August 23, 2020

Sunday AM

 1 Corinthians 12: 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

 1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:

 The spiritual gifts mentioned here aren’t taught on as often as they should be. They aren’t understood fully. The church does not deny their existence, but you don’t see them in operation!  God wants these things operating! He put them in place so that we could know more, say more, and do more! One word by the spirit of God can change more than anything talent or skill can accomplish. 

 If you do not earnestly desire the best gifts, you will never have them. These gifts operate only as the Spirit wills. You cannot operate in these just because you want to. When it comes to tongues for personal edification, (your prayer language) you can operate in that anytime you want to. The Holy Spirit is always willing to pray through you in that gift. But this verse is not talking about that. 

Psalm 145:8-9 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
9 The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.

 You don’t have to talk God into being good. Why? Because He IS good. He IS gracious. He is disposed to show favor.  The word love in the Hebrew language means, “an intense burning desire to bless.” God doesn’t havelove. He islove.  God’s willingness to help us is greater than His ability to help us. We are waiting on Him, but He is waiting on us! 

 John 3:34 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. 

 Jesus had the Holy Spirit without measure. He operated in fullness. The Holy Spirit has come to live in us and operate in fullness like we see here. This is the image we should strive to be like and look like.  If you worship that image from afar, you won’t be conformed to it. If you don’t think God wants us to be like Jesus, we won’t ever be like Jesus.  The devil is afraid of US!  
We have the same life in us as Jesus! We have the same Holy Ghost! We can have the same fullness!  We CAN obtain the fullness. It is the will of God. Do not give up on this. 

 The book of 1 Corinthians shows us why we are not operating in fullness. In each chapter, Paul was addressing problems of the church a Corinth. 

Chapter 1: Contentions/Strife

Chapter 2: Glorying men over God

Chapter 3: Carnality

Chapter 5: Fornication/Sexual Immorality

Chapter 6: Suing each other/ Going to court

Chapter 10: Idolatry 

Chapter 11: The Lords table (Communion) 

 Paul is saying, I want to show you a better way! Instead of operating in these issues, you can operate in the fullness of the Holy Spirit! Deal with your own pride and you can live in these gifts! Move into the more excellent things of God! Grow up in the love of God! 

The Real Enemy

2 Corinthians 4:3-4  But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 

 There are things all of us don’t see. And when we begin to search for them, God will turn the light on. The enemy has the ability to blind us to the things we should be seeing and believing. 

 Ephesians 6:10-13  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the [b]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, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

 Verse 12 (Living Bible) For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies—the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world.

There’s a spiritual world just like there is a natural world. The spiritual world is where light prevails.  The real problem and enemy in our nation (from a national to a local level) is unseen evil.  When you become a Christian there are battles you don’t get to pick. You’re called by God to engage in certain battles. But, get on heavens side and Jesus will fight for you. Our real enemy is not politicians or government, not epidemic or viruses, not democrats or republicans. It is the devil and demons influencing, seducing, deceiving, and using people to carry out his plans through the people he controls.  Don’t become focused on the wrong thing! We can fall into the trap of anger at people in bodies, when the real enemy is not the human at all. We aren’t fighting against flesh and blood! Let us not forget we are Christians before we are Americans.  If you get focused on the wrong enemy, you won’t be effective in battle against him.  You will find yourself in battles you shouldn’t be in. We can’t win this in the natural alone. Our victory is in the spirit realm. 

 Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 

 Why is this important? We are a spiritual people before we are a natural people. We are in this world, but not of this world.  We are citizens of heaven! We are not on this earth to receive from the world. We are on this earth for others to receive from The Father through us.  

 1 John 2:15-17 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Yes, you live in a natural body and yes, you must do natural things, but you are born from above.  You have a new Father! You have a new family! A new Kingdom!  We don’t have to worship God from afar!  God see us, operates through us, and speaks to us through our spirit. That’s the channel He has in the earth. If we will get in tune with Him and not be so caught up in the natural realm, He can accomplish much more throughus. 

