My Blog

While Passing Through the Storm...

02/03/2012 12:03:00

The journey across the sea began on the heels of having witnessed and partaken of a great miracle at the Hands of Jesus Christ. Over 5000 had been fed with just 2 fishes & 5 loaves blessed and broken by the Lord. Surely the disciples remained awestruck at the Provision of Jesus to the people. As they began their crossing, they must have spoken of all they had seen and heard Jesus do...their hearts & minds overwhelmed at His Compassion & His Power to meet the needs of mankind.....but as the evening sun began to set, the wind began to blow. And as the night swiftly approached, the storm became violent. The winds were raging, the waves crashing, the safe haven of the boat was being tossed in every direction and all of Christ's Power was forgotten as fear gripped their heart. Their immediate situation caused them to forget about all He had done that day......

The hours must have seemed like decades as they battled for their lives against something they had absolutely no control over......a howling temptest that grew stronger as the night wore on. Surely they were weary and, oh, so afraid as the deepest hours of darkness overtook them with no light piercing through the blackness that had enveloped them. The roaring of the wind and the thunderous crashes of the waves filled them with terror as they remained helpless in their situation....And yet, their eyes beheld a figure walking towards them in the midst of the violent rocking seas.

What now, they cried infear....and the Voice ofthe One whom they loved Spoke in their most desperate hour, "Be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid." The Lord Jesus Christ was coming to their rescue. Indeed, He was walking over the very sea that threatened their lives and He was speaking in a voice that has the Power to silence the winds....to calm the temptest that raged on...and yet He did not still the storm.

HE CAME IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM, AT THE DARKEST HOUR BEFORE THE DAWN!!!! IN THE GREATEST MOMENTS OF TERROR AND DESPERATION, HE SPOKE A WORD TO HIS WEARY AND FEARFUL DISCIPLES

It was and still is the Word of the foundation of all man's hope and deepest need..I AM with you. The Lord Jesus Christ stands sure to this very day & is an absolute truth...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee....I am with thee until the end of the age. The sustaining strength of the Lord is a face, weary sister or brother. Hold on to faith & take courage in your Lord for He knows exactly where you are in the midst of your journey of life. He is the Master of all that is rocking your world and causing torment to your spirit. He is still in control of the winds and the waves that rage against you and your family. He is the Author and Finisher of all that you are and all that you will ever be if you simply will cling to the Promise of His Presence. And just like the disciples, you will:

* See Him coming to you at your darkest hour.

* Moving over the very thing that is causing your fear.

* Hear Him speak the Word of peace to your soul despite the winds of turmoil surrounding you.

*Find & experience His Presence even when He does not

immediately stop the howling winds & violent sea of your situation, crisis, or circumstances.

Beloved, this is what true faith does in the hardest trials of life....it lays hold of His Word & believes for His Presence despite the feelings that overwhelm you and try to silence your confident expectation of the Lord's Promise to be with you always.

Hold on, even if it is with white knuckles and quaking knees. Keep your vision focused firmly upon Who the Lord is, what He has already done and what He is going to do for you and in you and I believe with all my heart, that you shall see Him coming to you when it seems as if all hope is gone. You will hear Him whisper, "I AM here" and soon, very soon, the storms shall cease and you will fall at His feet in grateful worship for His deliverance once again!!!

Refusing to die in the wilderness

01/16/2012 00:42:00

It's my greatest fear. It grips me at the oddest times, leaving me restless, knowing there is so much more than what I have experienced. It is a force deep within, urging me, pressing me to rise up and go forth. To not give up, to not give in, to not give over. To seize the Promises of Almighty God and not let go until each one is a solid reality in my life.

The fear that drives me to my knees in prayer is simply this: to have lived out my years in the wilderness of this life. To have been gloriously delivered from the bondage of sin, to have had the yoke of slavery broken from my heart/spirit and yet, never enter into the victorious, wide open freedom, the LIFE, that Christ purchased for me, with His own Blood, when He triumphed over satan, over sin and conquered death and hell once and for all. To have wandered aimlessly through my days until I am on my dying bed and realize that I never fulfilled the purpose and plan the Lord had ordained for me, to realize what He wanted to do through me for His Kingdom that unbelief or fear hindered me from accomplishing for His Glory.

