Category: Daily Word

Ears to Hear/Hearts to Obey

Good morning,

     This word was given a couple of weeks ago during morning worship.  We are about to have our acuity turned up another level and our spiritual eyesight is also steadily improving.  Heaven and the ways of the Kingdom are becoming more like home to us, because the earth and it's luster is becoming dimmer in light of God and His glory.  Today, take this word and "selah", pause and calmly think on this.

    Just stay in this receiving mode, I Am fixing some of your receivers.  It has been a little off and you have not been able to receive from Me as you ought and I Am fixing it right now.  By dealing with some of the fine tuning of your abilities to hear and dealing with the fine tuning of your ability to see things in the spirit that's what I Am doing now.  As I do so you must be sensitive to what I Am doing and how I Am fixing some areas in your lives so that you are able to pick up what I Am doing, when I Am doing it, how I Am doing it, and at just the right time, and at just the right place.  I Am causing you to become more sensitive and in so doing I have just about purged and purified some of you from the cares of this world and the things that you brought in every morning and every time we assemble together.  So that I could fine tune you to hear Me and be able to sense what I Am doing in the midst of you. 
And it won’t take a whole lot, for you’ll begin to walk in the spirit like never before.  You’ll come to another level of walking in the spirit.  For your sensitivity level will be heightened and you’ll hear Me when I speak and quickly you will answer, yes Lord, I hear you and you will obey.  It will not take Me 2 and 3 times to speak to you but you will hearken to My voice, and you’ll say, yes Lord because you now have a fine tuning of the hearing.  I am causing you to be able to pick up the frequency in the Spirit realm to see things, to know things, immediately know where I’m going, what I’m doing.  So that you’re not behind in any good thing.  So that you always come right on time in with me and together we’ll be a symphony.  Everything that I do, you’ll do.  Every move that I make, you’ll make.  Every word that I speak, you’ll say, and then says the Lord, great and mighty works will be done.  Then the enablement of the Holy Spirit will come with demonstrations of power, signs and wonders, they will be wrought in the midst of my children and it will cause many fires to be set.  And when that fire sets others will come in because of that fire that will burn and touch their lives.  Sparks of fires will be ignited all around from simple acts of obedience.  This is the hour that I have been waiting for, this is the hour that the whole creation has been longing for.  The moment that my people will become sensitive to my Spirit and walk in line with me, and hearken to my voice and do the wonders that they see Me doing.  This is our finest hour, this is our greatest moment, and the whole world has been waiting for this and my children shall arise.  Up out of the obscurity, up out of the dead things of this world, they will shake them off and walk in boldness and power and they will do what I have called them to do from the foundation of the world and they will not be afraid.  For great power shall rest upon them and great deeds will they do in my name and they will be known in this final hour.  For I the Lord Am in the midst of them and great is My name and great is my deeds and great is my acts that I do in the midst of my children and all the world will know that I am God and there is none besides me.  Arise My hearing and doing generation!

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

     "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:" (1 Corin. 2:4)

      "[But what of that?] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us; For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship]." (Rom.8:18-19)

Love,

Pastor D.

