"Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God."-(Acts 20:26-27)
Movements are dangerous. They are not inherently good or evil, but volatile nonetheless. And perhaps that is their innate potential to be used as a positive power; to be explosive enough to be noticeable and implant permanent or lasting change. But in the negative potential of any "movement" lies their finite nature. The DNA of a movement allows that, without commitment and absolute, implanted change, all it will do is make a noisy appearance and inevitably, fade away, leaving in its wake collateral damage and a potentially scarring effect on those who witness its failure to root or create a better life. There are obvious examples in history that will stir some with litigious bents to revel in proving me wrong. However, I would cite that "movements" such as the Civil Rights Movement, Women's Rights and many others only mark their inception with a movement. These platforms are basic human rights that needed a powder-keg to open the door to become revealed truth and necessary societal and cultural changes. We need a kick in the pants (if you will) sometimes as a species in order to develop into better stewards of one another. But in contrast, there have been other "movements" in the history of mankind that have not created necessary, or for that matter, positive change. Take for instance the German "National Socialist" Movement, or Marxism. There is no doubt, (if you have the freedom to read this) that the Nazis and the purveyors of Communism had their own devastating effects on mankind. The only lasting change there was hurt and pain, and a cathartic reminder of what NOT to become or repeat.
But those examples, both positive and negative are only to initiate your involvement in the relative conundrum at hand. Are mere "movements" good for the Body of Christ or the Kingdom of God? I say NO. Why? Because we need more than a brief encounter with change. We need TOTAL change. Movements without permanence are impotent. Or I should say "movements" for their own sake are impotent. When we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, it is not a temporary means to an end. It is a complete repentant redemption and thereby "re-creation" of our lives. It is not a moment of mercy, but a new beginning for a lifetime of mercy and grace. "Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness."-(Lamentations 3:22-23)
When we were recently ministering in Jerusalem to the beautiful body of Messianic Believers there, a very wise Pastor and dear friend of mine asked me quite candidly "What do you think of the prosperity movement?". I paused to reflect on his intentions, and recognized immediately in the Spirit what he was digging toward. I answered rather tersely "I do not put my faith in 'movements'. I believe that we must receive and preach the whole counsel of God. The only movements that we should seek in the body of Christ are found in the currency and flow of the Holy Spirit." I continued on to cite that Jesus believed very strongly in prosperity as one-quarter of the parables alone speak about money and stewardship, let alone our joy, spirits and lives PROSPERING. I found myself involuntarily impassioned by this query due to the devastating impact that some "movements" have had on the faith of many individuals and countless bodies of believers when they are taken out of balance. Prosperity, Word of Faith and other movements are not meant to be consumed, practiced, developed or taught as singular, free-standing entities. They are all of them incredibly important to the furthering of the Gospel and the building of the Kingdom, but none should be exalted into uniqueness. They are all organs that must work in synchronicity with one another in order to be effective.
When we take a single verse, or a concept from the Word of God and focus entirely on it for the sake of teaching or imparting a life-changing maturation into the lives of our fellow believers, it is imperative that we build with balance. When we teach or preach a specific area without focusing on building the Kingdom of God and glorifying Jesus in the Earth, and instead glorify a concept or "movement" above the King, we have missed the point. "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"-(2 Corinthians 10:5) In fact, when a concept becomes a denominational identity that ALWAYS leads to unbalanced incompletion.
Before you find offense here, allow me to demonstrate this issue with an imaginary control for our hypothetical edification. Allow me to use something that is NOT a tenet of our faith to exhibit BALANCE. Say that culinary excellence (cooking and dining) is demonstrated throughout the Word of God as a benefit or active necessity to the abundant life of a follower of Jesus the Messiah. Imagine that without understanding the details of fine cuisine, the preparation of all manner of food and the accoutrements that complete a gastronomic experience with excellence, we would be incomplete as believers. Now entertain the idea that due to its complexity, the study of this facet of our faith demands precise attention. Picture if you can a cadre of scriptural and oration experts preaching, teaching and developing believers into becoming expert chefs themselves. But instead of the importance of that glimmer of the entire picture being directed back to the throne, the blood, the kingdom and righteousness of God, it becomes a separate ideal. People spend more and more time, perhaps ALL of their energy concentrating on this area of concern and it consumes them. The food is incredible, the experience is incomparable, and the intense point of convergence in what was intended to supplement becomes a doctrine-based denomination. People are now exalting the experts of this ideal into a position of Apostolic hierarchy and then creating entire branches and umbrella classifications of faith that in truth are partial glimpses at the King and His true Kingdom. Now, through this fairly absurd example (once again I repeat it is NOT SCRIPTURAL) it is poignant to cite "It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”-(Matthew 4:4) For after all, the Word in its entirety is our fullness and FOOD.
The metaphor of food here was not a random choice. One of the most widespread and constant thoughts in many of your minds right now is your DIET. Thanks to a multi-BILLION dollar industry, the word "diet" has been manipulated into an action or verb rather than a noun. Most people define the word as "a torturous time of starvation and deprivation of food to reach a desired weight or physical appearance". It was never intended to be so. Your "diet" should simply mean "what you eat". But that is not the contemporary definition. People are literally consumed with diet fads each with their own claim to victory. But as one of my greatest mentors, the late Brian Klemmer wrote about diets in his book "If How-To's Were Enough We'd All Be Skinny, Rich and Happy", they DON'T WORK. That is right. Diets do not work. They are a temporary means to an end. LIFESTYLE CHANGES WORK. You cannot simply diet for several weeks or months and after losing a determined amount of weight return to your old eating habits and expect to keep the weight off. You must change your mindset entirely. You must change your lifestyle ENTIRELY. Believe me, I know this from personal, fat-losing, self-loathing dieting experience.
Movements without implanted change are diets. Salvation is NOT a temporary way out. It is eternal. The reason true salvation is accompanied with the old man dying and our becoming a new creation is our need to put away the old. The new life that we gain through the blood of Jesus Christ is not a momentary excursion. It is a total lifestyle change. The intentional purpose of our being "born again" in our reception of His lordship is to clear out the old. The old mindset, the old belief system, the old sin, the old lack, the old doubt, the old wineskin. "And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins."-(Mark 2:22) If we do not experience a paradigm shift through our experience with Jesus Christ and His saving blood, we will simply remain the same. That is why we need TOTAL salvation, TOTAL change.
Jesus the Messiah did not suffer the passion and die on the cross at calvary taking upon Himself our debts so that we would live the "partial life". No. He fulfilled the Law and the Prophets so that we would live the "Abundant Life". And that life is one without lack. The perfection we gain in Him is our completion. We cannot live full, complete lives in Him if we do not receive the fullness of the whole counsel of God. That is what we are to consume, become and live out. The entirety, not just a "movement". I want to be effective in building His Kingdom here on Earth with full authority to do so. I do not believe that we can operate in the fullness of His strength, power and Spirit if we only focus on or teach the Word in partiality. We must preach the total Gospel. There are many anointed men and women of God currently teaching Grace without teaching Holiness. There is a new imbalance shifting in the Body of Christ. It is imperative that we share the Grace by which we are all saved, but it is equally imperative to impart the necessity to live transformed lives that are Holy as HE is Holy. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."-(Hebrews 13:8) He was holy yesterday, He is holy today and forever. He was a healer yesterday, He is our healer today and forever. He was the fullness of God's Love yesterday, today and forever. There is no shadow of turning with Him. The movement of the Holy Spirit is not partial. It is with His entire being, the perfect wholeness and manifold witness that He moves. God is multifaceted. The Word describes Him as variegated, many-colored. There is in Him the complexity of ALL creation and existence. The wholeness of His being MUST be exalted.
This may seem to be overwhelming. How do we embrace His fullness? How is it possible to ingest and understand the infinite depth of the most high God? How do you eat an Elephant? One bite at a time. The difference here is that when taking small bites, we never lose sight of the whole picture. God is bigger than the portions that we are currently focusing on. We must never allow a part to be the entire focus. We encourage you to learn, study, investigate and master the endless levels of complexity in the Word of God. But whatever you do, never allow yourself to exalt an idea or "movement" into a denominational pillar. Seek out the whole counsel. Live the the lifestyle not the diet, and embrace the whole thing, or rather EAT the whole thing.
Pastors Brian and Jeni Stivale travel the globe spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and ministering with signs and wonders following through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Their ministry of preaching, teaching, prophetic, and worship reaches millions throughout the world via Churches, Conferences, Internet and Television. www.StivaleMinistries.org
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Friday, April 22, 2011
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Don't Go Back to Egypt
"...Were it not better for us to return to Egypt?"-(Numbers 14:3)
The words issued from the mouths and hearts of rebellious Israelites freed from their 400 year bondage represent a grave danger in the life of a child of God. The danger is looking back in conditioned, romanticized remembrance of the very situation we pray and ask God to deliver us from, only to regress. This is a situation that the Lord would not have us repeat. If God delivers us from sin, and transforms us into "new creations" we are not to even look back. Jesus tells the man who asks to first go back and say goodbye to his family before following Him "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."-(Luke 9:62)
God shows us the importance of not even glancing back toward that which we have been delivered from through the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah when Lot's wife chooses to look back at what they were leaving: "But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."-(Genesis 19:26) Why does this happen? How is it possible that we can have such incredible, supernatural events split the fabric of time and space through the very hand of God to deliver, heal, save or redeem us, and our reaction is often to turn back to that from which we have been removed?
My beloved bride are tremendously blessed to have witnessed firsthand many incredible supernatural healings. I remember fairly recently at one of our meetings with Pastor Benny Hinn, a woman who had a painful, crippling condition for more than 20 years. That day was her day for a miracle. She came in faith to the meeting, and God most certainly met her there, and healed her. It was incredible to see the joy in her countenance when she gave her testimony of what the Lord had done for her. Tears of glorious appreciation and sincere awe that the King of Kings would deliver her out of her bodily affliction captivated her persona. She literally "jumped for joy". As the line of testimonies continued on, the woman walked of her own strength down from the platform and proceeded to pass the line of discarded walkers, wheelchairs and crutches, and in hesitation, stopped to fetch her old wheelchair from the apron of the stage. And then, after looking thoughtfully at it for a moment, sat back down in it and triggered the controls to begin wheeling back to her seat. I was baffled. She was absolutely healed. Not only did we and the rest of the ministry team witness it, but the entire gathering of over 9,000 did as well. Pastor Benny was taken aback. He interrupted those who were being interviewed for their healing and called her out. "What on earth are you doing?" No response. "Why is that woman back in her wheelchair?" She kept on motoring along... I prayerfully asked God the same question, and immediately heard in my spirit: "She is going back to Egypt".
As incredulous as it may be, that is the plight of so many who receive long-awaited deliverances, healings, breakthroughs and supernatural provisions from the Lord. Which leads me once again to the familiar and imperative 'Why?'- Why would anyone who has suffered any plight that only the Lord could remove return to it? "Like a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool returns to their folly."-(Proverbs 26:11) But is it concious folly when one returns to their condition of imprisonment? I believe that when some return to certain sins, particularly sins of the flesh that create short-term seasonal pleasure, it is strictly out of addictive bondage to that pleasure. But the same principle exists on the opposite end of logic. Take for instance those who have spent enough time in prison to become institutionalized. They may see the light of freedom again, but oftentimes they long to return to the routine and (albeit inconceivable) comfort of the 6'x8' cell that they inhabited during their penalization. Another possibility for one's attempt to return to bondage is the comfort of victimized living. Rather than having to tend for oneself, there are those who either fear developing or re-developing self-sufficiency or simply wish to be served out of their condition, and therefore become "permanent victims". It is often fear... fear of the unknown, or fear of being uncomfortable that drives the reversion; And fear is a disease. In any case, the true reasoning is spiritually hindered, flesh-feeding (and in some cases), demonized oppression, but it all boils down to COMFORT.