The people God had chosen for Himself found themselves under the cruel and heavy hand of the Egyptian taskmasters. Their lives consisted of slavery and affliction, but the Lord both saw their affliction and heard their cries and declared, "I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and bring them up out of that land, unto a good and large land, a land flowing with milk and honey." (Ex 3:7-8) You know the story, God miraclously delivers His people by causing a strong wind to blow back the Red Sea, parting the waters for them to walk through on dry land. His Presence manifested as a cloud of light to His children to guide them through their passage, yet was darkness to their enemy. After His children were safely on the other side of the Red Sea, God allowed Pharoah and his enemies to pursue and in the middle of their crossing, God lifted His wind and the mighty waters rolled over, completely destroying every enemy, until there "remained not one of them." Surely, surely the Lord wrought freedom and glorious liberty for His own and He was leading them forth to the Land He Himself had promised Abraham, Issac and Jacob...a land of abundant provision from His own Hand, a land where His blessing and favor was manifested openly. A land, where there would be battles, but the Lord Himself would fight for them, where victory was most certain.

And yet, most died in the wilderness, without every setting foot in the promise and provision for them by their God. Unbelief, murmuring, complaining, sin, fear, doubt, rebellion, kept them from what was their Father so desired to give them.

Beloved, don't you see? We, every man, woman, boy or girl, was chosen before the foundation of the world to be God's own child...for His own pleasure and purpose. (Eph, 1:3-6) When you cried out to Jesus, because you were sick and tired of being in bondage to sin, of living selfishly, when you had enough of doing things your way and were ready to let Him be the Lord of your life, He heard your cry. He came, the atoning, cleansing Blood of Jesus washed your sin away and you crossed over your own personal Red Sea. The Lord Himself rolled back the waters of death and destruction to allow you to come into new life in Him. And just as God wrought a marvelous victory for the Hebrews, He did for you!!! You were set free from the oppression of slavery and the land God has promised you is one of glorious abundance in His provision of joy, peace, comfort, strength, hope, love, LIFE!!!!! And He has promised you that He would fight for you and with you and in you!!! That He has already caused you to triumph in Christ Jesus!!!

And yet, you are dying by degrees as you wander aimlessly in the backside of the wilderness of this physical life. Unbelief & fear, griping and complaining, hinder the Presence and Fullness of the Life Christ has already promised and provided.

For us, the believers, the Promised Land is not Heaven. Because God said there would be enemies and battles and struggles for the Israelites in the land of Canaan. But He also said He would go before them, He would fight for them, that victory was certain!!! And so, he tells us, until we reach Heaven, there will be struggles and battles, enemies and traps, but that He is with us, even until the end of this age!

So, back to my original thought: My greatest fear is that I will die without laying hold of all that Christ has for me in this life.

But, today, I choose faith over fear.

I believe, with every fiber of my very being, that the Word of God is absolutely true and that I am an overcomer by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony and by choosing to die to self and live for Him each day!!! I am persuaded that what God has promised He shall bring to pass. I refuse to die in the aimlessness of the wilderness, by rising up from the comfort of easy convenience and lukewarmness. I shall, with the Holy Ghost as my guide, march forth towards the prize of the high calling of God. I will reach the banks of Jordan and I will, through His Power alone, undo the shackles of shame, the remnants of failure, cross over into the Lord's glorious liberty, LIVING, REALLY LIVING, for Him!!!

Praise His Holy Name!!!!

Don't you want to come?????

Lift up you eyes.....

12/29/2011 22:05:00

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help.

Lord, I choose to look above the circumstances, the situations, the fear and doubts. I choose Lord, to look beyond the disappointments, the delays and even the denials of the desires of all that lies deep within my heart. Lord, I choose to look to You rather than self, to trust You more than man, to believe Your Word above all things.