Humble Yourself

Sunday August 16, 2020

1 Samuel 23:1-13 Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.”

2 Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and [attack these Philistines?”

And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

3 But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 4 Then David inquired of the Lordonce again.

And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” 5 And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

6 Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.

7 And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” 8 Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

9 When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake. 11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.”

And the Lord said, “He will come down.”

12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?”

And the Lord said, “They will deliver you.”

13 So David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition.

David and his men got up and left there because God showed them what would happen if they stayed on their current course. Had they stayed there Saul would have come to kill David. In every instance, David inquired of the Lord. 

The reason these horrible things are happening in our nation right now, is because the church is in the condition she is in. If Christians were praying like they should, things would not be as they are in America. We are bearing the fruit of our past choices.  If we don’t get some things right, we will lose our nation to the devils plan. It’s so important that we get the right people in our local offices. It’s not a game! Peoples lives are on the line! The media is NOT your friend. Those people are under the devil’s influence. We have been given a warning! God is showing us what will happen if we continue on the road we are on. 

2 Chronicles 7:12-16 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. 

Locusts and pestilence can be comparable to the economy and the epidemic. It’s all about how many of your rights you are willing to give up. It’s the same way in the Kingdom of God. And what the devil is doing right now, is seeing how many of your rights you are willing to give up. The devil has NO right to put sickness on you or any member of your family.   But it happens every day because we are in fear and don’t know who we are. This time we live in now, we are facing threats, fear, and a demonic media. Your finances and your health are the main targets. If the enemy can control you there, he’s got your life.   God does not send judgment to hurt us. He sends it to get us back on the right road. It’s His mercy in action. God shut the whole world down from the schools, to the churches, to the courthouse, and to your house, so that you can get yourself straight. What are we doing to get ourselves back on the right path? Verse 14 gives us instruction. The only way this nation will be healed is if God brings an awakening and a healing to the church. It MUST come to the church first. Because until the church steps up into her place, healing and awakening cannot affect the world. It won’t be the masses that accomplishes this. It will be the remnant. God always works through the remnant.  It won’t be the mega churches; it will be the little rural churches that step forward. If we (as the church) were doing verse 14, God would be healing our land. If God came in right now and poured out His Spirit on this generation like He wants to, it would be His approval to us on our present condition and He won’t do that. He is demanding that we grow up. The number one thing that needs to happen in our lives is humbling ourselves.  The reason we do not weep over our present condition, is because we don’t seeour present condition.  If we did, we would really humble ourselves. We must approach God with humble hearts! He controls our very next breath.

Humility – Romans 8:14 

Your conscience is the voice of your new nature. When you disobey your conscience, you’re operating in pride. Pride is the opposite of humility. When you disobey your conscience you are essentially disobeying God speaking to you.  Then when you need God to speak to you, you cant hear Him. People who don’t pray are prideful. Why don’t they pray? Because they think they don’t need to. That’s pride! We should be praying now more than ever! Our lives should revolve around God and prayer!  We should never ignore the urge to pray! Sometimes it is a matter of life and death. 

If we continue on the road we are on, its certain that some of the things we have been warned about will happen. But If we humble ourselves and pray, God will do His part. Nothing and no one is a match for God! We have to get some priorities back in order! God is waiting on us.  When are you going to rise up and rebel against your flesh? There is still time but our window is closing quickly! 

Servant's Heart

Aug 9 Sun AM

Galatians 1:1-5 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:

3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

All of us need to be ministered to. Not our flesh, but our spirit.  When you preach the true gospel, it ministers to your spirit.  It’s imperative that you find what church you are supposed to be in.  When times are tough, there’s no one that can minister to you like your pastor. 

