Categories
Bible Teaching

Understanding the Depths of the Name

Apostolic Life Cathedral | 11/6/2022

Text: Exodus 3:13-15

(13)  And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

(14)  And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

(15)  And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

Matthew 1:18-25

(18)  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

(19)  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

(20)  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

(21)  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

(22)  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

(23)  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

(24)  Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

(25)  And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

“To know” and “to understand” are different from one another.

Many know the name of Jesus,

But they don’t understand the greatness of the Name.

Name refers to the fame, authority, report, honor, character and record of God.

In the Hebrew the Name was known as far back as Moses.

It was not the articulation of the Name,

But what He who had the Name would do.

In this passage, the LORD established His eternal name as a record and a memorial with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Therefore, He was also their God as the children of those patriarchs.

The “I AM THAT I AM” is the progressive revelation of the name.

It simply means that Jehovah,

the Self-Existent One who exists all by Himself,

has no beginning or ending,

and needs no other to validate His existence.

He is to you what you let Him be to you.

So, when you understand that Name you find that the Lord is everything we need:

  • He is our Salvation
    • Genesis 49:18, “I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.”
    • Psalm 3:8, “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.”
    • Isaiah 12:2-4, “(2)  Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. (3)  Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. (4)  And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.”
  • He is our Redeemer
    • Isaiah 49:16, “…and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.”
    • Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
  • He is our Saviour
    • Isaiah 43:11,  “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.”
    • Isaiah 63:8, “For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.”
    • Luke 1:46-47, “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”

This all deals with the work of God to deliver people from sin and harm by paying the price necessary for their deliverance.

This great salvation we have was bought with a price: 1 Peter 1:18-21

(18)  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

(19)  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

(20)  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

(21)  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

“…and thou shalt call his name JESUS:

for he shall save his people from their sins.”

“This is my name forever” refers to God’s record and fame, his authority and character,

But when Gabriel spoke to Mary the name he told her to name the child was a proper name.

That name, the name of Jesus, held within it all the fullness of the record, fame, authority, character and honor of the I AM.

Colossians 2:9-10, “(9)  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (10)  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:”

You need to get a personal and continuing revelation of Jesus Christ.

His first responsibility was to “save His people from their sins.”

How? Immanuel = God with us.

The only way He can reveal to you the superiority of His name is through you daily experiences.

You will never understand how God works until you get to the place where you allow Him to work.

Then you will begin to understand His Name.

The name of Jesus is a continuous and increasing revelation of His greatness.

You may be struggling with you present circumstance and having a difficult time with the “why” of it.

It may be that this is what God wants for you right now so that He can reveal more of Himself to you.

God love you too much to allow you to stay static, stagnant, and motionless.

Now would be a good time to give Jesus the credit for all the good things in your life.

For example, “Thank you, Jesus, for keeping me free from sin all day long.”

The Lord has different ways that He reveals Himself to us continuously.

A prayer this morning: “Lord, I want a greater revelation about and of You.”

To say as Paul, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings…” (Philippians 3:10).

Salvation has come to this house

Luke 19:1-10

(1)  And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

(2)  And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

(3)  And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

(4)  And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

(5)  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

(6)  And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

(7)  And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

(8)  And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

(9)  And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

(10)  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Notice: Jesus is the salvation coming to Zacchaeus’ house

  • V. 5 – Jesus said, “To day I must abide at thy house.”
  • V. 9 – Jesus says, “This day is salvation come to this house…”

_______

Acts 4:12 – there is no other record, fame, authority whereby you must be saved.

You need a name change.

Your soul has not lived until you get a name change.

This can only take place when you are baptized in the only saving name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Moses changed Oshea’s name to Jehoshua.

Joshua had a job to do and his name was changed to fit his job.

Categories
History

Analysis: Jefferson and the Indians

Thomas Jefferson is an historical and philosophical enigma. As a philosopher and member of the “American Philosophical Society”, he held many personal ideals privately that he did not voice publicly as a politician and official.[1] I believe that this is what Anthony F. C. Wallace meant in the preface of his book Jefferson and the Indians: The Tragic Fate of the First Americans, when he wrote, “Jefferson was at times a shape-shifter, articulating one policy in public only to execute another in private, or later publicly. In no domain of his life as a philosopher-politician-official do such dilemmas appear more conspicuously than in his relations with Native Americans.”[2] It seems evident by the many references in the book that Jefferson held a great fascination for the Indians, but his personal fascination seems merely cerebral in scope. Some could say that his handling of Indian affairs proved his ideas to be preferences rather than convictions. The purpose of this analysis of Wallace’s book is to show how Jefferson’s Indian ideology was often in sharp contrast to the reality of the various situations he found himself involved in.

Wallace gives credit to Jefferson for establishing “the federal policy of removal – involuntary or voluntary – as the solution for dealing with Indians who rejected “civilization” or waged war on the United States.[3] However, according to Wallace, when the Cherokees (who were at this time “civilized” by Jeffersonian conditions) were asking “to be made citizens” of the United States, (1808) “Jefferson put them off.”[4]  Jefferson, at this time, was President of the United States and could have very well done the Cherokees this service, but his inaction shows a refusal to accept the Cherokee into “civilized” society.