It is a determined effort to trust You and it is something I must do if I am to receive Your help. I may not feel like it, but, yet I shall lift my eyes above the trials, the temptations & trouble and gaze in faith unto You....my expectation is in You.

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth

You, oh Lord, are the Creator and the Sustainer of the Universe. It is You who spoke and called forth Light into the darkness. It is you who formed man from the dust and it was You who breathed Life into him. And so, it is to You and You alone I look to for you still bring something beautiful from the ashes and it is You who still speaks Light into the darkness--within and without!!!

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber.

It is You o Lord who picked me up and made me to stand upon the Rock and it is You who will cause me to remain stead fast when the world is shaking under me and the waves crash all around....You hear every single cry and You who reaches out to still every fear, every doubt. You are Ever Present...never leaving me, never forsaking me...

It is Your face I seek O Lord and not merely Your Hand....it is Your Presence that preserves me from all evil, from the blazing heat of affliction and the snares of the enemy......You are Faithful beyond all comprehension...truly I shall "lift up my eyes unto You"

From Ps 121 and the heart of a grateful child of the Lord. May you realize and become stronger today in the Power of your Father to protect you, no matter the circumstance.....

"Lighten my eyes, O Lord"

12/08/2011 06:55:00

How long will Thou forget me, O Lord? Forever?

How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?

How long shall sorrow haunt my heart daily?

How long, O Lord, will mine enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest mine enemy say he has prevailed over me.......Ps 13.

Is this the cry of your heart today beloved? Does it seem as if fear has silenced your faith? Feel as if you are fighting alone, battling the pressures and stresses of this present age....the problems both within your heart/mind/spirit and those that surround you?

Have you begun to question if the Lord is even aware of the degree of your desperation for His Presence & Provision just to survive?

You are not forsaken nor forgotten, dear saint of God. God is still God, even in the midst of the fear & doubt. For He has said He will never, ever leave you (Heb 13:5). Jesus promises us that He will be with us always, even till the end of this world!!! (Matt 28:20)

If you feel as if the darkness will overwhelm you, then know that Jesus has already conquered it for you, for He is Life and He is Light & nothing, nothing in this world can overcome Him. (John 1:4)

Sorrow may be your constant companion today. A deep and abiding sadness that is only known and understood by those who have been there before. "Weeping may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Ps 30:5) You are merely surviving as you wait for the dawning of this day to come within your heavy heart. Hold on, dear one, don't give up or give in!

"For the Son of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings" (Mal 4:2)

Just as surely as Jesus Christ came to redeem and restore, He is going to break forth into your personal pain!!! He will give unto you the oil of joy for mourning and give to you the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness!! (Is 61:3) He has sent His Word to bind up your broken heart, to pour in His Spirit and wrap you His Presence!! (Ps 107:20)

The battle for your life rages on, weary and wounded, you wonder, will the enemy overcome and gain victory once again? Haunted by fears & past failures, you become paralyzed on the battlefield. Wanting to retreat but knowing you can't. The enemy whispers in your ear, taunting you, accusing you, condemning you. If seems as if he is prevailing in the war for your joy, your peace & your victory in Christ Jesus.

As His soldier, you look to the Captain of the Hosts, " Oh, Lord, help me....I am overwhelmed and overcome and I desperately need You right now!!"

"When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against him" (Is 59:19)

To raise up a standard means that God will drive him away, to make him flee from you!! Not only does the Lord rescue you without fail, He will lift you up from where you have fallen and cause you to stand

"He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy & from them which hated me, for they were too strong for me. They prevented (went in front of me and kept me from victory) in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place: He delivered me, because He delighted in me!! (Ps 18:16-19)

As David cried unto God in Ps 13, his questions gave way to prayer for illumination in his situation, "Enlighten my eyes" was his plea. He confessed that all he could see was the fear, confusion, the defeat, the failures, the guilt & shame and he was crying out for God to shine the glory of His Presence to him once again.