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

God is looking for a people who will do something for His kingdom. Jesus didn’t come to be served. He came to serve. He didn’t come to get; He came to give.  He gave of Himself.  Where are you serving in the kingdom of God? Where are you giving of yourself? Church is not something you come to when you feel like it or when you need something. That is not the way the Christian life works.  You have to have a servant’s heart! 

Matthew 20:20-29 

Every person has to cultivate and keep that servant heart. It requires something of you. You won’t walk in what God has for you with a mentality of receiving. It has to be about what you can give.  If you seek first His kingdom, He will take care of your needs.  God will accept you wherever you’re at. But He will not leave you there. He wants you to experience something totally different than the mess you are in.  For that to happen, it hinges on you and your willingness to give yourself to Him.  The battle of your life is about how much of yourself you will give up to Him. How much of your will, will you give up to Him.  It’s easy to differentiate a person who has a heart for God and a person who has a heart with selfish motives. If you have a heart for God, He will help you through your mistakes.  You have to cultivate that heart! Being a servant is vitally important. 

It is a problem when a church will allow anyone to serve in ministry without expectation of growth and dedication. That is a secular church. We are not that. It’s not biblical. Most younger people have normalized alternate lifestyles and families because it’s what has been shown to them out in the world. It’s a problem of the heart. Church is not about entertainment. It’s about biblical discipleship. If the goal of the congregation is to fill the seats and give them an experience rather than make disciples, then they have been secularized. We are to be disciples! 

Luke 9:18-23 18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, whom say the people that I am?

19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.

20 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.

21 And he straightly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;

22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

Do you like to be rejected? Jesus was rejected by everyone around Him, even His own family. Living the Christian life is not about getting everything that you want all the time. There Is going to be sacrifice!  There will be times you experience rejection. It will cost you, and you must be prepared for that. 

Luke 9: 23-24And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

You must be willing to give up what you want in life for what He wants. The day will come when what you’re doing here is over and you’re in eternity with Him. If you give your life for Him, you will find true happiness. If Jesus is only presented as personal savior and not Lord over all, you have become secular. When you only want to be saved but not transformed, you have become secularized.  God has something for us to accomplish! We’re not here just to gather and have a party. We give our lives up to Him, then the blessings will come. 

Dealing with Fear

2 Timothy 1:1-7  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, 5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Fear is not real until it’s acted upon.  The genuine faith mentioned in verse 5 is given to us when we are born again. But we are responsible to keep that faith stirred up. We must work our faith. All fear is based on lies. 

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 

 You’re never alone the Holy Ghost is with you always.  Keep it stirred up and He will speak truth to you, from the inside out. Fear comes from the outside in.  You should be more excited about the Holy Spirit and what He is doing in your life today, than when you first received Him. He should be more operative! The Holy Spirit is God, and He lives inside of you. And when you pray in tongues you are letting God pray for you.  You’ve got to keep the fire stoked! God can help you if you keep logs on the fire! 

 1 Timothy 1:6-7 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

He’s not saying He will lay his hands on you and that will stir it up. He is saying YOU have to stir up the gift that was given to you when hands were laid on you. You have the faith of God in you! The Spirit that God has given you is not one of fear! Its power, love, and these things will produce a sound mind. Fear is a spirit that attacks your mind with thoughts! If they aren’t dealt with immediately, they will become empowered by emotions. It’s one thing to get free of fear. It’s another to stay free from it. You are living in a world where fear is being unleashed on a level we have never seen before. But we ALWAYS come out on top.  Fear is not prayed out; it is cast out! Fear is a spirit! You have to know who you are! You have a part as does God. You are the agent of authority. God is the agent of power. Until you use your authority, God has nothing to put His power on. The body you live in gives you authority on this earth. That’s why Jesus had to come here and get one.   You can say words that He gives you and He’ll put His power on them, and any situation can be changed.  There’s no person, or situation that can’t be changed by Him.  He has the power, but He has to have your authority.  The devil has NO authority! You can control your thoughts and emotions! You have to love like God does and forgive like God does. When you have unforgiveness in your life, fear has a door to come in and torment you! Swallow your pride, humble yourself and ask for forgiveness.  Fear should have no place in a Christians life no more than sin. The blood of Jesus set you free from sin and darkness.  Fear is something you have to take seriously. 

Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 145:8-9 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
9 The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.

 God needs people that will take their place and rise above fear. So that they can help others get free. It’s not just about you, it’s about helping others! God yearns to help people! He is willing! HE is gracious! He is disposed to show favor! God wants you free!  

Giving Thanks

July 29,2020

Wednesday PM

 Psalm 95:1-11 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
5 The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice:
8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 When your fathers tested Me;
They tried Me, though they saw My work.
10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation,
And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,
And they do not know My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

 If people will take the time to worship privately, then when we come together publicly, we can go to a much higher place. Everything revolves round worship. It’s about who gets the worship, not gives it. Because we’re all worshiping something. It’s how we are made. We just want to make sure we are giving it to God. 

 There can be no praise or worship without expression. Thanks and thanks giving are two different things. Thanks has to be givenfor it to become thanksgiving.  Worship keeps God in His place. And because of our human nature, it’s something we have to work on. Worship also keeps you in your place.  In this Psalm, it instructs us to bow down or kneel. This can be a physical thing, or it can be an attitude of your heart and mind. Worship keeps God on top of everything. The highest and greatest in your life.  It keeps you below Him, because you recognize your great need for Him. You can’t get through the day without Him. Your next breath is in His hands. Any person that don’t know that is blinded and prideful.  Pride is the only sin that the devil won’t condemn you for. He doesn’t point that one out to you. Because he is the personification of pride.  He didn’t want to worship, he wanted to be worshipped.

 You’re never going to be joyful until you cultivate being thankful. Thankfulness is the quickest path to joy.   There’s no in between for thankful and unthankful. You’re either one or the other. There is no neutral ground. If you aren’t being thankful, your unthankful.  You have to cultivate being a thankful person.

 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

 Every day you have to get up and be thankful.  If you aren’t thankful you won’t have joy like God wants you to have. There’s a place in God where you can enjoy being a Christian.  There’s a place in God where you can smile and it’s real! In everything give thanks! In the midst of the good, bad, and ugly. You must be confident that you will come out on the other side and God will take care of you! Just because something bad happens to you, does not mean it has to define your life! It will if you let it.  You’ve got to be thankful for everything.

The bible does not speak about being driven. But it does speak about being content. With being driven, when is enough enough? The bible teaches contentment even in material things. In John, it says to, “… be content with your wages.” As an American it’s hard to think that way. Don’t drive yourself to an early grave! It will affect you physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  What good is life if you don’t make a difference for others? 

 Hebrews 13:15 15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Continually is the key word in this verse. We shouldn’t be murmuring and complaining! We should be continually thankful! You can’t be depressed and thankful at the same time. If you are depressed, become thankful, and it will leave you. 

 Psalm 95:8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,

Hard means difficult! If you harden your heart, you make life difficult for yourself and those around you! A person who always has to be right, will not have many friends. Worship will soften you. It will be like rain on a hard dirt clump. Worship prepares your heart to receive more from God. Worship will make you sweeter and nicer. It keeps your heart tender! Life will make you hard if you let it. Worship and thankfulness will reverse that hardness. God can use a tender heart!  God wants to do things for you that you can’t even imagine, but when you don’t worship Him, you keep Him from doing that. 

The Joy of The Lord

July 26, 2020

Sun AM

Nehemiah 8:1-13

 If you want the bible to work for you, you have to start showing it some reverence! These people listened to the speaker read the Bible for 6-7 hours on their feet.  They wept when they heard the words of the law. Why? Because they had drifted so far from it. They had been in Babylon for 70 years and adapted to it. They saw how far they drifted and began to weep. God was in that place.  Even in the midst of their sorrow, God saw the potential in their willingness to change. He can work with willingness. The word of God works! 

