THE TIME OF GOD’S FAVOR IS HERE
That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life... - Joshua 4:14, NIV
What an amazing promise God gave to Joshua. He said, “Joshua, today I will begin to make you great in the eyes of all the Israelites.” He was saying, “Today, I’m going to start releasing more of My favor, My blessing, My increase.” But notice, there was a specific time in his life that God began to release favor in a new way.
God wants to do the same thing for you. He wants to release His blessing and favor in such a way that it makes you great — a great parent, a great spouse, a great leader, a great employee, a great friend, a great business person. He is saying to us what He said to Joshua, “This day I’m going to begin to make your name great. This day I’m going to begin to release My favor in a new way. I’m going to open doors that no man can shut.” It is a set time of God’s favor. Get ready! Make room in your thinking. Stay open to Him and keep an attitude of faith and expectancy because the time of God’s favor is here!
THE WISE OLD OWL
He who restrains his lips is wise. —Proverbs 10:19
Years ago an anonymous writer penned a short poem about the merits of measuring our words.
A wise old owl sat in an oak;
The more he saw the less he spoke;
The less he spoke the more he heard;
Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?
There is a connection between wisdom and limiting what we say. Proverbs 10:19 says, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”
We are wise to be careful about what we say or how much we say in certain situations. It makes sense to guard our words when we are angry. James urged his fellow believers, “Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19).
Restraining our words can also show reverence for God. Solomon said, “God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few” (Eccl. 5:2). When others are grieving, our silent presence may help more than abundant expressions of sympathy: “No one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great” (Job 2:13).
Although there is a time to be quiet and a time to speak (Eccl. 3:7), choosing to speak less allows us to hear more.
Dear Lord, please grant me wisdom to know when to speak and when to listen. I want to encourage others and to care for them as You have cared for me.
Let your speech be better than silence; otherwise be silent.
MOVE CLOSER EVERY DAY …
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. – John 15:5
Abiding in Jesus isn't something that comes automatically to any believer. It's a lifestyle that involves discipline and effort.
We have to choose to give ourselves to our union with Him, to give Him first place where our attention is concerned. If we want to grow spiritually, if we want to walk in power and in fellowship with the Lord, we'll have to spend the time it takes to know Him.
That's not something we can do for a while and then forget about either. We must continue in it every day. For the moment we stop moving closer to Jesus, we always start drifting away.
You see, here in this natural world you're surrounded by ungodliness. You live in a body that is totally natural. Unless you purposely counter that with daily prayer and time in the Word, your body and your mind will simply give in to the pressures around you and go the way of the world.
Right now, make a decision to give yourself to the things of God. Focus your attention on the Lord. Surround yourself with His Word. Listen to preaching and teaching tapes while you're getting dressed, driving to work, preparing dinner, working on your car, exercising, cleaning house and when you go to bed. Listen to the Word of God anytime, anywhere!
“That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]” (Ephesians 3:18, AMP).
When we become aware of the breadth, length, height, and depth of God’s love, we become unstoppable. The enemy knows the victorious power of God’s love; therefore, he wants us to remain in past hurts—wounded, offended, hurt, afraid, and full of bitterness.
SIMPLY SERVING (1)
'Through love serve one another.' Galatians 5:13 NKJV
Bill Wilson builds Sunday schools in some of New York City’s worst areas. He has been stabbed and shot, and had team members killed. A Puerto Rican lady who could barely speak English said to him one day, ‘I want to do something for God, please.’ Bill said, ‘Okay, ride a different Sunday school bus every week and just love the kids.’ So she rode a different bus—Bill has dozens of them—and loved the children. After several months she became attached to one little boy. ‘I don’t want to change buses any more. I want to stay on this one,’ she told Bill. The boy came to Sunday school every week with his sister and sat on the lady’s lap, but never made a sound. She would repeatedly tell him, ‘I love you, and Jesus loves you.’ One day to her amazement, he turned around and stammered, ‘I… love you too.’ Then he gave her a big hug. That was at two–thirty on a Sunday afternoon. At six–thirty that night the boy was found dead in a dumpster under a fire escape. His mother had beaten him to death and thrown his body in the trash. ‘I love you, and Jesus loves you.’ Those were some of the last words that little boy heard in his short life—from the lips of a Puerto Rican woman who could barely speak English. Bill says, ‘Who among us is qualified to minister? Who among us even knows what to do? Not you; not me. But I ran to an altar once and got some fire and just went. So did this woman who couldn’t speak English. And so can you.’