There is a morbid comfort of the flesh found in the prison bars, the sick bed, the wheelchair or the addiction that literally holds some people captive. It is familiar, and therefore, (in a completely self-decaying capacity) it is a predictable magnetic force for return. "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."-(Matthew 26:41) It is in the weakness of our flesh that we can be defeated. It is in the frailty of the human condition that we revert to our captive state. Jesus identified that in the Garden of Gethsemane when he warned Peter, John and James as they were falling asleep to "Watch and Pray, so that you do not fall into temptation." Their spirits were willing, but their flesh was weak. Jesus knew that in order to conquer those situations where the flesh could turn back, it is imperative that we connect completely to the spirit man. Our flesh is incapable of holding onto deliverance, redemption, healing and the miraculous. But while the flesh inevitably fails, the spirit is eternally victorious through Christ. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."-(Zechariah 4:6)
It is one of the adversary's greatest weapons of deception to manipulate us into thinking that we are responsible in the flesh or mind to hold onto the gifts and callings of the Lord. But that is a lie. What is more, that is a transparent confusion of the will of God for those under the covenant of Abraham, and as believers through Jesus Christ we also share the bounty of that same covenant. "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance."-(Romans 11:29) Which leads us back to the wandering Israelites... How is it that they did not receive the Promised Land within the first generation that left the bondage and reproach of Egypt? Perhaps a better question would be- How is it that the children of Israel disregarded the immediate witness of the plagues over Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the utter destruction of the Horse and Riders of Egypt, the pillar of fire by night, and the cloud of smoke by day, the manna and the quail, the water from the rocks? How is it possible that even after crying out unto God for generations to send deliverance, in rebellion they moaned and complained that they wished to return to the same bondage they had been delivered from?
The answer is defined in one word: Faith. It takes FAITH to hold onto the promise, healing, deliverance or blessing. It takes the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen to receive that which God supernaturally grants us. "Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."-(Hebrews 11:6) It takes the faith of Joshua and Caleb to look into the Promised Land and while the other spys return with reports of negativity and fear of defeat and say "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it."-(Numbers 13:30)
There is a great lyric in the hymn "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" that goes: "I have decided to follow Jesus, No turning back, No turning back..." So as you go forth through the journey of this beautiful, wonderous faith- Do not turn back, and when you receive "IT", DON'T GO BACK TO EGYPT.
The words issued from the mouths and hearts of rebellious Israelites freed from their 400 year bondage represent a grave danger in the life of a child of God. The danger is looking back in conditioned, romanticized remembrance of the very situation we pray and ask God to deliver us from, only to regress. This is a situation that the Lord would not have us repeat. If God delivers us from sin, and transforms us into "new creations" we are not to even look back. Jesus tells the man who asks to first go back and say goodbye to his family before following Him "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."-(Luke 9:62)
God shows us the importance of not even glancing back toward that which we have been delivered from through the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah when Lot's wife chooses to look back at what they were leaving: "But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."-(Genesis 19:26) Why does this happen? How is it possible that we can have such incredible, supernatural events split the fabric of time and space through the very hand of God to deliver, heal, save or redeem us, and our reaction is often to turn back to that from which we have been removed?
My beloved bride are tremendously blessed to have witnessed firsthand many incredible supernatural healings. I remember fairly recently at one of our meetings with Pastor Benny Hinn, a woman who had a painful, crippling condition for more than 20 years. That day was her day for a miracle. She came in faith to the meeting, and God most certainly met her there, and healed her. It was incredible to see the joy in her countenance when she gave her testimony of what the Lord had done for her. Tears of glorious appreciation and sincere awe that the King of Kings would deliver her out of her bodily affliction captivated her persona. She literally "jumped for joy". As the line of testimonies continued on, the woman walked of her own strength down from the platform and proceeded to pass the line of discarded walkers, wheelchairs and crutches, and in hesitation, stopped to fetch her old wheelchair from the apron of the stage. And then, after looking thoughtfully at it for a moment, sat back down in it and triggered the controls to begin wheeling back to her seat. I was baffled. She was absolutely healed. Not only did we and the rest of the ministry team witness it, but the entire gathering of over 9,000 did as well. Pastor Benny was taken aback. He interrupted those who were being interviewed for their healing and called her out. "What on earth are you doing?" No response. "Why is that woman back in her wheelchair?" She kept on motoring along... I prayerfully asked God the same question, and immediately heard in my spirit: "She is going back to Egypt".
As incredulous as it may be, that is the plight of so many who receive long-awaited deliverances, healings, breakthroughs and supernatural provisions from the Lord. Which leads me once again to the familiar and imperative 'Why?'- Why would anyone who has suffered any plight that only the Lord could remove return to it? "Like a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool returns to their folly."-(Proverbs 26:11) But is it concious folly when one returns to their condition of imprisonment? I believe that when some return to certain sins, particularly sins of the flesh that create short-term seasonal pleasure, it is strictly out of addictive bondage to that pleasure. But the same principle exists on the opposite end of logic. Take for instance those who have spent enough time in prison to become institutionalized. They may see the light of freedom again, but oftentimes they long to return to the routine and (albeit inconceivable) comfort of the 6'x8' cell that they inhabited during their penalization. Another possibility for one's attempt to return to bondage is the comfort of victimized living. Rather than having to tend for oneself, there are those who either fear developing or re-developing self-sufficiency or simply wish to be served out of their condition, and therefore become "permanent victims". It is often fear... fear of the unknown, or fear of being uncomfortable that drives the reversion; And fear is a disease. In any case, the true reasoning is spiritually hindered, flesh-feeding (and in some cases), demonized oppression, but it all boils down to COMFORT.
There is a morbid comfort of the flesh found in the prison bars, the sick bed, the wheelchair or the addiction that literally holds some people captive. It is familiar, and therefore, (in a completely self-decaying capacity) it is a predictable magnetic force for return. "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."-(Matthew 26:41) It is in the weakness of our flesh that we can be defeated. It is in the frailty of the human condition that we revert to our captive state. Jesus identified that in the Garden of Gethsemane when he warned Peter, John and James as they were falling asleep to "Watch and Pray, so that you do not fall into temptation." Their spirits were willing, but their flesh was weak. Jesus knew that in order to conquer those situations where the flesh could turn back, it is imperative that we connect completely to the spirit man. Our flesh is incapable of holding onto deliverance, redemption, healing and the miraculous. But while the flesh inevitably fails, the spirit is eternally victorious through Christ. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."-(Zechariah 4:6)
It is one of the adversary's greatest weapons of deception to manipulate us into thinking that we are responsible in the flesh or mind to hold onto the gifts and callings of the Lord. But that is a lie. What is more, that is a transparent confusion of the will of God for those under the covenant of Abraham, and as believers through Jesus Christ we also share the bounty of that same covenant. "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance."-(Romans 11:29) Which leads us back to the wandering Israelites... How is it that they did not receive the Promised Land within the first generation that left the bondage and reproach of Egypt? Perhaps a better question would be- How is it that the children of Israel disregarded the immediate witness of the plagues over Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the utter destruction of the Horse and Riders of Egypt, the pillar of fire by night, and the cloud of smoke by day, the manna and the quail, the water from the rocks? How is it possible that even after crying out unto God for generations to send deliverance, in rebellion they moaned and complained that they wished to return to the same bondage they had been delivered from?
The answer is defined in one word: Faith. It takes FAITH to hold onto the promise, healing, deliverance or blessing. It takes the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen to receive that which God supernaturally grants us. "Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."-(Hebrews 11:6) It takes the faith of Joshua and Caleb to look into the Promised Land and while the other spys return with reports of negativity and fear of defeat and say "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it."-(Numbers 13:30)
There is a great lyric in the hymn "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" that goes: "I have decided to follow Jesus, No turning back, No turning back..." So as you go forth through the journey of this beautiful, wonderous faith- Do not turn back, and when you receive "IT", DON'T GO BACK TO EGYPT.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
"Now Faith"
"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."-(Luke 18:17)
Three years and 3 months ago, after ministering at a Leaders and Achievers Conference on the island of Maui, Hawaii, the eldest of my two sons, Gabriel, was receiving a reflexology treatment in my Mother-In-Law's suite across the hall from ours. The Lanai door was open and the air flowing into the common room was a current of Polynesian warmth and humidity. Ours is a family of closely-knit personalities and friendships, and the room even in the midst of his treatment was fairly well populated. When it was finished, Gabriel went to the front door of the room to say goodbye to his aunt and her friend. He was standing with his left arm inside the doorjamb and his petite, five year-old frame holding the 150 pound door open. The winds were particularly gusty that day, creating both a wind-tunnel and a vacuum effect in the main corridor of the suite from the lanai to the front door. As he stood saying his sweet fair-wells, an invisible powerhouse of wind forced the weighty door to slam shut. Gabriel's left arm was broken in two. He shrieked in agony as I had never heard him. It immediately broke our hearts to hear such a sound from our beloved boy. At that point in time, Jeni and I had been the next in line, and were getting our reflexology treatments in the master bedroom. We rounded the corner in an adrenaline infused flash to reach him and comfort him in his distress. In agony he stammered and cried at the top of his lungs. I looked at his arm. It was broken on the forearm and literally hanging the wrong way much like one of those horrific viral videos of sports injuries do. I would normally be disgusted by the sight of something like that, but this was my boy. We had someone call the desk and alert local emergency services. We then had them follow up and send their onsite EMT to the suite. As we carefully laid his broken appendage in a pillow and had someone hold it together acting as a splint, I began to stew and became angered with the negligence of the Hotel. I went into "protective tiger-mode" and started in professing how they should have had a sign that warned of the wind-tunnel vacuous vortex from hell that occurs when the lanai and front door are both open. What is more, I frenetically asked "why do the doors weigh as much as a dungeon gate?"- I was totally in the flesh. The Holy Spirit arrested me. I stopped, looking down into Gabriel's bloodshot and pained eyes, then panning the room it struck me; We are at least 7 believers in this room. We need to pray... NOW. As we were all praying in the Spirit, (which should more than likely freak any little child out) I heard in my spirit- "Tell him to agree". I looked at his face, glazed with tears, and into his eyes. I said "Gabriel, sweetheart, you need to agree with us. Okay?" He gasped and through stuttering tears answered "Okay..." "Say 'I am healed in Jesus' Name'". He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and repeated- "I am healed in Jesus' Name... I am healed in Jesus'..." Before he could utter it a second time completely, we all heard a noticeable "POP!" Looking at each other, the person who was holding the pillow as a splint recounted later that they could not hold it together. At that same moment, it was as if a person was forcing their arms to open the splint. As it was opened, Gabriel stopped crying instantly, lifted his arm up from the pillow and rotated it around. "I'm fine." he declared. We looked at his arm and it was completely whole. It was a miracle. The faith of my child had gained access to the benefits of the blood. We must have seemed like maniacs or hypochondriacs to the EMT who arrived a minute or so later. They examined his arm and saw no sign of breakage. We felt it was wisdom to go directly to the medical center a few miles away at another property for follow-up. Gabriel, whose entire countenance and spirit changed as he was healed said- "Jesus healed me." We did quite a bit of crying ourselves that day, mostly out of thanksgiving and joy for the wonderful gift that our God had provided. We went in and his X-rays were perfect. There was no break. At first, after hearing what had happened, the Doctor seemed dubious of the situation. But upon deep investigation, (they took additional X-rays of his other arm) the only thing they could find was a slight bruising on the area where the door slammed on his arm. He was certifiably, absolutely and completely HEALED.
"Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him."-(Psalm 127:3)
Both of our children are miraculous. Literally. I do not say that with careless abandon or with levity, but mean to convey the essence of the miraculous is in their births. Quite truthfully, it is miraculous that either of the two were even conceived. Years ago, my beautiful bride was told by a team of Doctors that the reality of her conceiving a child was, at best, a 3 percent possibility. Within a few weeks, our first child was alive and inhabiting temporary residence in the womb "that the builders rejected". Over the course of the next three months, Jeni, who was working for Sir Cameron Macintosh overseas, continued to perform under medical observation and clearance. The day before her 30th birthday, she was startled by bleeding and felt as though she was losing the baby. The Doctor sent her to the nearest hospital and had her put on immediate bed rest, telling her that it was inevitable that she would lose him. Ironically enough, on her 30th birthday, in a city called HELL, Cayman Islands (absolutely true), she laid prayerfully asking for his life. God delivered. She came home and we carried on with a fairly normal pregnancy after that. In the midst of the second trimester, my mother called us. She had a prophetic dream. In the dream, an angel came and told her that we would have a son, and we were to name him Gabriel. We did. Gabriel Jacob Stivale was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on July 15, 2002.
"But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."-(Luke 18:16)
Two and a half years after Gabriel was born, as we ministered at another conference, we were approached by a self-proclaimed "Prophetess". I state that she was self-proclaimed because I recognize that God appoints men and women to operate in the office of prophet in these latter days (Joel 2:28), but confirms it by exterior means or signs following. In other words, if someone decides autonomously, without the assignment and the anointing of God that they themselves are a Prophet or Prophetess, their fruit will reveal the truth. The aforementioned lady pulled my wife aside to "give her a word". I should also interject here, the importance of WHO you receive prophetic words from, as in many cases, self-fulfillment follows the confession of a belief. She proceeded to tell my bride, that God was "closing her womb" as He wanted her and I to focus entirely on ministry. This did not fit with what the Holy Spirit had revealed to either of us, so it was unsettling. It troubled Jeni and she was confused as to the intention of imparting something of that sort. It is instances just like this that God uses to further confirm His Word. "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."-(1 John 4:1) The following day, the same lady approached me while I was mid-conversation with my good friend, Dr. Dave Martin and broke into the conversation by saying "I have a Word from the Lord for you." Dave shot me a look of warning, already seeing in the Spirit that she was not necessarily "all there". She then with the weighty seriousness of Samuel began- "The Lord told me to tell you... You are not charging enough for your CD. You need to charge 2 more dollars." Wow. I was so flabbergasted that God would intercede into that matter prophetically, literally jumping over both Jeni and I that I audibly laughed. She smirked at me and walked away as I "thanked her" for her obedience. Jeni then became pregnant with our next child within a few weeks of that event.
As the God of the 3 percent breakthrough operated His miracle-working power through the same womb that bore our first "Might Warrior of God", our next challenge came. You see, whenever God wants to bring tremendous blessing or growth, the enemy attacks with full force. Our next child, a boy, was diagnosed as a high-risk and we were told that there was a very strong likelihood that he would be Down's Syndrome and low birth weight. The Doctors told us that we needed to have an Amniocentesis performed. It is a fairly dangerous procedure where a large syringe pierces the womb and draws a sample of the amniotic fluid to be tested. They insisted on the test as the "responsible thing to do". When we asked why, we were told that the test results would show us whether the child would be retarded or have birth defects. We asked if they could treat anything if the results were unfavorable, they said coldly, "No, but you would be able to abort." We were appalled and answered immediately with "You don't know our God. And furthermore, if this child is special or normal, we will love him unconditionally." The Ob/Gyn told us that we were "stupid" and "irresponsible". We told her that we were faithful, and more importantly that our God was faithful. Negative report after negative report, we stood upon the Word of God, knowing that Jesus was in control, either way, we held fast. As the week of the scheduled C-section approached, our faith was tested heavily. We stood on the Word. The hour of the operation came, and I sat alone waiting for the procedure as Jeni was in pre-op. I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving and asked God to bless this child and order his steps. Minutes later, we welcomed Benjamin Ray Stivale in to his adventure. He was heavier than his older brother at birth, and absolutely perfect. They told us over the course of his testing that he was deaf in his right ear, but we prayed for his wholeness, and when we took him into an Audiologist, they found him to be totally whole and pronounced him as such. God is so incredibly faithful. "God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful."-(1 Corinthians 1:9)
Our faith was tested and strengthened through all of these events. Jesus proves time and time again that we belong to HIM, and He takes care of His children. But throughout the growth of our boys, we have learned through the miraculous and the mild, they have tremendous, inspiring faith in God. We are so blessed to have had them both dedicated by their now, Step-Grandfather, Bob Harrison, and our beloved friends John Bevere and Dr. Myles Munroe. What an awesome God. What a divine impartation and blessing, and what an awesome future that they are called to in His Kingdom. But the environment and teaching of the Holy Spirit has developed in them both faith that rivals the Generals of the Gospel themselves. They are sown in, grafted into the true vine, and they have learned already that He is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. They know, even at this young and tender age, that God's promises are true, and that FAITH MOVES MOUNTAINS. "For thou, O Lord, art my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth. Upon thee I have leaned from my birth; thou art he who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of thee."-(Psalm 71:5-6)
I love their understanding of faith. It is immediate. It is not "instant gratification" but rather "NOW faith". "NOW faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."-(Hebrews 11:1) Our sons have "NOW FAITH". When Benny has an injury or needs prayer, he always completes his prayers (and sometimes amends ours) with "Not tomorrow, not Sunday, but RIGHT NOW. In Jesus' Name". What is impressive is the genuinely immediate action of the Hand of God into these situations. His faith expects "NOW" and God grants it. Gabriel's understanding of the power of faith reaches into his everyday, and it is a direct result of that life-changing experience seeing the immediacy of his healing. That has brought to light in our ministry the same immediacy in Jesus' miracles during His ministry on Earth. There were no indefinite time lapses between the healings themselves and the manifestation. "A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy."-(Matthew 8:2-3) "Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour."-(Matthew 8:13) "As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. -(Mark 1:42) ""Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road."-(Mark 10:52) When we have the faith of a child, it has not been tainted by the qualifications or mystification of the world. It is pure and strong. Our expectation is set upon the immediacy of the manifestation, the truth of God's promises. The Lord Himself teaches us that we must be like children to inherit the Kingdom of God. (Luke 18:17) That most certainly does not mean that we operate as children do, or that we revert in our maturity or development. "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me."-(1 Corinthians 13:11) We need to loose the shackles of the world and return to the purity of a child's belief. In that regard, we must not necessarily "think" like a child, but rather "BELIEVE" like one in order to please God and activate His promises. My boys are two of my greatest inspirations and along with my bride, are the proof that there is a God, he loves and believes in me and wants me to be blessed. They are, in spite of their age, two of my greatest examples when it comes to understanding true, unadulterated FAITH.
So, whether you have your own miniature anointed progeny or not, perhaps we must all reflect on the obedience and faith of the boy with the fish and the loaves. Give all we have to the Master willingly and whole-heartedly, so He may bless and multiply it immediately with "NOW FAITH". We are, after all, no matter how young or old, His CHILDREN.
Three years and 3 months ago, after ministering at a Leaders and Achievers Conference on the island of Maui, Hawaii, the eldest of my two sons, Gabriel, was receiving a reflexology treatment in my Mother-In-Law's suite across the hall from ours. The Lanai door was open and the air flowing into the common room was a current of Polynesian warmth and humidity. Ours is a family of closely-knit personalities and friendships, and the room even in the midst of his treatment was fairly well populated. When it was finished, Gabriel went to the front door of the room to say goodbye to his aunt and her friend. He was standing with his left arm inside the doorjamb and his petite, five year-old frame holding the 150 pound door open. The winds were particularly gusty that day, creating both a wind-tunnel and a vacuum effect in the main corridor of the suite from the lanai to the front door. As he stood saying his sweet fair-wells, an invisible powerhouse of wind forced the weighty door to slam shut. Gabriel's left arm was broken in two. He shrieked in agony as I had never heard him. It immediately broke our hearts to hear such a sound from our beloved boy. At that point in time, Jeni and I had been the next in line, and were getting our reflexology treatments in the master bedroom. We rounded the corner in an adrenaline infused flash to reach him and comfort him in his distress. In agony he stammered and cried at the top of his lungs. I looked at his arm. It was broken on the forearm and literally hanging the wrong way much like one of those horrific viral videos of sports injuries do. I would normally be disgusted by the sight of something like that, but this was my boy. We had someone call the desk and alert local emergency services. We then had them follow up and send their onsite EMT to the suite. As we carefully laid his broken appendage in a pillow and had someone hold it together acting as a splint, I began to stew and became angered with the negligence of the Hotel. I went into "protective tiger-mode" and started in professing how they should have had a sign that warned of the wind-tunnel vacuous vortex from hell that occurs when the lanai and front door are both open. What is more, I frenetically asked "why do the doors weigh as much as a dungeon gate?"- I was totally in the flesh. The Holy Spirit arrested me. I stopped, looking down into Gabriel's bloodshot and pained eyes, then panning the room it struck me; We are at least 7 believers in this room. We need to pray... NOW. As we were all praying in the Spirit, (which should more than likely freak any little child out) I heard in my spirit- "Tell him to agree". I looked at his face, glazed with tears, and into his eyes. I said "Gabriel, sweetheart, you need to agree with us. Okay?" He gasped and through stuttering tears answered "Okay..." "Say 'I am healed in Jesus' Name'". He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and repeated- "I am healed in Jesus' Name... I am healed in Jesus'..." Before he could utter it a second time completely, we all heard a noticeable "POP!" Looking at each other, the person who was holding the pillow as a splint recounted later that they could not hold it together. At that same moment, it was as if a person was forcing their arms to open the splint. As it was opened, Gabriel stopped crying instantly, lifted his arm up from the pillow and rotated it around. "I'm fine." he declared. We looked at his arm and it was completely whole. It was a miracle. The faith of my child had gained access to the benefits of the blood. We must have seemed like maniacs or hypochondriacs to the EMT who arrived a minute or so later. They examined his arm and saw no sign of breakage. We felt it was wisdom to go directly to the medical center a few miles away at another property for follow-up. Gabriel, whose entire countenance and spirit changed as he was healed said- "Jesus healed me." We did quite a bit of crying ourselves that day, mostly out of thanksgiving and joy for the wonderful gift that our God had provided. We went in and his X-rays were perfect. There was no break. At first, after hearing what had happened, the Doctor seemed dubious of the situation. But upon deep investigation, (they took additional X-rays of his other arm) the only thing they could find was a slight bruising on the area where the door slammed on his arm. He was certifiably, absolutely and completely HEALED.
"Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him."-(Psalm 127:3)
Both of our children are miraculous. Literally. I do not say that with careless abandon or with levity, but mean to convey the essence of the miraculous is in their births. Quite truthfully, it is miraculous that either of the two were even conceived. Years ago, my beautiful bride was told by a team of Doctors that the reality of her conceiving a child was, at best, a 3 percent possibility. Within a few weeks, our first child was alive and inhabiting temporary residence in the womb "that the builders rejected". Over the course of the next three months, Jeni, who was working for Sir Cameron Macintosh overseas, continued to perform under medical observation and clearance. The day before her 30th birthday, she was startled by bleeding and felt as though she was losing the baby. The Doctor sent her to the nearest hospital and had her put on immediate bed rest, telling her that it was inevitable that she would lose him. Ironically enough, on her 30th birthday, in a city called HELL, Cayman Islands (absolutely true), she laid prayerfully asking for his life. God delivered. She came home and we carried on with a fairly normal pregnancy after that. In the midst of the second trimester, my mother called us. She had a prophetic dream. In the dream, an angel came and told her that we would have a son, and we were to name him Gabriel. We did. Gabriel Jacob Stivale was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on July 15, 2002.
"But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."-(Luke 18:16)
Two and a half years after Gabriel was born, as we ministered at another conference, we were approached by a self-proclaimed "Prophetess". I state that she was self-proclaimed because I recognize that God appoints men and women to operate in the office of prophet in these latter days (Joel 2:28), but confirms it by exterior means or signs following. In other words, if someone decides autonomously, without the assignment and the anointing of God that they themselves are a Prophet or Prophetess, their fruit will reveal the truth. The aforementioned lady pulled my wife aside to "give her a word". I should also interject here, the importance of WHO you receive prophetic words from, as in many cases, self-fulfillment follows the confession of a belief. She proceeded to tell my bride, that God was "closing her womb" as He wanted her and I to focus entirely on ministry. This did not fit with what the Holy Spirit had revealed to either of us, so it was unsettling. It troubled Jeni and she was confused as to the intention of imparting something of that sort. It is instances just like this that God uses to further confirm His Word. "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."-(1 John 4:1) The following day, the same lady approached me while I was mid-conversation with my good friend, Dr. Dave Martin and broke into the conversation by saying "I have a Word from the Lord for you." Dave shot me a look of warning, already seeing in the Spirit that she was not necessarily "all there". She then with the weighty seriousness of Samuel began- "The Lord told me to tell you... You are not charging enough for your CD. You need to charge 2 more dollars." Wow. I was so flabbergasted that God would intercede into that matter prophetically, literally jumping over both Jeni and I that I audibly laughed. She smirked at me and walked away as I "thanked her" for her obedience. Jeni then became pregnant with our next child within a few weeks of that event.
As the God of the 3 percent breakthrough operated His miracle-working power through the same womb that bore our first "Might Warrior of God", our next challenge came. You see, whenever God wants to bring tremendous blessing or growth, the enemy attacks with full force. Our next child, a boy, was diagnosed as a high-risk and we were told that there was a very strong likelihood that he would be Down's Syndrome and low birth weight. The Doctors told us that we needed to have an Amniocentesis performed. It is a fairly dangerous procedure where a large syringe pierces the womb and draws a sample of the amniotic fluid to be tested. They insisted on the test as the "responsible thing to do". When we asked why, we were told that the test results would show us whether the child would be retarded or have birth defects. We asked if they could treat anything if the results were unfavorable, they said coldly, "No, but you would be able to abort." We were appalled and answered immediately with "You don't know our God. And furthermore, if this child is special or normal, we will love him unconditionally." The Ob/Gyn told us that we were "stupid" and "irresponsible". We told her that we were faithful, and more importantly that our God was faithful. Negative report after negative report, we stood upon the Word of God, knowing that Jesus was in control, either way, we held fast. As the week of the scheduled C-section approached, our faith was tested heavily. We stood on the Word. The hour of the operation came, and I sat alone waiting for the procedure as Jeni was in pre-op. I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving and asked God to bless this child and order his steps. Minutes later, we welcomed Benjamin Ray Stivale in to his adventure. He was heavier than his older brother at birth, and absolutely perfect. They told us over the course of his testing that he was deaf in his right ear, but we prayed for his wholeness, and when we took him into an Audiologist, they found him to be totally whole and pronounced him as such. God is so incredibly faithful. "God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful."-(1 Corinthians 1:9)
Our faith was tested and strengthened through all of these events. Jesus proves time and time again that we belong to HIM, and He takes care of His children. But throughout the growth of our boys, we have learned through the miraculous and the mild, they have tremendous, inspiring faith in God. We are so blessed to have had them both dedicated by their now, Step-Grandfather, Bob Harrison, and our beloved friends John Bevere and Dr. Myles Munroe. What an awesome God. What a divine impartation and blessing, and what an awesome future that they are called to in His Kingdom. But the environment and teaching of the Holy Spirit has developed in them both faith that rivals the Generals of the Gospel themselves. They are sown in, grafted into the true vine, and they have learned already that He is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. They know, even at this young and tender age, that God's promises are true, and that FAITH MOVES MOUNTAINS. "For thou, O Lord, art my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth. Upon thee I have leaned from my birth; thou art he who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of thee."-(Psalm 71:5-6)
I love their understanding of faith. It is immediate. It is not "instant gratification" but rather "NOW faith". "NOW faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."-(Hebrews 11:1) Our sons have "NOW FAITH". When Benny has an injury or needs prayer, he always completes his prayers (and sometimes amends ours) with "Not tomorrow, not Sunday, but RIGHT NOW. In Jesus' Name". What is impressive is the genuinely immediate action of the Hand of God into these situations. His faith expects "NOW" and God grants it. Gabriel's understanding of the power of faith reaches into his everyday, and it is a direct result of that life-changing experience seeing the immediacy of his healing. That has brought to light in our ministry the same immediacy in Jesus' miracles during His ministry on Earth. There were no indefinite time lapses between the healings themselves and the manifestation. "A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy."-(Matthew 8:2-3) "Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour."-(Matthew 8:13) "As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. -(Mark 1:42) ""Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road."-(Mark 10:52) When we have the faith of a child, it has not been tainted by the qualifications or mystification of the world. It is pure and strong. Our expectation is set upon the immediacy of the manifestation, the truth of God's promises. The Lord Himself teaches us that we must be like children to inherit the Kingdom of God. (Luke 18:17) That most certainly does not mean that we operate as children do, or that we revert in our maturity or development. "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me."-(1 Corinthians 13:11) We need to loose the shackles of the world and return to the purity of a child's belief. In that regard, we must not necessarily "think" like a child, but rather "BELIEVE" like one in order to please God and activate His promises. My boys are two of my greatest inspirations and along with my bride, are the proof that there is a God, he loves and believes in me and wants me to be blessed. They are, in spite of their age, two of my greatest examples when it comes to understanding true, unadulterated FAITH.
So, whether you have your own miniature anointed progeny or not, perhaps we must all reflect on the obedience and faith of the boy with the fish and the loaves. Give all we have to the Master willingly and whole-heartedly, so He may bless and multiply it immediately with "NOW FAITH". We are, after all, no matter how young or old, His CHILDREN.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
His Plan: A New Thing
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."-(Isaiah 43:18-19)
New seasons are a glorious indication of God's plans coming to pass. If we were perpetually trapped in one moment, no matter how wonderful it is, it would be a stumbling block for His plans. We would stagnate and become dwarfed versions of our authentic selves. Seasons are necessary in nature to bring about the cyclical changes in the earth and in the design of creation that the Lord intended for our natural flesh to encounter. I believe that there is within all seasons an incredible metaphor of the Father's blueprint for our spiritual growth and maturation. "Life is a collection of Seasons" is a quote that one of my mentors, Bob Harrison frequently teaches on. And so it is... And for each season there is a purpose and a divine timing. "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."-(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
There is a singular beauty and necessity found in each moment, each season of our lives. These moments and seasons are the very milestones, markers and substance of the JOURNEY itself. We each have a destiny that is specific to God's intended architectural purpose for our lives. If we are to fulfill ALL He has written for us to attain and complete, we must not stand still. At the appointed times, we, just as the seasons themselves, must move on. There is a currency to the Power and Plans of God that flows as a River- pressing on and churning the waters and surroundings, bringing NEW LIFE. It is up to us to be obedient when He directs us to hold our ground, or to go. As my bride and I reflect on the last 3 and a half years of our lives and the surreal frequency of the move of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we EMBRACE CHANGE.
Obedience is the key. Although our flesh or our mind will usually be challenged by active change, our spirits remain focused upon the promise of faith. We know the He is Faithful to those who are faithful to Him. “Without faith it is impossible to please God”-(Hebrews 11:6) I recognize the greatest act of faith to be immediate obedience. Delayed obedience is disobedience, nevertheless. But direct obedience of the direction of the Holy Spirit, the very direction of God the Father Himself, leads only to supernatural guidance and favor. In other words, when our faith level is such that we believe the promises of God in the powerful scriptures of the Gospel He ACTIVATES HIS POWER through us: "And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, `Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him; Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."-(Mark 11:22-25) He gives us the desires of our hearts, and when our wills are wrapped up into His, He literally PLACES HIS DESIRE INTO OUR HEARTS.
When the Holy Ghost prompts you to "GO" or to "MOVE"- we urge you- DO SO. Do not delay. If we truly believe Him at His WORD, then we would move at His prompting without question. If He is truly GOD, then we must. When we have covenant relationship with the Holy Spirit through the saving power of Jesus Christ, we will live a life consecrated to Him, DEDICATED to Him. And when we DEDICATE anything unto the Lord, He takes ownership of it. When He becomes LORD over our lives He is responsible for us. He is a loving and faithful GOD. We truly DO TRUST in HIM. When He urges us, we know to obey. "Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, "This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left."-(Isaiah 30:21) He will not only guide you, but He will also strengthen you as well. With true faith in the Lord's promises we gain access to receive the blessings of obedience. "I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built."-(Luke 6:46)
So, as we step out in Faith at the direction of the Holy Spirit, and go boldly out onto the waters, we reach out to HIM. And this very day, which represents the first day of our launching out officially, GOD MOVED. There has been no gap between His provision. This morning we received a MASSIVE blessing that will indubitably strengthen His plans for our life together with incredible, uncommon FAVOR. The Favor of the Lord has fallen upon His obedient servants, who are entirely grateful. We LOVE the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul. We worship Him with all of our spirit. He is a truly faithful Father who is our provider indeed.
Today, in your reading of this humbled man's awe of God's faithfulness to His obedient ones, we pray you find encouragement. Stay strong in the Lord, and the Power of His might. We encourage you to stand upon His Word. "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."-(Philippians 1:6) Stepping out of the boat is a daunting act in our minds and bodies, but when our SPIRIT MAN is under the direct cover of God through immediate obedience, NOTHING CAN STOP HIS PLAN. It may take some "taxing" to get you to your Bethlehem, but when you get there God is going to give you your promise. He WILL see it through. He is not making this up as He goes... He has a perfect plan. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."-(Jeremiah 29:11) Trust in the Lord.
New seasons are a glorious indication of God's plans coming to pass. If we were perpetually trapped in one moment, no matter how wonderful it is, it would be a stumbling block for His plans. We would stagnate and become dwarfed versions of our authentic selves. Seasons are necessary in nature to bring about the cyclical changes in the earth and in the design of creation that the Lord intended for our natural flesh to encounter. I believe that there is within all seasons an incredible metaphor of the Father's blueprint for our spiritual growth and maturation. "Life is a collection of Seasons" is a quote that one of my mentors, Bob Harrison frequently teaches on. And so it is... And for each season there is a purpose and a divine timing. "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."-(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
There is a singular beauty and necessity found in each moment, each season of our lives. These moments and seasons are the very milestones, markers and substance of the JOURNEY itself. We each have a destiny that is specific to God's intended architectural purpose for our lives. If we are to fulfill ALL He has written for us to attain and complete, we must not stand still. At the appointed times, we, just as the seasons themselves, must move on. There is a currency to the Power and Plans of God that flows as a River- pressing on and churning the waters and surroundings, bringing NEW LIFE. It is up to us to be obedient when He directs us to hold our ground, or to go. As my bride and I reflect on the last 3 and a half years of our lives and the surreal frequency of the move of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we EMBRACE CHANGE.
