive home safely!
There are many more instances, but these are just two of the examples of how God kept me safe. That moment was so hard to understand, God wanted me alive! God wanted me here! God wanted me! It began to break my paradigm of how things were and who God is. He had become personal and to know that He loved me like this really did cut to the quick!
I had finally decided that I would try God on for size and see what He would do for me, so I went on a fast. The preparation time for this 3 day fast was about 2 months. I wanted to go about it the right way, so I began to eliminate one thing from my habits a week, until the actual fast. As part of the preparation process, I also wrote down a list of all my sins and a list of all the people that I had offended or had offended me, I had to set this all right. That was a difficult and long process, but it began the process of setting me free! On the day of the fast, I made 2 gallons of juice, both fruit and vegetable, I was ready for 3 days of only liquid!
All was going well and God was moving on my behalf, even though I still wasn't living according to His word, He was reeling me in. I was still pretending at this point, I was on the roller coaster of relationship going through moments of inspiration, condemnation and re-dedication. I hadn't learned that God loved and desired a relationship with me no matter my circumstances. I was still under the impression that God was somehow surprised or offended by my behavior. It was pretty ugly. I had done it again, messed with the wrong people and this time gotten drunk and high and messed around with someone who was dating a friend of mine, some friend I was. I was so made with my actions, I was tired of playing this game with God, I got mad and did what I did best, got wasted! I was belligerent, I was having it all out with Him, cursing Him and telling Him what I thought. Finally I screamed out to Him, "If you want me dead, kill me!"
Suddenly images began to flash through my mind of times that I should have died and didn't. For example, http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/112699/met_1355437.html. This is the link to a story of a former friend of mine, we were both working the restaurant that night and I happened to park in the front parking lot, which I never did. So when we were leaving, he went out the back and I went out the front. I got in my car and drove away.
When they were rebuilding the bridge in Panama City, Florida, I used to live there and work on the beach. I had to cross that bridge no less than 2 times a day. One evening while we were "celebrating" a friends graduation, I took several anti-anxiety pills and drank over a 12 pack of beer by myself. I then proceeded to get in my truck and drive home. On the way I decided to kill myself and drive off the bridge, which wouldn't have been too difficult seeing that there were no guard rails to stop me. I couldn't even turn the wheel, then at the top of the bridge I blacked out and made the 10 mile drive home safely!
There are many more instances, but these are just two of the examples of how God kept me safe. That moment was so hard to understand, God wanted me alive! God wanted me here! God wanted me! It began to break my paradigm of how things were and who God is. He had become personal and to know that He loved me like this really did cut to the quick!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
RAZOR'S EDGE
I recently got a book called, RAZOR'S EDGE by Bob Armstrong. Bob is an amazing man with a heart after God, he has served the Lord in many different capacities in many different countries. I had the wonderful pleasure of having a rather close relationship with Mr. Armstrong for a year... Unfortunately we had to meet at the Federal Prison Camp in Estill, SC.
When I received his book, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, Bob is a very brilliant man and most unpredictable! It didn't take long for me to see that this was about his experience in prison. The further I got into the book, the more I realized just how different our experiences were. For example, I was in prison because I had done illegal things with people's information. He on the other hand was in a business with a dishonest man and sadly enough both had to pay the price for the work of one man.
I want to open the door a little bit more into what life is like behind the barbed wire. My journey really began in Miami in January of 2006. I was a total cocaine addict and would snort basically anything that was powder. I was up to an eight ball a day (3 1/2 grams). I was also a raging alcoholic, I did the drugs not only to have a good time, but also to stay coherent enough to work and just live. I was a mess, an expensive mess.
One day a guy who I worked with invited me out for a drink after work. He asked me if I wanted to make some extra money and of coarse I said, "YES!" He let me in on his "little secret" to making extra cash. All I had to do was collect and share people's information. In fact I didn't even need to know the information, just collect and transport. Easy right? I was thinking, Man! This will pay for all the drugs I want, every night is going to be fabulous!
That lasted about 3 months and I had had enough. I was so overtaken by guilt, I just couldn't stand myself any longer. I was also out of control, I hated myself and my life. I remember being in the bathroom at work smoking crystal meth and I looked into the mirror and remembered the 16 year old kid who wanted to be a minister. Where had he gone? Who was I? Where was God?
I moved back home to Fernandina, Florida in April of 2006. My life was in total shambles. Praise God that my brother, James and my sister-in-law Jessica took me in and put up with me. I soon found a job and things were getting better. I had started to come back to church a little and I was beginning to play around with the idea of God being real and out there somewhere. In about 3 months I was to a point where I was able to move out on my own again.
I was doing "good" for a while, I was clean, sober and even managed to quite smoking. It just wasn't lasting, without Christ! It reminds me of Matthew 12:43-45
43"When an evil[f] spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."
This is the condition of trying on our own to fix the problem without Christ. I started smoking and then drinking and finally drugs all over. I was still attending church, often still drunk and high from the previous night. It was all a game, but little did I know that God was about to invade my life...with His love!
When I received his book, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, Bob is a very brilliant man and most unpredictable! It didn't take long for me to see that this was about his experience in prison. The further I got into the book, the more I realized just how different our experiences were. For example, I was in prison because I had done illegal things with people's information. He on the other hand was in a business with a dishonest man and sadly enough both had to pay the price for the work of one man.
I want to open the door a little bit more into what life is like behind the barbed wire. My journey really began in Miami in January of 2006. I was a total cocaine addict and would snort basically anything that was powder. I was up to an eight ball a day (3 1/2 grams). I was also a raging alcoholic, I did the drugs not only to have a good time, but also to stay coherent enough to work and just live. I was a mess, an expensive mess.
One day a guy who I worked with invited me out for a drink after work. He asked me if I wanted to make some extra money and of coarse I said, "YES!" He let me in on his "little secret" to making extra cash. All I had to do was collect and share people's information. In fact I didn't even need to know the information, just collect and transport. Easy right? I was thinking, Man! This will pay for all the drugs I want, every night is going to be fabulous!
That lasted about 3 months and I had had enough. I was so overtaken by guilt, I just couldn't stand myself any longer. I was also out of control, I hated myself and my life. I remember being in the bathroom at work smoking crystal meth and I looked into the mirror and remembered the 16 year old kid who wanted to be a minister. Where had he gone? Who was I? Where was God?
I moved back home to Fernandina, Florida in April of 2006. My life was in total shambles. Praise God that my brother, James and my sister-in-law Jessica took me in and put up with me. I soon found a job and things were getting better. I had started to come back to church a little and I was beginning to play around with the idea of God being real and out there somewhere. In about 3 months I was to a point where I was able to move out on my own again.
I was doing "good" for a while, I was clean, sober and even managed to quite smoking. It just wasn't lasting, without Christ! It reminds me of Matthew 12:43-45
43"When an evil[f] spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."
This is the condition of trying on our own to fix the problem without Christ. I started smoking and then drinking and finally drugs all over. I was still attending church, often still drunk and high from the previous night. It was all a game, but little did I know that God was about to invade my life...with His love!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Independant Loaners
Independence and liberty are two of the most important things to most nations, whether or not individually we realize it. Nations rise and fall all for the pursuit of independence and liberty. That is a desire that God gave us and rightly so, the only problem is that independence and liberty with out God is a perversion. We have to be solely dependent on God to gain independence, we have to stand under God's authority to gain liberty. All through the blood of Jesus! Praise God!
