Daniel and others were chosen by king Nebuchadnezzar's to be apart of his leadership team. Something in Daniel said; "Were going to chose not to eat the king's meat, will eat nothing but veggies and fruit."
What could have gotten in Daniel to go on this particular diet? What was in his heart to think that this was a need and a dire necessity? He knew that God's hand was up to something unique and special in the coming days.
I believe that Daniel knew that they were up for challenges far beyond their own wisdom, and their own strengths, their own power. Daniel was right on target with his intuition and being spirit driven and spirit led.
The King would be asking them to do things far beyond man's natural wisdom. In Daniel's chapters ahead, you and I will read why it was critical for he and his friends to go on this fast.
In life, you and I are going to face challenges far beyond our natural abilities. I have learned that when the stress and pressure is on, a fast will give us the edge, the supernatural that goes beyond what we are able to do in the natural.
Have you come to a place in your marriage, your work, your business, and your ministry that you need the edge, far beyond your own natural abilities? Jesus taught his disciples to do three things. He said; "when you pray, when you give, and when you fast." Notice that he didn't say; "if you pray or if you give or if you fast, but rather when you fast."
Many of us have had times in our lives when we just didn't have the answer, we didn't know where to turn next, and we just didn't have the ump to keep going.
At the end of the 10 day test, the king's steward took note that the complexion of Daniel and his men were better than the other's. These guys were more robust than the ones eating from the royal menu.
God will do some things far beyond your own talents and abilities when you choose to take God at his word. God will lead and direct each of us when it's time to start a fast. It may the knowledge of a coming battle or today's struggle that will lead you into starting a new fast.
The word of God will prove that in every difficult dilemma you face, fasting will give you the edge and will catapult you over your own impossible situation?
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
God's Hand Is On The Thermostat
Daniel 3:25 "But look!" he said. "I see four men, walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed! And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods!"
Here is one of the most exciting stories in the entire bible. King Nebuchadnezzar builds a great golden image and has a dedication ceremony for it. He declares; when the band begins to play, everyone must bow and worship his god.
It is reported that there are 3 Jews that have not bowed down. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are brought before the king. The king gives them another chance to bow before he throws them into his furnace.
They respond; "O king, your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you cook up. But even if he doesn't it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up."
The king face turns purple with anger, and he orders the furnace to be fired up seven times hotter than usual. Strong men from the army tie them up, hands and feet and throw them in to the roaring furnace.
Some unbeliever's may read this story and say this is nothing but a fairy tale. The truth of the matter, there is nothing to hard for Jehovah God. What I most admire about these 3 Jewish men is their faith in the fire. How many times have we complain because the fire is seemingly to hot?
I would like to remind each of us that yes, God says; "when we walk through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon you." Too many times we whine and bellyache over how hot and hard life's trials are.
Lets me remind you that God says; "There hath no temptation taken you but such is common to man, but God is faithful who will suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape." 1Cor 10:13
Don't lose your confidence that God's hand is on the thermostat in your trial. He knows where your breaking point is. He knows how much stress, how much pressure, just how hot the fire can get. There has never been a time yet that God didn't see me through the fiery test, the fiery situation that I didn't come out better than when I went in.
Hell is the one that lies to you that "you're not going to make it through this one." Three men went into a kings fire, but a forth man showed up. Jesus came to their rescue and shielded them from being consumed by the enemies fire.
It's interesting that not one hair was singed, not a scorch mark on their flesh, not even the smell of fire on them.
Most of us in life have walked through some fiery places in our marriage, our job, in raising our kids, but don't forget God has got his hand on your life, in your test, in your difficulty. He is not slack on the job in your nightmare of life. If God delivered them, he can deliver you and I.
Somebody came out better and stronger in the end, and a wicked king saw there was a God that was greater and stronger than his. Could that be what's behind our test, our trial, and our fiery ordeal? Press on friend; He stands with his hand on the thermostat saying; " I'm here."
Here is one of the most exciting stories in the entire bible. King Nebuchadnezzar builds a great golden image and has a dedication ceremony for it. He declares; when the band begins to play, everyone must bow and worship his god.
It is reported that there are 3 Jews that have not bowed down. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are brought before the king. The king gives them another chance to bow before he throws them into his furnace.
They respond; "O king, your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you cook up. But even if he doesn't it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up."