"For Thou wilt light my candle, the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness." (Ps 18:28)

And as David prayed, the prayer gave way to praise to the Lord Almighty!!! David declared he would sing...yes sing!!!...unto the Lord!!! His song did not depend on the moment, but on the stedfast trust he had in God as his Light & Sure Salvation!!! He chose to trust in Jehovah Nissi....The Lord of his victory and to look to Him and Him alone as Deliverer!!!

You also have a song in this night season, a song to sing to your King. It may be sung with a trembling voice and knocking knees, but sing on, saint!!!! No one can sing your praises to the Lord, no one else can pour out your spirit to Him for you. Open your heart, let the melody of faith begin to play for the Only One who is Worthy to be praised!!!

"And they him (satan) by the Blood of the Lamb & by the Word of their testimony & loved not their lives unto death" (Rev 12:11)

"Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in

Christ...." (2nd Cor 2:14) and who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1st Cor 15:57)

"The Lord is my light & my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is , the Strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?...For in the time of trouble He shall hide me...He shall set me upon a Rock....I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord" ( Ps 27:1-6)

Thou, o Lord, are a Shield for me, my Glory and the Lifter of my head (Ps 3:3)

Coming Out of the Cave....

11/10/2011 01:34:00

Read 1st Kings 18-19

Elijah had just been a witness to the awe inspiring power of Almighty God as fire fell from heaven devouring the recently rebuilt & sanctified altar, the sacrifice and the trenches of water surrounding it. Truly, it was a magnificent display of Jehovah as the One True, Living God. The Lord who is worthy to be worshiped. He and He alone deserves honor, devotion and complete allegiance. Four hundred and fifty false prophets of Baal lay dead, slain by the sword for their treacherous idolatry of a heathen god.

Next, we see the prophet Elijah, after facing the enemy camp with unwavering courage, standing upon Mt. Carmel with his face lifted to the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe praying for rains to return to the drought ravaged land. This was a man full of faith for he knew his God would hear his cry. He knew his Lord would answer his prayer. Elijah understood that the fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much in the Kingdom of God. He perservered in his request until God manifested the evidence of His power in the form of a small cloud. Relief through the rains was indeed on it's way, sent from the Lord in response to His servant's prayer of faith. And soon the drenching rain poured from the sky, evidence that God had triumphed once again...over an army of 450 men and,now, even over nature itself. He alone is Jehovah and His ear and His Hand were upon Elijah, the prophet.

But what a host of enemies could not do, one woman's threat compounded by his own fear and disillusionment accomplished.

Jezebel had sent word that Elijah would die that very day. And he ran.

Overwhelmed by fear, physically and mentally exhausted, he did not realize the strategy of his opponent. On such a stormy night it would have been easy to send soldiers to murder Elijah. But Jezebel knew that this possibly would cause even more dissent among her kingdom. She was crafty and used what the enemy of every believer's soul does..... threats, lies, and accusations, causing doubt and confusion to rise up in weary hearts.

This mighty man of God, in a moment of weakness, failed to cling to his Lord in the hour of his affliction.

He sent his companion away, isolating himself, and fled to the wilderness. Discouraged. Disobedient to the will of God. Finally, this valiant warrior, lays down under a juniper tree and, in the grip of failure, just wants to die.

Have you ever been there? Fresh from an amazing victory in the Lord and then finding yourself, face down, enveloped in despair and self pity, just wanting to quit? You are not alone. For your God knows your heart. He knows the depth of the battles you fight whether in your heart & mind or in the flesh.

An angel of God--I believe it was Jesus Christ, our Lord, comes to Elijah. Does He "zap" strength into him...does He pour oil on the man of God? No, he allows Elijah to rest and then feeds him fresh bread and cool water....what Jesus always gives to those in need...The Bread of Life (His Word) & the Living Water (His Spirit) and Rest (Jesus Himself).

Elijah goes in the strength of that supernatural bread/water unto Mt Horeb, a journey of 40 nights & days. A time frame where he once again allowed himself to be gripped by despondency. Wondering why God was not moving in his life the way he thought He should.

