Achan, called also Achar, i.e., one who troubles (1Ch 2:7), in commemoration of his crime, which brought upon him an awful destruction (Jos 7:1). On the occasion of the fall of Jericho, he seized, contrary to the divine command, an ingot of gold, a quantity of silver, and a costly Babylonish garment, which he hid in his tent. Joshua was convinced that the defeat which the Israelites afterwards sustained before Ai was a proof of the divine displeasure on account of some crime, and he at once adopted means by the use of the lot for discovering the criminal. It was then found that Achan was guilty, and he was stoned to death in the valley of Achor. He and all that belonged to him were then consumed by fire, and a heap of stones was raised over the ashes.
The victory at Ai was lost to the children of Israel because there was something in their camp that was wrongful to God. Sometimes, we forget that we need to crucify our flesh daily. Like Paul said, we should get rid of certain things in our lives that will prohibit us from winning the next battle in our Christian experience. Are we clean today? Have we checked ourselves and proved that we are without blemish in the sight of God?
Achan brought reproach to the Israelites camp. Don't let anything, even "little" things keep you from getting the victory that God has for you. Get Achan out of your camp. The enemy has no place in our temple. He is trespassing on Holy ground. Take Achan and send him back to where he came from!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Dead Sea
Dead Sea
The name given by Greek writers of the second century to that inland sea called in Scripture the "salt sea" (Gen 14:3; Num 34:12), the "sea of the plain" (Deut 3:17), the "east sea" (Ezek 47:18; Joel 2:20), and simply "the sea" (Ezek 47:8). The Arabs call it Bahr Lut, i.e., the Sea of Lot. It lies about 16 miles in a straight line to the east of Jerusalem. Its surface is 1,292 feet below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea. It covers an area of about 300 square miles. Its depth varies from 1,310 to 11 feet. From various phenomena that have been observed, its bottom appears to be still subsiding. It is about 53 miles long, and of an average breadth of 10 miles. It has no outlet, the great heat of that region causing such rapid evaporation that its average depth, notwithstanding the rivers that run into it (See JORDAN), is maintained with little variation. The Jordan alone discharges into it no less than six million tons of water every twenty-four hours.
The waters of the Dead Sea contain 24.6 per cent. of mineral salts, about seven times as much as in ordinary sea-water; thus they are unusually buoyant. Chloride of magnesium is most abundant; next to that chloride of sodium (common salt). But terraces of alluvial deposits in the deep valley of the Jordan show that formerly one great lake extended from the Waters of Merom to the foot of the watershed in the Arabah. The waters were then about 1,400 feet above the present level of the Dead Sea, or slightly above that of the Mediterranean, and at that time were much less salt.
Nothing living can exist in this sea. "The fish carried down by the Jordan at once die, nor can even mussels or corals live in it; but it is a fable that no bird can fly over it, or that there are no living creatures on its banks. Dr. Tristram found on the shores three kinds of kingfishers, gulls, ducks, and grebes, which he says live on the fish which enter the sea in shoals, and presently die. He collected one hundred and eighteen species of birds, some new to science, on the shores, or swimming or flying over the waters. The cane-brakes which fringe it at some parts are the homes of about forty species of mammalia, several of them animals unknown in England; and innumerable tropical or semi-tropical plants perfume the atmosphere wherever fresh water can reach. The climate is perfect and most delicious, and indeed there is perhaps no place in the world where a sanatorium could be established with so much prospect of benefit as at Ain Jidi (Engedi).", Geikie's Hours, etc.
The name given by Greek writers of the second century to that inland sea called in Scripture the "salt sea" (Gen 14:3; Num 34:12), the "sea of the plain" (Deut 3:17), the "east sea" (Ezek 47:18; Joel 2:20), and simply "the sea" (Ezek 47:8). The Arabs call it Bahr Lut, i.e., the Sea of Lot. It lies about 16 miles in a straight line to the east of Jerusalem. Its surface is 1,292 feet below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea. It covers an area of about 300 square miles. Its depth varies from 1,310 to 11 feet. From various phenomena that have been observed, its bottom appears to be still subsiding. It is about 53 miles long, and of an average breadth of 10 miles. It has no outlet, the great heat of that region causing such rapid evaporation that its average depth, notwithstanding the rivers that run into it (See JORDAN), is maintained with little variation. The Jordan alone discharges into it no less than six million tons of water every twenty-four hours.
The waters of the Dead Sea contain 24.6 per cent. of mineral salts, about seven times as much as in ordinary sea-water; thus they are unusually buoyant. Chloride of magnesium is most abundant; next to that chloride of sodium (common salt). But terraces of alluvial deposits in the deep valley of the Jordan show that formerly one great lake extended from the Waters of Merom to the foot of the watershed in the Arabah. The waters were then about 1,400 feet above the present level of the Dead Sea, or slightly above that of the Mediterranean, and at that time were much less salt.