Ears to Hear/Hearts to Obey

Good morning,
     This will be the last walk
down memory lane.  The last prophetic word that I will be sharing from
the last two years that have to do with love, forgiveness, and us
staying away from offenses.  Remember 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and
if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."  Do you get it?  We are nothing, we gain nothing, and we are just noise makers without
love.  We are not making any headway without walking in the love of god.  This year we must do God-love
in our churches, in our families, then to the world at large.  Here is
the word from January 2011.
     The Spirit of the Lord says;
     My dearly beloved, I hear and see the tears that you have cried over
being broken.  I desire you to know that in these moments, I draw closer
to you as a Father does to his child that has been hurt, rejected, or
forsaken.  I declare to you that you are My precious one, the apple of My
eye.  I will never treat you as those who have hard hearts, have done.  
Yet know that their insensitivity is because of their own pain.  Give to
them the compassion that they neglected to show you.  Your harvest of
love will come back manifold.  Always, always, show My kindness in the
face of hurt and pain.  I Am God, and I Am righteous to judge fairly.  I
will repay to everyone the seeds that they have sown.  I know the hearts
of men, and without Me there is nothing good in them.  That is why I Am
constantly wooing the rejected, the downcast, the forsaken, and the one
who is least.  I seek to save them from their own self-destruction.  My judgment is righteous and fair.  So, turn your
tears of hurt to tears of prayers, uttered for those who have inflicted
wounds.  Be like Me in your forgiveness.  Now stand back and see how I
will turn what the enemy meant to harm you into your finest hour.  They
meant it for harm, but I meant it for good, to save you and to bring you
out into a large place.
     There is a fresh season ahead for you.  Most of all I will bring you
into the place that I have prepared for you to show forth My glory.  Be
sure and know that your gifts will make room for you.  You will not be
disappointed with My purpose, trust Me, I will not fail to delight your
heart.  I still have great surprises planned for all that put their hope
in Me.  You will experience for yourself days of new liberation from
pain, hurts, and any form of rejection.  It will be as if you are dancing
in the sun, without the threat of rain.  You will know what it is to be
covered by My shade of favor.  You will see and know that a divine
healing has taken place in your heart.  All that the enemy lied to you
about and said that I would not heal you of, I will do it for My
pleasure in providing for you.  Stay ready for the changing of the
present circumstances, they will be swift and many will stand with
wonder at the speed
of change.  So do not allow yourself to be overwhelmed or depressed by
what you see.  For soon you will not see these enemies in your land
again.  Your destiny is one of great hope.  Believe only and you will see!
 
Love,

Pastor D.

Ears to Hear/Hearts to Obey

Good morning,
     Today is another "selah" from
December 2011.  It is all about love and preferring one another and not
trying to offend or being easily offended.  Preferring means to put or set forward or before someone.  The someone being ourselves, we must learn this now.  "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;" (Rom. 12:10) "We
know that we have passed over out of death into Life by the fact that
we love the brethren (our fellow Christians).  He who does not love
abides (remains, is held and kept continually) in [spiritual] death". (1
John 3:14)
     The Spirit of the Lord says;    
      Do
not allow your feelings to lead or guide you.  Now you must live by
faith, which is not feeling based.  Here is where you must lean your
entire personality over on Me and keep your hand and your eyes on Me.  
Decisions made now centered on your feelings will surely end in ruin and
disaster.  Hear My voice clearly and watch My steps also.  Know Me and My
Word, for those who once followed Me and did not truly love Me will
find it difficult to hold on.  So it may seem as if you are walking
alone, but remember I always have many that have not bowed their knee to
the god of this world.  I am restoring joy and strength to many that
stood through the difficult tests and trials, those who have endured
hardness as My soldiers will shine forth as a great city of light.  
Instead of failing, they have learned how to overcome by the blood and
the Word of
their testimony.  When tested, tempted, and tried they withstood the
enemy's beguiling voice of deceit.  As in any war, it is the
front-liner's who are assaulted the most.  Yet, when they outlast all
attacks, they receive the greatest reward and spoils.  Rewards of honor
and valor, things that distinguish them from all others who march
alongside them.
     Do
not let the tactics of the wicked one cause you to become offended, for
many of your loved ones may lend their members to offend in this
season.  Many who oppose Me may be found in your own household, these are
signs of the times and of My soon return.  You must keep on walking to
higher places in Me.  Run with those who are running to win, not those
who have let the love of this world's system overtake their love for Me. 
Remember I have foretold you that people would be lovers of themselves,
haters of those who do good.  So you must subdue your feelings, for the
enemy desires for you to make strategic moves based only on what you
feel.  You must realize that these choices would cause chaos in your
life.  Now is when you must pursue the enemy with the Word, war with the
promises that I have given unto you.  My Word will stand through it all,
every violent attack against you was sent as a missile to
bring you down.  I expect My warriors to rise with the weapons of
warfare that I have placed at your disposal.  They are mighty to bring
you through to victory!  Stay safe underneath the shadow of My wings!
 
Love,

Pastor D.

