Author: rbeaird

GOD, What Do You Want Me To Do and Be???


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1 John 4:7-11 – “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”  NASU 

 

Many, if not most people struggle with what God wants for their lives.  Often, we unnecessarily complicate the issue but the fact that it remains a struggle for many makes it an important issue for the present-day church and believer.  I am reminded of a song from the past recorded by Jackie DeShannon, “What the World Needs Now Is Love.”  The lyrics begin, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.  It’s the only thing there’s just too little of. What the world needs now is love, sweet love.  No, not just for some but for everyone.”  That is powerful and true!  We talk about Love but what we call love is not the love the world needs.

When we talk about biblical love we must come face to face with the truth and reality that LOVE is from God.  John informed us that everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  That would suggest that love is an incredibly rare commodity in our present world.  John also told us that, the person who does not love, does not know God, for GOD IS LOVE!  Two immediate realities leap forward in my mind as I read this passage.  First, LOVE is from God.  It issues forth from Him.  The imagery in my mind is a living spring a geyser with water gushing forth from it.  Water comes from that spring naturally.  Then, we realize the greater truth that GOD IS LOVE.  He does not have love, He is love and because of Who He is we receive Love from Him naturally.  I may have money but I am not money.  I may have knowledge but I am not knowledge.  I may have wisdom but I am not wisdom.  But, GOD IS LOVE!

The simple reality is that if we say we KNOW and LOVE God that is recognizable by everyone because we LOVE.  If God is living in our hearts, LOVE is living in our hearts and that Love will come forth from us in expression and demonstration.  I believe that it is impossible to KNOW God and not LOVE Him and LOVE others.  God is LOVE and if we have Him, Love is a natural product of our lives.  That is something missing in much of the world today and even in some of the church.  You do not have to pray about LOVE if He is in your heart, Love is in your heart.  Love, biblical love is natural because it is supernaturally deposited and spread abroad in our hearts.

One of the problems is that we make assertions that are mental assents, not experiential realities.  If God is Love, and Love is from God, and we say that we Know God then we Love!  The word KNOW is important because it does not mean ‘know about’ it means ‘intimate personal relationship.’  The word in the Greek means ‘to penetrate.’  Remember Adam KNEW his wife Eve and she conceived.  It was more than recognition of the existence of the other it was a deep intimacy that joins the two as one.  KNOWING GOD is not mental assent it is deep personal intimacy where we are joined as one with Him.  If God has come into my heart and I have received Him, I LOVE naturally and consistently.  I do not have to try to Love, I Love!  The singular most prominent identifier of being a Christian is LOVE.  Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, that you LOVE ONE ANOTHER!”  You can’t fake real love and 1 Corinthians 13 is a beautiful picture of Love in Action and Expression.

Back to my initial thought on finding what God wants for our lives.  I have found, through the years of ministry, and was a participant in this mentality at one time, a fascinating attitude, and mindset.  Many believers are, in my view, overly fascinated about finding the will of God for their lives.  In fact, that is what I was taught upon coming into the Body of Christ and the church, that I need to seek the will of God for my life.  The way it was presented was so mysterious and almost mystical, it seemed that this was a major undertaking that was almost impossible except for the most devoted believers or the super spiritual.  I lived in the joy of knowing God and the frustration of not knowing my purpose in life.  I am not suggesting that seeking the will of God is bad but that our being overly fascinated by it can be detrimental to our walk, work, and warfare as a believer.

Let me give you a clue about the Will of God for your life.  Have you ever considered that it might be something obvious?  Have you ever considered that God just might be directing you to the obvious as His will for your life?  What tugs at your heart?  What is your passion?  What are your talents or abilities?  Could it be that God put those in you because that is what He wanted you to focus on in life?  What a novel concept!  I have found that some people truly believe that if there is some place they do not want to go or something they do not want to do in life, that is exactly where God is sending them and directing them to do.  God is not into masochism.  We get bogged down in the minute and miss the obvious too often and that is tragic.  It is also a scheme of the devil to prevent us from discovering God’s Purpose for our lives and hinders us from entering into the abundance of that life.

I have much more to say on this subject so I will pause for now and pick this up next time.  God, bless you richly as you embark on His mission for your life!