 The joy from God gives you strength! You can have joy and be glad because you’ve got the Lord! You have something that the world don’t have! You have to know who you are and what belongs to you!  The joy of the Lord is your strength! God wants us to be full of joy and life and faith! He wants us to be healthy, spirit, soul, and body! 

 Psalm 118:24  This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

 Research shows that there are 4 foundational emotions. 3 of which are negative. 1 positive. 

-      Fear

-      Anger

-      Sadness

-      Joy

This teaches us that if we don’t consciously cultivate joy, we risk living a life dominated by fear, anger, and sadness. You have to work harder to have joy than the other emotions. The Holy Spirit is THE spirit of Joy. He doesn’t know anything but joy. You won’t be happy and have joy, by sitting around doing nothing. The bible says in Galatians, “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, and peace…” That’s the first 3 fruits.  Fruit has to be cultivated!  Start with a smile! If anyone on this whole planet ought to be happy and joyful, it’s God’s people! It ought to be you! 

 Isaiah 43:18-21 “Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.

The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
21 This people I have formed for Myself;
They shall declare My praise.

 Don’t set your mind on the past. God will do a NEW thing!  This is the day the Lord has made! Rejoice and be glad in it! Not just on Sundays at church! You are a new creature in Christ Jesus. You live under a new covenant. The former things have passed away, and all things have become new. People don’t have to live in darkness anymore! You don’t have to be sad anymore! Because this is the day the Lord has made! He put you in it!  Darkness has no authority over you! You’ve been set free!  You don’t just praise on Sunday mornings, you do it on Monday morning when the world is trying to sing the blues to you.  A Christian can choose joy every day!

 John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

 In us is God’s joy. He gave us His peace and His joy.  His joy comes to you, when you heed His word. Don’t allow the worlds mess to get on you! It will affect you mentally, physically, and emotionally.  Come before God with a thankful and joyful heart.  In several places in the Bible it instructs us to “laugh at famine and destruction.”  In today’s world there is a lot of famine and destruction. But no one is laughing.  What this means is, in the face of terrible circumstances, laugh. Don’t wait for everything to be going perfectly to laugh. God is in heaven laughing at darkness and destruction, because He knows how it turns out! He is the author. When you know how it’s going to turn out, you can laugh too. In the face of your problems you can believe God and laugh and know it will turn out for your good.  The joy of the Lord is your strength! It is fuel for your faith!  It’s a joy to serve God. He wants us to be happy! 

The Obstacles of the Heart

July 22, 2020

Mark 11:11-14 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. 12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.

Something is always talking to you. In this passage, the fig tree was talking to Jesus. Whether it be your circumstances, or finances, whatever is talking to you, is usually negative. That’s why you have to work hard to stay positive. Something is always talking to you. Anything that constantly talks to you, will get down in your heart. This is important because your life issues flow from your heart. Your heart is the centerpiece of your life. That’s why proverbs says, “Keep your heart with all diligence.”  Whatever you allow in your heart, your life and behavior will follow it. 

Mark 11:22-24  22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

We need to look at this is a different light. Not just, I can have what I say. An important principle in life: You can have what you say. You’re experiencing in your life what you said out your mouth yesterday. You have to watch your tongue.  We know this as a fact of life. But, we should also see that your mouth is not your problem.  Your heart is your problem.  Because out of your heart, your mouth speaks. James teaches that bitter water and sweet water comes out of the same well. The problem is not the tongue but what’s in the well.  All the tongue does is open up the spout so that what’s in the heart can come out. If you want to change what you’re saying you must change what’s in your heart. 

The word doubt in the original language does not mean being uncertain or lack of believing. But most of the teaching we have had gives it this connotation. The original language defines doubt as your heart having an obstacle. An obstacle that prevents your faith from working or your faith tree from producing mountain moving faith.  Faith in its purest form means, that which is certain. It means to rely on an inward certainty. Doubt does not mean uncertainty. It means you have an obstacle in your heart and it’s keeping what you’re saying from coming to pass.  