After reading this book, I came away with the general understanding that Jefferson’s response to the Indians was more detached and cerebral than up-close and personal.  In fact, Wallace points out that Jefferson’s main focus involved linguistics and their relationship to Indian origins.[5]  Wallace called this “the advancement of the vocabulary project.”[6]  Jefferson’s disappointing loss of several years work in this area is sure to have bothered him as testified to in a letter he wrote later to Benjamin Smith Barton.[7]

Jefferson “lamented” the extinction of so many Indian tribes and the loss of their languages, but he was responsible for the continued displacement and removal of the Indians from their homelands and helped to destroy their culture, history and even language.[8]  He even espoused the doctrine that even if the Indians killed “some of us; we shall destroy all of them.”[9]  Such ideologies only served to do publicly to the Indians what Jefferson privately lamented.

Wallace also informs us that Jefferson never really saw a true Indian community, only two “civilized” ones.[10]  I wonder then how he was able to define what an “uncivilized” community looked like.  He made conclusions based on other’s writings or conversations about such things, which detached his understanding from the realities of Indian life and left him with a romanticized view. Wallace wrote, “Thomas Jefferson’s views of American Indians were formed not just in the peaceful study at Monticello and in the halls of the American Philosophical Society.  They were also fashioned on horseback, in taverns, and in legislative chambers….”[11]  With that in mind, is it any wonder that Jefferson’s Indian policies were often philosophically laudable, but nearly impossible to practice?

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 mandated:

The utmost good faith shall always be observed towards the Indians, their lands and property shall never be taken from them without their consent, and in their property, rights and liberty, they shall never be invaded or disturbed, unless in just and lawful wars authorized by Congress; but laws founded in justice and humanity shall from time to time be made, for preventing wrongs being done to them, and for preserving peace and friendship with them[12]

Wallace calls this ordinance Jefferson’s “legacy”, but while its aims seem altruistic, the reality of the situation was that the frontiersmen constantly attacked and encroached onto Indian land with the unspoken consent of a government that desired to have as much land as the states and its individuals did.  Jefferson realized this and even wrote to his friend, and treaty commissioner, Benjamin Hawkins, that “two principles on which our Conduct towards the Indians should be founded, are justice and fear.  After the injuries we have done them they cannot love us, which leaves us no alternative but that of fear to keep them from attacking us, but justice is what we should never lose sight of & in time it may recover their esteem.”[13]  Sadly, the wrongs dealt the Indians have only been compounded upon one another since that time and we as a nation should be brought to task for our failure to deal justly with the Indians.  Jefferson understood that in order for the United States to survive any retribution from the Indians we had to be more powerful and fearful than they, but he also realized the futility of such action and regretted its necessity.

I think Jefferson justified his dealings with the Indians by convincing himself that the “Indian way of life” was doomed to extinction.[14]  By espousing such a view, he could alleviate any problems of conscience and continue to displace and remove the Indians from their homelands.  Today such schemes and practices are knows as ethnic cleansing and cultural genocide, but in that time a very different ethic was involved and practiced by many men of note and historical importance, and Thomas Jefferson was not immune to the zeitgeist of his day.

It appears that in Jefferson’s mind the final form of happiness for the Indian would be their assimilation into the growing American culture (223).[15]  It is unfortunate that he did not do more to facilitate in public what he espoused in private.  As mentioned earlier, the Cherokees were the test for his private ruminations and he failed them.  Jefferson misjudged the Indians as a whole.  He felt that they would eventually die out or assimilate into what he considered “civilized,” but the “native resistance has never ceased.”[16]

We are beneficiaries today of a policy that was framed and instigated by a man who justified himself in order to build a new nation.  In my opinion, the enigma of Thomas Jefferson is how he managed to initiate public policies that he personally knew went against his private philosophy.

[1] Anthony F. C Wallace, Jefferson and the Indians: The Tragic Fate of the First Americans, (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press, 2001), 13.

[2] Ibid., viii

[3] Ibid., 275.

[4] Ibid., 274.

[5] Ibid., 150.

[6] Ibid., 151.

[7] Ibid., 152.

[8] Ibid., 145.

[9] Ibid., 235.

[10] Ibid., 180.

[11] Ibid., 13.

[12] Ibid., 163.

[13] Ibid., 165.

[14] Ibid., 222.

[15] Ibid., 223.

[16] Ibid., 337.

Categories
Bible Preaching

Religious, But Lost

Apostolic Life Cathedral | 3/19/2023

Text: Jeremiah 1:4-10

(4)  Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

(5)  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

(6)  Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

(7)  But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

(8)  Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

(9)  Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

(10)  See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

Ancillary: Jeremiah 29:11

(11)  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Moses

He is walking one day along a path when he turns to inspect something he has noticed for some time, but never investigated…

A bush that burns but is not consumed…

There, in that holy place, he meets the I AM and receives a calling that changed his life and resulted in the formation of a nation.

Here, in the The Exodus, we meet God as Savior.[1]

400 years in Egypt have turned a small tribe of 70 Hebrews into a mighty tribe of 2-7 million.

They have become, through no fault of their own, a threat to Egypt and so the Pharaoh of that day, forgetting the salvation brought by the hand of Joseph, enslaves these children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Children of promise enslaved.

You know the story, Moses comes to Pharaoh and delivers the Word from the I AM, “Let My People Go.”

Refusals and plagues ensue until eventually the Egyptian ruler let’s God’s people go.

When they leave, they make a journey, over the Red Sea, on dry ground, and their enemies are never seen again – Water Baptism.

On Mount Sinai God gives Moses the Ten Commandments and these Hebrew descendants of Jacob become a nation and take on his new name – Israel.