Nothing living can exist in this sea. "The fish carried down by the Jordan at once die, nor can even mussels or corals live in it; but it is a fable that no bird can fly over it, or that there are no living creatures on its banks. Dr. Tristram found on the shores three kinds of kingfishers, gulls, ducks, and grebes, which he says live on the fish which enter the sea in shoals, and presently die. He collected one hundred and eighteen species of birds, some new to science, on the shores, or swimming or flying over the waters. The cane-brakes which fringe it at some parts are the homes of about forty species of mammalia, several of them animals unknown in England; and innumerable tropical or semi-tropical plants perfume the atmosphere wherever fresh water can reach. The climate is perfect and most delicious, and indeed there is perhaps no place in the world where a sanatorium could be established with so much prospect of benefit as at Ain Jidi (Engedi).", Geikie's Hours, etc.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
A Cure For Crying
1 Samuel 30:1-8
In chapter 29, the Philistines saw that David and his men were in town and ready to fight them. They talked among themselves and decided that they didn’t want anything to do with David. In chapter 29 and verse 4 they said, “…in the battle, he could be an adversary to us.” They recognized him as being ready to fight and to wage war on them and they turned down the fight.
Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag -- The Amalekite guerrillas seized the opportunity of the defenseless state of Ziklag to invade the southern territory.
So David and his men returned to the city of Ziklag and found out that the Amalekites had invaded them and taken everything that was precious to them. These weren’t any ordinary men that David had with him. These were the 400 men from 1 Sam 22 that were described as David’s “Mighty Men”. So these men were tough in battle. They knew what it meant to fight the enemy. But when they returned home, they found that the enemy had invaded them while they were out fighting another battle.
Isn’t that just like the enemy? When you think that he is backing down from one fight, he is really attacking you from a side that you didn’t know that he could attack you from.
Verse 4:
My text comes from this verse. David and his men started to weep. They cried until they had no more power to make tears. These men were so frustrated that they wanted justice right then, even if it meant stoning someone that had nothing to do with the problem. The men got together and talked among themselves and wanted to stone David.
So now David not only faces the problem of being stoned by the men he knows and loves, but he is also faced with the situation of possibly having lost everything that he loves.
But the Bible says that David encouraged himself in the Lord. It didn’t say that he got mad at the preacher, it didn’t say that he got fed up with everything and quit the church, but it said that he encouraged himself in the Lord.
I believe that’s the time and place when David realized that the Lord’s strength was made perfect in his time of weakness.
Who else but David could say, “Oh Lord, You have brought me through some pretty bad places in my life, and I believe that you can bring me out of this one!”
David said in one of his Psalms, “The Lord has turned my mourning into dancing.”
He was probably thinking about the time way back in the past when he lost everything, and everyone seemed to be against him, and nothing was going right for him and he remembered the tears that he cried until he couldn’t cry them no more.
He probably remembered when he got down on his knees and encouraged himself in the Lord and found a cure for his crying. That’s why he could say:
The Lord has turned my mourning into dancing
He has turned my sorrow into joy
He has turned my weakness into strength and my trial into a blessing
Let me tell you that God knows what you’re going through right now, He has seen the tears that you have cried and He is ready to give you the cure!
God told them to pursue and they would become victorious. Even though these men were probably tired of fighting and weak from battle they mounted up and began to pursue the victory that God would give them!
How many of you know that your victory is here tonight?
CLAIM YOUR VICTORY!
I know it’s hard to claim something that you cannot see. It’s easy for someone to tell someone else that’s in a trial that everything is going to be alright. But when you yourself can’t see any way out of it, it is sometimes hard to find the answer.
David and his men had no way of knowing that victory was just right around the corner. Verse 8 says that all they had to go on was the word of God. David asked God what to do, and God said that they were going to be victorious.
Yes, they were still in there situation. No, they had no visual proof that their victory was coming. But they knew the God of David had never let him down and that was enough for them!
Its time for someone to claim their victory here tonight! You’ve been fighting the Devil tooth and nail and have been crying inside the whole time. You’re ready for victory! Who is ready for the victory tonight? God said He saw the tears you have cried on your pillow at night, he has saw that you have fought a good fight, and now its time to claim your victory!
Victory in Jesus! My Savior forever, He sought me, and then He bought me, and He told me that He would turn my mourning into dancing!
The victory is here for you to take tonight. All you have to do is do what God wants you to do and that is pursuing it! Show God that you mean business with the thing that you have been fighting for so long and that you’re ready for victory!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Baptism
Myself and Bro. Travis (left) baptizing a new convert, Bro. Jimmy Arrington. We do it old school in the river!
Baptism It is well known that ablution or bathing was common in most ancient nations as a preparation for prayers and sacrifice or as expiatory of sin. In warm countries this connection is probably even closer than in colder climates; and hence the frequency of ablution in the religious rites throughout the East. Baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost is the rite or ordinance by which persons are admitted into the Church of Christ. It is the public profession of faith and discipleship
. Baptism signifies—
1. A confession of faith in Christ;
2. A cleansing or washing of the soul from sin;
3. A death to sin and a new life in righteousness. The mode and subjects of baptism being much-controverted subjects, each one can best study them in the works devoted to those questions. The command to baptize was co-extensive with the command to preach the gospel. All nations were to be evangelized; and they were to be made disciples, admitted into the fellowship of Christ's religion, by baptism. Matt 28:19 It appears to have been a kind of transition from the Jewish baptism to the Christian. The distinction between John's baptism and Christian baptism appears in the case of Apollos, Acts 18:26, 27 and of the disciples at Ephesus mentioned Acts 19:1-6 We cannot but draw from this history the inference that in Christian baptism there was a deeper spiritual significance.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
The Altar
An Altar To "Tears"
In ancient Athens, at the gateway to the famous Parthenon, there stood an altar dedicated to "Tears." No sacrifices were offered there and no offerings were made. It was simply a place where the penitent and grief-stricken could bow to weep out their sorrows.
