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eisakouo

~ "Only by hearing will you hear"

eisakouo

Category Archives: How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use

Be Careful… It Is Slick Out There!

15 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by eisakouo in How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use, Our Spiritual Process, Times of Testing

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abundance, adversity, development of the soul, easy believism, fire, God puts soul in life, God refines us, God tries us, God's presence and breath, James Lane Allen quote, places burdens upon us, Psalms 66, slipping and falling, water

 

Adversity and Character

 

Many of the Psalms are concerned about slipping, falling, and stumbling in our walk with God. Songs in general are good about reminding us of life’s hazards. Psalm 66 reminds us that it is God … “Who keeps us in life, And does not allow our feet to slip.”

The first part of this verse literally means … “God puts the soul in life.” Isn’t this good? It is God who puts soul, zest, meaning, and purpose in life. Without His presence and breath we would never achieve anything. We would end up falling, slipping, and careening into a soulless ditch. 

How does the Lord accomplish this? According to the rest of this Psalm, God…

  • tries us,
  • refines us,
  • brings us into a net,
  • lays oppressive burdens upon us,
  • causes men to run over our heads,
  • takes us through fire, and
  • takes us through water.

    Then afterwards, He brings us out into a place of abundance!  

I don’t know about you, but I have been guilty of only praying for the abundance part… not for all the other difficulties. I’ve got enough problems without God laying more on my plate. This is one of the issues people do not understand about the Lord, because a type of easy believism has crippled many believers. Many have falsely concluded anything too difficult and hard could not originate from God. This is what the psalmist is communicating. It is the Lord who brings us to these crisis points in life… in order that we might choose Him and come to know Him more intimately. This is God’s process of developing our souls. 

Understand, if you are going to pray and believe God for abundance, then get ready because God is interested in something far greater… the development of your soul! In order for you to become all the Lord believes you to be, He just might have some hardships and difficulties waiting for you. He doesn’t want you to slip and fall so God is in the process of preparing your soul ahead of time. Get Ready! 

 

Blessing – From God’s Incubator, 

Pastor

 

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Ten Reasons Why Christians Go Bad

19 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by eisakouo in How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use, Our Spiritual Process

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backsliding, C Michael Patton, Credo House, cutting ourselves too much slack, dispassioned, dried up passion, entitlement for sorrow, excessive pampering, God is guilty until proven innocent, lazy Christian, liberty leading to license, misreading God, not accepting God's grace, other Christians, overly critical, Philippians 1:6, Proverbs 13:20, Revelation 2:4-5, slow sanctification, stumble, teach people, wrong companions

This is a repost from the good folks over at Credo House. Another great post by C Michael Patton with a great message to all of us striving to compete our race.

Blessings – From God’s Incubator,

Pastor

 

one hundred years

 

One of the most discouraging (and blindsiding) things in life is to be one who has followed the Lord for some time, felt to be on the right track, been involved in the His work somehow, and to feel the definite guidance of the Holy Spirit only to find yourself, after much time, becoming a worse Christian. Sometimes we feel like we are going through sanctification in reverse. Our latter self seems more depraved and dispassioned than when we first picked up the Cross. Do you feel that way? Do you feel like you are a worse Christian now than you used to be?

Why do good Christians often go bad?

I write this post out of experience. So often I feel as if I am going backwards. So many times I have awoken realizing that I have less hope, faith, and love than I did the day before. It scares me. I know that “he who began a good work in my will perfect it” (Phil. 1:6), but why aren’t I being perfected? When I look back on myself twenty-years ago, I sometimes don’t see a progressive growth from better to worse, but a decline in the virtues that God is supposed to be working within me. I remember John Piper once said “When do I doubt God?  Not in tragedy, but when I see the slowness of my sanctification.” Not only is our sanctification often slow, but it sometimes goes the opposite direction.

Here is a list of ten issues that cause good Christians to go bad that are less obvious than the blatant sins that we often account for such a state.