What is spurring this thought of liberty and independence is how we have compartmentalized ourselves as a Body, notice the word there, Body. We, together corporately are the Body, not individually. We have divided ourselves based on trivial things, you like contemporary music go here, you like hymnals go there, you believe this and I believe that, so instead of coming together on the thing that makes us the same, Christ, we separate. Look around you at all the little and big independent "churches," I'm not judging them or anything, I'm actively involved in a "church," I use the word church in this way because we are just a tiny part of His Church, we aren't by ourselves the Church only together in unity are we the Church.
Romans 12:4-6 (New International Version)
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
Let me reemphasize the fact that this is an unfolding revelation to me and not in judgement, I desire for us to come together in unity! The enemy is working very hard to keep us divided for one simple reason...
Matthew 12:25
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
Mark 3:25
If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
Luke 11:17
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.
So what he is doing is telling us your better than them because your worship leader is "more anointed" or can sing better. Then we buy into it and divide ourselves to chase our own thing and we forget the word or the dream in the beginning! With all this happening we begin to look at one another with some sort of spiritual superiority, like we are bigger and better, just like the Pharisee's. Then comes the harsh judgement and the back biting and the slander, especially when something happens and some one "falls" or something.
The Church corporately is a joke to most Americans. We think that it is because all these people have made mistakes and made us look bad. We are sadly mistaken, just read the Bible, read about David, Solomon. Division is what is made us a joke. That one that "fell," were we praying for them and lifting them up with blessings before the "fall?" We can't come together on anything but attacking our brother whenever they do make a mistake. Let's begin to come together! You have a dream and lack the resources? I know I do. But if we come together and share our dreams, visions, and resources think about how much more we can accomplish! No longer will we be crushed by the weight of trying to carry it all by ourselves, when we weren't created for that. We will be able to do greater things, bigger things, if run together.
God has given me a huge dream and a bigger vision! It is exciting and exhilarating. At the same time, I have some great restrictions, I have an 80,000 dollar debt for a mistake I made, I can't find a full time job, everything I have is either given or loaned to me and the list goes on. Looking at all this it is a bit overwhelming sometimes, but I know that I serve the God of the universe, the One who spoke it all into existence and nothing is outside of His control and He is a good Father, who desires to give us good gifts. Do I really think that He is going to pour money from heaven on me and let me try to run this thing alone? No. The fact of the matter is that when God first called His people Israel, they were one clan, one people. God was their king and ruler, but they wanted a man to rule over them and He gave them the desire of their heart, even though it wasn't His will and look what happened.... Division! Then when Christ came and gave the great commission and the first apostles went out they again began to bring the Body together in unity, every one bringing all they own together to care for one another, no one was without, all needs were met. That is how He designed it...Ecclesia- an assembly of citizens, this is the Greek word for church working together in koinonia- fellowship, actually sharing their lives in a covenant relationship, a brotherhood.
Acts 2:42 (New International Version)
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Beloved, I pray that this might pierce our stony hearts and move us towards one another, let's cut covenant and run together. Let's see what God can do when His people move together as one people!
Deuteronomy 32:30
How could one chase a thousand,
And two put ten thousand to flight,
Unless their Rock had sold them,
And the LORD had surrendered them?
What is spurring this thought of liberty and independence is how we have compartmentalized ourselves as a Body, notice the word there, Body. We, together corporately are the Body, not individually. We have divided ourselves based on trivial things, you like contemporary music go here, you like hymnals go there, you believe this and I believe that, so instead of coming together on the thing that makes us the same, Christ, we separate. Look around you at all the little and big independent "churches," I'm not judging them or anything, I'm actively involved in a "church," I use the word church in this way because we are just a tiny part of His Church, we aren't by ourselves the Church only together in unity are we the Church.
Romans 12:4-6 (New International Version)
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
Let me reemphasize the fact that this is an unfolding revelation to me and not in judgement, I desire for us to come together in unity! The enemy is working very hard to keep us divided for one simple reason...
Matthew 12:25
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
Mark 3:25
If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
Luke 11:17
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.
So what he is doing is telling us your better than them because your worship leader is "more anointed" or can sing better. Then we buy into it and divide ourselves to chase our own thing and we forget the word or the dream in the beginning! With all this happening we begin to look at one another with some sort of spiritual superiority, like we are bigger and better, just like the Pharisee's. Then comes the harsh judgement and the back biting and the slander, especially when something happens and some one "falls" or something.
The Church corporately is a joke to most Americans. We think that it is because all these people have made mistakes and made us look bad. We are sadly mistaken, just read the Bible, read about David, Solomon. Division is what is made us a joke. That one that "fell," were we praying for them and lifting them up with blessings before the "fall?" We can't come together on anything but attacking our brother whenever they do make a mistake. Let's begin to come together! You have a dream and lack the resources? I know I do. But if we come together and share our dreams, visions, and resources think about how much more we can accomplish! No longer will we be crushed by the weight of trying to carry it all by ourselves, when we weren't created for that. We will be able to do greater things, bigger things, if run together.
God has given me a huge dream and a bigger vision! It is exciting and exhilarating. At the same time, I have some great restrictions, I have an 80,000 dollar debt for a mistake I made, I can't find a full time job, everything I have is either given or loaned to me and the list goes on. Looking at all this it is a bit overwhelming sometimes, but I know that I serve the God of the universe, the One who spoke it all into existence and nothing is outside of His control and He is a good Father, who desires to give us good gifts. Do I really think that He is going to pour money from heaven on me and let me try to run this thing alone? No. The fact of the matter is that when God first called His people Israel, they were one clan, one people. God was their king and ruler, but they wanted a man to rule over them and He gave them the desire of their heart, even though it wasn't His will and look what happened.... Division! Then when Christ came and gave the great commission and the first apostles went out they again began to bring the Body together in unity, every one bringing all they own together to care for one another, no one was without, all needs were met. That is how He designed it...Ecclesia- an assembly of citizens, this is the Greek word for church working together in koinonia- fellowship, actually sharing their lives in a covenant relationship, a brotherhood.
Acts 2:42 (New International Version)
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Beloved, I pray that this might pierce our stony hearts and move us towards one another, let's cut covenant and run together. Let's see what God can do when His people move together as one people!
Deuteronomy 32:30
How could one chase a thousand,
And two put ten thousand to flight,
Unless their Rock had sold them,
And the LORD had surrendered them?
Judgment!!! Can We Handle It?
In today’s culture judgment is ingrained in us, everywhere you look, there are even entire programs devoted to judging and judgment. While God gave us judgment for good we have once again perverted it and use it incorrectly. God gave us judgment for accountability and to spur us into prayer. We must be careful of the things we are judging, they are usually the very things we struggle with.
The Word of God says not to judge according to one’s appearance in John 7:24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” The people in Jesus’ time were having a difficult time really believing that He was the Christ. They were expecting some big, fancy political leader to come and establish a kingdom in this world. They were not expecting the son of a carpenter from a little fishing town like Galilee. See in their incorrect judgment of the appearance, many missed the truth of who He really was and still is.