Obedience is the key. Although our flesh or our mind will usually be challenged by active change, our spirits remain focused upon the promise of faith. We know the He is Faithful to those who are faithful to Him. “Without faith it is impossible to please God”-(Hebrews 11:6) I recognize the greatest act of faith to be immediate obedience. Delayed obedience is disobedience, nevertheless. But direct obedience of the direction of the Holy Spirit, the very direction of God the Father Himself, leads only to supernatural guidance and favor. In other words, when our faith level is such that we believe the promises of God in the powerful scriptures of the Gospel He ACTIVATES HIS POWER through us: "And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, `Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him; Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."-(Mark 11:22-25) He gives us the desires of our hearts, and when our wills are wrapped up into His, He literally PLACES HIS DESIRE INTO OUR HEARTS.
When the Holy Ghost prompts you to "GO" or to "MOVE"- we urge you- DO SO. Do not delay. If we truly believe Him at His WORD, then we would move at His prompting without question. If He is truly GOD, then we must. When we have covenant relationship with the Holy Spirit through the saving power of Jesus Christ, we will live a life consecrated to Him, DEDICATED to Him. And when we DEDICATE anything unto the Lord, He takes ownership of it. When He becomes LORD over our lives He is responsible for us. He is a loving and faithful GOD. We truly DO TRUST in HIM. When He urges us, we know to obey. "Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, "This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left."-(Isaiah 30:21) He will not only guide you, but He will also strengthen you as well. With true faith in the Lord's promises we gain access to receive the blessings of obedience. "I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built."-(Luke 6:46)
So, as we step out in Faith at the direction of the Holy Spirit, and go boldly out onto the waters, we reach out to HIM. And this very day, which represents the first day of our launching out officially, GOD MOVED. There has been no gap between His provision. This morning we received a MASSIVE blessing that will indubitably strengthen His plans for our life together with incredible, uncommon FAVOR. The Favor of the Lord has fallen upon His obedient servants, who are entirely grateful. We LOVE the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul. We worship Him with all of our spirit. He is a truly faithful Father who is our provider indeed.
Today, in your reading of this humbled man's awe of God's faithfulness to His obedient ones, we pray you find encouragement. Stay strong in the Lord, and the Power of His might. We encourage you to stand upon His Word. "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."-(Philippians 1:6) Stepping out of the boat is a daunting act in our minds and bodies, but when our SPIRIT MAN is under the direct cover of God through immediate obedience, NOTHING CAN STOP HIS PLAN. It may take some "taxing" to get you to your Bethlehem, but when you get there God is going to give you your promise. He WILL see it through. He is not making this up as He goes... He has a perfect plan. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."-(Jeremiah 29:11) Trust in the Lord.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
My Walk Just Transformed Into Running...
Reflecting on Philippians 3:10 today, I sought to uncover a deeper understanding of God's purpose in my life. Wanting to "know Christ and the power of his resurrection" is wonderful, albeit incomplete. I must desire to know His PLAN and thereby my purpose. If I seek His Kingdom and righteousness it is inherent that my call will be revealed. That is our heart for the labor of the ministry; to KNOW HIS VOICE.
While praying and meditating on this, I heard the Holy Spirit ask: "Is My 'WHAT' greater than your 'HOW'?" It absolutely floored me. I have tried in so many instances of ministry to relay or execute His plans for my life with focus on the Vision or Plan of Attack. I relate a formula given me by an excellent teacher of "Personal Mastery"- Brian Klemmer who teaches "Intention + Mechanism = Results". It has been an invaluable part of our style, approach and fruit. The formula is scripturally sound and there is no doubt in my spirit that God wants us to be pragmatic and plan out our course of attack.
But that Word from the Holy Spirit shook me. As simply posed as it was, it arrested me and took all of my thoughts captive. In a moment, I saw every major decision, good and bad from my salvation on in an instance. Then it struck me what separates the fully effective decisions from those that struggled to survive, or lacked the anointing... The God-given revelation of "WHAT" always weighed more than the "HOW". And Mr. Klemmer teaches that as a primary to the aforementioned formula. Your INTENTION is the "WHAT". My "WHAT", our "WHAT" is His assignment for us. When the Lord speaks to us, we must move, we must actively pursue His command. Delayed obedience is still disobedience... When we were in the midst of a major move early in ministry, we received a Word relating directly to obediently following His direction. A man of God preached: "If God tells you to go to New York, Get on a plane and go to New York. If you can't fly, get in a car and drive... If you can't drive, get on a train... If you can't take a train, get on a bike... If you can't ride a bike there, Run!! If you can't run, walk... If you can't walk, crawl... If you can't crawl, FALL!!! FALL IN THE DIRECTION THAT THE LORD TOLD YOU TO GO!" What a powerful understanding of obeying His call with immediacy!
While it is obviously important to "write out the vision and make it plain" it is of primary, paramount importance to first OBEY the move of God. If you delay when He says "GO!" in an effort to order your own steps, how is the Holy Spirit able to be the one who orders the path? This takes GREAT FAITH. It takes taxed, tested, seasoned and mature faith to do this, but it also takes the faith of a child... Mysteriously paradoxical, I know... But Jesus meant it when He said "If you do not receive the Kingdom as a child, you shall never enter it." Obedient children do what their Father tells them IMMEDIATELY.
My faith in Him is what is often being tested before the super meets the natural, thus confounding all of my best laid plans... Dr. Oral Roberts once wisely compared faith to one "climbing out on a tree limb with a hand-saw, cutting the limb he is standing on from the tree and watching the rest of the tree fall down, while the limb remained in the air." It doesn't make natural sense... but HIS "WHAT" never has to... His ways are not ours, His thoughts are higher than ours.
Something to ponder as you obediently move upon His call and assigning. He'll give you all that you need to accomplish His will for your life and your assignment. I have always said that He gives us information on a "Need to Know" basis... Sometimes, all we need to know is obedience, then He'll give us the rest.
While praying and meditating on this, I heard the Holy Spirit ask: "Is My 'WHAT' greater than your 'HOW'?" It absolutely floored me. I have tried in so many instances of ministry to relay or execute His plans for my life with focus on the Vision or Plan of Attack. I relate a formula given me by an excellent teacher of "Personal Mastery"- Brian Klemmer who teaches "Intention + Mechanism = Results". It has been an invaluable part of our style, approach and fruit. The formula is scripturally sound and there is no doubt in my spirit that God wants us to be pragmatic and plan out our course of attack.
But that Word from the Holy Spirit shook me. As simply posed as it was, it arrested me and took all of my thoughts captive. In a moment, I saw every major decision, good and bad from my salvation on in an instance. Then it struck me what separates the fully effective decisions from those that struggled to survive, or lacked the anointing... The God-given revelation of "WHAT" always weighed more than the "HOW". And Mr. Klemmer teaches that as a primary to the aforementioned formula. Your INTENTION is the "WHAT". My "WHAT", our "WHAT" is His assignment for us. When the Lord speaks to us, we must move, we must actively pursue His command. Delayed obedience is still disobedience... When we were in the midst of a major move early in ministry, we received a Word relating directly to obediently following His direction. A man of God preached: "If God tells you to go to New York, Get on a plane and go to New York. If you can't fly, get in a car and drive... If you can't drive, get on a train... If you can't take a train, get on a bike... If you can't ride a bike there, Run!! If you can't run, walk... If you can't walk, crawl... If you can't crawl, FALL!!! FALL IN THE DIRECTION THAT THE LORD TOLD YOU TO GO!" What a powerful understanding of obeying His call with immediacy!
While it is obviously important to "write out the vision and make it plain" it is of primary, paramount importance to first OBEY the move of God. If you delay when He says "GO!" in an effort to order your own steps, how is the Holy Spirit able to be the one who orders the path? This takes GREAT FAITH. It takes taxed, tested, seasoned and mature faith to do this, but it also takes the faith of a child... Mysteriously paradoxical, I know... But Jesus meant it when He said "If you do not receive the Kingdom as a child, you shall never enter it." Obedient children do what their Father tells them IMMEDIATELY.
My faith in Him is what is often being tested before the super meets the natural, thus confounding all of my best laid plans... Dr. Oral Roberts once wisely compared faith to one "climbing out on a tree limb with a hand-saw, cutting the limb he is standing on from the tree and watching the rest of the tree fall down, while the limb remained in the air." It doesn't make natural sense... but HIS "WHAT" never has to... His ways are not ours, His thoughts are higher than ours.
Something to ponder as you obediently move upon His call and assigning. He'll give you all that you need to accomplish His will for your life and your assignment. I have always said that He gives us information on a "Need to Know" basis... Sometimes, all we need to know is obedience, then He'll give us the rest.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Hide Thyself By The Brook Cherith...
In 1 Kings 17:3-6 the Lord tells Elijah to "Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook."
Elijah, whose prophetic ministry is perhaps the most viceral and most memorable amongst the major prophets in the Old Testament, is sent by God to a craggy, dry desolate secret location in biblical Samaria immediately after he prophesied and said unto Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."(1 Kings 17:1)
Miraculous... God sent the prophet to the wilderness where he was to be fed by ravens and have his thirst quenched of the brook. Several ingredients into this rich text strike me as miraculous; It was by the prophet's word that the drought began, it was by the word of the Lord that he was sent into protective exile, and it was by the power of God that in the midst of a terrible drought, Elijah remained quenched and fed by supernatural provision.
If you have been in the Word for any tenure of time, this is not revelation. I share this with you because of the immense personal revelation that the Lord has given within this chapter. Pastor Benny Hinn related Cherith to my wife and I as "the place of a cutting away", meaning that Cherith was a location of spiritual surgery and preparation for the prophet before going into the next season of his ministry to face the powers of Hell themselves.
God's purpose in putting you and I into "Cheriths" in the midst of our seasonally oriented lives is mysterious, but potent. I have been in Cherith many times so far in my walk. I have been in a place of asylum from the enemy, where God supernaturally feeds, provides and gives me rest all the while protecting and preparing me for the next season. I have personally found that these times have always involved a "cutting away" of some sort or another. The Lord uses these times to perform surgery on my core beliefs, my bad habits, my sin nature. Each time as the brook dries up, and the ravens stop coming I find that I/we are ready for the next push in the journey. After all, Elijah did not stay in Cherith. God had explicit and specific plans for him to fulfill. God led Elijah one step at a time, and on a "Need to Know" basis. He did not tell him to go to Cherith until he first delivered the message to Ahab. He did not tell him to go to Zarephath until the brook dried up at Cherith. God led Elijah by faith, one step at a time, and Elijah followed in faith.
While he was in Cherith, he was in the deepest place of communication with God. I like what John Trapp said of the prophet's exile: "Elijah could not be alone, so long as he had God and himself to converse with. A good man is never less alone, than when alone." And perhaps that is God's greater purpose for placing us in those "Cheriths" of our lives. Perhaps the most difficult seasons cannot be conquered without the Lord's excision of certain hinderances. I know that He speaks in a still, small voice to direct us. With all the noise and stimulae of the contemporary age, I imagine that God has a greater need for Cheriths in the life of His people; particularly when the enemy prowls about seeking whom he can devour at a frequency not seen since the likes of Sodom and Gomorah.