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THE BATTLEGROUND…


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Romans 8:32 – “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”  NASU

2 Peter 1:3 – “…His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” NASU

 

God’s vision is never cheap nor is it easy.  Tragically, I have witnessed well-meaning believers and churches receive the Vision of God and try to accomplish it as cheaply as they could and with as little stress, pressure, or controversy as possible.  If we are going to Wage Spiritual Warfare and Pull Down Strongholds, WE NEED POWER, the Power of God.  Deuteronomy 8:18 informs us that God gives us power to ‘create wealth’ and we are told that the ‘wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just.’  God has plenty, He owns it all, for as the Psalmist declares, “The Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof…”

But there is a Battle Ground that we must overcome and that is the Human Mind or the Subconscious Fleshly Mind.  When we hear Truth all the old arguments surface, challenging and questioning that which we have not seen before.  Too often we have attempted to operate in Human Understanding to achieve the purposes of God and we produce and Ishmael rather than an Isaac.  Leaning to my own understanding prevented me from receiving forgiveness for a time and finally, the truth revealed in Proverbs 3:5-6 broke the chains and allowed me to receive freely and fully, His Salvation.  In Salvation, we find entrance into the Kingdom.  In Healing, we are fitted for service.  In God’s Prosperity, we are enabled to fulfill the call and finance the vision.

I challenge you to rehearse in your mind and heart the Abrahamic Covenant as revealed in Genesis 12:1-3.  When we recognize the scriptural directive for appropriating the Promise of God for Salvation, Healing, and Prosperity we can move into what God has for us powerfully.  God has a Plan of Finance and while I never want to make wealth the focal point of my message, we must have money or a medium of exchange in this world.  In Malachi 3, we are told to bring the ‘whole tithe’ into God’s storehouse and the Promise is He will Open heaven for us and bless us as is revealed in Malachi 3, 2 Corinthians 8; 9:6-16; Luke 6:38; Ecclesiastes 11:1-4, and Proverbs 19:17.

The Law of Multiplication can be applied to every dimension of life.  If we follow God’s directives completely we will find that the Work of God never lacks and as in the illustration of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness in Exodus 36, the giving was so much the people had to be restrained from giving.  Imagine that problem in the Local Church!  God finances what He ordains and if we will be obedient to Him He will open heaven’s windows for us and bless us, spiritually, physically, and financially.

Many fail, to be charitable because their minds tell them that if they give away their money they will not have enough for themselves.  Remember the Law of Harvest and the Law of Multiplication.  We reap WHAT we sow, we reap LATER than we sow, and we reap MORE than we sow.  If the need is God caused it will also be God funded.  It becomes a matter of mindset and a trust.  If we cannot trust God with our finances, we will find that we are unable to trust Him with virtually any area of our lives.  The Battle Ground we must overcome and the Stronghold we must pull down is the Human Fleshly Carnal Mind and bring every thought captive to the obedience of our Lord Jesus.

God, bless you richly as you roll all your care upon Him and Trust Him today!

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THE FULL ATONEMENT – How Does It Affect the Church Today?


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3 John 2 – “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.”  NASU

I have no problem with the KJV translating it ‘wish’ but I would remind everyone that the apostles were not ‘wish-ers’ they were ‘pray-ers’.  They earnestly contended for the faith and practiced the ‘effectual fervent prayer’ of the righteous.  They were taught by the Greatest Prayer Warrior of all time, Jesus.  They Prayed and Prayed with Faith and confidence in the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Promises of God.  I call this the ‘Top Prayer’ of John and it dealt with three specific areas – Soul, Health, and Prosperity. 

It would undoubtedly be beneficial for us to consider a bit of history as we pursue this truth.  In the Dark Ages, just about everything that was important to the Gospel was wiped out by the religious hierarchy.  No longer did salvation come by grace through faith, the organized church dispensed it. That is worse than horrendous it is heretical.  I am convinced that most who read what I am writing believe and understand that the core of the Gospel is the Atonement.  However, in Martin Luther’s day, if you were to ask a congregation how many knew they were saved or that they had been made the righteousness of God, not one hand would go up.  The Atonement had been erased from their consciousness.  Restoration of that truth began with Martin Luther but it was hundreds of years before it became commonly believed. What you and I take for granted took a very long time to be Restored.