The Law – The Torah – 613 Commandments containing “248 Positive Commandments (do’s) and 365 Negative Commandments (do not’s).” [2]

The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17):

  1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
  2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image…
  3. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain…
  4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
  5. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
  6. Thou shalt not kill.
  7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
  8. Thou shalt not steal.
  9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
  10. Thou shalt not covet…

Then they travel the wilderness for forty years

Why? An evil report…

After those long years, God sends Moses to Mount Nebo where he views the Land Promise and dies.

Moses introduced Israel to God as Savior and as the God of their Exodus who brought them out of bondage and made them into a nation.

God has done that for you tonight, He has put into place a way for you to exit sin, addiction, bondage, wickedness and given you a new name and put you into a holy nation:

(9) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (10) Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

Israel rejoiced in this identity, but in time they lost sight of something important – Relationship.

They had the covenant, but they lost the relationship.

Jeremiah

Over the course of 800 years, from Moses and The Exodus to Jeremiah’s day, these Israelites had turned away from and back to Jehovah – their Savior – untold times.

They would fall away and God would allow an enemy to rise up to chastise them and they would repent.

They would backslide and same process would take place again…

It became a cycle that denigrated the relationship God wanted with them to mere ritual and religion.

Would you want a relationship with someone who treated you like that?

They were Religious, But Lost.

These covenant people would sin, eventually feel guilty, offer the required sacrifice, go on their way forgiven — until they sinned again.

They had covenant with God, but no companionship with Him.

Into this atmosphere of sin, repent, sin, repent, sin, repent, we are introduced to Jeremiah. God knew and had a plan for him before he was ever conceived by his parents:

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”[3]

That passage alone is a primer on God’s view on the sanctity of life…

Jeremiah then tries to get out of his calling, much like Moses before him, and he tells God, “I cannot speak: for I am a child.”[4]

And the Lord replied, Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.[5]

You see, Jeremiah had a job to do

While Moses introduced the people to God as Savior, Jeremiah’s job was to introduce Him as God the Judge.[6]

So, The Exile of Judah becomes the main message of this young prophet as he begins his prophetic ministry at the age of 20.

He sorrows, laments, grieves, lives in depression at times as he deals with the loss that he witnesses over the course of 40-50 years.

Why? Because somewhere along the way these covenant people lost sight of their relationship with God and simply did not follow Him

WHEN THEY DID FOLLOW HIM it was with mere formalism, religiosity and ritual.

They knew what to do, but not how to do.

“He that knoweth to do good…”

Jerusalem falls, the Temple is destroyed, all the best and brightest young men and women are gathered by the Babylonian king and sent into exile.

And adding insult to injury, every time Jeremiah would open his mouth to speak the Word of God he was horribly mistreated. He prefigures Christ as a Suffering Servant with both his lamentations and his mistreatment.[7]

He was mistreated, imprisoned, beaten, lied on and abused – FOR THE WORD OF GOD – by kings, prophets, friends and even family.

This “son of Hilkiah” could have been a priest, but God ordained Him to be a Prophet.[8]

As such, he was mistreated, to the point where he said, “O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay” (Jeremiah 20:7-9).

In this environment of destruction and disappointment, heartache and hurt, fear and frustration, Jeremiah writes a prophecy of Hope and healing from the Lord (Jeremiah 29:4-14):

(4)  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;  <<Marduk v. Jehovah = no match. Jehovah did this>>

(5)  Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;

(6)  Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.

(7)  And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

(8)  For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

(9)  For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.

(10)  For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

(11)  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

(12)  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

(13)  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

(14)  And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

Deliverance and return is on the way. Even for the Religious, But Lost

You who love and want a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus still desires to dwell in the midst of His people.

He still wants relationship with you.

The Danger of Religion is that you lose relationship with Jesus and become religious, but lost:

  • Repentance is not about confession to change, but you just want to relieve guilt.
  • Your clean robe of righteousness (bag of sins is full) becomes dirty with sin and you pray, “I’m sorry, Lord. Please forgive me.”
  • The routine of repentance has nothing to do with change, but in just “feeling” better.
  • You feel better now, since you confessed, you’ll be ok until you forget what the guilt felt like and then you sin again. Why not? Your robe of righteousness is clean now anyways (your bag of sins is empty now).
  • How can you maintain a relationship with someone who treat you like that?
  • God is not into religion, but He loves relationship![9]

The People of Judah has lost that connection of relationship with God. Their behavior towards one another and their worship of God was addressed by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:9-11):

(9)  Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; (10) And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? (11)  Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.

It appears that Jeremiah is listing the Ten Commandments in reverse order to show that God is more interested in righteous behavior (right relationship) than in covenantal position.[10]

How you treat your neighbor is more important and a more clear indicator of your relationship with God than if you are born again and speak in tongues all the time.

If you speak in tongues all day long and don’t know how to treat your neighbor right then you are Religious, But Lost.

“He is a God of completion, not competition.” –Harold Hoffman

Come to Jesus – Get to Know Him – treat each other right

It’s all about relationship

[1] Runck, Jared S. and David P. Johnson. (2017). Handbook on the Prophets. Weldon Spring, MO: Pentecostal Publishing House.

[2] Hecht, Mendy. The 613 Commandments (Mitzvot). Accessed: 3/20/2023. https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/756399/jewish/The-613-Commandments-Mitzvot.htm

[3] Jer. 1:5

[4] Jer. 1:6

[5] Jer. 1:7, NLT

[6] Runck, Jared S. and David P. Johnson. (2017). Handbook on the Prophets. Weldon Spring, MO: Pentecostal Publishing House.