Although this may have given some psychological relief, it did not touch their basic need. Grief in itself is of little value if it is only the venting of penned-up emotions. Grief must have spiritual overtones and effect permanent changes in the life and personality if it is to please the Lord. Worldly men usually regret the results of their evil deeds because it adversely affects their own futures or social standing.
The "Horns" On The Altar
The old Israelite tabernacle consisted of a covered sanctuary enclosed in a large oblong court. The one and only ingress to the latter was at its eastern end; and the first object inside it was the Altar of Sacrifice.
That altar was made of stout wood overlaid with brass. It was exactly square, each of its four sides measuring five cubits, that is, approximately seven feet six inches.
According to divinely ordained pattern, at each of the four corners there was an ornamental projection called a horn. Ornamental to some degree those four horns of the altar certainly were, but they had a more than merely ornamental purpose. They were "horns of refuge."
When an Israelite was in danger from one who sought his life, he could flee to the tabernacle and lay hold on the horns of the altar, knowing that as long as he stayed there, his pursuer dare not touch him (see 1 Kings 1:50)."And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt [test] Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of" (vv. 1, 2). There are three parts to this command: whom to sacrifice, when to sacrifice, and where to sacrifice.
The extreme clarity of God's command about whom to sacrifice instructs us that when God tells us to do some unusual deed, He will make it very clear to us what that deed is. God never asks us to take extremely unusual action without giving us much assurance as to what the action is. This truth not only encourages us, but it also warns us that before we make any unusual decision or take any drastic action, we need to be certain that we have clear and strong commands from God for it. Some have run clear off the reservation with hardly a hint that God has so ordered them to take such extreme action. Then when failure results (and it will when we lack God's orders), they blame God. They are all wrong, of course; for if we act as God says, though extreme the action may be, there will be no failure.
From verse 2 and several later verses in Genesis 22, we note here three important descriptions of Isaac, the one to be sacrificed. These three descriptions of Isaac are the lone son, the loved son, and the law-abiding son. These descriptions will help us to better see the nature of the sacrifice Abraham had to make and will show us how wonderfully Isaac foreshadows Christ.
In ancient Athens, at the gateway to the famous Parthenon, there stood an altar dedicated to "Tears." No sacrifices were offered there and no offerings were made. It was simply a place where the penitent and grief-stricken could bow to weep out their sorrows.
Although this may have given some psychological relief, it did not touch their basic need. Grief in itself is of little value if it is only the venting of penned-up emotions. Grief must have spiritual overtones and effect permanent changes in the life and personality if it is to please the Lord. Worldly men usually regret the results of their evil deeds because it adversely affects their own futures or social standing.
The "Horns" On The Altar
The old Israelite tabernacle consisted of a covered sanctuary enclosed in a large oblong court. The one and only ingress to the latter was at its eastern end; and the first object inside it was the Altar of Sacrifice.
That altar was made of stout wood overlaid with brass. It was exactly square, each of its four sides measuring five cubits, that is, approximately seven feet six inches.
According to divinely ordained pattern, at each of the four corners there was an ornamental projection called a horn. Ornamental to some degree those four horns of the altar certainly were, but they had a more than merely ornamental purpose. They were "horns of refuge."
When an Israelite was in danger from one who sought his life, he could flee to the tabernacle and lay hold on the horns of the altar, knowing that as long as he stayed there, his pursuer dare not touch him (see 1 Kings 1:50)."And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt [test] Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of" (vv. 1, 2). There are three parts to this command: whom to sacrifice, when to sacrifice, and where to sacrifice.
The extreme clarity of God's command about whom to sacrifice instructs us that when God tells us to do some unusual deed, He will make it very clear to us what that deed is. God never asks us to take extremely unusual action without giving us much assurance as to what the action is. This truth not only encourages us, but it also warns us that before we make any unusual decision or take any drastic action, we need to be certain that we have clear and strong commands from God for it. Some have run clear off the reservation with hardly a hint that God has so ordered them to take such extreme action. Then when failure results (and it will when we lack God's orders), they blame God. They are all wrong, of course; for if we act as God says, though extreme the action may be, there will be no failure.
From verse 2 and several later verses in Genesis 22, we note here three important descriptions of Isaac, the one to be sacrificed. These three descriptions of Isaac are the lone son, the loved son, and the law-abiding son. These descriptions will help us to better see the nature of the sacrifice Abraham had to make and will show us how wonderfully Isaac foreshadows Christ.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
But God
Ephesians 2:1-6
Notes on verse 2: “Ye walked…” means, you lived. The word course signifies all the tendencies, thoughts, pursuits, and deeds of our character.
No one can say that they have not done anything wrong. As sure as we breathe, we have all walked the path of sin.
The Prodigal Son- Luke 15:11-16
This young man took his destiny in his own hands and tried to do it his own way. How many of us has tried to do something without waiting on God? Luke 15:16b says, “no man gave unto him”. When the world sees that you have lost it all, they will desert you. But all the while, when he was trying to find a friend out in the muck and the mire of sin, his father was home looking out over the fields hoping to see his son return home.
We have a heavenly Father that cares. The reason someone tries alcohol and drugs or can’t seem to find any happiness anywhere is because they’re looking for something, and they don’t know what it is they are looking for. The song says, “I searched for Him, and knew not what I searched for…”. They are physically trying to resist the urge to do what the body was spiritually made to do and that is worship. God is just trying to get you to do what you were made for. The Bible says that if we don’t praise Him, then the rocks and mountains were going to.