Until the turn of the last century, the Atonement was viewed as ‘one-dimensional.’  But revivals in Galena, Kansas and in the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles God began to Restore more and more to the Church.  Spiritual Gifts began to come back into many churches and lives and the understanding or belief that the Atonement not only included our Salvation but also our Healing through the Stripes of Jesus.  I believe that is why and how John could pray as he did, for he was praying a basic premise of the Atonement and his prayer was for the powerful dual promise of the Gospel – Salvation and Healing.  Healing both physically and spiritually.  Someone said, “Salvation” gets you in the family and “Healing” makes you fit for the fight.  But, what about the “Prosperity” part?

Imagine the difficulty that Martin Luther had in attempting to get people to realize that the Church had no power to save them.  The move at the turn of the last century has endured the scorn and attack of the organized church, that embraced the message of Salvation by Grace through Faith but could not receive the second aspect of the work of Christ in the Atonement.  Virtually all the church believes in the Atonement for Salvation but a much smaller percentage believes that the Gifts of the Spirit are for today.  We have been on this restoration process for over 100 years, similar to Martin Luther’s plight in Grace.  We are told that we have Salvation because Jesus, who knew no sin became sin for us.  We are also told that we have Healing because He bore, in his body, the stripes for our healing as per both Isaiah and Peter’s writings.  But, what about that third leg?

2 Corinthians 8 is important in our consideration of this third leg.  Jesus is righteous and He became sin that we could be made the righteousness of God in Him.  Jesus is health, and He endured the stripes taking on our infirmities so that we could be well (whole).  He is rich and He became poor so that we could be made rich.  This is not a secondary part of the Gospel it is part of what God is restoring to the Church.  I truly believe that the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous so that we can fund the Harvest of these last days!  In a very real sense, Jesus bore our sins for us, bore our sickness for us, and bore our poverty so that we could be set free and have His abundant life.

Anytime God Restores something to the Church there is opposition from without and within and there are abuses to that truth.  Our objective should be to ‘Seek His Face’ and allow the Holy Spirit to help us ‘rightly divide the Word of God’ and receive all He has.  Let’s have the whole loaf, not a few slices.  When revival comes, there is always trouble with the Old Crowd who resist change and fear moving into uncharted waters.  Flesh and Tradition die hard and slow deaths.  I encourage everyone to become diligent students of God’s word and just because you never saw it before does not mean that it is not real.  Allow the Holy Spirit to ‘guide you into all truth’ and never become complacent or settled in the idea that you have All Truth.  None of us do!  As we grow and mature in Him our understanding broadens and we can move from glory to glory and grace to grace.  If the Word of God does not verify and confirm it do not incorporate it into your life.  However, do not assume that because you have been taught that something is not for today and fail to carefully examine the entire Bible.  Learn to Listen to the Spirit of God and search the scriptures daily to find truth.  God Promised that He would lead us into all truth.

What God is doing in these last days will cost BILLIONS if not TRILLIONS and He wants His Body to know Him in salvation, walk in health and healing, and reap the harvest and receive the wealth of the wicked so that we can have the funds for the harvest.  Yes, God can supernaturally drop it in our hands and He can enable us to have a new idea, new opportunity, or new contact that will bring wealth to us.  That wealth is not for us to lavish on ourselves but to finance the Harvest.

I pray that the Lord help each of us embrace the Full Atonement and not only experience the New Birth, but to become open to His Healing Touch, and His desire to put in our hands the Wealth of the Wicked for His Kingdom and Purposes.  I pray with John that you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

God, bless you richly as you enjoy this day in Him!

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CAN WE TALK SOME MORE ABOUT THE ATONEMENT???


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Yesterday we discussed a little about the “Full Atonement of Jesus” and today I’d like to venture a little further into those often, uncharted waters.  My singular desire is to inspire us to press into God more and be open to whatever God desires to do in our midst.  I have encountered a philosophy in ministry that severely limits God in today’s world.  I believe that we are to be agents of change in our world impacting them with the message and person of Jesus and thereby bringing into reality the Lord’s Prayer of Matthew 6, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”

We all know or have known some who were diagnosed with ‘incurable diseases’ and felt powerless in the presence of that killer.  The only Hope is the Stripes Jesus bore in His body for our healing as referenced in Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2:24.  I am confident that part of what God desires to ‘restore’ to the Church is the miraculous, as well as effectively return the guidance of the Church to the Holy Spirit.  I am not speaking of some legislative thing but a supernatural thing where the Holy Spirit guides our steps in the church as well as in our lives.  When that happens, it will get the attention of the world and will be severely opposed by some in various religious circles.  Every new move of God is often opposed by those of the previous move.  Those following God in the new revival are often branded as heretics and called people of wildfire to be avoided.