[7] Purpose Institute. (2019). #6104 – Major Prophets – Lesson 2: Jeremiah and Lamentations.

[8] Jeremiah 1:1

[9] Partially derived from Harold Hoffman’s teaching on 1/16/2022. Heart Attack (Lesson 3). https://www.youtube.com/live/GrCM32v1haA.

[10] Runck, Jared S. and David P. Johnson. (2017). Handbook on the Prophets. Weldon Spring, MO: Pentecostal Publishing House.

Picture Credit: Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn. (1606-1669). Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem. Accessed: 3/30/2023. http://www.rembrandtpainting.net/complete_catalogue/storia/jeremiah.htm.

Categories
Consider this...

50 Lessons from God – Regina Brett

Regina Brett‘s 50 Lessons from God:

  1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
  2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
  3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
  4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
  5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
  6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
  7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
  8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
  9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
  10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
  11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
  12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
  13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
  14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
  15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
  16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
  17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
  18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
  19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
  20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take “no” for an answer.
  21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
  22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.
  23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
  24. The most important *** organ is the brain.
  25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
  26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”
  27. Always choose life.
  28. Forgive everyone everything.
  29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
  30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
  31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
  32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
  33. Believe in miracles.
  34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
  35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
  36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.
  37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
  38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
  39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
  40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
  41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
  42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
  43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
  44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
  45. The best is yet to come.
  46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
  47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
  48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
  49. Yield.
  50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift

https://www.reginabrett.com/god-never-blinks

Categories
Bible Preaching

The Forgotten Message of Pentecost

Text: Acts 2:38

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

2 Corinthians 7:10

“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

I am interested in the spirit of renewal and expectancy that has entered into the Body of Christ, and I’m thankful for the people who are rising up to say, “I see the Hand of God at work among us and want to be part of this end-time revival.”

To be renewed simply means to retrace our steps to the beginning of our walk with God making new those precious commitments we either let slip from us or that we forgot.

Paul wrote to us to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph 4:23). 

Tonight, I am fighting for your minds in order to re-establish a principle there, which if grasped will lead you to a fruitful life in Christ Jesus.

My subject:

“The Forgotten Commitment”

-OR-

“The Forgotten Message of Pentecost”

The first word that Jesus preached was not about the gifts of the Spirit, or how to receive your miracle, or seven steps to a prosperous life.

The first word of the Gospel preached by our Lord Jesus Christ is found in Mark 1:15 where He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

This is the first commitment our Lord requires of us – REPENT.

Repent = “to think differently or afterwards, that is, reconsider,”[1] and “to change one’s mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins.”[2]

When we initially came to repent we wept, or at least we should have had some sort of sorrow.  We sorrowed for the pain we had caused ourselves, others, and Jesus because of our sinful nature.

We were through with living lives of recklessness, and selfishness, and we abhorred the ways that we had treated others, and were appalled by the way our lifestyle had effected those around us.

We repented, we knelt, and we grieved.

Snot, sweat, and tears mixed at the altar as we searched our hearts for every sin and wrong deed we’d ever committed.

Then we made promises, and new commitments. We said, “Lord, I’ll never do that again.”

I look at this altar here in this church house.

I’ve come to ask you, “How many knees have bent at these altars to repent? How many tears have been shed in sincere grief and guilt for sin here on this floor? How many people have stood up and felt the overwhelming sense of joy that a clean conscience gives the repentant child of God?

John the Baptist preached loudly a message of repentance.  He said, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance” (Matthew 3:8).

The Apostle Paul gave his testimony to Agrippa and said, “Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:  But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance” (Acts 26:19-20).

Repentance is accompanied by a certain conduct that people all around you can observe.  That is the fruit, that change of action and behavior is the “works meet for repentance” Paul was speaking about.

When you repented you changed. Your friends noticed it, your spouse noticed, your kids, parents, siblings, co-workers, employees, employers, and acquaintances all noticed the new you.

You didn’t talk like you use to talk, or go where you use to go, or do what you use to do.

You were modest in speech and in dress.

And sin, the very presence of it, sickened you to your stomach.

So, I look at these altars and thank God for the many conversions and repentant hearts that have knelt here over the years that this church has been in this city.  They’ve knelt by the hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands.

What happened to them, where did they go? Why aren’t they here anymore?

Some have gone to their eternal reward and have become for us a great cloud of witnesses – Heroes of the Faith.

Others have walked away, fallen, died, or turned back to their former lives of sin.

It takes time for a person to walk away from God. Sometimes they become cold and indifferent to His Presence.  So much so that they are even unaware that they’re drifting away from Jesus and turning back to the world of sin and carnality.

How many times did those same knees bend at the same place to repent of the same sin at these very altars?

Repentance is not a one-time thing.  You cannot expect to live your entire life without living a lifestyle of repentance.

When you repented you made commitments.  Every time you are tempted that commitment is tested. Your response to that testing determines how much your commitment to God really means to you.

Some here have repented & sinned, repented & sinned, repented & sinned for so long over the same things that you don’t even think you can be delivered.

You’ve gotten yourself into a cycle of behavior that is difficult to break.

BUT—you can overcome this trap that you’ve fallen into.