So, when you resist this urge, a heaviness becomes prevalent on you. That is the unhappiness that you feel. It’s the tug on your very soul that is connected to God. Our spirit knows when God is calling out to us. There comes a time in everyone’s life when God calls out to us.
-He called the children of Israel out of Egypt. He didn’t go in there and get them, the Bible says that He met them in the wilderness. God is not going to go into your sins and pull you out. It requires action on your part to physically withdraw yourself from the sin. The Israelites had to come out of Egypt on their own; and sometimes you have to do it with the enemy right on your heels trying to pull you back in.
Psalm 23:6
The passage says ALL the days of your life. It doesn’t say it will start to follow you when you get saved. These guys are on the job right when you take your first breath of life.
Goodness- another name for it is grace. God’s grace will work miracles in your life. You say that you have done some bad things and you don’t know how God could save a sinner like you! But you can’t have sin without having grace!
Romans 5:20 “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Much MORE! No matter how far you run, grace will always be there! Get this, a great sinner has that much more grace surrounding him! Grace is unbiased and without judgment. Jesus said that He didn’t come here to condemn the world, but to expel grace out of Himself so that you and I might be saved. Not only do you have the promise of grace, but you also have a Savior that is willing to hunt you down and call you out of your situation! Now that’s a Savior worth having!
Ephesians 2:4- Paul is talking about us as sinners. He could’ve ended the chapter right there, because that is true of every one of us (v. 1-3). However, Paul doesn’t leave us hanging. He followed those scriptures with, “But God…”. Now, through God’s grace, we are able to put everything that we have ever done in past tense.
Its hard for some people to let go of the past. Sometimes, in the flesh, we can’t comprehend the change that takes place in our lives. We tend to point fingers at each other and whisper among ourselves about some of the things other people were guilty of. We forget that we were once a sinner too!
Now we can say:
· I used to be a drug addict- But God
· I used to be an alcoholic- But God
· I used to do this or do that- But God
Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound! Grace was there when you were in Hell’s kitchen, and you barely escaped coming out of there with smoke on your clothes! The war between sin and grace is no contest! Your stuff is in the past and don’t allow yourself to be discouraged when the enemy tries to bring it up! You’ve got to remember…But God!
The grace of God is an expression of His goodness towards the undeserving. You and I didn’t deserve grace…But God.
But God- These words in v. 4 shows God’s response to man’s sin. The way this sentence is used in the English language proves that some sort of action is taken by God on our part.
1 Corinthians 13:11- Rearrange this Scripture: “When I was a sinner, I spoke as a sinner, I understood as a sinner, and I thought like a sinner: BUT, when I became a Christian, I put away those sinful things.” That one little word changes the whole sentence structure. It tells the reader that they can forget about everything before the word “but”.
Verses 1-3 shows how we were as sinners, it shows how each of our lives didn’t mean anything. However, v.4 turns the viewpoint around 180 degrees.
The enemy already knows that you have him defeated. His power comes from making you think that you aren’t victorious! If he can get you to forget those two little words and get you started thinking about Ephesians 2:1-3 then he has you right where he wants you! The devil doesn’t mind if you go to church and clap your hands. All he is concerned with is keeping you right where you’re at, letting you think things like “I’m not good enough” and “if they only knew this about me”. Don’t let the enemy bind you with things that you’ve done in your past, because you already have a key to that lock!
If it had not been for the Lord on my side where would I be?!!
Job- The devil came to Job and told him all of his children were dead, his wife had left him, and everything that he had ever worked for was gone! But Job looked at the enemy and said, “Because I’m not what I used to be, the Lord may give, and the Lord may take away, and even though He may slay me, I’m still gonna say. ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord’”.
The enemy has got some of us bound down with thoughts of what we used to be, but you are more than conquerors through Jesus! Its about time we stop taking a beating from the devil and stand up for ourselves! We need to go into the enemies camp and take back what he stole from us and claim the victory! You are more than conquerors! That means that not only did you win the battle, but you also got your stuff back!
You need to fight with everything you have in you! I’m not afraid of you devil! You’ve walked on me long enough, now its my turn!
Ephesians 1:22- “And hath put ALL things under his feet…” Get your stuff back! Get your desire back! Get your prayer life back! Be active in the house of God! Don’t let the enemy get you down by reminding you of your past! Tell him…”But God!”.
Notes on verse 2: “Ye walked…” means, you lived. The word course signifies all the tendencies, thoughts, pursuits, and deeds of our character.
No one can say that they have not done anything wrong. As sure as we breathe, we have all walked the path of sin.
The Prodigal Son- Luke 15:11-16
This young man took his destiny in his own hands and tried to do it his own way. How many of us has tried to do something without waiting on God? Luke 15:16b says, “no man gave unto him”. When the world sees that you have lost it all, they will desert you. But all the while, when he was trying to find a friend out in the muck and the mire of sin, his father was home looking out over the fields hoping to see his son return home.
We have a heavenly Father that cares. The reason someone tries alcohol and drugs or can’t seem to find any happiness anywhere is because they’re looking for something, and they don’t know what it is they are looking for. The song says, “I searched for Him, and knew not what I searched for…”. They are physically trying to resist the urge to do what the body was spiritually made to do and that is worship. God is just trying to get you to do what you were made for. The Bible says that if we don’t praise Him, then the rocks and mountains were going to.