Matthew 7:1-2 “Judge not, that you are not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. That makes it very clear, with the same ruler we use to judge other people, we will get judged. That is a tough pill to swallow for me because of the harsh way that I have judged people. In our attempt to make ourselves feel better or look better, we are down right nasty! God made us all individuals with our own likes and dislikes, style, taste, appearance and talents. This year I started watching American Idol for the first time. Here is the thing though, no matter what we may think of those people up there doing their best, God loves them and He loves the way they look and sing. In fact He loves the way all of us look and sing and well do everything else we do and that makes us all pretty equal in my book.
I absolutely love John 8 and my favorite part of that text is the very beginning. There is Jesus going alone to the Mount of Olives to pray no doubt. When He returns to the temple the scribes and Pharisees approach Him with a woman who was just caught in the “very act” of adultery. The law says that she is to be stoned in Leviticus 20:10 so they wanted to see what Jesus would do about this situation, they were trying to trick Him. This is so cool, when they threw this at Him he just stooped down and began to write something in the sand in His cool, calm and collective way. He didn’t say anything for some time and then He stood up and said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” They were all convicted and left from the oldest to the youngest. Then He tells the woman that she is free to go cause no one accuses her and then He tells her to go and sin no more. Awesome! In this text we really get a good feel for how we are to respond to the world, love and compassion, setting captives free not condemning like the Pharisees’ and religious leaders of the day.
He continues later in the text in John 8:15-16 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. He shows us first by action what we are doing wrong and how to do it right then He says it, He always lives the example first. That is the most important thing is living the example. Sometimes we will be the only Bible people will look at or we’ll be the only Christ they see. We must live the example all the time or else we’ll loose them. Isaiah 58:6 tells us the “fast” that God has chosen for us is to undo the heavy burdens, let the oppressed go free and break every yoke. How can we do any of that if we are too busy judging people to get to know and love on them? So judgment....can we handle it?
The Word of God says not to judge according to one’s appearance in John 7:24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” The people in Jesus’ time were having a difficult time really believing that He was the Christ. They were expecting some big, fancy political leader to come and establish a kingdom in this world. They were not expecting the son of a carpenter from a little fishing town like Galilee. See in their incorrect judgment of the appearance, many missed the truth of who He really was and still is.
Matthew 7:1-2 “Judge not, that you are not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. That makes it very clear, with the same ruler we use to judge other people, we will get judged. That is a tough pill to swallow for me because of the harsh way that I have judged people. In our attempt to make ourselves feel better or look better, we are down right nasty! God made us all individuals with our own likes and dislikes, style, taste, appearance and talents. This year I started watching American Idol for the first time. Here is the thing though, no matter what we may think of those people up there doing their best, God loves them and He loves the way they look and sing. In fact He loves the way all of us look and sing and well do everything else we do and that makes us all pretty equal in my book.
I absolutely love John 8 and my favorite part of that text is the very beginning. There is Jesus going alone to the Mount of Olives to pray no doubt. When He returns to the temple the scribes and Pharisees approach Him with a woman who was just caught in the “very act” of adultery. The law says that she is to be stoned in Leviticus 20:10 so they wanted to see what Jesus would do about this situation, they were trying to trick Him. This is so cool, when they threw this at Him he just stooped down and began to write something in the sand in His cool, calm and collective way. He didn’t say anything for some time and then He stood up and said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” They were all convicted and left from the oldest to the youngest. Then He tells the woman that she is free to go cause no one accuses her and then He tells her to go and sin no more. Awesome! In this text we really get a good feel for how we are to respond to the world, love and compassion, setting captives free not condemning like the Pharisees’ and religious leaders of the day.
He continues later in the text in John 8:15-16 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. He shows us first by action what we are doing wrong and how to do it right then He says it, He always lives the example first. That is the most important thing is living the example. Sometimes we will be the only Bible people will look at or we’ll be the only Christ they see. We must live the example all the time or else we’ll loose them. Isaiah 58:6 tells us the “fast” that God has chosen for us is to undo the heavy burdens, let the oppressed go free and break every yoke. How can we do any of that if we are too busy judging people to get to know and love on them? So judgment....can we handle it?
Rushing River
Father,
I'm needing a fresh infilling! I need a fresh touch, release the revelation of Your love, invade my life with Your love! Release the joy of Jesus in my life, break in with love and joy in my life! I wanna sit at Your feet and pour out my life and worship on You! I wanna love You more, with the love that You love me! You say, there will be joy in the laying down, You say there will be joy in the letting go, You say there will be joy in the giving of my life! I believe it! Your river it rushes to the lowest places! Rush over me, let Your river flow! I bow down, I get low, I open up my heart to receive Your love!
I'm needing a fresh infilling! I need a fresh touch, release the revelation of Your love, invade my life with Your love! Release the joy of Jesus in my life, break in with love and joy in my life! I wanna sit at Your feet and pour out my life and worship on You! I wanna love You more, with the love that You love me! You say, there will be joy in the laying down, You say there will be joy in the letting go, You say there will be joy in the giving of my life! I believe it! Your river it rushes to the lowest places! Rush over me, let Your river flow! I bow down, I get low, I open up my heart to receive Your love!
Psalm 103 "A Prayer"
Abba,
I will bless and honor Your name with all that I have and all that I am. I will never forget all of Your goodness and the benefits of being Your favorite one. You are the one who forgives all of my sins, You're the one who covers me with grace and mercy by the blood of The Lamb. You're my healer and redeemer, the lifter of my head. You lay upon me crowns of tender mercies and loving kindness. You satisfy my mouth with good things, so that my strength is renewed like the eagle's.
You, Daddy, bring justice and righteousness for all that are oppressed. You showed Yourself to Moses and Israel, You showed Yourself merciful and gracious, slow to anger and overflowing with mercy. You don't continually nag me nor do You hold grudges, for You are the ultimate gentleman, You will never force anything on me. You haven't dealt with me according to my sins, nor have You punished me according to my transgressions. Like the vastness of space, so are Your mercies toward all that fear You.
You have cast my transgressions as far as the east is from the west. The way parents feel for their children pails in comparison to the way you feel towards me. You know my frame, You know that I am dust and in You mercy You forgive me Your kindness never ends. As the flowers fade away with the season, so is my life in eternity, a vapor; but Your love is forever and Your righteousness from generation to generation. Your kingdom is eternal and above all others. Let everything under the sound of Your voice bless Your name, Jehovah! From the hosts in the heavens to those on earth below, let us all bless You Lord!
I will bless and honor Your name with all that I have and all that I am. I will never forget all of Your goodness and the benefits of being Your favorite one. You are the one who forgives all of my sins, You're the one who covers me with grace and mercy by the blood of The Lamb. You're my healer and redeemer, the lifter of my head. You lay upon me crowns of tender mercies and loving kindness. You satisfy my mouth with good things, so that my strength is renewed like the eagle's.
You, Daddy, bring justice and righteousness for all that are oppressed. You showed Yourself to Moses and Israel, You showed Yourself merciful and gracious, slow to anger and overflowing with mercy. You don't continually nag me nor do You hold grudges, for You are the ultimate gentleman, You will never force anything on me. You haven't dealt with me according to my sins, nor have You punished me according to my transgressions. Like the vastness of space, so are Your mercies toward all that fear You.