You’ve got remember:

  • Repentance is not saying, “I’m sorry.” That’s an apology.
  • Repentance is not feeling bad that you got caught. That’s guilt.
  • Repentance is not feeling sorry for yourself. That’s egotistical; and self-absorbed.
  • Repentance is a grief that comes from God, which helps you to confess your sins, forsake your sins, and then commit to never sinning again. It’s a lifestyle.

Repentance becomes “The Forgotten Commitment” when we fail to keep our word.

Repentance becomes “The Forgotten Message of Pentecost” when we rush people through it just to pad our evangelistic numbers of souls filled with the Holy Ghost. 

It is time we stop leading people through some sort of Spiritless prayer where no conviction resides and allow God Almighty to once again convict the heart and lead people to repentance.

I long to see bent knees and bodies draped across altars racked with the heaving great sighs of tears, grief, and repentance.

You, sitting there thinking, “This message isn’t for me, you’re preaching to the choir.”

There’s an old Indian Proverb that says, “Whatever you are overflowing with will spill out when you’re bumped.”

What bumps produce incorrect responses from you?

Listen to Romans 2:1-11 tonight:

(1)  Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.  (2)  But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.  (3)  And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?  (4)  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?  (5)  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;  (6)  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:  (7)  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:  (8)  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,  (9)  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;  (10)  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:  (11)  For there is no respect of persons with God.

Jesus is calling us tonight to renew our commitments of repentance we made at our conversion.

Remember what you told Him as you repented.  You cried out for mercy and He granted it. You made promises and vows that you need to keep…that you must keep.

Some of you have been living a repented life for 20, 30, 40, & 50 years.  I’m reminded of a prayer I read about a couple weeks ago: “Lord, let me not today ruin in anything what you have taken all these years to do in my heart and provide for my life”[3]

The late Apostolic preacher and Bible teacher, Bishop Morris E. Golder once said, “The badge of discipleship is a cross.”

This is a daily thing—this life of repentance.  Paul said, “I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:31).

So, how can we make it? There are so many temptations and influences bombarding us from without and within.  How can I keep my commitment of repentance when I’m attacked externally and internally?

Grace is the answer.  Grace has always been the answer for the Body of Christ.

Repentance is a daily commitment one works at to maintain. Grace is the teacher helping us to maintain that commitment:

“(11)  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,  (12)  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;  (13)  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;  (14)  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:11-14).

ESV, “Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death”:

“(8)  For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.  (9)  Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.  (10)  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.  (11)  For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter” (2 Corinthians 7:8-11).

[1] Strong’s. G3340.

[2] Thayer’s. G3340.

[3] Billy Graham.

Categories
Bible Teaching

Anchored In Hope

Apostolic Life Cathedral | 1/22/2023 10:00 AM

Text: Hebrews 6:13-20

(13)  For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

(14)  Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

(15)  And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

(16)  For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

(17)  Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

(18)  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

(19)  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

(20)  Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Hope, in the New Testament, is generally defined as “anticipation, expectation, confidence, faith.”[1]

However, in this passage it is best defined as that which we “have, hold, own, or possess.”[2]

Another way to view hope in our text today is “to hold one’s self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to.”[3]

George Beverly Shea wrote “In Times Like These,” and it contains these words:

In times like these you need a Savior

In times like these you need an anchor

Be very sure, be very sure

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

This Rock is Jesus, Yes He’s the One

This Rock is Jesus, the only One

Be very sure, be very sure

Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

With all the uncertainty of our day, it is abundantly clear that we need something, or someone to hold on to.

Something, or someone, to cling to.

That Rock is Jesus, He is the one we anchor our hope upon.

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name

On Christ the solid rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

All other ground is sinking sand

At some point everyone will have a testing of their faith.

When those tribulations come, you need to be anchored in Jesus.

You need to anchor into Jesus from several points.

Six anchor points are suggested when you moor a boat.[4]

We need multiple mooring/anchor points in our lives.

Approach truth from every angle.

You have scripture and an experience to match the Word of God.

Anchor points that help you to hold on to your faith.

Truth comes by revelation from the Word of God.

Reason is not the final authority, but God is the final authority.

Postmodernism = the idea that there is no absolute truth and what works for me “in the moment” is my truth, but it’s relative and may change at any time.

When you don’t have a personal experience with the Lord Jesus Christ all you have is theology.

Always choose the side of truth, righteousness, & holiness.

How we choose to obey and follow Jesus in our relationship with Him is key to a life of holiness.

When we don’t have a long term goal we often fall short ofour potential.

Live with an awareness of eternity.

What if Jesus were coming today.

Live for today and live for that Day when He comes for us.

Six Anchor Points

Hebrews 6:1-3, “(1) Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,  (2)  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.  (3)  And this will we do, if God permit.”

Six Anchor Points:

  1. We must believe there is a God.
    • Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
    • Jesus is the one true God manifest in the flesh to be our Savior.
  2. The Bible is the Word of God.
    • 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “(16) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  (17)  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
  3. We must believe, obey, and experience the New Birth.
    • Faith, Repentance, Water Baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ, and the Infilling of the Holy Ghost Speaking in Tongues.John 3:5-8, “(5) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  (6)  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  (7)  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  (8)  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
    • Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
  4. Life in the Spirit.
    • Laying on of Hands = Operation of the Spirit and its Fruit and Gifts.
    • Romans 8:12-15, “(12) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.  (13)  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.  (14)  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  (15)  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”
  5. Life of Holiness.
    • Acts 2:40, “And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.”
    • How? Living a life of holiness.
    • 1 Peter 1:13-16, “(13) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  (14)  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:  (15)  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;  (16)  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
  6. The Life to Come.
    • Jesus is coming.
    • 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, “(13) But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  (14)  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  (15)  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  (16)  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  (17)  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  (18)  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

If you feel adrift today then you need to go back and secure the lines of your hope and reattach your anchor on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Rock.