So, when you resist this urge, a heaviness becomes prevalent on you. That is the unhappiness that you feel. It’s the tug on your very soul that is connected to God. Our spirit knows when God is calling out to us. There comes a time in everyone’s life when God calls out to us.
-He called the children of Israel out of Egypt. He didn’t go in there and get them, the Bible says that He met them in the wilderness. God is not going to go into your sins and pull you out. It requires action on your part to physically withdraw yourself from the sin. The Israelites had to come out of Egypt on their own; and sometimes you have to do it with the enemy right on your heels trying to pull you back in.
Psalm 23:6
The passage says ALL the days of your life. It doesn’t say it will start to follow you when you get saved. These guys are on the job right when you take your first breath of life.
Goodness- another name for it is grace. God’s grace will work miracles in your life. You say that you have done some bad things and you don’t know how God could save a sinner like you! But you can’t have sin without having grace!
Romans 5:20 “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Much MORE! No matter how far you run, grace will always be there! Get this, a great sinner has that much more grace surrounding him! Grace is unbiased and without judgment. Jesus said that He didn’t come here to condemn the world, but to expel grace out of Himself so that you and I might be saved. Not only do you have the promise of grace, but you also have a Savior that is willing to hunt you down and call you out of your situation! Now that’s a Savior worth having!
Ephesians 2:4- Paul is talking about us as sinners. He could’ve ended the chapter right there, because that is true of every one of us (v. 1-3). However, Paul doesn’t leave us hanging. He followed those scriptures with, “But God…”. Now, through God’s grace, we are able to put everything that we have ever done in past tense.
Its hard for some people to let go of the past. Sometimes, in the flesh, we can’t comprehend the change that takes place in our lives. We tend to point fingers at each other and whisper among ourselves about some of the things other people were guilty of. We forget that we were once a sinner too!
Now we can say:
· I used to be a drug addict- But God
· I used to be an alcoholic- But God
· I used to do this or do that- But God
Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound! Grace was there when you were in Hell’s kitchen, and you barely escaped coming out of there with smoke on your clothes! The war between sin and grace is no contest! Your stuff is in the past and don’t allow yourself to be discouraged when the enemy tries to bring it up! You’ve got to remember…But God!
The grace of God is an expression of His goodness towards the undeserving. You and I didn’t deserve grace…But God.
But God- These words in v. 4 shows God’s response to man’s sin. The way this sentence is used in the English language proves that some sort of action is taken by God on our part.
1 Corinthians 13:11- Rearrange this Scripture: “When I was a sinner, I spoke as a sinner, I understood as a sinner, and I thought like a sinner: BUT, when I became a Christian, I put away those sinful things.” That one little word changes the whole sentence structure. It tells the reader that they can forget about everything before the word “but”.
Verses 1-3 shows how we were as sinners, it shows how each of our lives didn’t mean anything. However, v.4 turns the viewpoint around 180 degrees.
The enemy already knows that you have him defeated. His power comes from making you think that you aren’t victorious! If he can get you to forget those two little words and get you started thinking about Ephesians 2:1-3 then he has you right where he wants you! The devil doesn’t mind if you go to church and clap your hands. All he is concerned with is keeping you right where you’re at, letting you think things like “I’m not good enough” and “if they only knew this about me”. Don’t let the enemy bind you with things that you’ve done in your past, because you already have a key to that lock!
If it had not been for the Lord on my side where would I be?!!
Job- The devil came to Job and told him all of his children were dead, his wife had left him, and everything that he had ever worked for was gone! But Job looked at the enemy and said, “Because I’m not what I used to be, the Lord may give, and the Lord may take away, and even though He may slay me, I’m still gonna say. ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord’”.
The enemy has got some of us bound down with thoughts of what we used to be, but you are more than conquerors through Jesus! Its about time we stop taking a beating from the devil and stand up for ourselves! We need to go into the enemies camp and take back what he stole from us and claim the victory! You are more than conquerors! That means that not only did you win the battle, but you also got your stuff back!
You need to fight with everything you have in you! I’m not afraid of you devil! You’ve walked on me long enough, now its my turn!
Ephesians 1:22- “And hath put ALL things under his feet…” Get your stuff back! Get your desire back! Get your prayer life back! Be active in the house of God! Don’t let the enemy get you down by reminding you of your past! Tell him…”But God!”.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Count It All Joy
James 1:1-3
After salvation, there is a period in a young Christians spiritual life where God places a hedge of protection around them. This gives the new convert time to grow spiritually, and get ready for the battles ahead.
At a certain point, God eventually removes this barrier. Almost like a mamma bird trying to help her babies learn to fly. When we are spiritually “reborn”, God keeps us in His nest of safety. However, we’ve got to get out of the nest sooner or later.
When this happens, we become members of the Army of God. We soon realize what team we’re on. When you bend your knees and bow your head in repentance to God, you have just picked your side. You personally realize that you have waged war on Hell. Now you’ve got to fight!
Ephesians 6:12- We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but principalities and rulers of darkness. This verse suggests a spiritual turmoil that is going to come our way eventually.
James 1:2- When the fight comes, count it all joy. Be happy for it. This is God’s way of making us stronger Christians.
My Dad taught me how to fish. He catches upwards of 1000 Bass every year. The man can fish. Ben Franklin said, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
This battle is God’s way of teaching us how to defeat the enemy! Not just in this trial, but the next one as well. So we should count it joy when we fall into spiritual hardships because God has shown an interest in us to make us better. However, when most Christians today go through trials, it tends to make them bitter instead of better. They are not counting the joyful factor. Remember this…those Christians whom God can use the most, are those whom God has bruised the most.