1. Dried up Passion

When we first begin to follow the Lord, life is new and exciting. We are going to do great things for the Lord. We can’t wait to see what is around the corner. Our passions are high and our commitment is unable to stumble. However, at some point down the road we find ourselves tiring and slowly replacing this passion for what we believe to be the new “reality.” All the answers that we had at the beginning are not so simple. God’s hand is heavy and his movements at a crawl. We started the race sprinting, but now we are not that far down the track taking break after break. Our passion dries up and we begin to consider whether we need to run this race at all. We walk with our hands in our pockets kicking the dust up as we go.

Christ tells us that we can “lose our first love”: “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place– unless you repent.” (Rev 2:4-5)

2. Entitlement for Sorrow

It is so easy to go through so many trials and troubles that we “cut ourselves some slack.” I feel as if this is something that I have done quite a bit over the last six years. Things have been so hard in my family (most of you know the stories). I held up great at the beginning, but at some point I began to feel sorry for myself. In doing so, I allowed myself to enter into self-destructive self-pity.

Unfortunately, this will often be the advice of others. “You got to start thinking about yourself [insert your name]. After all, not many people have to go through what you have been through.” If we listen to this advice, we will quickly replace our spiritual life for one of paralyzing sorrow. And, even though this sorrow does not help anything, it is addictive and counter-productive to all we know.

The Lord tells us: “If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses?” (Jer 12:5). There is the ever present reality that our pains and sufferings may very well get worse. We must be weary of the advice that may come our way that we are entitled to sorrow. We are entitled to joyful suffering for the sake of Christ.

3. Wrong Companions

Don’t ever give up your kindness, love, and friendship with those who are in desperate need of life change. But keep in mind that bad company does corrupt your morals (1 Cor. 15:33). The companion of fools suffers harm (Prov. 13:20). If your Christian life has gone in the wrong direction, take a look at those around you. With whom are you surrounding yourself? Are they people who inspire you to greatness or pull you down to the base hopes of this world?

4. Overly Critical

I see this so often with apologists. So many times we seek to defend ourselves as those who are not naive. We want people to see us as those who seek rational justification for everything we do and believe. This gets unhealthy and destructive to the Christian life when we build a methodology which puts the Bible on the witness stand at every point. “I am not going to believe this verse until it is rationally justified on its own merits.” The idea here is that God is guilty of falsehood until proven innocent (although we would never put it that way). In doing so, we think we are doing God a favor.

However, after a while, this will tear our faith apart. We don’t need rational justification for everything we believe. Hang with me. Just think if you did this with your spouse. What if everything Kristie said to me needed to be questioned. “I am going to pick up the kids,” she says to me. “I don’t believe you unless you can prove it,” I respond. “Dinner is ready,” she says. “We will see about that,” I think to myself. At some point in our marriage, Kristie has earned the right to be trusted. I don’t need to critically evaluate everything she says. If I did, our relationship would fall apart.

Some of you have quit believing the Lord and the Scripture. You put everything in a queue of future belief. But there is a point when you decide that God and the Bible are trustworthy and you set aside the critique. It is not a matter of “just believing” for no reason at all. It is a matter of “just believing” because God is trustworthy. Some of you need to get back to reading and believing the Scripture.

5. Not Working Hard

Laziness is a companion of spiritual lethargy. God did not create us to be idle. One of the greatest gifts is that one can have is a job that is labor intensive. I have rediscovered this recently. I spend quite a bit of time everyday doing hard labor in the sun in my backyard. I have three and a half acres of land. The lack of rain over the years has cause about forty trees to die. I have logged quite a few hours cutting down and burning these trees over the last few months. I don’t know if there has been anything else as spiritually satisfying as this.

Many of us need to fill our idle time with sweat. Don’t underestimate how spiritually invigorating this can be.

6. Other Christians

Other Christians can be such a drain. I often get this on this blog. I can be brought so low as I see how mean Christians can be to one another. It sometimes makes me think “What is it all worth?” Some of you have had your worst experiences with those who profess Christ. Some of you don’t want to live the Christian life any longer because of other Christians.