Ears to Hear/Hearts to Obey

Good morning,
     As promised for the rest of
this month we will go over the prophetic words that were given to us in
the past couple of years concerning our love walk, not allowing offenses
to grow, and cutting off the root of bitterness.  This is a challenge
now but will become increasingly difficult if we don't practice this
every day in our lives.  "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Mtt. 24:12-13) We
all know that our countries have fallen into more and more iniquity and
sin, so we at the Father's house must love one another first, and then
love the lost with God's love.  "We
know that we have passed over out of death into Life by the fact that
we love the brethren (our fellow Christians).  He who does not love
abides (remains, is held and
kept continually) in [spiritual] death." (1 John 3:14) So let us selah on this word!  It is from July of 2011:
   
The Spirit of the Lord says;
     Love
is the answer to you walking in the great promises that I have set for
you.  My love is not only powerful but it also unlocks the door to your
true prosperity.  My love is a preserver also.  It will be a wall around
you and cause you to be deeply rooted in Me.  Plumb the depths, rise to
the heights, search the length, as you do you will truly experience a
full life.  I have placed in your life people that you need to love
unconditionally, so that your own heart will experience My expansive
love for you.  Every one steps in My love by faith, it is not by your
feelings, but by My Word.  I love like that, I love that way, not by what
I see from you but by My Word.  Don't let your love grow cold, forgive
quickly, let it drop.  Do not be afraid to open yourself to My love,
don't fear being hurt.  Otherwise the enemy will see to it that you have a
list of offenses and bitterness that strangles your freedom to love
big.
The love in My House should always be vast. I Am involved in the
process of changing each child that calls upon My name. I know it takes
time for you to become more like Me. You must not waste another moment
running from this love, I will fulfill your fondest dream. Allow this
great love to heal all brokenness you harbor in your secret places, I
will send forth the healing oil to cover and anoint those hidden places
and make you stronger, where you were once weak. Don't faint in the
waiting process, for here in the waiting is where you begin to mount up
with wings of an eagle and soar to heights of love that you have never
known before. This great revelation of love will grow in you and you
will be unstoppable by the wicked one.  He will not be able to bog you
down with other people's hurts and offenses either.  You will not be
strapped down by their inadequacies of not delving into the deep, the
deep pools of My love place your expectation of returns of
love on Me, do not look to those around you, I will fill you up to
overflow with more love.  I have urged and consistently drawn them also
to this deep place, but each person must choose this life of love.  Death
has to be taking place daily in order for this love to lived out.
     On the other-side of persevering in this love is great joy and peace.  Come and sit in My Presence and let this great balm cover all bruised
places of rejection, betrayal, yes, all hurts.  I will kiss you with the
kisses of soundness and wholeness.  You have run to and fro' looking for
healing of body, soul, and of mind, never realizing that here in the
quiet place where love abides is the sweet kiss of wholeness.  Do not be
deceived, if you love Me you must love the children in My house.  Love is
in word and deed.  My love must remain, it will preserve your soul
through the last days.  It is not impressive to just remember My Word but
to apprehend My Word by living in My love.  I act in loyal love.  I do
what's right and set things right and I delight in those who do the
same!
     "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." (1 John 4:7-8)
 
Love,

Pastor D.

Ears to Hear/Hearts to Obey

Good morning,
     At the beginning of the year, our church, like many other churches start the year off with days of fasting.  Our fast is for 21 days, it is receiving communion and taking the Word of God concerning our stand for the year.  Whether we are believing for healing, deliverance, restoration, etc., we are pairing it with verses that we will confess while partaking the Body and the Blood.  Also, our messages both preached and prophetic have been on love, forgiving, and not being easily offended.
     For about a month now the Lord has been telling me to pull up the "words"that were given on the blog concerning love, forgiving, and staying free of offense.  So for the next few blogs we will have reminders.  You will notice, that as always the Spirit of God prepares us well in advance.  These words were years ago.  That is why we are to write the Word of God in our hearts so that it will become a part of us.  That is why it will come up in us as we are going on our way.  "Bind them continually upon your heart and tie them about your neck.  When you go, they shall lead you; when you sleep, they shall keep you; and when you waken, they shall talk with you." (Pro.6:21-22) Selah, pause and calmly think on these words.  This prophetic word is July 29, 2011.
 