Mark 11:25-26. “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Verses 22-24 are a preface to verses 25-26. He’s saying the obstacle is unforgiveness.  When speaking to your mountain you must make sure the obstacle of unforgiveness is not in your heart!  In almost every case, the obstacle is not the obstacle we think it is.  We’re speaking to the mountain thinking the mountain is the obstacle. That’s not the case. It’s really what’s in our heart that’s the obstacle. We tend to focus on the obstacles of external life; finances, sickness, etc. as the obstacles. When really the obstacles are internal. This is a year of making adjustments. We have to look internally and see what really needs to change. Without forgiving from the heart, speaking to the mountain will not work.  This is a much bigger deal than we think.  You have to keep your heart right! Do not allow any ill-will, or bitterness in your heart. Bitterness is unfulfilled revenge. A root of bitterness will destroy your life! 

Psalm 139: 23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

We have to ask god to examine us. Examine us to find the obstacles in our heart. The biggest adjustment any one of us can make is our own heart. 

In everything give thanks

July 12

Psalm 95 – An Invitation Psalm

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

3 For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.

4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.

5 The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

7 For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.

Today, if you will hear His voice:

8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,
As in the day oftrial in the wilderness,

9 When your fathers tested Me;
They tried Me, though they saw My work.

10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation,
And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,
And they do not know My ways.’

11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

 Verses 1-5 are about rejoicing/praise/thanksgiving

Verses 6-7 are about reverence/worship

Verses 8-11 are requiring a response

 You are never going to be a joyful person if you don’t have a thankful heart. If you’re dealing with depression, being down and out, it’s because you are forgetting all that you have to be thankful for! In James, were instructed to “count it all joy when we fall into different temptations, tests, and trials.” The reason for that is, Joy is not a natural response to negative circumstances. It’s something you have to do in spite of your circumstances. If no one else on planet earth can be thankful, you can! If you want to increase your capacity to receive from God, you have to develop a lifestyle of being thankful. Everyone has something they can be thankful for. The word teaches us, “in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us.” We have to be people of faith and we have to be positive people.  You’ll never be able to worship God like He wants you to, unless you get first things first. You must enter His presence with thanksgiving, then into his courts with praise, the into His holy place with worship.

Anyone can have the things of God. IF they put aside the excuses and go after it. You have to have a thankful heart! It’s not THANKS until you GIVE it.  The more you give it, the fuller you become! Thankfulness puts the mind in its rightful place.  Worship keeps God in His place. Bow down and keep God higher than you! He’s above us. Everyone is bowing down to something. If you don’t take the time daily to bow down to God, you will bow to other things. 

 Genesis 3:1-4 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LordGod had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

When Eve ate, she died. She didn’t die physically, but spiritually. The nature and life of God was put out, and the nature of Satan was put in. 

 Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

God didn’t just breathe air into man. He breathed spirit and life and His nature into Him. When Adam and Eve ate, they lost that, and it was replaced with the nature of the devil.  They traded life for death.  

John 15: 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

 You are the branch. Jesus is the vine.  You must abide, dwell, trust, remain in the vine. If you do, you bring forth the fruit. When you remain in the vine, what’s in it flows into you.  
You’ll produce the same fruit God does.  You don’t have the ability or smarts to do what God wants you to do.  You NEED Him. You cannot overcome the devil without God.  Your next breath and your very destiny is in His hands. Every day God is calling you to be with Him. Every day you have to plug into the vine.  Every Day He is extending an invitation to you. He wants to give you peace and joy and remove anxieties. That’s the God you serve. If you want ALL He’s got, give Him ALL you’ve got.  God is always moving! He’s always talking! You have to position yourself to hear Him. Every day there is something new about God that you’ve never experienced. Anyone can access it!  God can turn the hardness in your heart to softness. If you don’t takethe time you won’t findthe time.  When you worship, you become nicer, sweeter, gentler, tender, compassionate. It’s a rarity to find a person like that in our day. Don’t die without entering into what God has for you! 