So, have you ever been in Cherith? If you have, or are, has it changed you? We would encourage you today to discern between God's call to "Hide thyself by the brook Cherith" and the enemy's accusation of "You will never get to the next season." And embrace the "brook" for the time appointed. It is our prayer that whatever season you are in, God uses each moment, whether Cherith or Zarephath, Gilgal or Jericho, to refine you and your walk.
So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook."
Elijah, whose prophetic ministry is perhaps the most viceral and most memorable amongst the major prophets in the Old Testament, is sent by God to a craggy, dry desolate secret location in biblical Samaria immediately after he prophesied and said unto Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."(1 Kings 17:1)
Miraculous... God sent the prophet to the wilderness where he was to be fed by ravens and have his thirst quenched of the brook. Several ingredients into this rich text strike me as miraculous; It was by the prophet's word that the drought began, it was by the word of the Lord that he was sent into protective exile, and it was by the power of God that in the midst of a terrible drought, Elijah remained quenched and fed by supernatural provision.
If you have been in the Word for any tenure of time, this is not revelation. I share this with you because of the immense personal revelation that the Lord has given within this chapter. Pastor Benny Hinn related Cherith to my wife and I as "the place of a cutting away", meaning that Cherith was a location of spiritual surgery and preparation for the prophet before going into the next season of his ministry to face the powers of Hell themselves.
God's purpose in putting you and I into "Cheriths" in the midst of our seasonally oriented lives is mysterious, but potent. I have been in Cherith many times so far in my walk. I have been in a place of asylum from the enemy, where God supernaturally feeds, provides and gives me rest all the while protecting and preparing me for the next season. I have personally found that these times have always involved a "cutting away" of some sort or another. The Lord uses these times to perform surgery on my core beliefs, my bad habits, my sin nature. Each time as the brook dries up, and the ravens stop coming I find that I/we are ready for the next push in the journey. After all, Elijah did not stay in Cherith. God had explicit and specific plans for him to fulfill. God led Elijah one step at a time, and on a "Need to Know" basis. He did not tell him to go to Cherith until he first delivered the message to Ahab. He did not tell him to go to Zarephath until the brook dried up at Cherith. God led Elijah by faith, one step at a time, and Elijah followed in faith.
While he was in Cherith, he was in the deepest place of communication with God. I like what John Trapp said of the prophet's exile: "Elijah could not be alone, so long as he had God and himself to converse with. A good man is never less alone, than when alone." And perhaps that is God's greater purpose for placing us in those "Cheriths" of our lives. Perhaps the most difficult seasons cannot be conquered without the Lord's excision of certain hinderances. I know that He speaks in a still, small voice to direct us. With all the noise and stimulae of the contemporary age, I imagine that God has a greater need for Cheriths in the life of His people; particularly when the enemy prowls about seeking whom he can devour at a frequency not seen since the likes of Sodom and Gomorah.
So, have you ever been in Cherith? If you have, or are, has it changed you? We would encourage you today to discern between God's call to "Hide thyself by the brook Cherith" and the enemy's accusation of "You will never get to the next season." And embrace the "brook" for the time appointed. It is our prayer that whatever season you are in, God uses each moment, whether Cherith or Zarephath, Gilgal or Jericho, to refine you and your walk.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Better To See You With...
"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."-(Hebrews 12:2)
"What are you looking at?" I heard in the still small voice that arrested my spirit. My heart was racing in a rush of adrenaline, "You know Lord." A few moments after returning to my anger-driven, self-destructive inward rant of criticism aimed at my disappointment in my then, current situation, I heard it again. "What are you looking at?" I timidly replied, "You are God. You know." I had been driven by the toxicity of my environment to feel utterly disgusted and despondent about my individual call and future in ministry. It was a dark valley at the deepest crevasse along the journey to the base of that particular mountain of faith. I had declared mere hours before at the top of my lungs before God, my wife and an imaginary audience most definitively-"I quit!". I did not intend to resign from life itself, simply ministry. I had allowed my environment to attach itself to my thoughts, and my spirit had become drained in the process. I had gotten alone and began to pray, very selfishly, with misguided motive to be avenged in the midst of the unrighteousness. Rather than seeking the Lord with my Spirit-Man, I sought Him with my barbarian-flesh-man. When I had finished venting my frustrations in poorly crafted confessions, it became silent. Many moments passed, and the echos of my tirade had settled. After I allowed the quiet to fill my senses, I heard Him speak once more. The third time it was not the still small voice that had nudged my intellect earlier. This was an awesome rush of crashing thunder and the power in it stole my breath- "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?" I was stayed to say the very least, and I stood absolutely still, knowing that an answer was required of me. "I... I am looking at my environment." At once I felt a quickening of revelation shake me. I saw in a glimpse of time the positive in the negative and recognized my folly. I received a tremendous moment of reflection from the Lord to recount my behavior, my words and most importantly, my sightlines. Later that night, after having ministered before Pastor Tommy Barnett spoke, I felt a sharp regret for my words, but no release to have them relented and removed from the record of existence. It was as if the confession of resignation was impermiable, irrevocable and although incorrect, unforgiveable. As we joined the congregation, and Pastor Barnett began his message, I was absolutely floored by his opening words. As I began settle into my chair, he uttered two words that I believe were sent from God's mouth to his mouth to my ears:
"DON'T QUIT". He then stunned me into tears. "There is someone here tonight that said that they were giving up. They told God that they were quitting ministry." I felt as though he overheard me, but that was absolutely impossible. "I want you to know that the Lord is telling you DON'T. I also want you to know that He is telling you to stop looking at your environment and start looking at HIM." I was in an instant, renewed.
I realized from that moment, that God is so very gracious to his children, who, for lack of understanding and battle-weariness from the ongoing stretching and trevailing, grow vulnerable. He cared enough for my walk, my purpose and His hand upon my life, that He used that great General of His to speak directly to me. I cannot quite explain in words the impact that has had on me. One specific article of wisdom that was crafted anew in my understanding that day changed my entire walk. I will never again be able to see my environment as the reality of God's economy, intent or plan. What I look at had become of paramount importance. I realized that "what I was looking at" was what was seen. The issues, the challenges and the inconsistencies of my outward environs set the standard for my perception. But what God wants us to look at is what is unseen. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."-(Hebrews 11:1) I wonder how often we fall into the treacherous plot of the enemy found in our eyegate's perception of our surroundings before we gain the ultimate understanding of our perspective's importance. I have written before that our friend and one of our mentors, Dr. Myles Munroe states that "Sight is a function of the EYES, and Vision is a function of the HEART". The sight of the Spirit is SUPER-natural and with the EYES of our heart we see God's truth and our destiny. We become what we see. We absorb what we see. Our eyegates will connect our spirits to our surroundings if we use only our intellect and natural eyes to perceive.
God wants us to remember that this is a temporary state, and that what He sees for us is ultimately ALL that truly matters. We are at a severe disadavantage when we judge our ends by our current states in the natural. Take for instance Abram. In spite of the promise of God to be his shield, his great reward and the previous promise of a son, he does not hear God's prophetic promises. "Behold, (or LOOK) You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." But God's plan is greater, and therefore His understanding of perception is also grander. "Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."-(Genesis 15:3-5) God's answer to him is to "LOOK" onto that which God has the vision for. He set a tremendous example for those of us who look at what is surrounding us, rather than what is SUPERNATURALLY SURROUNDING US.
Throughout the Word of God, He shows us by way of a plethora of examples that we must not judge our natural surroundings to be sovereign or final. God is the only sovereignty, His Word is FINAL. I meditate on 2 Kings 6:8-23 as a reminder of His ultimate and infinite power that is usually unseen by the natural eye. "When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his EYES so he may SEE." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he LOOKED and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."-(2 Kings 6:15-17)
Your challenges today may seem, by NATURAL SIGHT, insurmountable. It may appear that you are overwhelmed by the onslaught, the terror and the sheer size of the forces poised against you. But I know that "My God shall supply ALL of your needs according to HIS riches in Glory in Christ Jesus"-(Philippians 4:19) I also know that He does not want you to quit. He does not desire for you to surrender to the enemy. God did not lay down His Son as a sacrifice for ALL TIME so that we would fall victim to the piercing lies of the adversary's abuse of the eyegate's perception. We must endure as Christ endured. Knowing that the same architect of our lives and our faith is faithful to perfect and finish them. He will never leave you nor forsake you. God's ideal is that we don't not operate with the eyes that are merely planted in our flesh. He wills that we should be gifted with larger, more powerful eyes, in our hearts, souls and spirits that guide our attitudes, choices and confessions of faith. "For we walk by faith, not by sight."-(2 Corinthians 5:17) The eyes of our faith differ so vastly from our natural eyes. They are much larger, more powerful and by far superior, because they are able to see JESUS. So, as we develop onward with our faith, our sight, our vision in HIM, let us be able to LOOK UNTO JESUS and believe. He alone is the Author and Finisher of our Faith, and with the eyes of faith, we see His plans, His will and His Power... BETTER.
"What are you looking at?" I heard in the still small voice that arrested my spirit. My heart was racing in a rush of adrenaline, "You know Lord." A few moments after returning to my anger-driven, self-destructive inward rant of criticism aimed at my disappointment in my then, current situation, I heard it again. "What are you looking at?" I timidly replied, "You are God. You know." I had been driven by the toxicity of my environment to feel utterly disgusted and despondent about my individual call and future in ministry. It was a dark valley at the deepest crevasse along the journey to the base of that particular mountain of faith. I had declared mere hours before at the top of my lungs before God, my wife and an imaginary audience most definitively-"I quit!". I did not intend to resign from life itself, simply ministry. I had allowed my environment to attach itself to my thoughts, and my spirit had become drained in the process. I had gotten alone and began to pray, very selfishly, with misguided motive to be avenged in the midst of the unrighteousness. Rather than seeking the Lord with my Spirit-Man, I sought Him with my barbarian-flesh-man. When I had finished venting my frustrations in poorly crafted confessions, it became silent. Many moments passed, and the echos of my tirade had settled. After I allowed the quiet to fill my senses, I heard Him speak once more. The third time it was not the still small voice that had nudged my intellect earlier. This was an awesome rush of crashing thunder and the power in it stole my breath- "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?" I was stayed to say the very least, and I stood absolutely still, knowing that an answer was required of me. "I... I am looking at my environment." At once I felt a quickening of revelation shake me. I saw in a glimpse of time the positive in the negative and recognized my folly. I received a tremendous moment of reflection from the Lord to recount my behavior, my words and most importantly, my sightlines. Later that night, after having ministered before Pastor Tommy Barnett spoke, I felt a sharp regret for my words, but no release to have them relented and removed from the record of existence. It was as if the confession of resignation was impermiable, irrevocable and although incorrect, unforgiveable. As we joined the congregation, and Pastor Barnett began his message, I was absolutely floored by his opening words. As I began settle into my chair, he uttered two words that I believe were sent from God's mouth to his mouth to my ears:
"DON'T QUIT". He then stunned me into tears. "There is someone here tonight that said that they were giving up. They told God that they were quitting ministry." I felt as though he overheard me, but that was absolutely impossible. "I want you to know that the Lord is telling you DON'T. I also want you to know that He is telling you to stop looking at your environment and start looking at HIM." I was in an instant, renewed.