Good morning,
 
The Spirit of the Lord says;
 
     Understand this and take to heart that the plan of the enemy is to keep your eyes and mind on all of the trouble and chaos that he keeps stirred up around you.  Do not quickly forget that I have said, "in the time of trouble I will hide you safe in My pavilion and under the shadow of My wings."  My desire is that you would learn to keep your eyes and your mind stayed on My goodness to you.  Goodness and mercy are on assignment from heaven to do you good.  You must stay readily accessible by pressing into the hiding place that I have for you.  There you have access to the Kingdom, all that you need for recovery, restoration, and a refreshing.  Yes, I have given to you all that is needful to live a victorious life.
     You are standing at the dawn of your breakthrough, do not be deceived now.  This is where the enemy will pull out all the wicked spirits of offenses, bitterness, and unforgiveness.  Your thoughts and your words you must put a watch on and cast them down.  You do possess authority over them.  Remember your fight is not against people, but against principalities, powers, against rulers of the darkness of this present world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Here is where the spirit of deception will turn my children against one another, fighting in the House, instead of against the enemy.  This will cause you to be defeated when you fight against those who I am for.  In war, many times there is fire sent out that can hurt and maul their own allies.  This confusion is a smoke screen to keep you from receiving what you have labored and believed for.  Once you step through the opening, the light that you will have will be greater than what you had before the storm came.  What you have glanced at in the shadows shall be clearly known.  I make darkness light, and the crooked places straight!  More than before, you must stay glued by love to the members of My Body that I have connected you with, this is for your healing and your deliverance."  Take refuge and be confident in Me until the calamities pass, for I Am your hiding place.
     The dawn of our breakthrough is dependent upon our response.  We must keep our hearts pure, and stay in love, quick to forgive, and not be easily offended.  Next time we will dig in the archives and see how the Spirit of the Lord warned, taught, and prepared us before now.  He was giving to us time to get in cadence with the Kingdom.
 
Love,
 
Pastor D.

Ears to Hear/Hearts to Obey

Good morning,
     I am reminded quite often of God's grace in and upon my life, and how much I depend upon it.  For most of us, we really recognize and know who we are, and what we can or cannot do without God's grace in our lives.  "But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness.  (2 Corin. 12:9)  Grace means merciful kindness by which God exerts His holy influence and power upon souls [mind, will, and emotions] and turns them to Christ by strengthening and increasing in them with His knowledge and virtue [power] until we are governed by His divine power.  That is simply put by saying that as we yield to God, He causes His ability and power to be over our own inability and weakness.  When we can't do it, grace can!  This is not some "weak grace", doesn't sound like some grace that isn't enough to help me overcome sin, sickness, troubles, addictions, emotions, etc.  No, this grace is God's influence upon our hearts and how it reflects in our lives lived under the power of it.  The word, "sufficient" means to be possessed of unfailing strength; to be strong; to be enough; to be satisfied and contented; also to defend and ward off.  That adds more "umph" to the definition of grace.  I have God's holy influence in me, therefore I am possessed with His unfailing strength, that is enough!  Sounds like if I yield to this grace, then I can fully perform whatever task that I have to do at all times, no matter how it comes, or when it comes.  It goes on further to say, that God's strength and power is made perfect in my weakness. (My son said, "it almost makes you want to be weak.") Perfect is to make complete, to finish, to accomplish,to bring to an end, to add what is yet wanting in order to render a thing full; to bring to the end proposed; to a fulfillment.  Weakness is "want of strength", feebleness of the body or soul [infirmity]; want & strength & capacity required – a) to understand; b) to do things great and glorious; c) to restrain corrupt desires; d) to bear trials and troubles.  Isn't that wonderful!  Did you hear that?  This grace gives you unfailing strength to always be able to understand [any and all things that you otherwise wouldn't be able to].  This holy influence gives you the capacity to do things great and glorious [beyond your required want of strength].  God's grace, His ability and influence adds what is lacking that we are be able to restrain corrupt desires of any and all kind.  Also, this extraordinary grace enables us to bring to and end and accomplish and bear every trial and trouble powerfully.  This is the grace that God spoke to us about on December 14th.  This grace will fuel your faith.  Now, let's meditate on that prophetic word concerning grace once again, with a whole new perspective about His grace.  We are powerhouses, filled with the grace, if we yield to it.  Next time you are faced with any areas where you feel incompetent, weak, incapable helpless, powerless, or unable, "let the grace of God rule".  God's grace is really powerful and sufficient.  There is nothing that is impossible for us if we let the grace of God be multiplied in our lives.
 