The king face turns purple with anger, and he orders the furnace to be fired up seven times hotter than usual. Strong men from the army tie them up, hands and feet and throw them in to the roaring furnace.
Some unbeliever's may read this story and say this is nothing but a fairy tale. The truth of the matter, there is nothing to hard for Jehovah God. What I most admire about these 3 Jewish men is their faith in the fire. How many times have we complain because the fire is seemingly to hot?
I would like to remind each of us that yes, God says; "when we walk through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon you." Too many times we whine and bellyache over how hot and hard life's trials are.
Lets me remind you that God says; "There hath no temptation taken you but such is common to man, but God is faithful who will suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape." 1Cor 10:13
Don't lose your confidence that God's hand is on the thermostat in your trial. He knows where your breaking point is. He knows how much stress, how much pressure, just how hot the fire can get. There has never been a time yet that God didn't see me through the fiery test, the fiery situation that I didn't come out better than when I went in.
Hell is the one that lies to you that "you're not going to make it through this one." Three men went into a kings fire, but a forth man showed up. Jesus came to their rescue and shielded them from being consumed by the enemies fire.
It's interesting that not one hair was singed, not a scorch mark on their flesh, not even the smell of fire on them.
Most of us in life have walked through some fiery places in our marriage, our job, in raising our kids, but don't forget God has got his hand on your life, in your test, in your difficulty. He is not slack on the job in your nightmare of life. If God delivered them, he can deliver you and I.
Somebody came out better and stronger in the end, and a wicked king saw there was a God that was greater and stronger than his. Could that be what's behind our test, our trial, and our fiery ordeal? Press on friend; He stands with his hand on the thermostat saying; " I'm here."
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Lead With Your Life
1 Tim 4:16 Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don't be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation.
One of the most difficult things for any leader is to live a life without any errors or mistakes. Paul is writing to Timothy and states to him, in order to make a real impact on those your teaching, we must live what we preach.
Paul himself states his own struggles in Romans 7:15 NIV "I really don't understand myself, I want to do what is right, but I don't do it, Instead I do what I hate." There will always be within each of us a war within our flesh. There is only one man who has a perfect record and that is the Jesus Christ.
Like you, I am very thankful for God's abundant grace and mercy. The mercies of the Lord are new each and every morning. Many have never stepped up to lead because they have allowed Hell to beat them up with their past. WAKE UP, there is life beyond your blunders and mistakes.
There is a true story of a football player that picked up a fumble and ran the ball in the wrong direction. He came within a couple of yards of scoring for the other team, but one of his buddies ran him down and tackled him prior to his actions.
He was so ashamed of what he had done in front of thousands of fans, at half-time he heard the coach say, "The team who started the first half will also start the second half." The player said "coach there is no way I can go back out there and play" The coach said "get up, your going to play the greatest second half you have ever played." You know what, he did.
God is the one that picks each of us up with our blunders and errors. Now that we have settled that there are no perfect people. We must also realize that in order to lead, we must strive to walk right, to live right, to talk right, to act right, to lead right. We must learn from our taking the ball in the wrong direction.
The only way to be an effective Mom or Dad is to lead with our example. It would be very hard to convince your son to get up and go to church and worship the Lord on Sundays, if you yourself are spending your time on the river fishing each Sunday, or working in the yard while you put them on a bus to go to worship.
Paul is telling Timothy to lead by example. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity.
God sets the bar high for each of us to live to the best of our ability. I truly believe that God puts within each of His children an incredible desire to be like Christ.
If we are to be effective in our leading, we must live the life. We must lead and teach with transparency. Often I have shared with our people my own blunders and mistakes. I don't believe that people can relate to someone who has never has their own struggles.
Come on get real, take the mask off. Look at the word of God and you will see that within every leader in the word of God, blunder after blunder. Thank God perfection was not a prerequisite for credentials to be used by God.
Let's step it up in leading by example. To be effective we must grow from our blunders and our fleshly ways, and press on to the mark and the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
One of the most difficult things for any leader is to live a life without any errors or mistakes. Paul is writing to Timothy and states to him, in order to make a real impact on those your teaching, we must live what we preach.
Paul himself states his own struggles in Romans 7:15 NIV "I really don't understand myself, I want to do what is right, but I don't do it, Instead I do what I hate." There will always be within each of us a war within our flesh. There is only one man who has a perfect record and that is the Jesus Christ.