I realized from that moment, that God is so very gracious to his children, who, for lack of understanding and battle-weariness from the ongoing stretching and trevailing, grow vulnerable. He cared enough for my walk, my purpose and His hand upon my life, that He used that great General of His to speak directly to me. I cannot quite explain in words the impact that has had on me. One specific article of wisdom that was crafted anew in my understanding that day changed my entire walk. I will never again be able to see my environment as the reality of God's economy, intent or plan. What I look at had become of paramount importance. I realized that "what I was looking at" was what was seen. The issues, the challenges and the inconsistencies of my outward environs set the standard for my perception. But what God wants us to look at is what is unseen. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."-(Hebrews 11:1) I wonder how often we fall into the treacherous plot of the enemy found in our eyegate's perception of our surroundings before we gain the ultimate understanding of our perspective's importance. I have written before that our friend and one of our mentors, Dr. Myles Munroe states that "Sight is a function of the EYES, and Vision is a function of the HEART". The sight of the Spirit is SUPER-natural and with the EYES of our heart we see God's truth and our destiny. We become what we see. We absorb what we see. Our eyegates will connect our spirits to our surroundings if we use only our intellect and natural eyes to perceive.
God wants us to remember that this is a temporary state, and that what He sees for us is ultimately ALL that truly matters. We are at a severe disadavantage when we judge our ends by our current states in the natural. Take for instance Abram. In spite of the promise of God to be his shield, his great reward and the previous promise of a son, he does not hear God's prophetic promises. "Behold, (or LOOK) You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." But God's plan is greater, and therefore His understanding of perception is also grander. "Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."-(Genesis 15:3-5) God's answer to him is to "LOOK" onto that which God has the vision for. He set a tremendous example for those of us who look at what is surrounding us, rather than what is SUPERNATURALLY SURROUNDING US.
Throughout the Word of God, He shows us by way of a plethora of examples that we must not judge our natural surroundings to be sovereign or final. God is the only sovereignty, His Word is FINAL. I meditate on 2 Kings 6:8-23 as a reminder of His ultimate and infinite power that is usually unseen by the natural eye. "When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his EYES so he may SEE." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he LOOKED and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."-(2 Kings 6:15-17)
Your challenges today may seem, by NATURAL SIGHT, insurmountable. It may appear that you are overwhelmed by the onslaught, the terror and the sheer size of the forces poised against you. But I know that "My God shall supply ALL of your needs according to HIS riches in Glory in Christ Jesus"-(Philippians 4:19) I also know that He does not want you to quit. He does not desire for you to surrender to the enemy. God did not lay down His Son as a sacrifice for ALL TIME so that we would fall victim to the piercing lies of the adversary's abuse of the eyegate's perception. We must endure as Christ endured. Knowing that the same architect of our lives and our faith is faithful to perfect and finish them. He will never leave you nor forsake you. God's ideal is that we don't not operate with the eyes that are merely planted in our flesh. He wills that we should be gifted with larger, more powerful eyes, in our hearts, souls and spirits that guide our attitudes, choices and confessions of faith. "For we walk by faith, not by sight."-(2 Corinthians 5:17) The eyes of our faith differ so vastly from our natural eyes. They are much larger, more powerful and by far superior, because they are able to see JESUS. So, as we develop onward with our faith, our sight, our vision in HIM, let us be able to LOOK UNTO JESUS and believe. He alone is the Author and Finisher of our Faith, and with the eyes of faith, we see His plans, His will and His Power... BETTER.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Cast Your Bread Upon The Waters
"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days."-(Ecclesiastes 11:1)
Indeed, Solomon sounds a call to faith. A trumpet call of wisdom that sends the weak of belief into trepidation, trembling and testing. But before one quakes with the insecurity of quavering disbelief, it is important to seek the origin and meaning in a word to in order to understand its power and thereby glean its deepest benefit.
I love the Word of God. It is entirely rich, incredibly beautiful and absolutely perfect. But our understanding of the Word is often poor, our thoughts limiting and our ways flawed. That is why we must seek the fullness of the Word through true examination. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, and seeking Him demands our full attention. I also am a firm believer that the Lord has left us treasure hidden in deep places, fortunes stowed far past the outer, immediate layers of a specific Word. In other words, God WANTS us to "read between the lines". I was in prayer and the Lord led me to Ecclesiastes 11:1. Upon reviewing it I began to meditate on sowing seed into the ocean of need. As I prayed and and asked for further instruction, I heard- "Squint your eyes and look closer." I re-read it again and began to investigate further...
In some dissertations, the meaning is defined as an old Hebrew Idiom meaning to give to charity and it will be returned to you. In middle-eastern history "cast your bread on the surface of the waters," is rendered from the tradition of sowing seed by casting it from boats into overflowing rivers, or in marshy ground. When the waters recede, the grain will fall to the soil and spring up. Some scholars sited the same custom, specifically with the annual overflow of the Nile, and the seed specifically rice, which fares successfully germinating in marshy shores. The interpretation that I felt rang truest in my spirit is a cross-breed of these; The flooding of the shorelines of certain Palestinian rivers (the Jordan,et al) would leave an inch or more of rich, silty overflow on which, wise farmers would sow wheat for the coming seasons. The wheat fared well in germination, growth and inevitably produced a richer harvest. The "bread" is the wheat to become actual bread, and the waters, are well, waters. I believe that the Hebrew translations and the anthropological implications of the latter description to be the most relevant to Solomon the wise, author of this text, and the most appropriate to the time and region. Authors of the scripture operating within the impartation and inspiration of the Holy Spirit often sited contemporary similies, allegories and parallels to enrich the reader's understanding and retention of a word.
After delving into the definitive natural, I sought to gain insight into the SUPER-natural. What did the Lord mean to convey spiritually through this verse? I believe that there is a broad, wonderfully kingdom-minded principle to be obtained here. The world is the ocean of need, our bread is literally the provision that we can give to the hungry and starving to survive. There are over 3 BILLION starving people on earth, TODAY. Casting literal bread out to those in need is imperative, but that is not necessarily a direct spiritual revelation. It is rather, the result of a deeper revelation of the spirit man. I do believe that we, as believers must live to feed the hungry, as we are the hands of Christ here on the earth. But the Lord quickened me to another verse to lead me to the deeper meat being offered. "For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always."-(Matthew 26:11) This truly made me "squint". I heard it. I understood its original meaning and the context that Jesus spoke in. I also know that Jesus himself IS the "Bread of Life". Our daily bread which we are to cast for all to receive is the Christ Himself, and His Gospel. The return that we see after many days will be abundant and eternal. But I reflected on Ecclesiastes 11:1 and then those words, and it struck me- We must be generous to all with all that the Bread of Life has given to us in order to remain in the presence of the King. Casting your bread on the waters had the absolute of being liberally generous with knowlege of a great return, but what became clearer, for me, was God's desire for this to be not simply a wise bit of counsel telling us to hedge our bets because we don't know what's coming, but rather a call to true faith... GENEROUS FAITH.
Like a waterfall, more was flowing to me in the spirit. "The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself."-(Proverbs 11:25) Then the Lord showed me in Deuteronomy regarding the year of Jubilee- "Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him."-(Deuteronomy 15:14)
"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days." It means that we must absolutely trust God with our entire being. We must trust Him at His Word with our goods, properties, finances and all that we steward over. We must trust God at His Word with our Love, consideration and generosity of emotion. We must, perhaps above all else, trust Him at His Word with our ENTIRE spirit. Truthfully, if we absolutely do trust Him with our whole spirit, the rest is easy. That is why we believe so strongly that if you don't tithe unto God, you simply don't believe Him at His Word. But that is for another time... Nevertheless, the purpose for this exposition is for me to share my heart regarding seeking the depth of a matter, a word or a leading. God is so very detailed in His directions. It is us who miss the contours, specific insights and fine lines hidden within, usually as a result of our habitual superficial humanity. But when we stop and dig deeper, when we "Squint our eyes and look closer"... that is when we glean the best from His Word. So I encourage you today: Cast your bread, your trust, your faith and your depth of desire out on the waters, and be broadened.
Indeed, Solomon sounds a call to faith. A trumpet call of wisdom that sends the weak of belief into trepidation, trembling and testing. But before one quakes with the insecurity of quavering disbelief, it is important to seek the origin and meaning in a word to in order to understand its power and thereby glean its deepest benefit.
I love the Word of God. It is entirely rich, incredibly beautiful and absolutely perfect. But our understanding of the Word is often poor, our thoughts limiting and our ways flawed. That is why we must seek the fullness of the Word through true examination. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, and seeking Him demands our full attention. I also am a firm believer that the Lord has left us treasure hidden in deep places, fortunes stowed far past the outer, immediate layers of a specific Word. In other words, God WANTS us to "read between the lines". I was in prayer and the Lord led me to Ecclesiastes 11:1. Upon reviewing it I began to meditate on sowing seed into the ocean of need. As I prayed and and asked for further instruction, I heard- "Squint your eyes and look closer." I re-read it again and began to investigate further...
In some dissertations, the meaning is defined as an old Hebrew Idiom meaning to give to charity and it will be returned to you. In middle-eastern history "cast your bread on the surface of the waters," is rendered from the tradition of sowing seed by casting it from boats into overflowing rivers, or in marshy ground. When the waters recede, the grain will fall to the soil and spring up. Some scholars sited the same custom, specifically with the annual overflow of the Nile, and the seed specifically rice, which fares successfully germinating in marshy shores. The interpretation that I felt rang truest in my spirit is a cross-breed of these; The flooding of the shorelines of certain Palestinian rivers (the Jordan,et al) would leave an inch or more of rich, silty overflow on which, wise farmers would sow wheat for the coming seasons. The wheat fared well in germination, growth and inevitably produced a richer harvest. The "bread" is the wheat to become actual bread, and the waters, are well, waters. I believe that the Hebrew translations and the anthropological implications of the latter description to be the most relevant to Solomon the wise, author of this text, and the most appropriate to the time and region. Authors of the scripture operating within the impartation and inspiration of the Holy Spirit often sited contemporary similies, allegories and parallels to enrich the reader's understanding and retention of a word.
After delving into the definitive natural, I sought to gain insight into the SUPER-natural. What did the Lord mean to convey spiritually through this verse? I believe that there is a broad, wonderfully kingdom-minded principle to be obtained here. The world is the ocean of need, our bread is literally the provision that we can give to the hungry and starving to survive. There are over 3 BILLION starving people on earth, TODAY. Casting literal bread out to those in need is imperative, but that is not necessarily a direct spiritual revelation. It is rather, the result of a deeper revelation of the spirit man. I do believe that we, as believers must live to feed the hungry, as we are the hands of Christ here on the earth. But the Lord quickened me to another verse to lead me to the deeper meat being offered. "For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always."-(Matthew 26:11) This truly made me "squint". I heard it. I understood its original meaning and the context that Jesus spoke in. I also know that Jesus himself IS the "Bread of Life". Our daily bread which we are to cast for all to receive is the Christ Himself, and His Gospel. The return that we see after many days will be abundant and eternal. But I reflected on Ecclesiastes 11:1 and then those words, and it struck me- We must be generous to all with all that the Bread of Life has given to us in order to remain in the presence of the King. Casting your bread on the waters had the absolute of being liberally generous with knowlege of a great return, but what became clearer, for me, was God's desire for this to be not simply a wise bit of counsel telling us to hedge our bets because we don't know what's coming, but rather a call to true faith... GENEROUS FAITH.