He had moved beyond discouragement and was now in despair, hiding in a cave when he was called to the Mount of Revelation by God by the Lord Himself.

Wallowing in depression, this cave was imprisoning him, driving him deeper into the depths of darkness. There is no Light in a cave and Vision is distorted and quickly fades leaving only shadows.

But Jehovah God, who never, ever leaves nor forsakes His own, called to Elijah in the midst of his self-imposed isolation.

"What are you doing here, Elijah? Come out of there and stand before Me." But Elijah refused to rise and come to his Sure Deliverer.

God did not give up on His Servant and He does not give up on you, Beloved.

The Lord "passed by" and a great & strong wind rose up, so much so that rocks were broken by the force of it.

And yet, Elijah did not come out of his darkness.

Then a mighty earthquake caused the mount to tremble.

Yet it did not move Elijah from the prison of his pain.

Fire fell,

yet Elijah remained in the cave.

Defeated. Desolate. Broken and believing his days of service were over, never to be used of God again.

God is faithful beyond measure. His love is without limits. He pursues us relentlessly, calling us to while in the prison or the pit, the dungeons & despair , deep into our hearts which are overwhelmed by the enormity of our failure in serving Him.

The Lord did not reveal Himself to Elijah in the wind, the earthquake or the fire. Oh, no, what the Lord did or Elijah had much more substance and was infinitely more powerful than any of these things.....

He spoke......

in a still, small voice to Elijah. What did He say?

I don't know. I don't need to know. I just need to lay hold of the glorious Truth that it is not the mighty acts, the huge displays of His Power .......but it is a Whisper from the Heart of God into a hurting soul that causes the captive to come out of the cave into Life again. It is the Living Word of God that reaches into the depths of the human spirit and causes hope to blossom once again.

Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh, dwelling among us and it is through Him that shattered lives are put back together by His Spirit & His Word.

You don't need a mountain moved, beloved, you just need a Whisper from God.

"What are you doing there, my child? I did not save you to be driven deep into caverns of depression, shame, fear, pain or confusion. I saved you for abundant life, for freedom to love Me & serve Me. To Glorify Me.

Come unto Me, all that are weary and heavy laden...I will give you rest...Trust Me...I AM all you need and all you desire. I AM your peace, I AM your joy. I AM your song in the night. I AM your blessed hope."

He that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit saith to the churches....

11/03/2011 12:07:00

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.....Revelation, Chapters 2 &3

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits & doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron. 1st Tim 4:1-2

This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof......2nd Tim 3:1-5

Oh, beloved, is this not the state of the modern day American church?

As Pastor Jason Fuller preaches today on In His Presence radio broadcast, "The days that shall come, have come" and God is calling, no commanding, for His Church to shake herself from our complacency.

May I dare tell the truth and say it is time to repent & rise up from the muck and the mire of sin and be cleansed by His Blood once again, bathed in the Water of the Word and filled with His Spirit.

Sin, you say, what sin? I go to church (when it's convenient for me), I pray (only when I'm in a mess) and, well, my Bible is around here somewhere.....We have renamed sin and immorality into "habits" and made excuses for the behavior by blaming everyone else for our choices.

We are rebellious rather than obedient, cold and indifferent when we should be burning with a holy passion for Him and His Glory alone.

Jesus urges us in Rev 2:4......I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember from whence thou art fallen & repent and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly & remove thy candlestick our of his place, except thou repent."

We have become fiercely ambitious people who have excelled at believing that we have built our "kingdoms" by our own might. We take pride in our supposed self sufficiency, our works, our trophies.

I am afraid that our pride and self seeking, self driven lifestyles have pushed God (if He was even seated there to begin with) from thethrone of our hearts into the corners of our busy little lives. Paul warned us through Timothy that in the last days the love of many would grow cold and evil seducers would become worse...that many would have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof.

Listen to what Jesus says in Rev 3 to the church....

I know thy works, that thou are neither cold nor hot,...so then because you art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich & increased with goods & have need of nothing...knowest not that thou are wretched & miserable & poor & blind & naked. I counsel thee, to buy of Me gold, tried in the fire..& white rainment that thou mayest be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.....As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent."