God is, in a very real way, is ‘transforming minds’ so that we no longer categorically reject things we thought of a bygone era but recognize the sovereignty of God and the authority of His word.  We will see the dismantling of man-made traditions and sacred cows of religion being offered on the altar of sacrifice.  We have the most highly educated and well-trained technological world that has ever been and that is visible in the church as well.  Yet, what God is about to do and promised to do in the Last Days cannot be accomplished by education and technology alone.  It will be supernatural and that will cause many to be incredibly uncomfortable because our ‘safe spaces’ and ‘comfort zones’ will be shredded.

In the world, today the “movers and shakers” in the world of finance teach that “Joe Average” can become wealthy and make a lot of money.  They teach that success can be the experience of anyone willing to take the risk, put in the labor, and persevere.  In too much of the Church, there is the idea that only a few can have wealth.  Yes, there are some who push the idea of prosperity out of bounds in both the world of worldly finance and in the church but the idea of prosperity is a biblical truth.

One thing the Hebrews had that we sometimes lack and a truth that has been stolen or lost in much of the church is the truth that “In Christ” there is no sense of lack.  What brought about the “Doctrine of Insufficiency”?  One reality that I have learned is that anything that man cannot reproduce he will seek to disprove, deny, or discredit.  The Commission of Jesus to His Disciples in Luke 9:1-6 seems to have led to a misunderstand and misinterpretation in the church that we are to go with nothing and go unprepared financially.  Jesus did give that commission but if we consider the big picture and the whole context that followed and the Commission that followed we realize that Jesus was not advocating lack but trust. Consider Luke 22:35-36 – “And He said to them, ” When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.” 36 And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.”

Do you hear the LORD?  His direction is powerful.  Let me suggest that he was saying, “The last time, you went out to the lost sheep of the House of Israel, but now you are going to the wilderness of the heathen and when you go there you must have money and possessions.  You will have to pay your own way to win them. Therefore, do some commerce and get the finances and then go!”  The first commission was a teaching session and an exercise in trust, this time the Marching Orders are to go into ALL THE WORLD and that world is a Hostile World.

God does not want His soldiers to run around looking like a mile of bombed out runway or a fugitive from the Goodwill Store.  You are representing the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  I am not suggesting ‘lavish living’ but I am suggesting that we take pains in how we appear before the world and be presentable, clean, not unkempt, and unwashed.  No, your suit or tie won’t anoint you and you do not have to wear them but don’t go ragged and dirty either.  Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves but most of all Go in the Name of the LORD and EXPECT Him to go with you!

I have more to discuss and hopefully, you will join me next time as we dig a little deeper in the Truth of the Atonement.  I know that some are saying, “Roy, you haven’t talked about the Atonement yet.”  BUT, I have and you have not connected the dots yet, but you will.  So, until next time, Go with God and He Will Go with you! 

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LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ATONEMENT…


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I feel compelled to challenge you at the outset and hopefully not lose readers in the process.  I am concerned that the Christian Church of today does not believe in the “Full Atonement” of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Let me venture further out on that limb and suggest that it appears some do not truly believe in the Atonement.  Hopefully, I am wrong but it appears certain that there are those who hold a concept in their minds but do not embrace that truth or reality in their hearts.

Some years ago, the Holy Spirit began challenging me regarding my ‘Mindset’ and began to nudge me toward embracing things I had not yet seen or experienced in God.  That has been a richly rewarding and a terrifying and difficult journey at the same time.  One of the problems when we answer the call of God to move beyond our comfort zone and venture into the unknown we are introduced to trouble like we have never encountered.  I know personally, that the costs are seldom fully appreciated at the time we embark on the journey.  We are exposed to the wrath of hell and religiousness in a most disturbing way.  Although there is ‘nothing new under the sun’ there are things ‘new’ to us.  When we venture out into those uncharted waters (uncharted in our experience) we realize a new dependence on God.