Like a waterfall, more was flowing to me in the spirit. "The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself."-(Proverbs 11:25) Then the Lord showed me in Deuteronomy regarding the year of Jubilee- "Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him."-(Deuteronomy 15:14)
"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days." It means that we must absolutely trust God with our entire being. We must trust Him at His Word with our goods, properties, finances and all that we steward over. We must trust God at His Word with our Love, consideration and generosity of emotion. We must, perhaps above all else, trust Him at His Word with our ENTIRE spirit. Truthfully, if we absolutely do trust Him with our whole spirit, the rest is easy. That is why we believe so strongly that if you don't tithe unto God, you simply don't believe Him at His Word. But that is for another time... Nevertheless, the purpose for this exposition is for me to share my heart regarding seeking the depth of a matter, a word or a leading. God is so very detailed in His directions. It is us who miss the contours, specific insights and fine lines hidden within, usually as a result of our habitual superficial humanity. But when we stop and dig deeper, when we "Squint our eyes and look closer"... that is when we glean the best from His Word. So I encourage you today: Cast your bread, your trust, your faith and your depth of desire out on the waters, and be broadened.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Standing Upon or Next To?
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."-(Proverbs 22:6)
This verse of wisdom is widely known and quoted with regard to parenting one's children with the love and admonition of the Lord. But I would pose a question to those who sit in the office of parent, mentor or leader to the seeds of our future: Are you standing upon that verse, or next to it? Allow me to clarify myself. If we are "standing upon" this or any other verse from the Word, we DO it, committedly and consistently. If we are merely "standing next to it", we are selective about our execution of it. But if I plant a seed of any sort, whether that is a natural seed in the soil of a garden, a financial seed in the soil of the kingdom, or the seed of the Word into the soul of a person, it has specific needs. In order for the seed to become more than a capsule of possibilities buried in the ground, certain steps must be taken. It must be attended to. I must water the seed, and allow the sun to penetrate the soil. I must be sure to attend also to the soil itself, seeing that no hinderances block the inevitable sprouting of the seed into the birth of direct sunlight. It must be done consistently and diligently. In some instances, I must guard the seed from predators that would cut it down before its time. I must tend to the removal of weeds that would choke it, and pests that would eat it. As the seed becomes a sproutling and then a young creation, I must guide the direction that it will grow with encouragement and support. Without this care, our seeds will not flourish. In truth, without this watering, tending and support, our seeds will suffer stunted growth, or worse still, perish entirely.
It unsettles me to hear from a parent who rings claim to salvation and discipleship of Christ that they will "let the child decide". While I agree whole-heartedly that the decision for salvation must be personal, I also know indubitably that it is our responsibility as believing parents to "raise them up in the way they should go". Their decisions will be based on a core-belief system that is 80% established by the time they reach the age of 5, and 95% established by age 18. It is imperative that our witness by way of our walk, our talk and our genuine spirit life are that of example. For it is by example that Jesus demonstrated how we should live. It is by example also that we need to establish what is good, just, holy and righteous to our seed. Our confession is so very powerful to the little ones that we cover; so much so that Jesus said "And whosoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it were better for him if a great millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea."-(Mark 9:42)
Training them up is an inherent responsibility of parenting and most directly done through our actions, confession and watering of our progeny. But it is also the soil or environment that we place them or allow them to be placed in to grow, that is an incredible influence. The children they play with, the media that they are exposed to; every single social situation will in some way, inevitably sculpt our seed. For instance, the public school systems are not necessarily the ideal place to raise a spiritually healthy child anymore. Don't think I am entirely critical of the public schools. I am a graduate of the public school system. My mother taught elementary education for 37 years in my original home town in the public system, and the lives that she and other great educators touched are and were indeed changed for the better. I also am aware that statistically, public schools in comparison to private christian schools (not private preparatory) typically outrank in the level of education and the scoring curve on national tests. In truth, my children will both be attending public school this fall. But the spiritual risk is HIGH. The total lack or allowance of God's presence in the lives of American children within the school walls is disarming. I realize that there is a separation of Church and State, and neither uniform prayer, worship nor assembling during school hours are allowed, however, the choice to worship, pray or assemble after to praise Jesus should never be questioned. It is part of our liberty as Americans. The fact that we have atheists seeking to gut God out of the American equation is a completely different writing subject that upon the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I shall tackle.
But the reason I bring this up is that Christianity is not an American faith, and the Lord is persecuted by an international span of offended unbelievers who would see God gutted out of ALL public life. For instance, in European courts, right now, there is a case demanding that the school systems of Italy remove all crucifixes from their classroom walls as they "restricted the right of parents to educate their children in conformity with their convictions, and the right of children to believe or not to believe." Now, I am not Catholic, nor do I promote the use of the crucifix, but I see here in spite of denominational difference, a direct opposition to the soil of education in a predominantly catholic nation training up children to believe in Christ. What's ironic here, is that the reasoning and purpose is the same on both sides of the battlefield. We need to "educate our children in conformity with our convictions". We need to educate our children in line with the Word of God, thereby raising them up in the way they should go. As convoluted as that example is, it is an example of the turbulence involved in the exterior soil that we plant our seeds in to be watered by others. Some soil is inherently rich and fruitful, easy to maintain and glean from. Other soil is rocky, parched and without vitamins, minerals and it must be attended to with vigilence.
When we are blind to the Godlessness of certain environments that they are exposed to, we aid the enemy in driving them out of the way that they should be raised to go. I am certainly not condemning either private or public educational institutions, but rather raising the important banner of awareness that shows us to be vigilent on their behalf in all situations. We cannot sit idly by our seed and say "Well, whatever will be, will be..." NO! We must be the reminder that God is real, God is Love and God is sovereign with or without the world agreeing. That is "standing upon" Proverbs 22:6. That is standing upon the Word. My bride and I do our utmost everyday to bring God to the forefront of every situation, every challenge, every celebration and in all things we show and train them to follow Jesus. I have seen in the prophetic that my sons will serve God in magnificent and incredible ways. I have also seen in the prophetic that we as parents MUST be accountable for their main training. We must water them daily, we must expose them to the SON, ever pruning back the enemy, fencing off his attacks, removing the weeds that would choke the Word and supporting and encouraging their growth every day. We must water diligently and leave the increase to God. As the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:6 "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." So, I commend you who sow seeds unto this earth, His Kingdom and thereby eternity- STAND UPON THE WORD.
This verse of wisdom is widely known and quoted with regard to parenting one's children with the love and admonition of the Lord. But I would pose a question to those who sit in the office of parent, mentor or leader to the seeds of our future: Are you standing upon that verse, or next to it? Allow me to clarify myself. If we are "standing upon" this or any other verse from the Word, we DO it, committedly and consistently. If we are merely "standing next to it", we are selective about our execution of it. But if I plant a seed of any sort, whether that is a natural seed in the soil of a garden, a financial seed in the soil of the kingdom, or the seed of the Word into the soul of a person, it has specific needs. In order for the seed to become more than a capsule of possibilities buried in the ground, certain steps must be taken. It must be attended to. I must water the seed, and allow the sun to penetrate the soil. I must be sure to attend also to the soil itself, seeing that no hinderances block the inevitable sprouting of the seed into the birth of direct sunlight. It must be done consistently and diligently. In some instances, I must guard the seed from predators that would cut it down before its time. I must tend to the removal of weeds that would choke it, and pests that would eat it. As the seed becomes a sproutling and then a young creation, I must guide the direction that it will grow with encouragement and support. Without this care, our seeds will not flourish. In truth, without this watering, tending and support, our seeds will suffer stunted growth, or worse still, perish entirely.
It unsettles me to hear from a parent who rings claim to salvation and discipleship of Christ that they will "let the child decide". While I agree whole-heartedly that the decision for salvation must be personal, I also know indubitably that it is our responsibility as believing parents to "raise them up in the way they should go". Their decisions will be based on a core-belief system that is 80% established by the time they reach the age of 5, and 95% established by age 18. It is imperative that our witness by way of our walk, our talk and our genuine spirit life are that of example. For it is by example that Jesus demonstrated how we should live. It is by example also that we need to establish what is good, just, holy and righteous to our seed. Our confession is so very powerful to the little ones that we cover; so much so that Jesus said "And whosoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it were better for him if a great millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea."-(Mark 9:42)
Training them up is an inherent responsibility of parenting and most directly done through our actions, confession and watering of our progeny. But it is also the soil or environment that we place them or allow them to be placed in to grow, that is an incredible influence. The children they play with, the media that they are exposed to; every single social situation will in some way, inevitably sculpt our seed. For instance, the public school systems are not necessarily the ideal place to raise a spiritually healthy child anymore. Don't think I am entirely critical of the public schools. I am a graduate of the public school system. My mother taught elementary education for 37 years in my original home town in the public system, and the lives that she and other great educators touched are and were indeed changed for the better. I also am aware that statistically, public schools in comparison to private christian schools (not private preparatory) typically outrank in the level of education and the scoring curve on national tests. In truth, my children will both be attending public school this fall. But the spiritual risk is HIGH. The total lack or allowance of God's presence in the lives of American children within the school walls is disarming. I realize that there is a separation of Church and State, and neither uniform prayer, worship nor assembling during school hours are allowed, however, the choice to worship, pray or assemble after to praise Jesus should never be questioned. It is part of our liberty as Americans. The fact that we have atheists seeking to gut God out of the American equation is a completely different writing subject that upon the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I shall tackle.
But the reason I bring this up is that Christianity is not an American faith, and the Lord is persecuted by an international span of offended unbelievers who would see God gutted out of ALL public life. For instance, in European courts, right now, there is a case demanding that the school systems of Italy remove all crucifixes from their classroom walls as they "restricted the right of parents to educate their children in conformity with their convictions, and the right of children to believe or not to believe." Now, I am not Catholic, nor do I promote the use of the crucifix, but I see here in spite of denominational difference, a direct opposition to the soil of education in a predominantly catholic nation training up children to believe in Christ. What's ironic here, is that the reasoning and purpose is the same on both sides of the battlefield. We need to "educate our children in conformity with our convictions". We need to educate our children in line with the Word of God, thereby raising them up in the way they should go. As convoluted as that example is, it is an example of the turbulence involved in the exterior soil that we plant our seeds in to be watered by others. Some soil is inherently rich and fruitful, easy to maintain and glean from. Other soil is rocky, parched and without vitamins, minerals and it must be attended to with vigilence.
When we are blind to the Godlessness of certain environments that they are exposed to, we aid the enemy in driving them out of the way that they should be raised to go. I am certainly not condemning either private or public educational institutions, but rather raising the important banner of awareness that shows us to be vigilent on their behalf in all situations. We cannot sit idly by our seed and say "Well, whatever will be, will be..." NO! We must be the reminder that God is real, God is Love and God is sovereign with or without the world agreeing. That is "standing upon" Proverbs 22:6. That is standing upon the Word. My bride and I do our utmost everyday to bring God to the forefront of every situation, every challenge, every celebration and in all things we show and train them to follow Jesus. I have seen in the prophetic that my sons will serve God in magnificent and incredible ways. I have also seen in the prophetic that we as parents MUST be accountable for their main training. We must water them daily, we must expose them to the SON, ever pruning back the enemy, fencing off his attacks, removing the weeds that would choke the Word and supporting and encouraging their growth every day. We must water diligently and leave the increase to God. As the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:6 "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." So, I commend you who sow seeds unto this earth, His Kingdom and thereby eternity- STAND UPON THE WORD.
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