And here is the most horrific thing of all that Jesus says to His people,

Behold, I stand at the door and knock......

Jesus Christ, the One who drank the cup of God's wrath which He bore on Calvary, being crushed under the weight of His Just Fury, and finally, in utter agony, dying, is standing on the outside of the very people He came to rescue. What a travesty of love we have fallen into, settling for religion without a relationship, a system without the Savior, and a church without conviction nor conversion. Christ on our lips, but not in our hearts.

"I am part of a system that has created a whole host of means & methods plans & strategies for doing church that require little if any power from God....things that emphasizes our abilities & exalts our names...what is strangely lacking in the picture of performances, personalities, programs & professionals is desperation for the Power of God.......I am frightened by the reality that the church I lead can carry on most of our activities smoothly, efficiently, even successfully, never realizing that the Holy Spirit of God is virtually absent from the picture. We can so easily deceive ourselves.........D. Platt in the book "Radical"

What exactly is the power that the many modern day churches are denying? It is the Power of Jesus Christ to be saved and set in a right relationship with God, it is the Power of His Blood to transform a sinner into a saint, to destroy the bondage of sin, satan, and self. Power to live a clean and consecrated life in the midst of perverse world. It is the Power to overcome temptations, the Power to be steadfast in the midst of trials and troubles, the Power to bind up broken hearts and set captives free. It is the Power to be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Him which is our reasonable service. It is the Power to love, to serve, to worship, to live a committed and devoted life for the Lord. It is the Power to transform, to make us over comers through the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony. It is the Power to deny ourselves and our desires to be poured out for the King and His Kingdom!!! It is the Power that one day will sound a trumpet or burst open a grave and cause us to be victorious over death and the grave and we shall forever be changed. It is the Power that will allow us to fall prostrate at His feet, worshiping Him, adoring Him and dwelling with Him for all of eternity!

And it is this Power, this Authority, this Absolute Truth that Jesus is the only way to appear before God Almighty. It is the truth that we are absolutely hopeless and helpless in our own power to be good enough, holy enough to come before Him. It is an affront to our pride to admit we are totally dependent on His mercy and His grace granted on behalf of the death of Jesus. It is offensive to most to admit that we are wretched sinners and deserve the punishment for sin. To recognize that our own righteousness is as filthy rags before God.

It is hard to humble ourselves before God and even harder to admit that we have shut him out of our heart by our very lifestyle. That, by the choices we make daily, oftentimes, deny Him as Lord of our life.

But thank God, Jesus does not turn away from us when we shut Him out of our churches, our plans, our very life.

For He goes on to say in Rev 3:20 ...I knock, if any man hear My voice & open the door , I will come unto him and will sup with him and he with Me. To him that over cometh, will I grant to sit with Me in My throne as I also overcame and am set down with My Father in His throne.

We absolutely must, must, acknowledge our lack of devotion & desire for the King of Kings, lay down the god of self and take up the Cross of Christ, deny our wills and follow Him with absolute surrender to lifting up the Name of Jesus. And in following Him & His Word, we will turn away from the destructive pleasures and treasures of this world, the sins that so easily entangle us in bondage that lead to total captivity. We need to leave the carnal nature with the affections and lusts and be consumed by Christ once again. We must be transformed by the renewing of our mind, bathing our minds by reading and obeying His Word. We must labor and then linger in our prayer closets. We must remain pliable in His hands, resisting the enemy, fully submitted to the Will of God, pointing others to Him and above all, always glorifying His Name with our every day lives. And we shall then hear Him say one day,

Well done My good and faithful servant, enter in to the joys I have prepared for you.....

He that hath hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit hath to say to.....you!

Somewhere Between the Will of God and the will of man

10/20/2011 11:46:00

"And the sight of of the Glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud...forty days and forty nights" Ex 24: 17-18

"And when the people saw that Moses delay to come down out of the mount they gathered themselves to Aaron & said "Up, make us gods which shall go before us, for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him....Aaron said, "Break off the golden earrings....bring them to me....and he fashioned a molten calf & they said, these be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of Egypt.