You have cast my transgressions as far as the east is from the west. The way parents feel for their children pails in comparison to the way you feel towards me. You know my frame, You know that I am dust and in You mercy You forgive me Your kindness never ends. As the flowers fade away with the season, so is my life in eternity, a vapor; but Your love is forever and Your righteousness from generation to generation. Your kingdom is eternal and above all others. Let everything under the sound of Your voice bless Your name, Jehovah! From the hosts in the heavens to those on earth below, let us all bless You Lord!
Filthy Rags
I just want to take a moment and get "naked" before you. First thing, I love the Lord, I'm in love with the Lord, I can't live with out Him! I am desperate for Him, I want the world to be in love with Him and to have a passionate relationship with Him. I'm not satisfied with the portion of God I have, I want more, more love, more fire, more faith, just more of Christ and His Spirit! I am also desperate to see revival spring out in this nation! I find myself asking God...Why aren't things changing? Why don't we see more deliverance? Where is the revival? Pour out Your Spirit!!!
Now I'm not some sort of "spiritual super being" I'm just me...Sam. The only thing that sets me apart from non-believers is the grace of God, by the blood of Jesus Christ, that covers me. I'm no better and in some cases I'm worse than some of those outside of the covenant with Jesus. I am not perfect by far, I still struggle with so much crap: pride, arrogance, lust, judgment, hate, self hatred, anger and the list goes on and on. The thing is that though I'm not perfect, I am striving towards perfection. I want to be just like Jesus! I want to love like He loves, give like He gives and does the Father's will as He does the Father's will, I want God to say to me, "Well done My good and faithful servant."
This is all good and well and sounds very good. The problem is that I often don't come off that way, mostly cause I still have a ton of junk I am have to get rid of in my own heart. I am all to quick to point the finger in others directions, partly cause I see there is an issue and I do want people to have the fullness, but mostly it is an issue of feeling inadequate in my own relationship. I also have problems with my mouth, anyone who has known me for longer than a week can attest to that! I am forward and often say the wrong thing at the wrong time and I lack discernment to know that now may not be the moment for that word.
Lately I have been extremely frustrated with things. I feel like God has me trapped and perhaps He does and for a reason. I keep hearing Him say, "If you are the only one, will you be faithful?" Of coarse my initial response is, "Anything for You Daddy!" But suddenly I find that I am the only one and I feel lost and put off by others and more so rejected. It's like I'm banging my head against the wall to no travail. Then people ask, "So why do you do it?" Simply put, it's where He has me for now!
Funny how God will give you the very thing you pray for. For me and a friend it was the unlovable. We stood there and cried out, "God, give us the unlovable and unwanted!" What did He do, He did just that. When I have to deal with them, my first response is to turn my back on them and say see ya, you are too difficult with me. Then God slaps me in the face and says,"Look at your own self, you yourself are difficult and used to be unwanted" and in many circles you still are unwanted and unloved.
I also struggle with that superior feeling. That Pharisaical spirit. God releases revelation knowledge, I have an amazing word, He gives me a dance, I have an anointed time of intercession or just a sweet time of worship and suddenly it's like I'm the Beverly Hills of Christians! Then I get smacked in the face with how ugly and filthy I really am and it knocks me down so hard, it is often difficult to get back up, so I beat myself up instead. Jeremiah 17:9 “ The heart is deceitful above all things,And desperately wicked; Who can know it?" The simple truth is that I'm no better or worse than anyone else and nobody else is any better or worse than me, no matter what the circumstance. By our own devices we are all wicked and we don't even know it!
But the good news is the news of Jesus Christ! John 1 says:
John 1:1-4 (New King James Version)
The Eternal Word
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
This is talking about Jesus, He was from the very beginning, well the non-existent beginning, He has always been. He is God, yet He humbled Himself to come to earth and be the promise, live the same life that you and I live, the same issues and temptations and struggles, the only difference is that He never sinned and we do. He then humbled Himself even further to not only be taken to Golgotha and hung there on that cross, but to fore go being stripped naked, beaten till He was almost unrecognizable and then lead to the cross. He took on the sins of the world that day, there.
This didn't come as a surprise to Him. He had you on His mind in the very beginning of time. He knew that He would go to the cross from the first breath of Adam. He knew that one day you would be born into sin, with an inheritance of death. He knows the exactly what road you will take and how you will respond to Him and His love. Nothing surprises Him. He was thinking of you when He decided to go to the cross and suffer such a horrible death, He was thinking of you as He conquered death and the grave. More importantly, He counted you worthy, worthy to die for. No matter what your response to Him is, He counts you worthy to die for. He loves you!
See I am nothing special, just filthy rags covered with the blood of Jesus. I am going to make mistakes and plenty of them, but there is grace in His love. That is the call Christ has given to me, grace, love My people in grace and mercy. Sometimes that may mean that people will take advantage of you and you may get run over and worn out. But never give up on Me cause I never give up on you!
I love you all! I just wanted you to know a bit more of the real me!!
Now I'm not some sort of "spiritual super being" I'm just me...Sam. The only thing that sets me apart from non-believers is the grace of God, by the blood of Jesus Christ, that covers me. I'm no better and in some cases I'm worse than some of those outside of the covenant with Jesus. I am not perfect by far, I still struggle with so much crap: pride, arrogance, lust, judgment, hate, self hatred, anger and the list goes on and on. The thing is that though I'm not perfect, I am striving towards perfection. I want to be just like Jesus! I want to love like He loves, give like He gives and does the Father's will as He does the Father's will, I want God to say to me, "Well done My good and faithful servant."
This is all good and well and sounds very good. The problem is that I often don't come off that way, mostly cause I still have a ton of junk I am have to get rid of in my own heart. I am all to quick to point the finger in others directions, partly cause I see there is an issue and I do want people to have the fullness, but mostly it is an issue of feeling inadequate in my own relationship. I also have problems with my mouth, anyone who has known me for longer than a week can attest to that! I am forward and often say the wrong thing at the wrong time and I lack discernment to know that now may not be the moment for that word.
Lately I have been extremely frustrated with things. I feel like God has me trapped and perhaps He does and for a reason. I keep hearing Him say, "If you are the only one, will you be faithful?" Of coarse my initial response is, "Anything for You Daddy!" But suddenly I find that I am the only one and I feel lost and put off by others and more so rejected. It's like I'm banging my head against the wall to no travail. Then people ask, "So why do you do it?" Simply put, it's where He has me for now!
Funny how God will give you the very thing you pray for. For me and a friend it was the unlovable. We stood there and cried out, "God, give us the unlovable and unwanted!" What did He do, He did just that. When I have to deal with them, my first response is to turn my back on them and say see ya, you are too difficult with me. Then God slaps me in the face and says,"Look at your own self, you yourself are difficult and used to be unwanted" and in many circles you still are unwanted and unloved.
I also struggle with that superior feeling. That Pharisaical spirit. God releases revelation knowledge, I have an amazing word, He gives me a dance, I have an anointed time of intercession or just a sweet time of worship and suddenly it's like I'm the Beverly Hills of Christians! Then I get smacked in the face with how ugly and filthy I really am and it knocks me down so hard, it is often difficult to get back up, so I beat myself up instead. Jeremiah 17:9 “ The heart is deceitful above all things,And desperately wicked; Who can know it?" The simple truth is that I'm no better or worse than anyone else and nobody else is any better or worse than me, no matter what the circumstance. By our own devices we are all wicked and we don't even know it!