When you have made sure these six anchor points are secure, then you can weather any storm.

[1] Strong’s.

[2] Thayer’s

[3] Ibid.

[4] David K. Bernard, “Anchor Points (In Our Lives),” May 14, 2015

Categories
Bible Preaching

The Anointing & The Flow

Apostolic Life Cathedral | 1/22/2023 7:00 PM

Text: Luke 4:16-21

(16)  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

(17)  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

(18)  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

(19)  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

(20)  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

(21)  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

The Spirit of the Lord…

Ezekiel 47:1-5

(1)  Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.

(2)  Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

(3)  And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.

(4)  Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.

(5)  Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.

Ezekiel’s vision was of waters to swim in, but these waters began flowing from under the threshold…then they deepened every 1,750 feet.

According to Albert Barnes:

The deepening of the waters in their course shows the continual deepening of spiritual life and multiplication of spiritual blessings in the growth of the kingdom of God. So long as the stream is confined to the temple-courts, it is merely a small rill, for the most part unseen, but when it issues from the courts it begins at once to deepen and to widen. So on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the company of believers, little then but presently to develop into the infant Church in Jerusalem.[1]

This small stream steadily deepens to ankle depth, knee depth, waster deep, and then

Waters to Swim In

How many times have we been the beneficiaries of such waters.

We find ourselves overcome in the presence of the Lord.

His Spirit is so manifest that we just swim in the current of His power.

The Church, born on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, is a Spirit-filled body of believers.

We have enjoyed the deepening of those waters and we can frolic, swim, rejoice, and celebrate in them.

But – There’s more to this river than the satisfaction of our own spiritual highs

These waters carry with them a purpose for the anointed of God.

Ezekiel 47:6-12

(6)  And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river [The Dead Sea / The Salt Sea].

(7)  Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.

(8)  Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.

(9)  And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.

(10)  And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

(11)  But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.

(12)  And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

The Temple

Your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost

Every Spirit-filled believer has an anointing resting on them.

Psalms 1:1-6

(1)  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

(2)  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

(3)  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

(4)  The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

(5)  Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

(6)  For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Wherever this river flows there is healing, growth, bounty, and all manner of fish are caught…where once the waters were polluted

Now the Spirit of God moving from and through the Church brings life

Let the River Flow

Let the River Flow

So, Jesus goes to church one day, as His custom was…

He’d just finished a 40 day fast following his baptism in the River Jordan…

He was full of the Holy Ghost…

He was handed the scroll of Isaiah and begins read these words…

Luke 4:18-21, “(18) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,  (19)  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.  (20)  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.  (21)  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to do something for somebody else.

I am not a receiver of spiritual experiences whose only purpose is to keep them all to myself.

The anointing flows through me and I become a tributary, a river, a bridge between God and man.

“…He hath anointed me…” = The anointing is from God, it is not a result of my own merit, but of His pleasure.

He hath anointed me – “…To preach the gospel to the poor…”

To share the Good News of the Gospel to the “…spiritual zeros—the spiritually bankrupt, deprived and deficient, the spiritual beggars, those without a wisp of religion.”[2]

To tell them that Jesus Christ has come to seek and to save all that are lost – including them.

Jesus did not go to the fashionable and the rich, but to the poor.

Those who exclusively pursue the rich and the so-called elite of society are doing so to “get something” from them.

Jesus went to the poor to “give something” to them.

It was a ministry for their benefit, not His benefit.

He hath anointed me – “To set at liberty them that are bruised…”

2 Cor. 3:17, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

Not only is Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, but He is also the Giver of that Spirit.

John 4:24, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

It is a mistake to think that because you’ve been “anointed” that you’ll automatically be lead of God to the highest peaks of ministerial power.

Jesus was anointed and then driven or led into the wilderness.

If you are presently in a wilderness experience then it is a sign that you are being prepped by God to be a vessel of His anointing.

Any time we read about a demonstration of anointing it was and is preceded by a trying and a crushing and a preparing of the vessel for the Holy Ghost flow.

It is not the plan, will, or divine intent of God for us to hoard to ourselves these ecstatic experiences of the Holy Ghost, the shouts of joy, the running and dancing and victory parades, but…

He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted.

Not just to look at them

Not just to weep and mourn with them

Not just to feel sorry for them – – to pity them

He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted.

He has not me sent to folks who already have it made, or that think they do, but…

But to preach deliverance to the captive.

To preach recovering of sight to the blind

To set at liberty them that are bruised.

This is what He has filled me with His Spirit to do…

Out of your belly flows living water…

It is the Holy Ghost in you…

He has given you the power, delegated His authority to you and through you…like a flowing river…

to proclaim good news to the poor.

to proclaim liberty to the captives

recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.[3]

How? The anointing.

Acts 10:38, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

Anointed Preaching and Anointed Deeds

Acts 2:22, “Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you…”

Anointed preaching is common among us

What we are in short supply of is anointed deeds

Mark 16:17-18, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

We need, in 2023, a powerful ministry of God-directed anointing that delivers people

Not self-anointing, but God-anointed.

Quit guarding the Holy Ghost

Let it flow……..

[1] Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible. Ezekiel 47:1.