And they rose up early....offered burnt offerings & brought peace offerings and the people sat down to eat & to drink & play." Ex 32:1-6

"How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him" 1Kings 18:21

The children of Israel who had been under the yoke of affliction under the hand of the enemy had been gloriously delivered by the Hand of Almighty God! They were leaving slavery behind and marching forth to the land of liberty with the Presence of God. They had drank of the waters that God turned from bitter to sweet. They had dined on manna from God, drunk water from a Rock, seen new battles with great victories!!

And now the God of all creation, the God who parts seas, overthrows enemies, provides and protects, invites them to be His very own "treasure", a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. The Lord comes into their midst with thunder & lightning, with the sound of an exceedingly long and loud trumpet & the Lord descended in fire upon the mount, so great that the mountain trembled in His Presence!!

God desires to dwell among His own and enter into covenant with His beloved children. He gives the commands of His promises and blood is shed to confirm the Word of God, to prepare the people for His Presence.

The people responded to the laws of God and said "All that the Lord has said, we will do and we will be obedient." Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said "Behold, the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you..." Ex 19-24

God calls Moses, Joshua and 70 elders to come apart and dine with Him as a show of His approval of their consecration of self unto Him. After revealing Himself, He tells Moses to come up unto Him so He could reveal His law for His children. Moses took Joshua halfway up the mount with him and left the 70 elders to await for his return.

It is not know how many days, we know it was no more than 40, had passed but the people grew weary in waiting for God to move them further into His Promises. The Fire and the Glory still burned upon the mount...they could still see a visible manifestation of God's presence, but, alas other gods had remained within their hearts...the god of selfish pleasure, ambition, of a desire to see and touch a visible man made god. And so they turned their eyes from Almighty God, powerful and awesome, to a god they could see and touch, a god of their own making.

And when the god was fashioned with the gold God Himself had provided from the Egyptians, they made offerings to it. They drank, they dined, they danced around it. A revelry of rebellion, a party of fleshly passions and lusts.

Joshua, while not on the top of the mount of God's Presence, was far away enough not to participate in this bowing to the gods of the flesh, was still close enough to hear the sounds below.

Joshua called out to Moses thinking he was hearing the sounds of war. But God had already revealed to Moses that the people he had brought out of bondage were corrupting themselves by quickly turning away from the One True God and His will unto the ways of the world they were supposed to have left far behind them. God was going to completely destroy them but Moses interceded on their behalf and God spared them only because of Moses plea.

But there would be some heavy consequences to pay for their choice to feed the flesh rather than wait on God by faith in His Word. Three thousand people would die in their disobedience that very day and the people would be "plagued" as a reminder of the ease and swiftness they fell into sin when they chose their own way.

The lesson: Joshua had a choice. He could look up or go down. He could, by faith, hold fast to the promises of God and beholding His Presence or he could continue to listen to the sounds below until they ceased to be a "sound of war" and became a siren song of the flesh. He could, step by step, hold onto His God and journey upward or begin the downward spiral into the slavery that comes with serving the lusts of the flesh.

We know that Joshua chose the harder way of holding onto God for he was soon to be used to deliver the people (now cleansed & consecrated) who chose to follow him, across the Jordan river into the Promised Land.

But what of you, dear one? You were saved from the slavery of sin, the self destruction and messes created by a self driven life and started your journey to the Promises of life in Christ. You now find yourself halfway to the Jordan

crossing and yet, your ears still can hear the roaring of revelry, your eyes still feast on images of idolatry. No longer in Egypt physically, but yet, enough of Egypt in your heart to still hear it's song and be lured into it's lies if you linger on the side of the mount of indecision.

You have a choice to make today if you have found yourseslf "Somewhere between the Will of God and the will of man" (Bro Chris sermon for 10-20-11 on the In His Presence broadcast). Surrender self completely to the God who has called you unto Himself or begin the downward descent to the pathways of pain and the prisons of sin. Only you can determine your destiny. There is a choice made even when you say, I will climb a little higher tomorrow. I am too tired, too weak, too weary, too discouraged, too hurt, to do it today.