UNDERSTANDING TRUTH
David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son? - Luke 20:41-44
Jesus took an apparent contradiction in scripture and through combining these paradoxical statements (concerning the humanity and deity of Christ) brought forth the truth that Christ is God in human flesh. Both assertions (the fact that Jesus was David's son and yet David's Lord) were right at the same time.
It was correct that Christ was David's son and it was also correct that Christ was David's Lord. This meant that Christ also was God. However, Christ was not exclusively David's son nor was He exclusively David's Lord. These two truths had to be combined to arrive at the whole truth. No truth of God's Word stands independent of the other truths in God's Word.
A lack of balancing truth with truth is usually the cause of much contention among men when interpreting scriptures. Some argue that everything is by grace, while others emphatically state that without faith it is impossible to please God. The Bible teaches us that we need both grace and faith to be born again - not one without the other. The same is true of faith versus works, and many other truths in God's Word. Error can simply be truth taken to an extreme at the expense of other truths.
One of the concerns of many Christians is, "How can I know I'm thinking and acting properly?" If we seek the Lord with a pure heart and singleness of purpose, then the Lord will show us anything we need to change. In other words, all we have to do is focus on the Lord with a pure heart, and He promises to show us any error. The only people who need to fear that they might be deceived are those who are not seeking the Lord with a pure and single-minded heart.
The Spoilers Are Coming
When a nation, any nation, turns its back on God the spoilers are released. The spoilers plunder, pillage, and destroy. Scripture declares a day when God’s people turned their back on Jehovah and served Baal and Ashtaroth (Judges 2:13-14).
Many are familiar with Ashtaroth. Ashtaroth is the goddess of Jezebel. Jezebel’s father was Ethbal. He was king of Phoenicia and the high priest of Ashtaroth. Jezebel is the seducing goddess of war. She is prophetic. She has been loosed within the Church busy hijacking prophetic ministry, turning hearts away from true spiritual fathers unto herself, and making a way for celebrity worship, spiritualism, and idolatrous entertainment. She creates eunuchs. Eunuchs are those that have no spiritual strength of their own. They look for her approval, leadership, and direction. She is their mentor.Jezebel redirects prophetic ministry away from true biblical prophetic ministry of speaking into the nation (not just the Church), turning hearts, offering biblical intercessions, modeling holiness, putting Christ first, and involvement in the restitution of all things.
The truth is some prophetic circles have lost their mooring, are demonic, and destructive in their current operations. The sad truth is that some have sought prophetic ministry not the ministry of the Holy Ghost. And Satan has given them what they desired, prophetic ministry void of the Holy Spirit.
Baal on the other hand is representative of the secular state. Romans 13 speaks of the State as an instrument of Christ to put fear in the wicked. When the people begin to look upon the State as their protector, provider and the State sees its self as god then the State is no longer the instrument of God. This leads Christians to the question of their first allegiance. Is it with the secular State or with Christ? Perhaps you have never considered this but Christianity requires faithful allegiance and loyalty to Christ not just a fifteen second repentance prayer. Jesus asked, “Why call me Lord, Lord, but do not the things I say?” (Luke 6:46) It’s not enough to accept Jesus as ones savior but not ones lord.
Jesus is not just your Savior He expects your full submission to His lordship. You are not your own. Lord means ruler. Jesus is way more than a ticket to heaven. He is God and the creator of all things and stands outside His creation.
Jehovah reminded us that He is the one that delivered us out of the land of bondage, slavery, and Egypt. Pharaoh saw himself as god and the supreme ruler of the State of Egypt. In his mind he owned the people. They were his servants. God corrected Pharaoh’s error.
Jehovah delivered His people out of the secular State of Egypt that held God’s people in bondage. After their deliverance Jehovah said, “Thou shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20). This word “gods” is elohim better understood as other protectors-providers.
Today some look to the State for provision and protection. America has over 40 million receiving food stamps from the State. This is a move away from individual liberty toward bondage. Even though it appears as a blessing in reality it is a dangerous step toward the validation of statism because economic boom-bust cycles are created by the Federal Reserve's monetary policy. The Federal Reserve is not Federal and has no reserves. The fractional reserve banking system is the root of evils of every kind.
According to the “Political Science Dictionary” statism includes “Sovereignty vested not in the people but in the national state, and that all individuals and associations exist only to enhance the power, the prestige, and the well-being of the state. The concept of statism, which is seen as synonymous with the concept of nation, and corporatism repudiates individualism and exalts the nation as an organic body headed by the Supreme Leader and nurtured by unity, force, and discipline.” This is a violation of Scripture.
That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life... - Joshua 4:14, NIV
What an amazing promise God gave to Joshua. He said, “Joshua, today I will begin to make you great in the eyes of all the Israelites.” He was saying, “Today, I’m going to start releasing more of My favor, My blessing, My increase.” But notice, there was a specific time in his life that God began to release favor in a new way.