[2] Dallas Willard. The Divine Conspiracy.

[3] ESV

Categories
Bible Preaching

True Cross

Stephen Kuntzman | 12/12/2022 | 6:30 PM

Luke 9:23-24

(23)  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

(24)  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

Hebrews 12:1-2

(1)  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

(2)  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

In Luke 15 we have the account of three men – a father and two brothers.

Prodigal son was met by his father, and the older son was met by his father.

The father met both because he loved them both equally.

However, the prodigal son had a son mentality, but was willing to be a servant – Luke 15:17-20, “(17) And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  (18)  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,  (19)  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.  (20)  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him” (KJV).

The elder brother had a slave mentality longing to be a son – “All these years I’ve worked like a slave for you” (ISV).

We need a revelation of the Father’s love.

“Jesus, give me a revelation of Your love for me.”

Without a revelation of the Father’s love we will try to somehow earn our place in His family,

Children don’t earn a place in the family –  they are born into the family, and we are born into the family of God.

The new birth puts you in the family of God.

What does it mean to be a bastard and not a son?

What does it mean to be illegitimate in the eyes of God?

The church is a family.

When Jesus says I go to prepare a place for you, He is preparing a place for His Bride, His Church, His family.

Why?

So that where He is there we will be also.

Relationship

Relationship demands proximity, it demands closeness.

It’s that “where I am there you may be also” intimacy found in healthy relationships.

The devil’s tool for destruction is isolation.

To put a gap between you and God.

Sin will surely do that, but so will your inability to see yourself as a son.

You need to be confident in your identity = I AM A CHILD OF GOD.

To be unaware of your true identity and all that comes with it — the benefits of sonship is – detrimental to you.

Know the benefits of carrying His name

Ephesians 3:14-21

(14)  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

(15)  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

(16)  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

(17)  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

(18)  May be able to comprehend [to understand] with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

(19)  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

(20)  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

(21)  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Verse 18-19

  • You are the temple of the Holy Ghost
  • The Church of God is a building: a heavenly house, a habitation for God to dwell in through the Holy Spirit
  • The Love of God for His Church is wide and long and deep and tall.
    • Length = Love is eternal.
    • Breadth = All people have access to His Love in every place, age or nation.
    • Depth = His love will find people at their lowest point.
    • Height = His love will take people to the highest state of glory in Christ.

I remember laying in the top bunk at the age of 11 or 12 with my Walkman cassette player on listening to the Imperials and crying as I told God

I’d do whatever He wanted me to do,

go wherever He wanted me to go,

and be whomever He called me to be.

I can still feel the wetness of the tears as they pooled in my ears.

I don’t remember the exact song, but I remember the moment of calling, response, and commitment I made on that top bunk with my pillow wet with salty tears.

It was there I took up my cross to follow Jesus.

After that night, the devil worked to destroy my young heart, innocence and pure desire.

You may think that devil ain’t worried about a child’s commitment, future, destiny, or ordination. 

You would be wrong

The Antichrist Spirit in Herod tried to kill the Christ, and did indeed kill many children in the process.

Abortion is a satanic tool to destroy the hope and future of our next generation.

All the OT youth: David (lion, bear, giant), young Joseph betrayed, Josiah barely escaping Athaliah’s treachery.

Moses in the bulrush escaping death.

New Converts – young babes in Christ – fighting for their spiritual lives against an enemy who seeks to kill, steal and destroy.

The devil will sift because he wants to destroy, but what he sees as victory is actually God blowing away the chaff that hinders you from fulfilling your purpose.

“The 3D Strategy of Satan: Detour, Distract, Delay.”

-Ken Gurley ?

The devil will try to put a false cross on you if you let him.

This weight might be a legitimate concern that the devil inflates into an illegitimate cross.

The burden he wants to saddle you with doe not lead to victory and resurrection power,

But it leads to hopelessness and despair.

He seeks to get you isolated in order to plague you and burden you down the inner struggles and secret parts of your life,[1]

There – Alone – feelings of depression, desolation and inadequacy overwhelm us.

We then keep the struggle of this False Cross to ourselves and tell ourselves the lie, “This is just my cross to bear.”

That’s a lie.

You have a cross to bare, but this ain’t it.

If you carry this illegitimate cross you’ll be worn away.

Your true cross will lead to full and complete deliverance, power and victory.

The true cross will lead to death, yes, but also to true resurrection:

Philippians 3:10, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings…”

Take up your cross and follow Jesus.

Stop carrying the false cross of weights and sins.

Quit listening to the voice of the serpent whispering in your ear.

The devil is a LIAR, and the father of all lies.

Because of this, whatever he tells you is a lie and an attempt to get you to believe what he knows is untrue.

So, anytime the devil tells you something just ask yourself, “what is the exact opposite?”

When you find out what that opposite is, it’s a good indication of where the Lord is likely taking you.

Also, if the devil tells you he’s going to kill, destroy, ruin, harm, rob, etc.

You can be certain that he will not do that because he doesn’t have the permission to do it.

If he did then he would have already done it and wouldn’t warn you.

When he speaks it is a play to intimidate and a sign that you are safely in the protection of God.