Resistance- This coupled with our faith makes us stronger. Example: Bodybuilding is based on the principle of resistance; the more the weight, the more the resistance, and the more the resistance, the more the muscles develop. Competition weight lifters welcome resistance. In fact, they keep increasing it to push their strength to the limit.
The trials that we go through are stepping stones to build our faith. Accept them as a challenge to the practice of your faith. Spiritual resistance is spiritual bodybuilding.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
The word resistance means, “to stand against”. The greek term of resist is “antihistemi”, the English translation of this word is “antihistamine”. An antihistamine is medication that helps us “stand against” the symptoms of illness.
The enemy will either destroy you or test your spiritual skills. If you give in to him, he will devour you. If you resist him, he will flee from you.
Count it all joy! This trial that you’re going through is not going to destroy you. We are more than conqueres through Christ Jesus! Resist the Devil!
Another word for resist is the word restrain, and a synonym of restrain means, “to bind”. When you resist the devil, you restrain him, and when you restrain him, you bind him. I’m not trying to preach a Do-It-Yourself message. You have to understand that only through the power that is within you, can you turn the tables on the enemy. Paul is famous for saying, “Not I, but Christ.” He knew that within himself he could do nothing. That goes back to the human notion in every one of us that tries to take a problem and fix it on our own.
Zechariah 4:6- Only by the power of God and our authority in Jesus are we able to resist and overcome the situations that we’re going through. The mountains of life, and the strongholds of our spiritual enemies are removed! Count it all joy! This battle is not yours, it’s the Lord’s!
I’ve heard this message preached many different ways, however, the same problem is prevalent in every case:
1. The devil has besieged you.
2. It looks like there is no way out of the situation that you’re in.
3. You are so discouraged you don’t know what to do.
James 5:16b- God lets us go through trials so we can exercise our faith. Faith is not something you have after the battle is over, but faith is something you build right in the middle of the fire! Faith is not you waiting on an outcome where you don’t know what the end result will be. The prayer of faith discerns God’s will and perseveres until that desired outcome is accomplished. I’m here to tell you and encourage you that no matter how you decide to fight your battle, God is with you. He said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you…” God has heard your cry in the night and joy is going to come in the morning!
Count it all joy! God will never leave you!
Count it all joy! God will never forsake you!
Count it all joy! God said He would go with you all the way!
The trial- How long does it last? A day, week, month, or year even? Why is there no specified timeframe when we first enter in our trial?
The promise- 1 Corinthians 10:13
You have to realize that you’re not going to get through this on your own! The best way to resist the enemy in your trial is to fight by letting go of everything that seems natural for you to do, and take a step back and let God do the fighting for you! 1 Corinthians 10:13 already said that you were going to come out victorious! God’s not going to let you go into something just so you can get bitter and backslide! That’s the enemy talking to you!
Understand This: Satan knows that you already have a way out. He knows that God has made a way for you to escape! But his job is to keep you thinking about everything around you, and letting you worry about something that you should have already given to God! His job is to keep you from submitting so you cant resist him. The very moment when you believe that you’re going to come out a winner, is the moment when you start resisting the devil! And that’s the very moment you start binding the devil! So believe on God! Believe that He is a rewarder to them that diligently seek Him!
Crawl out of that corner that the devil has you backed up into and pick yourself up and dust yourself off, because the battle is not yours it’s the Lords! Take the chain of doubt that Satan has you tied up with and resist him! Bind him hand and foot with the very problem that your facing and tell him that you have just started to count it all joy! This thing you’re going through, Satan meant it for evil, but God made it good! Count it all joy when you fall into the hands of the enemy! Devil you can’t stop me, and you can’t hold me back! I’m gonna get my breakthrough in the name of Jesus! I’m going to win this battle if I have to fight you tooth and nail! If I have to crawl to the altar, I’m gonna get it because God has made a way for me to get out of this! Devil you can’t stop me! I resist you right now in the name of Jesus!
After salvation, there is a period in a young Christians spiritual life where God places a hedge of protection around them. This gives the new convert time to grow spiritually, and get ready for the battles ahead.
At a certain point, God eventually removes this barrier. Almost like a mamma bird trying to help her babies learn to fly. When we are spiritually “reborn”, God keeps us in His nest of safety. However, we’ve got to get out of the nest sooner or later.
When this happens, we become members of the Army of God. We soon realize what team we’re on. When you bend your knees and bow your head in repentance to God, you have just picked your side. You personally realize that you have waged war on Hell. Now you’ve got to fight!
Ephesians 6:12- We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but principalities and rulers of darkness. This verse suggests a spiritual turmoil that is going to come our way eventually.
James 1:2- When the fight comes, count it all joy. Be happy for it. This is God’s way of making us stronger Christians.
My Dad taught me how to fish. He catches upwards of 1000 Bass every year. The man can fish. Ben Franklin said, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
This battle is God’s way of teaching us how to defeat the enemy! Not just in this trial, but the next one as well. So we should count it joy when we fall into spiritual hardships because God has shown an interest in us to make us better. However, when most Christians today go through trials, it tends to make them bitter instead of better. They are not counting the joyful factor. Remember this…those Christians whom God can use the most, are those whom God has bruised the most.