God wants to do the same thing for you. He wants to release His blessing and favor in such a way that it makes you great — a great parent, a great spouse, a great leader, a great employee, a great friend, a great business person. He is saying to us what He said to Joshua, “This day I’m going to begin to make your name great. This day I’m going to begin to release My favor in a new way. I’m going to open doors that no man can shut.” It is a set time of God’s favor. Get ready! Make room in your thinking. Stay open to Him and keep an attitude of faith and expectancy because the time of God’s favor is here!
THE WISE OLD OWL
He who restrains his lips is wise. —Proverbs 10:19
Years ago an anonymous writer penned a short poem about the merits of measuring our words.
A wise old owl sat in an oak;
The more he saw the less he spoke;
The less he spoke the more he heard;
Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?
There is a connection between wisdom and limiting what we say. Proverbs 10:19 says, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”
We are wise to be careful about what we say or how much we say in certain situations. It makes sense to guard our words when we are angry. James urged his fellow believers, “Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19).
Restraining our words can also show reverence for God. Solomon said, “God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few” (Eccl. 5:2). When others are grieving, our silent presence may help more than abundant expressions of sympathy: “No one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great” (Job 2:13).
Although there is a time to be quiet and a time to speak (Eccl. 3:7), choosing to speak less allows us to hear more.
Dear Lord, please grant me wisdom to know when to speak and when to listen. I want to encourage others and to care for them as You have cared for me.
Let your speech be better than silence; otherwise be silent.
MOVE CLOSER EVERY DAY …
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. – John 15:5
Abiding in Jesus isn't something that comes automatically to any believer. It's a lifestyle that involves discipline and effort.
We have to choose to give ourselves to our union with Him, to give Him first place where our attention is concerned. If we want to grow spiritually, if we want to walk in power and in fellowship with the Lord, we'll have to spend the time it takes to know Him.
That's not something we can do for a while and then forget about either. We must continue in it every day. For the moment we stop moving closer to Jesus, we always start drifting away.
You see, here in this natural world you're surrounded by ungodliness. You live in a body that is totally natural. Unless you purposely counter that with daily prayer and time in the Word, your body and your mind will simply give in to the pressures around you and go the way of the world.
Right now, make a decision to give yourself to the things of God. Focus your attention on the Lord. Surround yourself with His Word. Listen to preaching and teaching tapes while you're getting dressed, driving to work, preparing dinner, working on your car, exercising, cleaning house and when you go to bed. Listen to the Word of God anytime, anywhere!
“That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]” (Ephesians 3:18, AMP).
When we become aware of the breadth, length, height, and depth of God’s love, we become unstoppable. The enemy knows the victorious power of God’s love; therefore, he wants us to remain in past hurts—wounded, offended, hurt, afraid, and full of bitterness.
SIMPLY SERVING (1)
'Through love serve one another.' Galatians 5:13 NKJV
Bill Wilson builds Sunday schools in some of New York City’s worst areas. He has been stabbed and shot, and had team members killed. A Puerto Rican lady who could barely speak English said to him one day, ‘I want to do something for God, please.’ Bill said, ‘Okay, ride a different Sunday school bus every week and just love the kids.’ So she rode a different bus—Bill has dozens of them—and loved the children. After several months she became attached to one little boy. ‘I don’t want to change buses any more. I want to stay on this one,’ she told Bill. The boy came to Sunday school every week with his sister and sat on the lady’s lap, but never made a sound. She would repeatedly tell him, ‘I love you, and Jesus loves you.’ One day to her amazement, he turned around and stammered, ‘I… love you too.’ Then he gave her a big hug. That was at two–thirty on a Sunday afternoon. At six–thirty that night the boy was found dead in a dumpster under a fire escape. His mother had beaten him to death and thrown his body in the trash. ‘I love you, and Jesus loves you.’ Those were some of the last words that little boy heard in his short life—from the lips of a Puerto Rican woman who could barely speak English. Bill says, ‘Who among us is qualified to minister? Who among us even knows what to do? Not you; not me. But I ran to an altar once and got some fire and just went. So did this woman who couldn’t speak English. And so can you.’
UNDERSTANDING TRUTH
David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son? - Luke 20:41-44
Jesus took an apparent contradiction in scripture and through combining these paradoxical statements (concerning the humanity and deity of Christ) brought forth the truth that Christ is God in human flesh. Both assertions (the fact that Jesus was David's son and yet David's Lord) were right at the same time.