We are living in ‘Troubled Times’ and in the midst of ‘Times of Trouble,’ God has promised to bring about Full Restoration to the Church.  It is exciting, will be difficult, but incredibly rewarding if we persist and pursue Him and His purposes.  I hope you will be stirred to venture a little deeper into the things of God and move outside your spiritual comfort zone.

Acts 3:19-21 – “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.”  NASU

             If we take the Bible as the inerrant and infallible Word of God (I do) and resist the temptation to make scriptures mean what we want them to mean, we will find some challenging passages in the Bible.  This is one of those for it says that our Lord Jesus would be ‘held in heaven’ or “whom heaven must receive UNTIL…”  Until What?  The Restoration of All Things which God spoke by the mouth of His prophets from ancient time.  Let me ask a probing question, “Is there anything that the Church had but is not experiencing or practicing today?”  I believe that the fulfillment of this passage of scripture and to facilitate the return of Jesus is why we have the ministries of Ephesians 4 listed and detailed.  God wants us ‘equipped’ for service and ministry so that we can walk in His Restoration and reap His Harvest of these last days.  There are wonderful things coming to the church and difficult times as well.  We will have times and rejoicing and weeping but God is building His Church and will keep His word fully.  I contend that the issue is not “IF” God will bring about Restoration but “WHAT” our position and participation will be.  Will we embrace what He is doing or will we resist and label it heresy, apostasy, or something else and fail to ‘discern our times’ and miss the visitation of God?  I pray not!

Hoping to quell your concern about whether I’m drifting into a heretical place, let me say that RESTORATION is a “time of change.”  It is a resurgence, in my mind, of the gifts and power of God.  It is a return to the church local and universal being run by the Holy Spirit not boards, committees, or denominational headquarters.  It is a return to God being the Lord of the Church in reality and truth.  The Holy Spirit is preparing His Body for the “New Wine” and in the process, will destroy the “Old Wineskins”.  Much of the church today is experiencing the Isaiah 61 ministry or effect.  God is shaking that which can be shaken and is pruning the trees so that which is rigid, inflexible, and dry is pliable, flexible, moldable, and filled with the Oil of the Spirit of God.  We are seeing and will see a resurgence of the Anointing of God which breaks all yokes and the Harvest is going to be reaped in these last days. We are God’s instruments to effect change in our world and help bring about the reality of the Prayer of Matthew 6 which we call the Lord’s Prayer.

I use a takeoff on the catch phrase of the NFL’s Monday Night Football, “Are you ready for some Restoration?”  Are you ready for the shaking that is coming and the outpouring of God’s Spirit on mankind and the resulting harvest of souls?  God is about to do a work in our day that even if someone told many, they would not believe, but soon they will see.

I want to discuss this a bit further so I pause for now and say, “May the Lord bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you, be gracious unto you, and give you peace!”  Until next time blessings abundantly!

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WHO TOUCHED ME???


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Mark 5:30 – “Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?”  NASU

 

I love the songs, “He Touched Me” and “Touching Jesus.”  My title question might cause one to assume that I was talking about the Lord touching us but the person of my question is Jesus.  Our Lord and His disciples had crossed over the sea to the country of the Gerasenes and the encounter with the demoniac resulted in those people asking Jesus to leave.  He and his disciples crossed back over to their starting point and he found a very large crowd awaiting Him.  The crowd and needs were so numerous he stayed by the seashore ministering.  One of the synagogue officials Jairus came requesting healing for his daughter and many others were trying to get to Jesus to receive their healing, their miracle.  The throng of people was so overpowering that he could hardly move without being bumped, touched, or grabbed.

In that situation, the woman who had had a hemorrhage for 12 years and endured terrible treatment by physicians.  She was broke and still afflicted with her malady.  She heard about Jesus and decided in her heart, “If I can just touch His garment I will get well.”  That was her faith and focal point.  TOUCHING JESUS!  She believed that if she could simply, “Touch His Garment” the healing virtue of God would flow out from him to her and she would be cured.  She pressed through the crowd and achieved her goal, touching his garment.  IMMEDIATELY, the Bible tells us, the flow of her blood ceased and she was fully cured.  IMMEDIATELY, Jesus stopped and stunned His disciples asking, “WHO TOUCHED ME?”  Remember the condition and situation.  The throng of people was overpowering and Jesus was being touched repeatedly as he moved through the crowd and yet He asked, “WHO TOUCHED ME?”