But the good news is the news of Jesus Christ! John 1 says:
John 1:1-4 (New King James Version)
The Eternal Word
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
This is talking about Jesus, He was from the very beginning, well the non-existent beginning, He has always been. He is God, yet He humbled Himself to come to earth and be the promise, live the same life that you and I live, the same issues and temptations and struggles, the only difference is that He never sinned and we do. He then humbled Himself even further to not only be taken to Golgotha and hung there on that cross, but to fore go being stripped naked, beaten till He was almost unrecognizable and then lead to the cross. He took on the sins of the world that day, there.
This didn't come as a surprise to Him. He had you on His mind in the very beginning of time. He knew that He would go to the cross from the first breath of Adam. He knew that one day you would be born into sin, with an inheritance of death. He knows the exactly what road you will take and how you will respond to Him and His love. Nothing surprises Him. He was thinking of you when He decided to go to the cross and suffer such a horrible death, He was thinking of you as He conquered death and the grave. More importantly, He counted you worthy, worthy to die for. No matter what your response to Him is, He counts you worthy to die for. He loves you!
See I am nothing special, just filthy rags covered with the blood of Jesus. I am going to make mistakes and plenty of them, but there is grace in His love. That is the call Christ has given to me, grace, love My people in grace and mercy. Sometimes that may mean that people will take advantage of you and you may get run over and worn out. But never give up on Me cause I never give up on you!
I love you all! I just wanted you to know a bit more of the real me!!
I'm A Slave....For You!
"Be holy, because I am holy" - God (1 Peter 1:16; Leviticus 11:44; 19:2; 20:7)
God has really been speaking to me about this very subject. As I have been asking Him, what does it mean? How is that obtained? He says to me, crucify your flesh daily. Again I ask, what is that? He tells me that I must say no to the things that I want and often to what might come "naturally" to me. This morning is no different, today He took me to Romans 6, the theme of this passage for me is what you give yourself to you will become a slave of!
1-3 So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn't you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!
I think we hear God loves you so much that we just assume that there is nothing wrong with continuing to live the same old life we did before the covenant. The truth is that He does love, so much He came down, lived among us, lived just like us to die for us so we could live like Him! His grace isn't given to just continue to live a life of sin, nor is it there to walk around in arrogance. His grace is there so we can move from glory to glory in maturity, the consistent application of elementary principals. So let us drown every other lover under a fresh baptism in His grace and put our faces to God, that we would have the privilege to be bond servants of Christ!
15-18 So, since we're out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we're free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it's your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!
19 I'm using this freedom language because it's easy to picture. You can readily recall, can't you, how at one time the more you did just what you felt like doing—not caring about others, not caring about God—the worse your life became and the less freedom you had? And how much different is it now as you live in God's freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness?
Let's sell out and become slaves of the Most High!
God has really been speaking to me about this very subject. As I have been asking Him, what does it mean? How is that obtained? He says to me, crucify your flesh daily. Again I ask, what is that? He tells me that I must say no to the things that I want and often to what might come "naturally" to me. This morning is no different, today He took me to Romans 6, the theme of this passage for me is what you give yourself to you will become a slave of!
1-3 So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn't you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!
I think we hear God loves you so much that we just assume that there is nothing wrong with continuing to live the same old life we did before the covenant. The truth is that He does love, so much He came down, lived among us, lived just like us to die for us so we could live like Him! His grace isn't given to just continue to live a life of sin, nor is it there to walk around in arrogance. His grace is there so we can move from glory to glory in maturity, the consistent application of elementary principals. So let us drown every other lover under a fresh baptism in His grace and put our faces to God, that we would have the privilege to be bond servants of Christ!
15-18 So, since we're out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we're free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it's your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!
19 I'm using this freedom language because it's easy to picture. You can readily recall, can't you, how at one time the more you did just what you felt like doing—not caring about others, not caring about God—the worse your life became and the less freedom you had? And how much different is it now as you live in God's freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness?
Let's sell out and become slaves of the Most High!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Possessing The Gates Of The Enemy
Genesis 22:17-18 (New King James Version)
1. 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
I. Possessing the gates through intercession
5 Key Points Of Unity Of Prayer Intercessors:
1. No one ministry has all the revelation necessary to break thru to all nations
2. It would take His Body coming together for the battle plans to be revealed.
3. When the ministers came together and each contributed his or her piece of the strategy, God would reveal His plan to us all.
4. The meetings would tear down barriers between ministries and we would have a united
front to wage war.
5. Those asked to be generals would be those Christians on staff with major ministries as
prayer coordinators.
The Basic Assignments For The Prayer Meetings Are As Follows:
1. We were to pray for the sins of our nation from its inception. These were sins of slavery,
our treatment of the Indians, strife and division during the Civil War, the internment of
Japanese during WWII and other like sins.
2. We were to use John 20:23 as a pattern: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven
them: if you retain the sins of any they are retained.” Some of the sins we were to deal
with were prejudice, materialism, mammon, murder and idolatry.
3. After we repent of these sins, God would show us which rulers of Satan’s kingdom needed
to be called down from their high places and whose right to reign should be broken. By
doing this we would tear apart Satan’s stronghold.
4. We were to pattern ourselves after Jeremiah 1:10: “See, I have this day set you over the
nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to tear down,
but to build and to plant.” The next step was to pray that the United States would return to
it’s godly heritage. The planting would be that the “hearts of the children would return to
their fore fathers.”
5. God would adapt us and use this pattern for the various nations to which we would go.
II. The Call To Intercession
Isaiah 56:6-7
6 “ Also the sons of the foreigner
Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him,
And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants— Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And holds fast My covenant—
7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
Will be accepted on My altar;
For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
God calls us, everyone in covenant relationship with Him a house of prayer for all nations. We need to seek and pray Psalm 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” We must ask Him to come in and to make us clean, that is His desire but we must seek for ourselves and invite Him in. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman, He won’t enter unless invited. “Before He (The Savior) can lead a chosen vessel into such a life of intercession, He first has to deal to the bottom with all that is natural.”-Rees Howells. We need to give all of ourselves in exchange for all of the Holy Spirit.
The second step in asking God to create a clean heart in us is letting Him deal with what is there that needs changing. We must be willful to be sheared and let go of all that isn’t righteous and that He doesn’t have for us, at whatever cost. If we aren’t willing to undergo this change, it will take us to a place that God never intended for us to be and it can and will eventually if unchecked pull us into sin. This process is a process and not instantaneous. We have to learn to be sensitive and willful to the convictions of the holy Spirit when we sin. This will soften our heart and make it more pliable. Remember when we sin and we will, we aren’t yet perfect, we need to repent and just get right back up and continue in the battle!
III. Personal Points
I must get over the idea of “spiritual superiority,” God has called all to intercession, I am not extra special because He breaks my heart over things and furthermore I still have a long way to go to true spiritual maturity! When God trusts us to pray, He must first cleanse our hearts to the point that the report we give in prayer are not biased or tainted by personal “stuff.” He wants to teach us to pray, His will and not ours. Because of His Fathe’s heart He works at stripping us of “our anointing,” selfish desires, seeds of bitterness, rejections, doctrines, and biased opinions. One of the most difficult lessons of young intercessors is: God is not in a hurry. He takes the time He needs to build character in us. Most of us want it to happen immediately, but God loves to marinade us, grow us in maturity! He wants tender hearts in His living sacrifices. The problem with living sacrifices is that they want to jump off the alter. After some time they begin to realize it is sometimes painful to be conformed to the image of Jesus. This is the point at which some decide that the price is too high to serve Christ in prayer.