Love,

Pastor D.

  

Ears to Hear/Hearts to Obey

Good morning,

     This year we must expect to
see God's great grace over and upon our weaknesses and our inabilities.  I
am not going to say a "blanket" statement, like, "if you don't expect
this great extraordinary grace, then you won't see it", but God wants
us to look for it with anticipation.  You must grow up this year in that
grace, we can no longer afford to be prey for the enemy's tactics and
lies.  We must allow this grace to cover us, especially where we are
weak.  Emotional weaknesses, character weaknesses, physical and financial
weaknesses covered by His ability and power.  "But He said to me, My grace (God's power and ability) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger [emotional, physical, etc] and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your]
weakness.  Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses
and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah)
may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me." (2 Corin.
12:9) From
this verse alone, I have received insight concerning this coming grace
and glory.  I am not boasting in myself, I am humbly repeating to you
what has been shown me.  All who receive this grace will move over into
the area of exploits for the Kingdom and for our God!  Always, the key is
to stay humble, for Abba says this; "Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his elevation [as a Christian, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God]," (James 1:9)  "But He gives us more and more grace (power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully).  That is why
He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it)." (James 4:6)  Those
who are humble enough to receive it, means they will not allow their
weaknesses to stop them or back up or give up, they simply go ahead and
allow the grace to meet that evil tendency with all of the forefront and
the back-up of God's power and ability to meet any evil tendency!  Next
week we will talk a little more about this extraordinary grace!  It is
your now, receive it and move with His grace.  As I close here is a short
and powerful word that was given on New Year's Eve, receive it for
yourself.  {We were going over a bridge, when He begin to speak] Expect
God to show up at all times.  Go and be blessed this year like never
before.
     The Spirit says;
     Crossing over, crossing over.  Look at this bridge, this is a new bridge.  You will cross over many new bridges.  Bridges are being made for you to cross over.  Crossing over things that were too hard for you in the past.  Areas that were torn down in your lives before, I Am erecting new bridges to cause you to cross over and do what I planned for you to do from the beginning.  Every Pharaoh that tried to prevent you, no matter what avenue this unrighteous enemy arose from, will be brought down.  Every
promise will be fulfilled, every purpose will be done.  This
extraordinary grace will make it seem sweat-less, or easy for you.
     You
are going to know on the inside, by your spirit man that this was your
God, that this is your Father.  That I did this and right then and there
you are going to stop and give Me all the glory and great praise will
come from you.  I Am revealing and manifesting Myself in a new way to
you, it is not new to Me, but to you.  It is not going to be the same
old things.  You are going to know Me, really know Me.  It will not be like
previous years or anything you have seen in a continual manner.  You
will be right on with Me, more right on than you have ever
been before.  That is why there will be a revolution of My signs,
wonders, and demonstration of Holy spirit.  My children will grow up and
take their place in the Kingdom and do what they were created to do.  They will shake this world with My Presence
and a Holy revolution!
 
Love,

Pastor D.