Resistance- This coupled with our faith makes us stronger. Example: Bodybuilding is based on the principle of resistance; the more the weight, the more the resistance, and the more the resistance, the more the muscles develop. Competition weight lifters welcome resistance. In fact, they keep increasing it to push their strength to the limit.
The trials that we go through are stepping stones to build our faith. Accept them as a challenge to the practice of your faith. Spiritual resistance is spiritual bodybuilding.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
The word resistance means, “to stand against”. The greek term of resist is “antihistemi”, the English translation of this word is “antihistamine”. An antihistamine is medication that helps us “stand against” the symptoms of illness.
The enemy will either destroy you or test your spiritual skills. If you give in to him, he will devour you. If you resist him, he will flee from you.
Count it all joy! This trial that you’re going through is not going to destroy you. We are more than conqueres through Christ Jesus! Resist the Devil!
Another word for resist is the word restrain, and a synonym of restrain means, “to bind”. When you resist the devil, you restrain him, and when you restrain him, you bind him. I’m not trying to preach a Do-It-Yourself message. You have to understand that only through the power that is within you, can you turn the tables on the enemy. Paul is famous for saying, “Not I, but Christ.” He knew that within himself he could do nothing. That goes back to the human notion in every one of us that tries to take a problem and fix it on our own.
Zechariah 4:6- Only by the power of God and our authority in Jesus are we able to resist and overcome the situations that we’re going through. The mountains of life, and the strongholds of our spiritual enemies are removed! Count it all joy! This battle is not yours, it’s the Lord’s!
I’ve heard this message preached many different ways, however, the same problem is prevalent in every case:
1. The devil has besieged you.
2. It looks like there is no way out of the situation that you’re in.
3. You are so discouraged you don’t know what to do.
James 5:16b- God lets us go through trials so we can exercise our faith. Faith is not something you have after the battle is over, but faith is something you build right in the middle of the fire! Faith is not you waiting on an outcome where you don’t know what the end result will be. The prayer of faith discerns God’s will and perseveres until that desired outcome is accomplished. I’m here to tell you and encourage you that no matter how you decide to fight your battle, God is with you. He said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you…” God has heard your cry in the night and joy is going to come in the morning!
Count it all joy! God will never leave you!
Count it all joy! God will never forsake you!
Count it all joy! God said He would go with you all the way!
The trial- How long does it last? A day, week, month, or year even? Why is there no specified timeframe when we first enter in our trial?
The promise- 1 Corinthians 10:13
You have to realize that you’re not going to get through this on your own! The best way to resist the enemy in your trial is to fight by letting go of everything that seems natural for you to do, and take a step back and let God do the fighting for you! 1 Corinthians 10:13 already said that you were going to come out victorious! God’s not going to let you go into something just so you can get bitter and backslide! That’s the enemy talking to you!
Understand This: Satan knows that you already have a way out. He knows that God has made a way for you to escape! But his job is to keep you thinking about everything around you, and letting you worry about something that you should have already given to God! His job is to keep you from submitting so you cant resist him. The very moment when you believe that you’re going to come out a winner, is the moment when you start resisting the devil! And that’s the very moment you start binding the devil! So believe on God! Believe that He is a rewarder to them that diligently seek Him!
Crawl out of that corner that the devil has you backed up into and pick yourself up and dust yourself off, because the battle is not yours it’s the Lords! Take the chain of doubt that Satan has you tied up with and resist him! Bind him hand and foot with the very problem that your facing and tell him that you have just started to count it all joy! This thing you’re going through, Satan meant it for evil, but God made it good! Count it all joy when you fall into the hands of the enemy! Devil you can’t stop me, and you can’t hold me back! I’m gonna get my breakthrough in the name of Jesus! I’m going to win this battle if I have to fight you tooth and nail! If I have to crawl to the altar, I’m gonna get it because God has made a way for me to get out of this! Devil you can’t stop me! I resist you right now in the name of Jesus!
Monday, April 20, 2009
A Dry Place
1 Kings 17:1
Ahab and Jezebel
History of both, and Elijah’s history with the king.
Hiding at the River Cherith-
-The Devil will come after us when we try to do the right thing and stand up for God.
Elijah was fed by ravens until the brook dried up. He probably was thinking, “God I went to the place You told me to go, and now this happens!”
-The first thing we do when something bad happens to us is complain. When we feel like we’re in a dry place, we tend to focus on all of the bad things that are happening, not realizing that God is still feeding us with little miracles just like He did Elijah by the brook.
-God will let things happen to us to show us His power
-Even though Satan meant it for evil, God will turn it into something good for us!
Elijah is in a dry place-
Somebody is there right now- Oppressed, depressed, or maybe you just spent your last dollar and you don’t know where the money is gonna come from.
I can see Elijah as he looks up to the sky hoping to see that raincloud.
-Ahab is still hunting him
What/Who is the Ahab in your life while you’re going through your dry place? It feels as though Ahab himself is knocking on your door. By human nature, we try to figure the problem out on our own, and it still seems to mess things up. Every time you take two steps forward, the Devil knocks you four steps back!
-The result of a dry place
1. It will make you weak because you cant drink from the fountain of living water.
2. It will make you weak because you don’t feel like eating…getting the spiritual help that you need.
It seems like the devil will attack you at your weakest point in a battle. When you think it cant get any worse, the bottom falls out on you again. You really don’t think that God ever hears your prayers, and you wonder if God has actually left you all alone. Has anyone ever been there?