When we begin to have some measure of “success,” it is easy to fall into the trap that says God has placed us above our brothers and sisters in Christ because of our ability to pray with more authority or to hear Him mor clearly. We must continuously hold to the Father’s hand in this case that we not become puffed up and arrogant or prideful. We must seek diligently to do as Matthew 6:5-13
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
We must do these things in secret and not for our own glory, if God gives us a word for someone we must first have that word confirmed and present it to someone in authority over us. In closing we must also not only allow Him to clean up the sins of our heart, but also the wounds of the heart, we must allow Him to heal our hearts too. “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble or defile many.” Hebrews 12:15
IV. Key Scriptures:
Isaiah 14:12-14 (New King James Version)
1. The Fall of Lucifer
12 “ How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer,[a] son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
‘ I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
Footnotes:
1.
Isaiah 14:12 Literally Day Star
Jeremiah 1:10 (New King James Version)
2. 10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To root out and to pull down,
To destroy and to throw down,
To build and to plant.”
Ezekiel 22:30 (New King James Version)
1. 30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.
Ezekiel 28:11-19 (New King James Version)
2. Lamentation for the King of Tyre
11 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
“ You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
Beryl, onyx, and jasper,
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes
Was prepared for you on the day you were created.
14 “ You were the anointed cherub who covers;
I established you;
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till iniquity was found in you.
16 “ By the abundance of your trading
You became filled with violence within,
And you sinned;
Therefore I cast you as a profane thing
Out of the mountain of God;
And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones.
17 “ Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;
I cast you to the ground,
I laid you before kings,
That they might gaze at you.
18 “ You defiled your sanctuaries
By the multitude of your iniquities,
By the iniquity of your trading;
Therefore I brought fire from your midst;
It devoured you,
And I turned you to ashes upon the earth
In the sight of all who saw you.
19 All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you;
You have become a horror,
And shall be no more forever.”’”
Daniel 10:12-13 (New King James Version)
1. 12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
Matthew 11:12 (New King James Version)
1. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
Matthew 16:18 (New King James Version)
1. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Luke 11:17-22 (New King James Version)
1. 17 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. 18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. 22 But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.
2 Corinthians 2:10-11 (New King James Version)
1. 10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one[a] for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Footnotes:
1.
2 Corinthians 2:10 NU-Text reads For indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it.
2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (New King James Version)
1. 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, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
Ephesians 1:15-21 (New King James Version)
1. Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding[a] being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
Footnotes:
1.
Ephesians 1:18 NU-Text and M-Text read hearts.
Ephesians 3:8-10 (New King James Version)
1. Purpose of the Mystery
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship[a] of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;[b] 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,
Footnotes:
1.
Ephesians 3:9 NU-Text and M-Text read stewardship (dispensation).
2.
Ephesians 3:9 NU-Text omits through Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 6:11-12 (New King James Version)
1. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Footnotes:
1.
Ephesians 6:12 NU-Text reads rulers of this darkness.
Colossians 2:11-15 (New King James Version)
1. Not Legalism but Christ
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins[a] of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Footnotes:
1.
Colossians 2:11 NU-Text omits of the sins.
1. 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
I. Possessing the gates through intercession
5 Key Points Of Unity Of Prayer Intercessors:
1. No one ministry has all the revelation necessary to break thru to all nations
2. It would take His Body coming together for the battle plans to be revealed.
3. When the ministers came together and each contributed his or her piece of the strategy, God would reveal His plan to us all.
4. The meetings would tear down barriers between ministries and we would have a united
front to wage war.
5. Those asked to be generals would be those Christians on staff with major ministries as
prayer coordinators.
The Basic Assignments For The Prayer Meetings Are As Follows:
1. We were to pray for the sins of our nation from its inception. These were sins of slavery,
our treatment of the Indians, strife and division during the Civil War, the internment of
Japanese during WWII and other like sins.
2. We were to use John 20:23 as a pattern: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven
them: if you retain the sins of any they are retained.” Some of the sins we were to deal
with were prejudice, materialism, mammon, murder and idolatry.
3. After we repent of these sins, God would show us which rulers of Satan’s kingdom needed
to be called down from their high places and whose right to reign should be broken. By
doing this we would tear apart Satan’s stronghold.
4. We were to pattern ourselves after Jeremiah 1:10: “See, I have this day set you over the
nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to tear down,
but to build and to plant.” The next step was to pray that the United States would return to
it’s godly heritage. The planting would be that the “hearts of the children would return to
their fore fathers.”
5. God would adapt us and use this pattern for the various nations to which we would go.
II. The Call To Intercession
Isaiah 56:6-7
6 “ Also the sons of the foreigner
Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him,
And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants— Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And holds fast My covenant—
7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
Will be accepted on My altar;
For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
God calls us, everyone in covenant relationship with Him a house of prayer for all nations. We need to seek and pray Psalm 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” We must ask Him to come in and to make us clean, that is His desire but we must seek for ourselves and invite Him in. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman, He won’t enter unless invited. “Before He (The Savior) can lead a chosen vessel into such a life of intercession, He first has to deal to the bottom with all that is natural.”-Rees Howells. We need to give all of ourselves in exchange for all of the Holy Spirit.
The second step in asking God to create a clean heart in us is letting Him deal with what is there that needs changing. We must be willful to be sheared and let go of all that isn’t righteous and that He doesn’t have for us, at whatever cost. If we aren’t willing to undergo this change, it will take us to a place that God never intended for us to be and it can and will eventually if unchecked pull us into sin. This process is a process and not instantaneous. We have to learn to be sensitive and willful to the convictions of the holy Spirit when we sin. This will soften our heart and make it more pliable. Remember when we sin and we will, we aren’t yet perfect, we need to repent and just get right back up and continue in the battle!
III. Personal Points
I must get over the idea of “spiritual superiority,” God has called all to intercession, I am not extra special because He breaks my heart over things and furthermore I still have a long way to go to true spiritual maturity! When God trusts us to pray, He must first cleanse our hearts to the point that the report we give in prayer are not biased or tainted by personal “stuff.” He wants to teach us to pray, His will and not ours. Because of His Fathe’s heart He works at stripping us of “our anointing,” selfish desires, seeds of bitterness, rejections, doctrines, and biased opinions. One of the most difficult lessons of young intercessors is: God is not in a hurry. He takes the time He needs to build character in us. Most of us want it to happen immediately, but God loves to marinade us, grow us in maturity! He wants tender hearts in His living sacrifices. The problem with living sacrifices is that they want to jump off the alter. After some time they begin to realize it is sometimes painful to be conformed to the image of Jesus. This is the point at which some decide that the price is too high to serve Christ in prayer.