As easy as it is to sympathize with this, realize that this is a counter-productive dead end. The answer for all of us is simple: Be everything that they are not. Every minute of every day, you surprise people by your kind and gentle spirit. You are a force for good. You are only responsible for yourself. You can inspire and change people with one comment, smile, and act of grace at a time. If other Christians are acting worse than heathens, you be Christ to them and be everything they are not.

7. Misreading God

It is so easy to misread God. We often interpret him one way when he is really going in the other. This can disillusion our spirituality causing us great hopelessness and a derailed Christian life. I have a friend who, a few months ago, was in serious trouble with the law. He had done something wrong and he got caught. He came to me in great sorrow and repentance, fearful of what was going to happen to him and his family if he went to jail. His repentance was sincere and heartfelt. He was broken beyond belief. We all entered into prayer for him. A few weeks later we get the word that no charges were being filed. He came to me and talked about all the blessings this difficulty had brought about in his life. It restored his family and caused him to be closer than ever to God. When he found out that the charges were not being filed, he rejoiced with tears, praising the mercy of God. I have never seen someone so happy. It has been like that for weeks. However, last week the bomb was dropped on him. They suddenly decided to press charges and it does not look good. His joy has been turned to the deepest sorry. And it is not just that he is being punished for a crime, it is that God seemed to, from his perspective, toy with him.

We must be careful about misreading God. We don’t really know which way he is going and he does not guarantee the type of deliverance we so often long for. When we go left and God goes right, it is important for us to quickly submit and adjust course. But the best is simply to wait to turn until we are certain that he has turned.

8. Liberty Leading to License

It is easy for those of us who believe so deeply in grace to fall into license. This can cause our faith to fall apart. We can sometimes keep from falling into serious sin, but it is the little liberties in which we indulge that can slowly erode our spirituality. When we give ourselves too much license, although lawful, they are not profitable (1 Cor. 6:12). One of the liberties I started giving to myself a few years ago was watching series on TV. Why not? There is nothing wrong with relaxing, taking a break to enjoy some entertainment. As well, much of this can be somewhat educational. But liberties are so easy to become addicted to. After a while, we don’t find any enjoyment outside of them.

The same could be said for Christians who enjoy alcohol, relief that comes by prescription meds, food addiction, sexual indulgence (even with one’s spouse), or rest. All of these, in and of themselves, can be good things and are gifts of God. However, it is so easy to give ourselves so much rope in these areas that we eventually find ourselves hung by this rope. Addictions are among the hardest sins to break and can prove to be among the most spiritually draining of all. The danger comes by way of their subtlety.

Heb. 12:1
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

9. Not Accepting God’s Grace

Just as dangerous as giving yourself too many allowances due to liberty is not accepting God’s grace every day. There will rarely, if ever, be a day when you don’t sin. Many good Christians struggle with so many issues including pornography, homosexual attraction, food addiction, and the like. Not only is the sin draining, but neglecting to accept our only hope—the unmerited mercy of God—is fatal to our spiritual life. I know how hard it is to accept God’s grace for the thousandth time in a week for the same sin. But if you don’t, not only are you cutting yourself off from your only renewal, but you are saying that Christ’s sacrifice is only for those things that are not too difficult or addicting. Christ died for all your sins no matter how many times you commit them. Learning to be a beggar for grace is learning to be a Christian.

10. Excessive Pampering

I have a little jewel of a book called A Knight’s Own Book of Chivalry written by Geoffroi de Charny in 1356. In it he gives advice, knight to knight, about how to be a knight of virtue. One of his contentions is that a good knight needs to guard against “excessive pampering.” This, according to de Charny, leads to an inability to be effective in life. His advice is to make sure that one does not get used to nice beds and soft pillows. We need to learn to sleep out in the heat and the cold. We need to make sure we don’t become to fond of pampering ourselves or we will find ourselves impotent in many opportunities the Lord may give us.

We can pamper ourselves in so many ways. The basic principle is to never get to the point where you think you must have something to survive. This can be something as small as giving up our morning coffee to something much great like giving up our savings account. The point is that when we structure our lives to take away all the stress that we need to engage, we can find ourselves slipping spiritually. This is why fasting and self-discipline are such important parts of the Christian life.