Job said, “I looked for Him on the right and couldn’t find Him. I looked to the left, and He wasn’t there.”
When you feel like you’re at your weakest, God is at His strongest! His strength is made perfect in our weakness! God will not withhold any good thing from any of us!
-The Bully and the Stick story-
Jason thought Billy was down for the count, but he didn’t know that Billy had a secret weapon!
-Get tired of the Devil! Its time to get tired of that thing that’s been bothering you for so long! God is your secret weapon! Don’t give up now, you’re finally at the place where you can trust God the most!
1 Kings 18:7-8
Elijah was still in the middle of his dry place, and he was still looking for that cloud.
The challenge
Baal vs. God
Familiar story but Elijah had about all he could take.
Are you fed up with the devil yet?
“Devil, I’m tired of running, I’m tired of looking over my shoulder all the time”
We are troubled on every side, yet not forsaken. Cast down, but not destroyed! Its time to go into the enemy’s camp and tell the devil you’re here to claim your victory!
Square your shoulders and look him right in the eyes and tell him, “Listen to me devil, let me tell you what I’M gonna do. You’ve walked on me long enough, now I’m gonna walk on you!” You can hit me, knock me down, and make me bleed, but I’m gonna keep getting up! This time I’m ready for a fight!
-Elijah defeats the false prophets, but he is still looking for that cloud.
Kings 18:41
The drought is still there, the battle is still there, but wait a minute! I hear the sound of an abundance of rain!
Definition of Abundance- In the Old Testament they most frequently stand for "to cast together," "to increase." In Proverbs 8:24 the primary idea is "to be heavy", in Deut. 33:19 and Job 22:11 it is "to overflow", in Job 36:31 it is "to multiply”.
God is not only going to give you the victory over your Ahab, He is also going to wash out your dry place! The rain that had not been seen for such a long time soaks up the wet cracked ground of your depression, it soaks up the dust of your past, and it gives you the strength to go another mile! Don’t give up, your redemption draws nigh!
Ahab and Jezebel
History of both, and Elijah’s history with the king.
Hiding at the River Cherith-
-The Devil will come after us when we try to do the right thing and stand up for God.
Elijah was fed by ravens until the brook dried up. He probably was thinking, “God I went to the place You told me to go, and now this happens!”
-The first thing we do when something bad happens to us is complain. When we feel like we’re in a dry place, we tend to focus on all of the bad things that are happening, not realizing that God is still feeding us with little miracles just like He did Elijah by the brook.
-God will let things happen to us to show us His power
-Even though Satan meant it for evil, God will turn it into something good for us!
Elijah is in a dry place-
Somebody is there right now- Oppressed, depressed, or maybe you just spent your last dollar and you don’t know where the money is gonna come from.
I can see Elijah as he looks up to the sky hoping to see that raincloud.
-Ahab is still hunting him
What/Who is the Ahab in your life while you’re going through your dry place? It feels as though Ahab himself is knocking on your door. By human nature, we try to figure the problem out on our own, and it still seems to mess things up. Every time you take two steps forward, the Devil knocks you four steps back!
-The result of a dry place
1. It will make you weak because you cant drink from the fountain of living water.
2. It will make you weak because you don’t feel like eating…getting the spiritual help that you need.
It seems like the devil will attack you at your weakest point in a battle. When you think it cant get any worse, the bottom falls out on you again. You really don’t think that God ever hears your prayers, and you wonder if God has actually left you all alone. Has anyone ever been there?
Job said, “I looked for Him on the right and couldn’t find Him. I looked to the left, and He wasn’t there.”
When you feel like you’re at your weakest, God is at His strongest! His strength is made perfect in our weakness! God will not withhold any good thing from any of us!
-The Bully and the Stick story-
Jason thought Billy was down for the count, but he didn’t know that Billy had a secret weapon!
-Get tired of the Devil! Its time to get tired of that thing that’s been bothering you for so long! God is your secret weapon! Don’t give up now, you’re finally at the place where you can trust God the most!
1 Kings 18:7-8
Elijah was still in the middle of his dry place, and he was still looking for that cloud.
The challenge
Baal vs. God
Familiar story but Elijah had about all he could take.
Are you fed up with the devil yet?
“Devil, I’m tired of running, I’m tired of looking over my shoulder all the time”
We are troubled on every side, yet not forsaken. Cast down, but not destroyed! Its time to go into the enemy’s camp and tell the devil you’re here to claim your victory!
Square your shoulders and look him right in the eyes and tell him, “Listen to me devil, let me tell you what I’M gonna do. You’ve walked on me long enough, now I’m gonna walk on you!” You can hit me, knock me down, and make me bleed, but I’m gonna keep getting up! This time I’m ready for a fight!
-Elijah defeats the false prophets, but he is still looking for that cloud.
Kings 18:41
The drought is still there, the battle is still there, but wait a minute! I hear the sound of an abundance of rain!
Definition of Abundance- In the Old Testament they most frequently stand for "to cast together," "to increase." In Proverbs 8:24 the primary idea is "to be heavy", in Deut. 33:19 and Job 22:11 it is "to overflow", in Job 36:31 it is "to multiply”.
God is not only going to give you the victory over your Ahab, He is also going to wash out your dry place! The rain that had not been seen for such a long time soaks up the wet cracked ground of your depression, it soaks up the dust of your past, and it gives you the strength to go another mile! Don’t give up, your redemption draws nigh!
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