Praise the Lord[2] -The Imperials

When you’re up against a struggle that shatters all your dreams

And your hopes have been cruelly crushed by Satan’s manifested schemes

And you feel the urge within you to submit to earthly fears

Don’t let the faith you’re standing in seem to disappear

Praise the Lord, He can work through those who praise Him

Praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise

Praise the Lord, for the chains that seems to bind you

Serve only to remind you that they drop powerless behind you

When you praise Him

Now Satan is a liar and he wants to make us think

That we are paupers when he knows himself we’re children of the King

So lift up the mighty shield of faith for the battle must be won

We know that Jesus Christ has risen so the work’s already done

2 Corinthians 2:11

Four Attacks of Satan

“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

John 10:10

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

  • Obsession
    • Compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety.
    • A compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion.[3]
  • Oppression
    • The act of oppressing; arbitrary and cruel exercise of power:
      • “There can be no really pervasive system of oppression… without the consent of the oppressed.” -Florynce R. Kennedy
    • The state of being oppressed.
    • Something that oppresses.
    • A feeling of being heavily weighed down in mind or body.[4]
  • Depression
    • A mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity.
    • Sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy.
    • A state of depression and anhedonia (the absence of pleasure or the ability to experience it) so severe as to require clinical intervention.[5]
  • Possession
    • The state of being dominated by or as if by evil spirits or by an obsession.[6]

Seven Weapons Against Satan’s Attack[7]

Isaiah 59:19b

“When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”

  1. The Blood of Jesus Christ.
    • Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
    • Exodus 12:13, “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”
  2. Our Testimony.
    • Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
  3. The Name of Jesus.
    • Mark 16:17-18, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
    • Colossians 3:17, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
  4. The Written Word of God.
    • Matthew 4:1-10, “1Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. 3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”
  5. Prayer and Praise.
    • Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
    • I Thessalonians 5:18, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
  6. Angels of the LORD.
    • Hebrews 1:13-14, “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”
    • Psalm 103:20, “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.”
  7. The Holy Ghost.
    • John 14:18, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”
    • Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
    • Galatians 5:16, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

[1] Kenneth V. Reeves. The Angels, Demons & People (Vol. 1). p. 20

[2] https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/6616995/The+Imperials/Praise+The+Lord

[3] The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 4-20-2005.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=obsession

[4] Ibid. http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=oppression

[5] Ibid. http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=depression

[6] Ibid. http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=possession

[7]Kenneth V. Reeves. The Angels, Demons & People (Vol. 1). p. 33-47.

Categories
Bible Teaching

A Need for Seed

Apostolic Life Cathedral | 12/11/2022 | 10:00 AM

Genesis 1:11-12

(11)  And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

(12)  And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 3:15

(15)  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Galatians 3:16-29


(16)  Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
(17)  And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
(18)  For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
(19)  Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
(20)  Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
(21)  Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
(22)  But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
(23)  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
(24)  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
(25)  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
(26)  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
(27)  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
(28)  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
(29)  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

1 Peter 1:22-23

(22)  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

(23)  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Romans 9:7, “Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.”

Luke 8:11-15

(11)  Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

(12)  Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

(13)  They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

(14)  And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

(15)  But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Categories
Consider this...

Be a Risk Taker & Trust the Riskbreaker

Psalm 20:7-8, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.”

There are some who have traded their trust in God for that which they’ve made with their own hands. They trust in chariots and are more confident in human talent, philosophy, and ability than in the provision and strength of the Lord.

They trust in human sufficiency and abort God’s will by their doubt and forgetfulness. They trust in their own ideas and manufacture scenarios thinking their finite understanding is better than the infinite wisdom of the LORD.

They use the policies of the world to obtain that which can only come by the proven principles of the Word of God. They invent strategies without prayer and forget (or ignore) to call upon God. They’ve forgotten His name, fame, and reputation. What He’s done and what He wants takes a backseat to what these purveyors of self foist onto the good and trusting flock of God.

Lack of trust is evident by their preoccupation with what they can form, cultivate, or influence. Afraid to show faith in something outside of themselves they resist what they don’t understand and grasp onto that which is temporal, known, and comfortable.

Isaiah 31:1, “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!”

Some have forgotten the freedom and liberty that comes with trust in God and have traded that assurance for the illusion of control. They’ve trusted in horses. They trust in what they think they can direct. Their attempt at control and manipulation is a mirage. The only control they have is the choice to trust in God, or to trust in their own frail human ways.

I was with Pastor Edwin S. Harper for a few days this week. He asked me this question (once asked of him), “How do you spell faith?” My first thought was the predictable one, “F-A-I-T-H,” but he said, “Faith is spelled R-I-S-K.”

RISK! You get nowhere in life without taking a risk. The four bearers of the Ark of the Covenant took a risk by stepping out into the Jordan, but their risk was rewarded with the miraculous parting of the waters, and, as I heard Buddy Buie say recently, “When they stepped into the Jordan their feet kicked up the dust in the dry riverbed.” God doesn’t just answer prayer, He goes the extra mile in displaying His majesty as He works on your behalf.

It is easy to sometimes be paralyzed by the need to know for sure what a decision will bring to pass before we do something, but this is not faith. Faith is taking God at His Word and risking everything of comfort for uncertainty.

The wonderful thing about taking a risk on God is that it’s not really a risk. Remember and trust in His reputation, fame, and power. Recall the authority resident in His name, the name of Jesus.

Next time you are thinking of taking a risk remember the true Riskbreaker and personalize these words: “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Deut. 31:6).

Vagrant Story

Shout out to my good friend, Stewart A. Bertram: Happy Birthday!

Originally posted on 24 May 2009 on https://thepillarandgroundoftruth.blogspot.com/2009/04/be-risk-taker-trust-riskbreaker.html