 

 

 

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How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use (Part 6) Vows Made Are Vows Kept

08 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by eisakouo in How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use

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anointing, bush pilot, christianity, Coca Cola bottle, commitment, defilement, God's gifts and calling are irrevocable, God's promises will stand, J I Packer, Kalahari Desert, Luke 1:15-17, nazarite vow, Nazarite vows, promises, road signs, Samson, Samuel, saying yes to the Lord, stumble, the evil thing, The Gods Must Be Crazy, the things you don't know abut, vows

When we say “yes” to the Lord’s calling and command, sometimes the Lord requires we keep a vow or promise. This can be for a short season of time or for the rest of our lives. John the Baptist was required by the Lord to keep a series of vows or promises called a Nazarite Vow. The vows are also mentioned in Numbers 6.

15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:15-17

Many have been required to make and keep the Nazarite Vows… even Christians. Only the Lord can call someone to be a Nazarite from birth. This was John the Baptist’s calling. The same was true for Samson and Samuel.

The Lord may ask or require many different things from us in certain seasons of our life. This is especially true in the areas of prayer, study, preaching, teaching, witnessing, etc. The Lord is not trying to be difficult or overbearing. He knows what we all know… defilement is a very important issue for the man and woman God desires to use. While God’s calling is irrevocable, the anointing which empowers that gift/calling is not. When we defile ourselves, we limit God’s work. If we allow sin to go unchecked, it will not only destroy us personally, but will bring harm to the work of the Lord.

Making vows and promises will not prevent any of us from defiling ourselves. Samson is a great example. He loved many women and it became his downfall. Vows, promises, and convictions do help us to maintain focus and be reminded of our committment to God.

There was an old movie called “The Gods Must Be Crazy.” This movie was about as stupid as stupid can get, but it had a point.  It was about a bush tribe that lived in the Kalahari Desert. They had no earthly possessions to speak of and had never seen or heard from anyone outside their community. They were happy, content, and self-sufficient. Life rolled on in their little village, just as it had for hundreds of years.

One day a bush plane flew overhead (which they mistook for a god’s tummy rumbling) and the pilot threw an empty Coca Cola bottle out of the aircraft.  It landed in the middle of the village.

Immediately, the bush people thought this must be a gift from the gods. They had never seen anything like the bottle. Sure enough, they found good uses for it. They discovered it could make music, it could effectively help them grind grain, and it pulverized pulp. But this new “possession” brought other things too … envy, anger, covetousness, and violence. They learned to hurt each other by using the bottle. They soon named the bottle “The Evil Thing.” The Evil Thing threatened to destroy their whole way of life. The movie ends with the tribal leader going on a journey to the ends of the earth to get rid of the bottle.

Does all this sound crazy? How could something so ambiguous as a coke bottle practically destroy a whole tribe’s existence? Many times it is not the things you know about and are ready to face which cause you to stumble. It is the things you don’t know about which catch you unaware that cause you the most difficulties in life.  In fact, some trials and tribulations will never make sense to any of us. Making vows and keeping promises keeps us grounded in our commitments to God. They are constant reminders and never allow us stray too far off God’s path for our life. Can you imagine never cutting your hair or beard your whole life. Each day you wake up and look in mirror and do not recognize yourself. Allow your convictions to be the road signs and guard rails which keep you moving forward on the path of life.
Blessings,
Pastor

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How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use (Part 5) The Word Creates a Point-of-no-Return

07 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by eisakouo in How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use

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allowed to choose, demarcation point, Exodus 3, hearing from god, John C Maxwell, legitimacy, Luke 3:2, Moses and the burning bush, point of no return, revelation, Saul was a new man, say yes to the best, saying yes to the Lord, the Lord never forces Himself on anyone, the word of the lord came to

 

 

Have you ever noticed in Scripture it says… “The word of the Lord came to ________.” This phrase was also used to describe God’s word coming into John the Baptist’s life. (Luke 3:2)  This meant God’s information wasn’t previously flowing in his life but now is flowing. The words of God were not there prior to this experience but now they are. Even though all the previous points I’ve been blogging about may be true about God’s man or woman… the Word of the Lord must arrive to bring legitimacy. This flow of revelation becomes the main demarcation point in their life. When the word of the Lord arrives it changes everything. The word creates a “point of no return” in your life.