Like you, I am very thankful for God's abundant grace and mercy. The mercies of the Lord are new each and every morning. Many have never stepped up to lead because they have allowed Hell to beat them up with their past. WAKE UP, there is life beyond your blunders and mistakes.
There is a true story of a football player that picked up a fumble and ran the ball in the wrong direction. He came within a couple of yards of scoring for the other team, but one of his buddies ran him down and tackled him prior to his actions.
He was so ashamed of what he had done in front of thousands of fans, at half-time he heard the coach say, "The team who started the first half will also start the second half." The player said "coach there is no way I can go back out there and play" The coach said "get up, your going to play the greatest second half you have ever played." You know what, he did.
God is the one that picks each of us up with our blunders and errors. Now that we have settled that there are no perfect people. We must also realize that in order to lead, we must strive to walk right, to live right, to talk right, to act right, to lead right. We must learn from our taking the ball in the wrong direction.
The only way to be an effective Mom or Dad is to lead with our example. It would be very hard to convince your son to get up and go to church and worship the Lord on Sundays, if you yourself are spending your time on the river fishing each Sunday, or working in the yard while you put them on a bus to go to worship.
Paul is telling Timothy to lead by example. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity.
God sets the bar high for each of us to live to the best of our ability. I truly believe that God puts within each of His children an incredible desire to be like Christ.
If we are to be effective in our leading, we must live the life. We must lead and teach with transparency. Often I have shared with our people my own blunders and mistakes. I don't believe that people can relate to someone who has never has their own struggles.
Come on get real, take the mask off. Look at the word of God and you will see that within every leader in the word of God, blunder after blunder. Thank God perfection was not a prerequisite for credentials to be used by God.
Let's step it up in leading by example. To be effective we must grow from our blunders and our fleshly ways, and press on to the mark and the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Friday, November 11, 2011
What Are You Pouring Out On Jesus?
John 12:1-8
Mary came in the house with a jar of very expensive aromatic oils, anointed the feet of Jesus. She then wiped them with her hair. The fragrance of the oils filled the house.
What are you bringing in the house? As a pastor, I love to see people bring in the house of worship their praise and adoration to the Lord. I love to see people who are hungry to hear the living word of God, then charged up to share their faith to a lost and hurting world.
I love to see broken hearts healed and delivered and set free. I love to see warriors come in with their faith, ready to fight off the devil's discouragement. Many have been in the fire through the week, but have chosen to serve the devil notice, " I will not quit, I will not relent, I know in whom I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him."
I love to see those who come in with an attitude that "if God be for me, who can be against me." I love to see those come in that are ready to serve the master. Many come in ready to pour the oil out and are ready to serve by caring for the kids, encouraging the middle school youth, some are at the doors with a smile greeting whosoever might walk in, some ready to lift up their voice with beautiful melody's to heaven's courts.
But then there are some that wake up on the wrong side of the bed. They have awakened with something else driving their mind. Just a few wake up upset, agitated, aggravated, nervous, and frustrated. They won't even speak nice to their dog. What's got you so upset, that hell has got your dandruff up?
Keep in mind that Mary came in the house with expensive oil. She was ready to bring Jesus something of value, something that would bless him, something that would make a difference for his mission on the cross. The word says she brought something that would be remembered for all of eternity.
Now we all know it's very easy to come through the doors of you're church with some other things. Some choose to go to the churches with their complaints, "preacher I don't like this and I don't like that. David said I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart, I will enter his courts with praise, I will say this is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice for He has made me glad.
Mary's heart was on the Lord. It would have been easy for her heart to be on other things, but she chose to be saturated with a love for the master. I wonder what would happen if we all got dipped, flooded beyond our ankles in love with God. Now I'm not saying you can't ever speak your concerns to the leadership, but come on, is it going to make a difference where people spend eternity? Is your gripe going to hinder or who promote the building up of the kingdom of God?
I just happen to believe that when you get baptized in his love, you will come to the house with something that brings the master glory and honor. What Mary brought to Jesus was honor into the mission and mandate from the heavenly father.
There are more important things to dwell on than our opinions and our likes and dislikes. When Mary got through anointing Jesus, there was a fragrance that filled the house. When we leave the house, what have we poured on Jesus? What fragrance have we left because of our love for the master?