It was correct that Christ was David's son and it was also correct that Christ was David's Lord. This meant that Christ also was God. However, Christ was not exclusively David's son nor was He exclusively David's Lord. These two truths had to be combined to arrive at the whole truth. No truth of God's Word stands independent of the other truths in God's Word.
A lack of balancing truth with truth is usually the cause of much contention among men when interpreting scriptures. Some argue that everything is by grace, while others emphatically state that without faith it is impossible to please God. The Bible teaches us that we need both grace and faith to be born again - not one without the other. The same is true of faith versus works, and many other truths in God's Word. Error can simply be truth taken to an extreme at the expense of other truths.
One of the concerns of many Christians is, "How can I know I'm thinking and acting properly?" If we seek the Lord with a pure heart and singleness of purpose, then the Lord will show us anything we need to change. In other words, all we have to do is focus on the Lord with a pure heart, and He promises to show us any error. The only people who need to fear that they might be deceived are those who are not seeking the Lord with a pure and single-minded heart.
The Spoilers Are Coming
When a nation, any nation, turns its back on God the spoilers are released. The spoilers plunder, pillage, and destroy. Scripture declares a day when God’s people turned their back on Jehovah and served Baal and Ashtaroth (Judges 2:13-14).
Many are familiar with Ashtaroth. Ashtaroth is the goddess of Jezebel. Jezebel’s father was Ethbal. He was king of Phoenicia and the high priest of Ashtaroth. Jezebel is the seducing goddess of war. She is prophetic. She has been loosed within the Church busy hijacking prophetic ministry, turning hearts away from true spiritual fathers unto herself, and making a way for celebrity worship, spiritualism, and idolatrous entertainment. She creates eunuchs. Eunuchs are those that have no spiritual strength of their own. They look for her approval, leadership, and direction. She is their mentor.Jezebel redirects prophetic ministry away from true biblical prophetic ministry of speaking into the nation (not just the Church), turning hearts, offering biblical intercessions, modeling holiness, putting Christ first, and involvement in the restitution of all things.
The truth is some prophetic circles have lost their mooring, are demonic, and destructive in their current operations. The sad truth is that some have sought prophetic ministry not the ministry of the Holy Ghost. And Satan has given them what they desired, prophetic ministry void of the Holy Spirit.
Baal on the other hand is representative of the secular state. Romans 13 speaks of the State as an instrument of Christ to put fear in the wicked. When the people begin to look upon the State as their protector, provider and the State sees its self as god then the State is no longer the instrument of God. This leads Christians to the question of their first allegiance. Is it with the secular State or with Christ? Perhaps you have never considered this but Christianity requires faithful allegiance and loyalty to Christ not just a fifteen second repentance prayer. Jesus asked, “Why call me Lord, Lord, but do not the things I say?” (Luke 6:46) It’s not enough to accept Jesus as ones savior but not ones lord.
Jesus is not just your Savior He expects your full submission to His lordship. You are not your own. Lord means ruler. Jesus is way more than a ticket to heaven. He is God and the creator of all things and stands outside His creation.
Jehovah reminded us that He is the one that delivered us out of the land of bondage, slavery, and Egypt. Pharaoh saw himself as god and the supreme ruler of the State of Egypt. In his mind he owned the people. They were his servants. God corrected Pharaoh’s error.
Jehovah delivered His people out of the secular State of Egypt that held God’s people in bondage. After their deliverance Jehovah said, “Thou shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20). This word “gods” is elohim better understood as other protectors-providers.
Today some look to the State for provision and protection. America has over 40 million receiving food stamps from the State. This is a move away from individual liberty toward bondage. Even though it appears as a blessing in reality it is a dangerous step toward the validation of statism because economic boom-bust cycles are created by the Federal Reserve's monetary policy. The Federal Reserve is not Federal and has no reserves. The fractional reserve banking system is the root of evils of every kind.
According to the “Political Science Dictionary” statism includes “Sovereignty vested not in the people but in the national state, and that all individuals and associations exist only to enhance the power, the prestige, and the well-being of the state. The concept of statism, which is seen as synonymous with the concept of nation, and corporatism repudiates individualism and exalts the nation as an organic body headed by the Supreme Leader and nurtured by unity, force, and discipline.” This is a violation of Scripture.
NEED
HEALING AND MIRACLES FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS
Free
Christian Ebooks http://walthope.tripod.com
Gordon
Williams http://gordwilliams.com/september-2014.php
Fair
Use Notice: There is some copyrighted material on this site, the use of which
has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are
making such material available in an effort to our efforts to advance
understanding of serious issues. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of
any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site
is distributed without profit for educational purposes.
No comments:
Post a Comment