When did the word of the Lord come to Moses? It happened at the burning bush (Exodus 3). Moses wanted God’s people delivered some forty years earlier. He felt a calling of sorts, but until the burning bush experience, he lacked the revelation. Everything changed for Moses once he heard God speak. He went into the event not hearing from God clearly. He exited hearing God, having a purpose, and knowing his destiny.

Saul was just an ordinary man until he met a prophet one day. He was already called to be King. Then with help from a prophet, he received words from the Lord. Afterward, the Holy Spirit came upon him and he even prophesied himself. Before this day, God speaking was a foreign experience. 2 Samuel 10 tells us that Saul was changed into another man in a single day. Saul and Moses are like so many others. Once God speaks and the flow of revelation comes into their lives, they are never the same.

This means a decision must be made concerning God’s word. You probably know this point already, but the Lord never forces Himself or His will upon anyone. Everyone gets to choose. The same is true for a prophet, teacher, preacher, pastor, or leader. Even though God may call… even though prophetic words hover over them… even though they have survived life and death situations….. these men and women of God have to voluntarily give themselves to the Lord and His program 100 percent. It is a matter of saying “yes.”

I know when my wife and I hear a word from the Lord, we always strive to be quick in communicating to the Lord we are willing to do it or willing to follow the Lord in obedience. The Lord doesn’t force us. He allows us to choose. All words get challenged. If we believe God has “forced” a decision upon us, we will have a tendency to blame Him when difficult times come because of the word. Did I say all words get tested? The good thing about it is God’s word purifies us in the process. If you are in God’s process, allow His word to come into your life. You will never be the same.

 
Blessings,

Pastor

 

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How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use (Part 4) Their Strength & Voice Is Birthed from the Failures of the Previous Generation(s)

06 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by eisakouo in How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use

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black and white, Bodie Thoene, burn the ground, convenient, darkness upon the land, disobedience, Elijah, fifty shades of gray, fire, firefighters, greatest prophets, Old Testament, prophets of the old testament, rare, uncompromising, what is right, wild-fire, word of the Lord

 

 

The Bible speaks about how “darkness” can come across the land and how “a word from the Lord” can become rare. When a generation fails to complete the tasks the Lord has for them, the Lord quietly backs out of the picture for a season. In these seasons the word of the Lord becomes rare, and darkness, even deep darkness prevails. I believe the deeper the darkness, the greater the prophetic voice God raises up for the subsequent generations. I also believe God’s man or woman receives strength from the disobedience of his/hers generation. A fire begins to glow within and continues to grow hotter, especially if disobedience and sin prevails.

The greatest prophets of the Old Testament were the ones born and raised in Israel’s darkest hours. It was so bleak and dark in Elijah’s day, he thought he was the only prophet left in the land. No one could hardly convince him otherwise. It didn’t stop him from calling fire down from heaven and praying for the drought to end. My point is this, no matter how dark it gets or how rare God’s word may appear to be… the Lord raises up men and women to be a light in dark places. The darker the night, the greater the light.

Flames surrounded firefighters fighting a forest fire as they backed up a mountain trying to put out the fire. They had nowhere to go. There was fire behind them and only a home and more grass in front of them. A firefighter moved ahead into the grass in front of him, struck a match, and burned the grass between them and the house. Just in time, as the fire he had set went out, he and his cohorts stepped into the already burned grass. The wild-fire blazed around him and the house because it had no fuel to burn and the firefighters were saved.