 In the last part of this Psalm, He is asking for a response. He says, “…Today, if you will hear His voice. Do not harden your hearts…”  Life can make us hard of heart. The worst is when you are hardened, and you don’t know it. Worship will soften your heart. 

 You don’t have to worship God. He gives us free choice. satan forces worship. God cannot worship Himself. If He did, He would be like satan. And that’s pride. God isn’t on an ego kick. He’s calling you into relationship with Him.  He wants to do things for you! God can! He has the resources to do anything for you!  If you never worship God another day in your life, He will not love you any less. And if you do worship Him, it won’t make Him love you anymore! But it will help you increase in love. It won’t change God. He never changes. He doesn’t need to! We are the ones who will change.  If you want to draw closer to God, and change things in your life that will affect your children, and grandkids life, worship him.

 Deuteronomy 5: 29 Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!

 People have constant problems in their lives. In their marriages, careers, health, and finances. Its because of one thing. They won’t worship God. When you don’t worship God, he’s on the outside of your life. When you start to worship Him, He gets involved in your life. It’s a whole other way of life and it’s much better!

Love is...

July 5,2020 Sunday PM

Moses, Aaron, and Joshua represent 3 kinds of leaders, fathers, and churches. Moses was a great leader. He can get you out of Egypt, but he can’t get you into the promised land. Aaron don’t want to get you in. He just wants your money. But Joshua, can get you out of some stuff, and he can get you into God’s best. It takes a leader like Joshua for us, because we need a lot of flesh cut out of our lives. It’s painful and nobody likes it, but you’ve got an inheritance that you’ll never get without the cutting away of flesh and things that are unnecessary.  Your Spirit is different than your body. If you don’t feed your body it will die. But your spirit is eternal, it wont die if you don’t feed it, but it will never grow! Attending church, praying in tongues, reading the word, are all good ways to feed your spirit! 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love is so powerful. It will never fail.  There are 4 kinds of love. Philia, Agape, Storge, Eros.  Philia is a brotherly love; a friendly bond. Storge is a parental love; an empathy bond.  Eros is a romantic love; an erotic bond. All three of these are a natural love. But, with Agape, it defies our human capabilities. There isn’t an equivalent English word for Agape. God’s love surpasses all the other kinds of love. 

Love is the first to forgive. Love will take the blame even when it’s not at fault. Love is of God, and that same love has been shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost which was given to us. You have the divine love of God in you! God’s love is proof that we have passed from death to life.  Love forgives. Forgiving is a way of life for Christians. Think of the times God has had to forgive you! Because of God’s love in us, we have to forgive.  Love covers. What does this mean? It means that love doesn’t go out and broadcast other people’s bad deeds.  Love covers a multitude of sins. Love keeps no record of wrongs. Love never speaks bad of others. Love works no ill toward its neighbor. Love is the best way! Love is rare. Love is vitally important to your success and following God’s plan for your life.  Love is giving. It gives of itself, resources and time. Love serves. Love is how you overcome ALL fear. Love pays no attention to a suffered wrong. Love isn’t concerned with how others treat it, It’s more concerned of how it treats others. Love sees the good in others, far more than the bad. Love is constraining.  Love is genuinely concerned for others. 

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. 

You overcome all fear with Love.  Love doesn’t fret, fear, or worry.  

You have to develop this kind of love. If you want your love for God to increase, then your fellowship with God has to increase.  As your fellowship with God increases, your love will increase, and you’ll find yourself being purged of fear. Your thoughts won’t be out of control. When you bow down and worship God, you are fellowshipping with Him.  Peace is the stillness of runaway or out of control thoughts. It’s contentment. Peace and contentment in the world we live in, is a victory that most people will live and die but never experience.  God has made a way for peace in every area of your life.