Be careful, my friend, for the chains of the enemy, are rattling even now, and if you are not careful, if you are listening to the sounds "playing" in the world, you will find yourself in bondage to the enemy once again before you even realize it.

How long will you waver before surrendering self and being wholly committed to the Lord for His glory.....

Or will you worship at the altar of self will

Choose wisely, it is a matter of eternal significance.

Who You are in Christ for the Glory of God!!

10/06/2011 09:06:00

This is who you are in and through Jesus Christ dwelling in your heart by faith:

I am a Blood Washed, Born Again Daughter of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!

I am Sanctified...Set apart and fit for the Plans of Almighty God who created me for His pleasure & His Purpose to bring Glory to His Name

I am Justified....Declared Righteous by the One who will one incredible day be my Judge

I am Sealed...Marked as the Lord's very own priceless treasure...by His Holy Spirit

I am Filled with the Power of the Holy Ghost to witness to this world about Jesus Christ, Messiah and King! I am clothed in the Armour of God...the Sword of the Word in my hand, the Breastplate of His Righteousness across my heart, the Belt of the Truth of His Word holding me together, the Shield of Faith to quench every single fiery darts of the wicked ones, the Helmet of Salvation to protect my mind and guard my thoughts and my feet shod with the Peace of this gospel!!

I am an Heir and Joint Heir with Jesus...already seated in Heavenly places with Him, having received the Authority that is in the Name above all Names, Jesus, to go forth as an Over Comer by the Blood of the Lamb & the Word of my testimony!

I am Saved from the Penalty of sin, Set Free from the Power of sin and one glorious day, the presence of sin will be no more...forever and ever!!

Hallelujah and Amen!!

To God be the Praise and Glory!!

More than Redemption

09/15/2011 19:48:00

The Lord has so much more for you than your glorious redemption from the penalty and the power of sin....

We often wind up still shackled to our sinful past,being bound up by our guilt, the shame and humiliation of who and what we were before Jesus.

Or we remain imprisoned by our bitterness, anger, grief and broken dreams.

But Jesus died and rose again to loosen us from the chains of the powers of darkness. He is the Light that pierces the darkness and it is He who desires to lead us to Himself and experience His Truth, Peace and Abundant Life!!!

What we have been given through the Blood of Jesus is so far beyond salvation....it is restoration to who our Father desires us to become.

Yet we sink deeper and deeper into the filth of the prisons of the past before Christ came and set us free for His glory! We waste away day by day never comprehending that Jesus has already unlocked and opened the door to real freedom....true joy....peace that passes all human understanding.

And so it is there, in the muck and the mire of the pit, that Jesus Himself comes into and He lifts us up in His Mighty arms (if we let Him) and He carries us out into His glorious liberty.

And so, it is not salvation....it is transformation!!

It is God alone who redeems us from sin, it is He who rescues us from our self destruction and will restore relationships and reputations!!

He fills us with Himself until we overflow with His joy in the deepest places of our hearts!!

He strips us of the filthy rags of our own righteousness and clothes us with the garments of grace and glory!!

Not merely set free, but cleansed and delivered, made new by the One who called the very universe into existence!!

I am praising God tonight for He alone is able to take the mess that I am and the messes I have created and transform me into a vessel for His Kingdom.

Greetings

09/09/2011 22:35:00

Greetings!!

Thank you for visiting us here and since I have been traveling for over 13 hours from Alabama to Mo to be with my son, I will write more in the next few days.

I pray that this blog will be a blessing to you. I will endeavor to share with you nuggets of wisdom and precious truths from Bro Chris's sermons.

I welcome your comments and ideas!! Let me know what you think of our weekly broadcast as well please!! Thursdays 2-4 pm on Sunlite Online Internet Radio...go to the Choctaw Sun web page and click on the radio icon.

Okay, enough for now!!

For His Glory,

Tera