Ears to Hear/Hearts to Obey

Good morning,

     As we draw nearer to Christmas and all of the festivities and traditions that we engage in at this time of year, I am reminded to be grateful to God!  This gratefulness is not about things, but about the generous kind heart of our loving Father.  Any and everyone that is living has had an opportunity to take offense with God and man, it comes attached with feelings of rejection, low self esteem, poor self image, a barrage of emotional baggage.  All of these emotions are twisted and ingrained into our lives while we are growing up as a snare to keep us from looking to and believing in a God Who only wants to do us good.  So that every time you start to trust that God will do you good, these feelings try to talk you back into the old-man's issues.  These are some of the crooked places in our lives that God by Holy Spirit is progressively and consistently working on removing from our make-up as new creations.  The enemy is always trying to pull up our past to hurt and harm us, that's why the Word is the agent to wash and purge them from our lives.  Remember the scripture says; "Every valley shall be lifted and filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked and uneven shall be made straight and level, and the rough places a plain.  And the glory (majesty and splendor) of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it." (Is. 40:4-5) The change is inevitable as we stand and believe again in the Word of God.  So, "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward."  Confidence means free and fearless; boldness and assurance; freedom in speaking, openly, frankly without concealment.  As we continue to trust in God and His Word, then we will be able to cast down those emotional issues and not allow them to continue to be a stronghold in our life.  These are the things that keep us from taking all the territory that God has given to us.  We take our territory by freely speaking what God has done in our lives.  That means every time those "old heart" and emotional issues show up in our lives, we are to speak our bold assurance, that we are progressively changing.  Those valley and crooked places will be straightened out and then God's weightiness, His glory will be seen in our lives more and more.  Be confident that God will accomplish His good work in you.

     So be aware of the enemy's plan to try and trick you into the same old stronghold of feelings.  Stop him before he starts with your confession of bold assurance.  "Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.  Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.  And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you." (1 Peter 5:8-10) Vigilant equals being keenly watchful to detect danger.  Being cautious shows alertness and prudence, or wisdom in responding to hazardous situations.  Recognize the enemy's tactics, that he's trying to dredge up your past, something that the Word has been steadily delivering you from.  Be cautious, Christmas which is meant to bring the best memories, sometimes, if we let him, the enemy will try to restore the old hurt feelings.  Do not let him seize you.  I know that not all of us have fond memories from our past but we can start afresh and anew with our heavenly Father.  We can really have a wonderful life, right now!  Listen as we speak with boldness and assurance about the Lord completing and grounding us in those areas in our lives that were crooked and know that He is making them straight even now.  Then we can be sure that the God of all grace [God exerting His holy influence; His power influencing our abilities]; will cover our emotions as well as all rejections, low self esteem, poor self image, and, any and all past memories, giving us the victory over them.  Resist and oppose the devil and his lies about you, do it the moment you hear anything that opposes the Word of God that concerns you.  Expect to see the glory, [the magnificence, the splendor and weightiness of God, all that makes God, God!] The glory and grace of God will be revealed in your life during this season.  Have a blessed and memorable Christmas, knowing that you have a lot to be grateful for in Him!

Love,

Pastor D.