Mary came in the house with a jar of very expensive aromatic oils, anointed the feet of Jesus. She then wiped them with her hair. The fragrance of the oils filled the house.
What are you bringing in the house? As a pastor, I love to see people bring in the house of worship their praise and adoration to the Lord. I love to see people who are hungry to hear the living word of God, then charged up to share their faith to a lost and hurting world.
I love to see broken hearts healed and delivered and set free. I love to see warriors come in with their faith, ready to fight off the devil's discouragement. Many have been in the fire through the week, but have chosen to serve the devil notice, " I will not quit, I will not relent, I know in whom I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him."
I love to see those who come in with an attitude that "if God be for me, who can be against me." I love to see those come in that are ready to serve the master. Many come in ready to pour the oil out and are ready to serve by caring for the kids, encouraging the middle school youth, some are at the doors with a smile greeting whosoever might walk in, some ready to lift up their voice with beautiful melody's to heaven's courts.
But then there are some that wake up on the wrong side of the bed. They have awakened with something else driving their mind. Just a few wake up upset, agitated, aggravated, nervous, and frustrated. They won't even speak nice to their dog. What's got you so upset, that hell has got your dandruff up?
Keep in mind that Mary came in the house with expensive oil. She was ready to bring Jesus something of value, something that would bless him, something that would make a difference for his mission on the cross. The word says she brought something that would be remembered for all of eternity.
Now we all know it's very easy to come through the doors of you're church with some other things. Some choose to go to the churches with their complaints, "preacher I don't like this and I don't like that. David said I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart, I will enter his courts with praise, I will say this is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice for He has made me glad.
Mary's heart was on the Lord. It would have been easy for her heart to be on other things, but she chose to be saturated with a love for the master. I wonder what would happen if we all got dipped, flooded beyond our ankles in love with God. Now I'm not saying you can't ever speak your concerns to the leadership, but come on, is it going to make a difference where people spend eternity? Is your gripe going to hinder or who promote the building up of the kingdom of God?
I just happen to believe that when you get baptized in his love, you will come to the house with something that brings the master glory and honor. What Mary brought to Jesus was honor into the mission and mandate from the heavenly father.
There are more important things to dwell on than our opinions and our likes and dislikes. When Mary got through anointing Jesus, there was a fragrance that filled the house. When we leave the house, what have we poured on Jesus? What fragrance have we left because of our love for the master?
Monday, November 7, 2011
Who Are You Leaning On?
Ezekiel 29: 16 Never again will Israel be tempted to rely on Egypt. All she'll be to Israel is a reminder of old sin.
When I left home at the age of 19, I was newly married, new in college, new to central Florida, new to being the provider of my home. I was now in a position where I had to totally depend on God.
When the responsibility of paying the rent, the electric bill, putting food on the table, keeping fuel in the car kept coming week after week. I quickly had to learn that dad's provision was no longer there for my pleasure. Now I had to completely depend on the God that I had served from my early years.
God was saying to Israel, "never again will you be tempted to rely on Egypt. All she'll be to you is a reminder of old sin."
God was about to take her to the bottom of the ladder, and there she will stay and never climb to be a world leader again.
When Israel's king Solomon began to drift away from his God, he had allowed his heart to chase after women from Egypt. I had always thought that he just had a bent for women. The man ended up having 700 wives and 300 concubines. What was up with his drive and lure to women?
If you further study this man, you will see that he became very fearful in these days of a backslidden condition. What was going on? The word says that he hired 60 bodyguards to surround his bed in the night.
Why was this man sweating bullets in the night? You see in his backslidden state, he had lost his trust for God and was having to depend on another source for his peace of mind.
It wasn't his love for women that brought about his peaceful state of mind, but it was his alliance with Egypt that brought him peace. See they were the strong presence of power in the world. He figured as long as I have their women, I'm protected from their strong hand, and Egypt will be my friend and not my enemy.