When we begin to have some measure of “success,” it is easy to fall into the trap that says God has placed us above our brothers and sisters in Christ because of our ability to pray with more authority or to hear Him mor clearly. We must continuously hold to the Father’s hand in this case that we not become puffed up and arrogant or prideful. We must seek diligently to do as Matthew 6:5-13
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
We must do these things in secret and not for our own glory, if God gives us a word for someone we must first have that word confirmed and present it to someone in authority over us. In closing we must also not only allow Him to clean up the sins of our heart, but also the wounds of the heart, we must allow Him to heal our hearts too. “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble or defile many.” Hebrews 12:15
IV. Key Scriptures:
Isaiah 14:12-14 (New King James Version)
1. The Fall of Lucifer
12 “ How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer,[a] son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
‘ I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
Footnotes:
1.
Isaiah 14:12 Literally Day Star
Jeremiah 1:10 (New King James Version)
2. 10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To root out and to pull down,
To destroy and to throw down,
To build and to plant.”
Ezekiel 22:30 (New King James Version)
1. 30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.
Ezekiel 28:11-19 (New King James Version)
2. Lamentation for the King of Tyre
11 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
“ You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
Beryl, onyx, and jasper,
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes
Was prepared for you on the day you were created.
14 “ You were the anointed cherub who covers;
I established you;
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till iniquity was found in you.
16 “ By the abundance of your trading
You became filled with violence within,
And you sinned;
Therefore I cast you as a profane thing
Out of the mountain of God;
And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones.
17 “ Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;
I cast you to the ground,
I laid you before kings,
That they might gaze at you.
18 “ You defiled your sanctuaries
By the multitude of your iniquities,
By the iniquity of your trading;
Therefore I brought fire from your midst;
It devoured you,
And I turned you to ashes upon the earth
In the sight of all who saw you.
19 All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you;
You have become a horror,
And shall be no more forever.”’”
Daniel 10:12-13 (New King James Version)
1. 12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
Matthew 11:12 (New King James Version)
1. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
Matthew 16:18 (New King James Version)
1. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Luke 11:17-22 (New King James Version)
1. 17 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. 18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. 22 But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.
2 Corinthians 2:10-11 (New King James Version)
1. 10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one[a] for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Footnotes:
1.
2 Corinthians 2:10 NU-Text reads For indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it.
2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (New King James Version)
1. 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, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
Ephesians 1:15-21 (New King James Version)
1. Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding[a] being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
Footnotes:
1.
Ephesians 1:18 NU-Text and M-Text read hearts.
Ephesians 3:8-10 (New King James Version)
1. Purpose of the Mystery
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship[a] of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;[b] 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,
Footnotes:
1.
Ephesians 3:9 NU-Text and M-Text read stewardship (dispensation).
2.
Ephesians 3:9 NU-Text omits through Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 6:11-12 (New King James Version)
1. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Footnotes:
1.
Ephesians 6:12 NU-Text reads rulers of this darkness.
Colossians 2:11-15 (New King James Version)
1. Not Legalism but Christ
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins[a] of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Footnotes:
1.
Colossians 2:11 NU-Text omits of the sins.
Prophecy 6/7/09 Bill Smalt
The Lord would say, “Son, certainly you have stood at times, certainly you have been pulled at times certainly.” Saith the Lord. “You didn’t understand all the ways of the Lord but yeah you have allowed Me to put within thy spirit even a desire for the truth and I shall build upon that truth.” Saith the Lord.
“And you will know the Word like never before and you’ll be able to share it with simplicity with those that are perishing and out of The Way.” Saith thy God! The Lord would say, “Yeah I separated you even though you did not understand, yet I have put within thee even a desire.” Saith the Lord. “To see things done right, see things done in the kingdom.
That the Lord would say, “That your best days are ahead, let Me do the work.” Saith the Lord. “There’s nothing you can do to deserve My righteousness but believe Me for a greater glory, believe Me for a greater favor,” saith the Lord, “Upon thy life.”
“Learn My ways, not just know My acts but learn My ways.” Saith the Lord. The Lord would say, “Many adversaries tried to come against thee, son yet. But I am the Lord, I faint not and fail not and the battle is Mine, certainly I have stood beside you. But I am going to put within you a victory.” Saith the Lord. “You have slain the bear but the lion will come and the giant. But, the Lord would say, the day will come when you will be a giant slayer and the things that seem to defeat you now will no longer defeat you.” Saith the Lord. “Cause I’m gonna equip you, I’m giving you a new armor, today!” Saith thy God.
“And you will be a warrior in the spirit. Do not look at your own frame, your frailty, your weakness but I the Lord will do this thing. I will put even the spirit of Joshua, that you’re able to go forth and even be able to stand and believe Me to change them.” Saith the Lord!
“For son, you’ll be one that will expound the grace of God by how you will live. For you know that it was the grace of God that suddenly came and took you off the miry clay. So you’ll be one that will be able to release the grace of God in other’s lives by your testimony and by saying, ‘This is what the Lord has done for me!’ And I’m giving you a revelation, My son, of My cross and resurrection, I’m a burn it in your spirit. So when you come against the game sayers and the mockers, you can know what to say to them. Even as Paul did on the Mars Hill (Areopagus Acts 17:16-34). You’ll be able to tell them of the grace of God!”
“And you will know the Word like never before and you’ll be able to share it with simplicity with those that are perishing and out of The Way.” Saith thy God! The Lord would say, “Yeah I separated you even though you did not understand, yet I have put within thee even a desire.” Saith the Lord. “To see things done right, see things done in the kingdom.
That the Lord would say, “That your best days are ahead, let Me do the work.” Saith the Lord. “There’s nothing you can do to deserve My righteousness but believe Me for a greater glory, believe Me for a greater favor,” saith the Lord, “Upon thy life.”
“Learn My ways, not just know My acts but learn My ways.” Saith the Lord. The Lord would say, “Many adversaries tried to come against thee, son yet. But I am the Lord, I faint not and fail not and the battle is Mine, certainly I have stood beside you. But I am going to put within you a victory.” Saith the Lord. “You have slain the bear but the lion will come and the giant. But, the Lord would say, the day will come when you will be a giant slayer and the things that seem to defeat you now will no longer defeat you.” Saith the Lord. “Cause I’m gonna equip you, I’m giving you a new armor, today!” Saith thy God.
“And you will be a warrior in the spirit. Do not look at your own frame, your frailty, your weakness but I the Lord will do this thing. I will put even the spirit of Joshua, that you’re able to go forth and even be able to stand and believe Me to change them.” Saith the Lord!
“For son, you’ll be one that will expound the grace of God by how you will live. For you know that it was the grace of God that suddenly came and took you off the miry clay. So you’ll be one that will be able to release the grace of God in other’s lives by your testimony and by saying, ‘This is what the Lord has done for me!’ And I’m giving you a revelation, My son, of My cross and resurrection, I’m a burn it in your spirit. So when you come against the game sayers and the mockers, you can know what to say to them. Even as Paul did on the Mars Hill (Areopagus Acts 17:16-34). You’ll be able to tell them of the grace of God!”