Today there is wild-fire of sin coming toward our homes and lives. Sin has never been more prevalent than it is today. People can destroy their lives without ever leaving home. The man of God looks around at the enormity of sin and sets out to burn the ground with God’s word. He knows people can only be saved inside God’s camp. God’s word and voice is uncompromising. Life may have fifty shades of “gray” for everyone else, but for the man and woman of God… the Word is just as black and white today as it was when it was written.

 

Blessings,

Pastor

 

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How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use (Part 3) Prophetic Utterances Hovers Over Them

03 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by eisakouo in How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use

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being the good news, Dieter Zander, Elijah to come, future, Gabriel, hover over you, I am what the Lord says I am, Jesus, John the Baptist, know purpose and destiny, knowing the good news, Luke 1:13-17, preacher, prophetic utterances, spark plug, speak and pray back, speak prophetically, spiritual myopathy, voices of the previous generations

 

 

Even before a great leader, prophet, man or woman of God is raised up… God uses the voices of the previous generations to prophetically speak to the future generation. This is why it is always important to speak and pray back to God the words He gives you. It is the job of each generation to speak God’s words of destiny to the next generation. I think this has been one of the failures of my generation. We have been so intent on building kingdoms for ourselves, we have neglected to speak into and bless the next generation. Our spiritual myopathy has not allowed us to view life in a generational way. This is why large ministries and mega churches struggle to pass the baton to the next generation.

Listen to the words of Gabriel as he prophetically speaks into John the Baptist’s life.  Where are the prophets and leaders prior in John’s generation. These words are important because John is going to need these utterances later in life.

 

13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zachariah, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:13-17

 
This prophecy about John is mentioned several times in the Old Testament and now in the New. Jesus also had many prophetic utterances about His life. The question is WHY? These words are prophetically spoken so God’s man or God’s woman will know their purpose and destiny.

 

“There is a difference between knowing the good news and being the good news.” Dieter Zander

 

 

There are many good and faithful believers who understand scripture and can teach it effectively. We need these folks. But there is a difference in a believer, when the Lord or someone spiritual speaks prophetically about their future and destiny. Prophetically spoken words become their spark plug. Then they not only present the good news, they become the good news of the Lord. There is a difference between knowing and being. This is why Jesus said of John, “If you care to accept it, he himself is Elijah, who was to come.” Wow! How could John be Elijah? The prophetic word was so formed in him, he became Elijah to his generation.

We need Elijahs, Johns, and of course Jesus, in our generation. Listen, don’t wait around for someone to come along to speak into your life. Ask the Lord Himself to speak prophetically to you. God is not short on words. His words have not all been consumed by other men and women. The Lord’s words will hover over you for the rest of your life. God’s words will spark and propel you forward when nothing else will.

When I was seventeen years old, I was a green believer. I didn’t know much about scripture or the things of God…But I loved the Lord. One day, out-of-the-blue, the Lord called me into the ministry. On this occasion, I heard clearly the words… “preach and preacher.” I have heard it numerous times since. At the time, I really didn’t know what to make of it, except this was my calling. In the beginning I was an awful speaker. Like Moses, I thought the Lord could have chosen someone more eloquent for the task, but He didn’t. I have since learned this truth… I am what the Lord says I am. If He says I am a preacher, then I am a preacher. I am what He says I am. You are what God says you are. You will become what He says you will become. It really makes no difference what the circumstances or conditions in your life are like. If God speaks it, it will come to pass. If God speaks something into your life, it is your job to walk it out. Today, become what God speaks. You will change the world.

 

Blessings,

Pastor, but really a Preacher!