The response of the disciples was one of incredulousness and they said, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched My garments?”  In East Texas, it would have been, “Are you kidding me?  Look at this mob, EVERYBODY IS TOUCHING YOU!”  But, Jesus KNEW that something had happened and this was different from all the other touches uncoupled from faith.  This was a FAITH TOUCH that resulted in virtue or power leaving His body, power that He could feel.  He looked at the woman and she confessed what and why she had done what she did.  Jesus’ response was, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”  WHO TOUCHED ME was the question of Jesus but it was not a question of simply being physically bumped or touched.  This was a question of WHO exercised faith and drew out from Him the Divine Power to heal.  This is the TOUCHING JESUS that we need to do for ourselves and others.

I remember years ago, as I served as lead pastor in a church in East Texas, I was called to the home of a retired minister and his wife.  She had been ill and wanted me to come, anoint her with oil, and pray the prayer of faith as directed by James.  When I began to pray, I said, “Lord, touch my sister.”  She immediately interrupted me and said, “Preacher, don’t pray for a little touch, I want Healing!”  She wanted me to do more than offer words, she wanted me to do what the woman with the hemorrhage did, TOUCH JESUS in a way that was coupled with faith and would result in total healing.  She wanted results, not just prayer.

I have said before, “Too often we expect to be prayed for but we do not expect to be healed.”  We expect to go through the motions and do the prescribed religious things in prayer for healing but we do not expect the TOUCH OF THE MASTER’S HAND effecting a full recovery.  That is not universally true for all believers or even all believers all the time, but it more prevalent than we acknowledge.  Jesus said we are to “Ask, Seek, and Knock.”  We are instructed to be determined and to become as the ‘hart panting for the water brooks’ in our pursuit of God.  NOTHING LESS THAN HIS TOUCH should be satisfactory.  When we TOUCH, HIM He will TOUCH US.

God, bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Jesus!

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ANOINTED TO DO…


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Exodus 31:1-7 – “Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 “I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, 5 and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship. 6 “And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you:” NASU

 

The Anointing is not just for preaching it is for everything.  In 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 we read, “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.”  Remember John’s words in 1 John 2:20, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One…”  Each of us has a gift, calling, talent or gifts callings and talents that God has GIVEN or ANOINTED us with.  That was the case in Exodus where God said, “I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship…”  I would remind everyone, of the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “…What do you have that you did not receive?”

If we were working in a team and one of us had the anointing for organization, it would be incredibly beneficial to defer to that person and allow his/her gift and anointing to flow.  If a person with another gift attempted to take care of the organizational issues it would like result in chaos but at worst, it would simply not be the best.  I have observed pastors who found it impossible to release various gifts to function for they felt it was their job to take the lead in everything.  If your gift, talent, ability, and/or anointing is in an area that I know I am weak I will gladly defer to you and follow your lead. When we reach the point that my gift, talent, skill, ability, or anointing is required I will step forward and ask you to move from the point and allow that gift to flow.  We are The Body of Christ and a human or spiritual body is made up of differing parts.  If the hand tried to do the job of the heart, we would die.  If the ears tried to do the job of the lungs we would suffocate.  If the feet tried to assume the role of the eyes we would stumble around having the ability to move around but without vision.  If the eyes see, the ears hear, the lungs breathe, and the heart pumps blood while the brain coordinates all the parts we will function in a much better fashion.  Each part is needed and each part has a specific anointing. 

Some have an anointing for service and should serve.  Some have an anointing for decoration and should decorate.  If it is culinary then find the kitchen.  If business and creating wealth, then turn your attention to it.  If it is preaching, then preach anywhere and everywhere.  What are you good at?  What tugs at your heart?  What has God uniquely gifted you to do?  Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your all.  Rejoice in His gift and call and know that no matter what your gift is, that gift is valuable to the Body of Christ and the Kingdom of God.  Just don’t be like a person said once, “My gift is irritating people.”  I’m not sure that is an anointing from God but if we are pursuing His purposes we will irritate some but it is never with malice.

God, bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

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QUESTION OF DOUBT or QUESTION OF FAITH?


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Matthew 8:1-4 – “When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2 And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, ” See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”  NASU

 

This is most interesting and is in the same category as the question Jesus asked the man at the Pool of Bethesda, “Do you want to get well?”  In a way, it reminds me of the question Moses asked Pharaoh about the frogs, “When shall I remove them?”  The man at the pool began to explain why he had not gotten his healing rather than answer the question and Pharaoh delayed until the next day to get relief.  Here the leper, who I am certain was hopeful but uncertain said to Jesus, “Lord, if you are willing…”  It was a statement of question and in my mind, the issue was whether this was wrapped in doubt or faith.  It appears to be laced with the human idea of deserving?

The leper who was an outcast, speaks to our Lord with both confidence and question. He is confident that God Can.  Multitudes in the Body of Christ are in the same boat.  They believe God can but they are uncertain if He will or if He still performs miracles today.  I cannot imagine teaching a Gospel that relegates the Miracles of Jesus to a bygone era and limits God in what He can, will, and wants to do.  If I relegate the Miracles of Jesus to a bygone era it lessens my responsibility to believe and receive.  I would then not feel the pressure to exercise faith for someone else as they faced a dire need, such as a miracle of healing.  This leper’s statement revealed his uncertainty as to the willingness of Jesus to do anything for him.  It could have been due to the way the Jews viewed leprosy.  They considered it a sign of God’s displeasure and this man, a leper, would have felt condemned and outside the scope of God’s willingness.  It could be because he did not feel he was worthy of Jesus doing this for.

The response of Jesus is encouraging and the matter of fact way that Jesus responded indicated it disappointed him that there would even be the question of willingness.  At the same time, our Lord gladly used this as a ‘teaching moment’ for the Pharisees and all who observed.  The Pharisees were appalled that anyone would touch a leper for that was taboo but Jesus demonstrated His power of disease once again, and ‘touched him’ bringing healing to the leper.  Jesus followed the Law in His instructions to the Leper for only the priest could pronounce someone clean.  Jesus knew that once this man went to the priest and the pronouncement of cleanness was given, the testimony of the leper would be spread like wildfire.

The caution or concern that I have for us today is that we sometimes tag all our prayers with “If it be your will” when the Word of God has declared His willingness to do many, if not most, of those things we are asking.  I love the clarity of John in 1 John 5:14-15, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, HE HEARS US.  And if we KNOW that He hears us in whatever we ask, we KNOW that we have the request which we have asked from Him.”  [Emphasis mine].  Do you grasp that truth?  If we ASK according to His will, He HEARS us and if He HEARS us He GRANTS the petition.  The key is determining the will and then ask.  If the Word declares it is His will then we can come boldly before the throne and ask what we will.  If we are unclear then our prayer should be to determine what the will is and then offer the petition with complete confidence that we asked according to His will and He guaranteed, He would Hear us and Grant our petition. That is incredible and wonderful.

God, bless you richly as you embark on today’s leg of your life’s journey!

 

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THE TEST OF OBEDIENCE…


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Exodus 16:13-21 – “So it came about at evening that the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. 15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, ” What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, ” It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. 16 “This is what the LORD has commanded, ‘Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.'” 17 The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. 18 When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat. 19 Moses said to them, ” Let no man leave any of it until morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. 21 They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt.”  NASU

 

It is amazing to me that the children of Israel, having been eyewitnesses to the Miracle Working Power of God in their deliverance, would quickly revert to their confidence in the flesh.  That is not unique to them, it is a condition that has been a problem for mankind since the Garden of Eden.  Paul even addressed the Galatians and questioned how soon they had turned back from that which they had received to trusting the flesh.  Mankind has a propensity to trust what we can see rather than trusting the unseen even though it is God’s Promise.  It is almost, “What have you done for me lately?” 

Here, Israel complained about having food and God provided for them supernaturally.  In the manna, God not only provided food but also created a situation that would Test the Obedience of the people.  This food was unique in that if someone gathered much there was no excess and if they gathered little there was no lack.  The directive was that NOTHING was to be left until the morning or the next day.  Simply, you could not horde up a supply for future days.  I see several reasons for that.  The fact that it could not be carried over until the next day was to ensure their continued dependence on God and His supply.  Another is that it required their explicit obedience.  It required them to get out early, before the heat of the day and gather that which they needed for that day.  It required DEPENDENCE, OBEDIENCE, and DILIGENCE.