You Shall Receive Power
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1:4 to wait for what the Father promised them. He was referring to the power they would receive “when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” Jesus gave this mandate to go with the promise that we don’t have to go at it alone, we have the Holy Spirit to not only guide and direct us but also the power of God has been made available to us through Him. Are we effective if we are trying to go about the will of the Father without utilizing the most important tool? Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Try as we may, we can never be truly effective without the presence and leadership of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? This verse makes it perfectly clear that we can by no means do things according to our own agenda for we don't even belong to ourselves! Though our own abilities mighty be great and we might be gifted, our best doesn’t even come close to His best, Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus promised the power of the Holy Spirit John 16:12-14 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak of His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. The Holy Spirit wasn’t just for the early church, we are in just as much need of the Holy Spirit and His power as the early church, if not more. We see that God doesn’t play favorites with people in Luke 20:21 Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but you teach the way of God in truth.” This wasn’t even the disciples saying this but some of the religious authority at the time, trying to trick Him, yet even they noticed that Christ prefer one over the other. So how does it make any sense that God would send the Holy Spirit to only one generation? And once we receive that Holy Spirit, are job isn’t done. Yes, we are to be guided by Him and nothing we do is to be of our own strength but this means we need to do something. Go back to Acts 1:8 ...and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” That is a command to go and evangelize, spread the word and follow the acts of Jesus. First in our own community, Jerusalem was their own community. Then to the region and area, Judea and Samaria and finally everywhere else. We certainly cannot exist by just trying to reach everyone else if we aren’t even being effective right here in our own back yards. That leads me to this question: What is power? Here are some biblical definitions of the word power. I contend that if we don’t begin to seek His face and the power of the Holy Spirit that He will pass our generation just as He did Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness.
Power
A. Noun
1. Dunamis: power referring to a variety of ideas relating to ability, capacity, authority and might; is sometimes used by metonymy (a word or expression used as a substitute for something with which it is closely associated) of persons and things, e.g.,
a. of God, Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” NKJV
b. Of Angels Ephesians 1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is names, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; RV Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 1Peter 3:22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. NKJV
c. Of that which manifests God’s power: Christ: 1Corinthians 1:24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God; The Gospel: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek NKJV
d. Of mighty works Mark 6:5 And He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands upon a few sick people and healed them. RV Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in My name will be able soon after to speak evil of Me. RV; Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know-NKJV Acts 8:13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed seeing the miracles and signs which were done. NKJV 2 Corinthians 12:12 Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. NKJV
2. Exousin: denotes freedom of action, right to act; used of God, it is absolute, unrestricted, e.g.,
a. authority is the freedom to decide or a right to act without hindrance. Romans 9:21 Does not the potter have the power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel of honor and another for dishonor? NKJV Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. NKJV b. used of men, authority is delegated Acts 1:7 And He said to them, “ It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. NKJV 1Corinthians 9:18 What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel. NKJV
c. angelic beings are also called powers Ephesians 3:10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made know by the church to the principalities and powers of in the heavenly places. NKJV Ephesians 1:21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every names that is named, not only in this age NKJV Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. NKJV Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. NKJV Colossians 2:15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. NKJV Colossians 2:10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. NKJV
3. Ischus: ability force, strength is nowhere translated power 2 Timothy 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began NKJV
4. Kratos: is translated power e.g., 1 Timothy 6:16 who alone has immorality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no mane has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen NKJV Hebrews 2:14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil NKJV Ephesians 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power NKJV Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. NKJV
5. Dunaton: the common adjective form of dunatos, powerful Romans 9:22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured the much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction NKJV
6. Arche: a beginning, rule, is translated power in Luke 20:20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor. NKJV
B. Verb
1. Exousiazo: to exercise authority
a. in the active voice, have authority and of the power of the rulers Luke 22:25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors’” NKJV 2 Corinthians 7:4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
b. in the passive voice, to be brought under the power of a thing 1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. NKJV
Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1:4 to wait for what the Father promised them. He was referring to the power they would receive “when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” Jesus gave this mandate to go with the promise that we don’t have to go at it alone, we have the Holy Spirit to not only guide and direct us but also the power of God has been made available to us through Him. Are we effective if we are trying to go about the will of the Father without utilizing the most important tool? Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Try as we may, we can never be truly effective without the presence and leadership of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? This verse makes it perfectly clear that we can by no means do things according to our own agenda for we don't even belong to ourselves! Though our own abilities mighty be great and we might be gifted, our best doesn’t even come close to His best, Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus promised the power of the Holy Spirit John 16:12-14 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak of His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. The Holy Spirit wasn’t just for the early church, we are in just as much need of the Holy Spirit and His power as the early church, if not more. We see that God doesn’t play favorites with people in Luke 20:21 Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but you teach the way of God in truth.” This wasn’t even the disciples saying this but some of the religious authority at the time, trying to trick Him, yet even they noticed that Christ prefer one over the other. So how does it make any sense that God would send the Holy Spirit to only one generation? And once we receive that Holy Spirit, are job isn’t done. Yes, we are to be guided by Him and nothing we do is to be of our own strength but this means we need to do something. Go back to Acts 1:8 ...and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” That is a command to go and evangelize, spread the word and follow the acts of Jesus. First in our own community, Jerusalem was their own community. Then to the region and area, Judea and Samaria and finally everywhere else. We certainly cannot exist by just trying to reach everyone else if we aren’t even being effective right here in our own back yards. That leads me to this question: What is power? Here are some biblical definitions of the word power. I contend that if we don’t begin to seek His face and the power of the Holy Spirit that He will pass our generation just as He did Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness.
Power
A. Noun
1. Dunamis: power referring to a variety of ideas relating to ability, capacity, authority and might; is sometimes used by metonymy (a word or expression used as a substitute for something with which it is closely associated) of persons and things, e.g.,
a. of God, Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” NKJV
b. Of Angels Ephesians 1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is names, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; RV Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 1Peter 3:22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. NKJV
c. Of that which manifests God’s power: Christ: 1Corinthians 1:24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God; The Gospel: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek NKJV
d. Of mighty works Mark 6:5 And He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands upon a few sick people and healed them. RV Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in My name will be able soon after to speak evil of Me. RV; Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know-NKJV Acts 8:13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed seeing the miracles and signs which were done. NKJV 2 Corinthians 12:12 Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. NKJV
2. Exousin: denotes freedom of action, right to act; used of God, it is absolute, unrestricted, e.g.,
a. authority is the freedom to decide or a right to act without hindrance. Romans 9:21 Does not the potter have the power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel of honor and another for dishonor? NKJV Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. NKJV b. used of men, authority is delegated Acts 1:7 And He said to them, “ It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. NKJV 1Corinthians 9:18 What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel. NKJV
c. angelic beings are also called powers Ephesians 3:10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made know by the church to the principalities and powers of in the heavenly places. NKJV Ephesians 1:21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every names that is named, not only in this age NKJV Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. NKJV Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. NKJV Colossians 2:15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. NKJV Colossians 2:10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. NKJV
3. Ischus: ability force, strength is nowhere translated power 2 Timothy 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began NKJV
4. Kratos: is translated power e.g., 1 Timothy 6:16 who alone has immorality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no mane has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen NKJV Hebrews 2:14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil NKJV Ephesians 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power NKJV Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. NKJV
5. Dunaton: the common adjective form of dunatos, powerful Romans 9:22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured the much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction NKJV
6. Arche: a beginning, rule, is translated power in Luke 20:20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor. NKJV
B. Verb
1. Exousiazo: to exercise authority
a. in the active voice, have authority and of the power of the rulers Luke 22:25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors’” NKJV 2 Corinthians 7:4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
b. in the passive voice, to be brought under the power of a thing 1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. NKJV
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