God despises it when we turn to other means to be our strength and our protection. " The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and they are safe" Proverbs 18:10
God doesn't like it when we look for other means to be our peace in the night. Solomon with all of his bodyguards still left him fearful and miserable. There is only one person that can bring us perfect peace. His name is Jehovah Shalom. "Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon thee" Isaiah 26:3
Who are you leaning on? Who is your peace in your worst nightmare? Who do you look to when you don't know how your going to meet budget, when you don't know how your going to put food on the table. It was during my early years of life, that God taught me not to look to a man to be my provider. Paul says; "My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in Glory." Philippians 4:19
Don't be surprised when God places you in a position where you have to look to Him. Smile, 'If God be for you, who can be against you? Romans 8:31
Stand up with confidence, " Be confident of this very thing, he which hath begun a good work in you shall perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."Philippians 1:6
Quit loosing your rest in the night. "For it is vain for you to rise up early and to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows, for so he giveth his beloved sleep." Psalm 127:2
There is no greater life than leaning on the God who loves you and has hand picked you for his purpose.
When I left home at the age of 19, I was newly married, new in college, new to central Florida, new to being the provider of my home. I was now in a position where I had to totally depend on God.
When the responsibility of paying the rent, the electric bill, putting food on the table, keeping fuel in the car kept coming week after week. I quickly had to learn that dad's provision was no longer there for my pleasure. Now I had to completely depend on the God that I had served from my early years.
God was saying to Israel, "never again will you be tempted to rely on Egypt. All she'll be to you is a reminder of old sin."
God was about to take her to the bottom of the ladder, and there she will stay and never climb to be a world leader again.
When Israel's king Solomon began to drift away from his God, he had allowed his heart to chase after women from Egypt. I had always thought that he just had a bent for women. The man ended up having 700 wives and 300 concubines. What was up with his drive and lure to women?
If you further study this man, you will see that he became very fearful in these days of a backslidden condition. What was going on? The word says that he hired 60 bodyguards to surround his bed in the night.
Why was this man sweating bullets in the night? You see in his backslidden state, he had lost his trust for God and was having to depend on another source for his peace of mind.
It wasn't his love for women that brought about his peaceful state of mind, but it was his alliance with Egypt that brought him peace. See they were the strong presence of power in the world. He figured as long as I have their women, I'm protected from their strong hand, and Egypt will be my friend and not my enemy.
God despises it when we turn to other means to be our strength and our protection. " The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and they are safe" Proverbs 18:10
God doesn't like it when we look for other means to be our peace in the night. Solomon with all of his bodyguards still left him fearful and miserable. There is only one person that can bring us perfect peace. His name is Jehovah Shalom. "Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon thee" Isaiah 26:3
Who are you leaning on? Who is your peace in your worst nightmare? Who do you look to when you don't know how your going to meet budget, when you don't know how your going to put food on the table. It was during my early years of life, that God taught me not to look to a man to be my provider. Paul says; "My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in Glory." Philippians 4:19
Don't be surprised when God places you in a position where you have to look to Him. Smile, 'If God be for you, who can be against you? Romans 8:31
Stand up with confidence, " Be confident of this very thing, he which hath begun a good work in you shall perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."Philippians 1:6
Quit loosing your rest in the night. "For it is vain for you to rise up early and to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows, for so he giveth his beloved sleep." Psalm 127:2
There is no greater life than leaning on the God who loves you and has hand picked you for his purpose.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Secret Place
Psalms 91:1
There's no fun about living in a home without power. Recently the northeast of America has been hit with a early October snow storm. It has put a million plus people without any power. In freezing weather, people have to find other methods to stay warm.
What do people do who lack power with God? There is nothing worst than a person living without God's power and presence permeating in their everyday life. People wonder why they are living empty, miserable, and void in the depths of their joy tank. Psalms 91 says; there is a secret place with God that will cause everything in your life to turn around.
I have learned without spending time alone in his presence, or in that secret place alone with God, that I will suffer the consequences of no power in my life.
Without waiting in His presence, you will experience a lack of confidence with God in your journey, the battles; the struggles of life will overwhelm you.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High
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There's no fun about living in a home without power. Recently the northeast of America has been hit with a early October snow storm. It has put a million plus people without any power. In freezing weather, people have to find other methods to stay warm.
What do people do who lack power with God? There is nothing worst than a person living without God's power and presence permeating in their everyday life. People wonder why they are living empty, miserable, and void in the depths of their joy tank. Psalms 91 says; there is a secret place with God that will cause everything in your life to turn around.
I have learned without spending time alone in his presence, or in that secret place alone with God, that I will suffer the consequences of no power in my life.
Without waiting in His presence, you will experience a lack of confidence with God in your journey, the battles; the struggles of life will overwhelm you.
If you fail to spend time in the secret place; you will lack sleep through the night. God says; He gives his beloved rest. You'll lack purpose for your destiny. Do you really want to go through life and miss the mark He has chosen for you?