God is our true source.  That does not mean that we do not walk out what we are praying for and depending on God for.  We depend on Him for the anointing to carry out the objective.  We are dependent on God for His supply of our need.  God is the source, but if we sit idle in slothfulness and laziness He will not provide.  We reap WHAT we sow, we do not reap blessing if we DO NOT SOW.  Dependence is a necessary ingredient in our pursuit of His purposes and promises.

We must also be OBEDIENT for without obedience we find ourselves in rebellion and that moves us outside the protective hand of God.  Obedience is better than sacrifice.  obedience opens the door for God’s incredible blessings.  Obedience leads us in the paths of righteousness.  Disobedience separates us from God and blocks His flow of supply and anointing and robs from the Body of Christ and the Kingdom of God.  We must also be DILIGENT and actively pursue the Purposes of God in Dependence and Obedience.  It is as we pass the test of Obedience we move from Glory to Glory and Victory to Victory.

God, bless you richly as you enjoy this wonderful day in Jesus!

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AARON – What A Crock, You Sound Like a Politician…


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Exodus 32:19-24 – “It came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses’ anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it. 21 Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?” 22 Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil. 23 “For they said to me, ‘Make a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 “I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ So, they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”  NASU

 

Picture the situation, Moses was on the Mount receiving detailed instructions from God in a Face to Face meeting, and he took a little longer in God’s Presence than Aaron and the people are comfortable with.  They decided that Moses might be dead and they quickly reverted to the ways many had followed in Egypt, ‘like a dog returning to its vomit and a pig to wallowing in the mire.’  They wanted a security blanket of some kind and Aaron instructed them to bring their golden earrings, etc. and he purposed to make an image for them to worship.  They had seen the miracle-working power of God.  Aaron has been the spokesman before Pharaoh for Moses and HE KNEW BETTER but the flesh took over.  Aaron’s justification and excuse are quite a Crock!  He partially admitted his guilt in his excuse but then he began to spin the spin.  He explained the nervousness of the people and the concern for Moses’ delay. He then said, “I said to them, ‘whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’  So, they gave it to me, and I threw it in the fire, and out came this calf.”  Yeah, Aaron, and I have some Ocean Front Property in East Texas I’ll sell cheap too.

Some of the excuses we make to each other and to God as to why we fail to OBEY would be laughable if there were not so tragic.  In this case, it cost the lives of about 3,000 men.  Sin is never without a price tag.  Sin never harms just the one committing the sin.  We are not islands and what we do in life impacts others as well as ourselves.  I’ve people tell me, “Well, I’m not hurting anyone to justify their actions.”  YES, YOU ARE!  There are eyes watching you and what you do and say impacts them either positively or negatively.  The old saying, I have used for years applies, “You are the only Bible some people will ever read, therefore, what is the gospel according to you?”  We are epistles, known and read among, men Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:2.

Moses was receiving the very tablets that contained the command to HAVE NO OTHER GODS but Aaron led the people in creating a false god or an idol.  They were no different than those of Paul’s day or ours.  Remember the indictment of Paul to the Galatians that they had begun in the spirit and had quickly become seduced into departing from that to trusting the flesh again?  It is by WALKING IN THE SPIRIT that we keep the flesh under control and are able to resist the temptations it brings.  It is by MAINTAINING OUR FOCUS on God that we are able to live as overcomers.  We MUST keep our eyes on Him shunning the very appearance of evil.  We keep Him and His Promises in the forefront of our minds.  We are transformed by the renewing of our minds and we bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  We cannot walk this walk if we allow the flesh and its fears to rule over us.

Aaron participated in the delusion and then attempted to mitigate his involvement with his STORY.  I’m sure he was singing, “That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.”  But, Moses nor God was buying what he was selling.

NEVER justify sin but REPENT of it quickly and determinedly.  God’s Grace is greater than all our sin and His Mercy is from everlasting to everlasting but His wrath will wax hot if we attempt to deceive Him or ourselves.   God, bless you richly as you enjoy this day in Jesus!

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