 

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How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use (Part 2) He Allows a Life and Death Struggle Exhibiting His Providence

02 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by eisakouo in How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use

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called with a purpose, destiny and future, don't waste your opportunities, faithful parents, John the Baptist, John Wesley, Luke 1:57-66, Martin Luther, passed away, providence, the hand of the Lord, why God allows His plans and people to be threatened

 

This issue blows my mind. Why would God allow threats to wipe out His plans? Yet, this is the Lord’s modus operandi. Little Moses was sent down the Nile in a homemade boat constructed by his parents. Can you imagine the Lord putting the next great spiritual leader under such peril? Samuel’s mother, Hannah, almost didn’t conceive him. It was only through ardent prayer she prevailed. Think about it, the next prophet or great leader might not even be born if the mother succumbs to discouragement, depression, and stops praying. John the Baptist faced a similar situation. His faithful parents kept at it and ultimately believed the angel’s word to them. King Herod tried to wipe-out all males born in and around Bethlehem when Jesus was born. A dream told Joseph to flee to Egypt. God allowed his very own Son’s life to be threatened. The question is….WHY?
We are given some insight in the birth narrative of John the Baptist. After he was born and dedicated to the Lord, his extended family, friends, and community were amazed. Listen to the words of Luke.

57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.
59 And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zachariah, after his father. 60 But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. 63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished. 64 And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. 65 Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him. Luke 1:57-66

 

When God’s plan faces total annihilation but prevails, it is sign to everyone that the “hand of the Lord” is certainly upon these men and women of God. Martin Luther, John Wesley, and numerous others almost passed away before they were used of the Lord.  Are you one of these people who has faced death only to be preserved by the hand of the Lord? This is providence. There is destiny in your future. Don’t waste your sorrows. Don’t waste the opportunity which has been afforded you. It is time to seek the Lord and discover exactly your purpose, destiny, and future. The Lord is not trying to keep this information from you. He is desperately trying to get you to understand why you have been left here on earth, when so many others are still asleep.

 
Blessings,

Pastor

 

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How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use (Part 1) Called Before Birth

01 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by eisakouo in How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use

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C.S. Lewis, called before birth, change and capture a new generation, corrupted by their own generation, do business, forfeit the reason God placed you here, irrevocable, leader, man or woman of destiny, megaphone, prophet, Romans 11:29, Romans 12:1-2, secularized, shakes things up, shouts in our pain, talents, the gifts and calling of God, the greatest tragedy of life, tree of knowledge of good and evil, tree of life, uncorking

 

 

 

The greatest tragedy of life is not that it ends. The greater tragedy is a life which fails to live up to its God-given gifts, talents, call, and purpose. Life is a one-way street. Once we pass certain points, we cannot return. The question becomes what have we done with the life and opportunities the Lord has provided? Jesus warned us about this very issue in the parable of the talents. We are called to “do business” with the resources God provides until He returns.

C.S. Lewis reminds us: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” By nature, most of us waste our lives. It is only when we are shaken and troubled that we take the time to reevaluate. There is nothing like cold hospital sheets, the smell of alcohol, and a bad report to wake you up! It is better to be awakened with God’s megaphone than forfeit the reason God placed you here.

 
Knowing all this… When God creates a prophet, leader, man or woman of destiny, He shakes things up in their life before they are born so that they know their purpose, even at birth. In the previous blogs (How to Receive an Answer from God), we saw how the Lord took numerous steps to ready John the Baptist’s home so he would be nurtured properly and know his calling and purpose.

 
In order for the Lord to change/capture a new generation, He has to get His hands on someone before they are touched, influenced, and corrupted by the filth of their own generation. We are corrupted automatically unless we purposefully choose differently. God knows our tendencies and how easily our hearts and minds become secularized. The Bible calls it eating from the “tree of knowledge of good and evil.” There are a lot of things the Lord doesn’t want us to involve ourselves in or even know. Unless we purposely choose to eat of the “tree of life”, we will automatically eat from the “tree of knowledge of good and evil.”

Some were called by God before birth like Samson, Samuel, David, John the Baptist, and of course Jesus. Now the Lord doesn’t always call His servants before birth. Most of the time the call to serve comes later in life. When this happens, the Lord has to spend some time “uncorking” us from our generation and the effects of “tree of knowledge of good and evil” upon our life. We all should be uncorked from the world as Romans 12:1-2 suggests. But, when God calls out a man or woman… this uncorking MUST happen.

Whether you feel a strong call from the Lord or simply want to be the best child of God you can be … the road we all should travel is toward the tree of life and away from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

 
Blessings,

 
Pastor

 

 

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