- Without the secret place you will lack patience to wait for the promises of God. Do you really want to miss your Isaac and settle for an Ishmael? Isaiah 40:30 declares;"even the youth shall faint and be weary and shall utterly fall, but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount upon wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
See I can't help but faint in my vision without waiting in the secret place with God. I'm not superman. Jesus instructs us in Matthew 26:41, "Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation, the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak."
I don't care if you are a preacher, a board member, you might sing in the choir, you had better find the secret place so you don't faint in the call of God on your life.
You will lack peace in your storms, you will lack passion to do the will of God, without the secret place you will lack power to persevere in the hard times.
Jesus never had any lack of power because He realize the impact of the secret place with His father. The Holy Spirit came upon him like a dove at his baptism, but He kept the power on His life by daily finding the secret place. It was in the secret place that kept the oil, the anointing, the power flowing through his life.
Friend there is a secret place where you shut yourself in with God. Only then can you declare like David; I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge my fortress, my God, in Him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wing shall thou trust.
You can listen to somebody talk for 2 minutes and tell if they have been in the secret place with God.
What is coming out of your mouth? What you feed on grows, and what you starve dies. When you spend time in his presence, he will deposit into you a new language, a new attitude, a new prospective, a new confidence, a new rest in your spirit, a fresh peace to get though the storms, a new power to energize you to heights that you have never walked in before.
Go on today and shut yourself in the secret place with God, and life will never be the same, a new touch of God will refresh you , and yes your smile, your demeanor , the spring in your step will take you where you need to go in life.
| Oceanwayag.com |
More? Dead things to Life
Have you ever seen something in a man or woman of God that you said, "surely there must be more than what I have?"
What was it that Elisha saw in Elijah that made him say I want more than what you have? Elisha saw a man that knew how to get through a famine. He saw a man help a needy widow get through her own famine. The next incredible thing Elisha took note of was, what to do when a widow's son dies.
In this life I see many people who are dealing with the death of their marriage, their job, their finances, their dreams, their hope in life. The widow son had died and now she is pleading out to the prophet for help.
This great man of God takes the son and stretches out himself 3 times over the son and prays with all his might that the boy might live. God listen to Elijah's prayer and put breath back into his body-he was now alive!
What has died in your world that has caused you great grief? Is God any different today than he was in Elijah's day? Can God raise the dead again in our day?
I have seen God take a marriage that was dead, no life in the least in the union. I have watched him resurrect and place a new love in that marriage. I have watched God take a person's dream that was in the rubble and bring new hope and life again into their heart.
God says; "greater works shall ye do because I go to my father." I recently read a miracle from a Reinhard Bonnke crusade. Here is the interview between Robertson and Bonnke.
Can God really do that in our day? I have seen it first hand in one of our own church services at Oceanway Assembly of God. One Sunday morning, one of our members fell dead right in the middle of my message, the whole church prayed for God to bring her back to life. She was gone; no breath came out of her for approximately 15 plus minutes. Before our very eyes, she was raised back to life.
Do we want more than what we have today? I do, and may God give stir up the gifts again in the church to see greater works than any of us have ever seen before. Ask yourself; is anything to hard for God? If God did it then, He can do it again. Today is your day to believe for dead things to come to life.
What was it that Elisha saw in Elijah that made him say I want more than what you have? Elisha saw a man that knew how to get through a famine. He saw a man help a needy widow get through her own famine. The next incredible thing Elisha took note of was, what to do when a widow's son dies.
In this life I see many people who are dealing with the death of their marriage, their job, their finances, their dreams, their hope in life. The widow son had died and now she is pleading out to the prophet for help.
This great man of God takes the son and stretches out himself 3 times over the son and prays with all his might that the boy might live. God listen to Elijah's prayer and put breath back into his body-he was now alive!
What has died in your world that has caused you great grief? Is God any different today than he was in Elijah's day? Can God raise the dead again in our day?
I have seen God take a marriage that was dead, no life in the least in the union. I have watched him resurrect and place a new love in that marriage. I have watched God take a person's dream that was in the rubble and bring new hope and life again into their heart.
God says; "greater works shall ye do because I go to my father." I recently read a miracle from a Reinhard Bonnke crusade. Here is the interview between Robertson and Bonnke.