Ears to Hear, Hearts to Obey

Good morning,
     As Christians we need to stay in the Word of God to keep our minds stayed on Kingdom business.  Most of the time we may not utilize all that God has given to us to see to it that we succeed as Christians.  "For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue)." (2 Peter 1:3) Do you see that?  God has given to us through His divine power everything that pertains [to belong or be connected as a part, possession, attribute to; appropriate to] to our life of being like God, or representing Him!  We all know that we have Holy Spirit, gifts of the Spirit, talents and abilities to help establish Kingdom life, but often we overlook the other help we have to assist us in our life of godliness.  Let's take a look!  Remember this is the Word, not something that is beyond our spiritual scope.  When we don't have knowledge and grasp the understanding of all that the Word says we have at our aid, we walk beneath our rights and privileges as children of the Most High God.  The background of the story is found in 2 Kings 6.  The nation of Israel and the nation of Syria were at war.  Syria was losing and every time it seemed their strategies were not working, the Syrian king became suspicious of Israel's seemly inside information.  He inquired of his servants, and one of his servants said that it wasn't any of them, but that it was the prophet Elisha.  That he was getting the information from their God and letting the king of Israel know.  That night they surrounded the camp of Dothan where Elisha was, let's see; "So [the Syrian king] sent there horses, chariots, and a great army.  They came by night and surrounded the city.  When the servant of the man of God rose early and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was around the city.  Elisha’s servant said to him, Alas, my master!  What shall we do?  [Elisha] answered, Fear not; for those with us are more than those with them.  Then Elisha prayed, Lord, I pray You, open his eyes that he may see.  And the Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." (2 Kings 6:14-17) Think on that!  You have more help from on High.  God has given to us ministering angels to aid us in our walk of godliness.  These were warring angels!  The next time that the enemy tries to lie to you and make you feel you are all alone in your pursuit of being more like God and walking in His image, you remind him, that there are more that are for you, than are against you!  Let's look at another scripture; "in the mouth of two or thee witnesses let every word be established." (Matt. 18:16) 
     You know where I am headed, you students of the Word of God.  "Are not the angels all ministering spirits (servants) sent out in the service [of God for the assistance] of those who are to inherit salvation?" (Heb. 1:14)  Ministering means to give service, care, or aid; and to attend to wants and necessities.  Angels are here to give service to us for everything that attributes to our salvation.  Salvation being deliverance, preservation, safety; and deliverance from the molestation of enemies.  Angels, like those that surrounded the mountains, are at our assistance, but if we lack knowledge of them, then we will not even know we can require their assistance for our preservation, safety, and deliverance.  Our welfare, our victory over all things, and our prosperity, spirit, soul, and body, is the assignment for our angels.  We have more for us, than against us.  You are surrounded by ministering angels, along with the host of heaven.  We can not lose with all that God has given to us!  Require the support, help, and aid of the ministering angels.  We have not because we ask not, so just ask with the right motive and purpose, to receive the full promised salvation!  Everything that make us more like our Father. 
  
Love,

Pastor D.

Ears to Hear/Hearts to Obey

Good morning,
     Let us keep on talking about, "count it all joy".  "Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.  Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and
do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully
developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)  How can we?  Why should we?  We know that the Word of God says this; "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence.  In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and
frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be
confident, certain, undaunted]!  For I have overcome the world.  [I have
deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]" (John
16:33) Jesus overcame His trials and tribulations and He gave us the key and the pathway to do it too.
      Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and
the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and
is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection].  He, for
the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the
cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb. 12:2) 
(Jesus looked beyond the pain, the suffering, the trials, and trouble
of the cross and looked to you and I; the end results of what he was
going through, there he received the joy).  Jesus looked beyond the
light momentary affliction and saw us, the joy of going through the
trial and the trouble.  You see why now we can do the same.  He lived as a
man of God to set the example for
us.  Distract means to draw away or to divert the mind or attention; to separate or divide by dissension.  Everything
that is trying to occupy your thought life has been sent to try and
divert your attention and mind from focusing on the "One" thing that
will bring you joy.  The enemy is successful when he can divide your
thoughts, instead of you placing your mind on the joy of the Lord as
your strength, you spend your thoughts on his lies.  We are not in faith,
but worry when our thoughts are spent on the "seen things".  Despise means to disdain, or to think little or nothing of.  Let's untwist that old thought pattern and set
our eyes on things above; refocus our thought life and have end result
thinking not momentary affliction.  Remember Peter on the water, as long
as he focused on Jesus, kept his eyes on the
Promise he was able to walk on the water, which is doing the
impossible, but the moment he put his eyes on what was happening around
him, he begin to sink.   "And Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water He said, Come!  So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus, but when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]!" (Matt. 14:28-30) Just
like Peter as long as we look away from all that will distract; trials,
testing, tribulations, and stay focused on Jesus and the promises of
the Word, that's when our joy will be fulfilled! [that is real
water-walking] Fix your eyes on what God has promised you personally,
and in His Word, keep your eyes on that despite the loud turmoil, for God
cannot lie.  His Word
to you is yes and Amen!  Think little or nothing of what you are going
through in comparison to the Word of God and the promises you have!  Then
we too can find ourselves doing the impossible, walking on the water! 
Water walkers stay focused by counting it all joy, looking away from all
that will distract!
 
Love,
Pastor D.