ROBERTSON: I want you to tell us about a man that was in one of your meetings. He was hit by a car. I understand he was stiff and rigormortis had set in. I don't know if they had embalmed him or not.
BONNKE: They did.
ROBERTSON: He had been embalmed?
BONNKE: He was embalmed, but not the way it is done in America with the removal of organs. They injected chemicals into the body to slow down decay, since there was no refrigeration.
ROBERTSON: So what happened?
BONNKE: His wife was one with a promise from God that woman have received back the dead by resurrection. She said, 'My husband will come back, and I have heard Reinhard Bonnke is in Onitsha this Sunday I will bring him there. She brought him there. I was preaching and I knew nothing about it. Suddenly, the man started to breathe. His story is awesome and what he was shown while he was in eternity.
ROBERTSON: Tell me, what did he see?
BONNKE: An angel took him to show him Paradise. He showed him the mansions that are waiting for the saints. And he showed him hell. He saw the people in hell. He said one shouted to him, 'I was a pastor and I stole money. Help me to return the money.' He said it was so frightening to him that the angel turned to him and said, 'The prayer of the rich man in Luke 16 will now be fulfilled, and you will be sent back to earth as a last warning to this generation.'
Can God really do that in our day? I have seen it first hand in one of our own church services at Oceanway Assembly of God. One Sunday morning, one of our members fell dead right in the middle of my message, the whole church prayed for God to bring her back to life. She was gone; no breath came out of her for approximately 15 plus minutes. Before our very eyes, she was raised back to life.
Do we want more than what we have today? I do, and may God give stir up the gifts again in the church to see greater works than any of us have ever seen before. Ask yourself; is anything to hard for God? If God did it then, He can do it again. Today is your day to believe for dead things to come to life.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Is there More (3)
1 Kings 17: 7 Eventually the brook dried up because of the drought.8 Then God spoke to him:9 "Get up and go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I've instructed a woman who lives there, a widow, to feed you."
When the brook of Cherith dried up, God directs Elijah to a widow woman's house that was on her last meal for herself and her son. The prophet Elijah says; "bake for me a cake first." She had to be flabbergasted thinking why? See God always requires that we put him first.
Sunday is the first day of the week, put him first in your worship, God says bring the tithe into the storehouse. He wants to remind us each week that He is to be first.
When she obeyed the word of the Lord, and gave the first part as was directed. Back in the kitchen was more oil and more flower and more meal to continue for on and on through the famine. If you're going to make it through this famine in our land, you best put the Lord first.
God's word declares touch not the tithe, for it is holy. The word holy means to set apart. Have you set apart your tithe which belongs to God? Leviticus 27:30 "A tenth of the land's produce, whether grain from the ground or fruit from the trees, is God's. It is holy to God. If a man buys back any of the tenth he has given, he must add twenty percent to it." Ouch, God adds a late fee on my tithe when I use it for something else.
I would be frightened to touch the holy part that belongs to God. Do you want the heavens to open up and the favor of God to come your way? If you want the business to thrive and stay alive, don't touch the part that belongs to God. The first part is the ten percent that comes out first to God. If you give your seed to mortgage company, the grocery store, the taxes, the roof repairs, you will never get ahead and win in the famine.
In my early days of marriage, things were very tight. One week I used my tithe to help out with our expenses. That week someone stole all of our brand new towels out of the apartment laundry mat. Ouch, that hurt. The next week things got tighter. Again I used our tithe to help with our weekly expenses. That particular week the water pump went out in the car. God was saying to me; " are you going to put me first or not?" God was trying to teach me, bring me the cake first, then there will be enough for you and your wife to eat and to live.
What was it that Elisha saw that He wanted in his mentor Elijah? A man that could help others get through their own drought. Are you a leader in helping others to get through their own drought? The widow woman obeyed the word of the Lord, and the meal and the oil did not run out. He will do the same for you.
What was it that Elisha saw that He wanted in his mentor Elijah? A man that could help others get through their own drought. Are you a leader in helping others to get through their own drought? The widow woman obeyed the word of the Lord, and the meal and the oil did not run out. He will do the same for you.
I thank God that he taught me those valuable lessons in my early days, so I could help others get through their own droughts today. Start today with what's in your own hand, so you can help someone else through his or her own struggle. Like Elisha, He said give me a double portion of what Elijah had. God make us all examples for others.
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