Are There Any Stars In Your Crown?

30 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by eisakouo in Our Spiritual Process, The Lord's Return

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C S Lewis quotes, God keeps records, I Thessalonians 2:19, Jesus' feet, jewels, made for another world, Matthew 25:21, Paul, rewards of the afterlife, soul winner's crown, stars, winning the prize

The saints of old used to inquire, “how many stars are in your crown?” We don’t ask this question much any more. Paul thought a lot about it and so should you… if you believe in the rewards of the afterlife.

For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? I Thessalonians 2:19

For the believer, a “soul winner’s crown” is available for those who lead others to Jesus. In return, the believer will cast his or her crown at Jesus’ feet. What an honor! This is why Paul wanted to fill his crown with jewels or stars. Each jewel represented a person he led to the Lord.

Sometimes we can get caught up in counting nickels and noses at church. In the end, these types of numbers will not be remembered… but, jewels will never be forgotten.

Think about it for a moment. Someone received a jewel for leading you to the Lord. It can never be taken away from them. You may also have received a jewel or star in your crown if you have led someone to the Lord. This can never be taken away from you.

I realize not everyone is an evangelist or even skilled at sharing the Good News. But, we all can sow in these fields and ministries. I believe God keeps accurate records of such things. He knows every seed we have planted and every dollar we have given to help the poor, support missions and evangelistic ministries. These records are not kept in order to condemn you or judge you… no … they are kept in order to reward you for a job well done. The Lord wants to say… “Well done my good and faithful servant… enter into the joy or your master!” (Matthew 25:21)

When we get excited about such things, we will be passionate just like Paul and those traveling the road with him. There is nothing wrong with planning ahead. There is nothing wrong with winning the prize, receiving your crown, and being able to cast your rewards at the feet of Jesus. Get busy today so your crown will be full of stars!

Blessings – From God’s Incubator,

Pastor

God Didn’t Make You Do Anything

11 Friday Apr 2014

Posted by eisakouo in Our Spiritual Process

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Abraham, choose our obedience, Genesis 20:13, God changes our name, indentity, King Abimelech, Neil Anderson quote, prophet and prayer, Sarah, what God makes us go through, what you do determines who you are

Sometimes our identity becomes what we think or believe God “makes” us go through in life. Have you ever thought or told someone else that God is making you do something? Abraham sure did. Listen to his words to King Abimelech.

and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house… Genesis 20:13

Abraham had drifted out of the Promise Land, lied about his wife being his wife, and allowed Sarah to be taken into Abimelech’s household… now he had some explaining to do. In his explanation, Abraham accused and blamed God for his troubles. The truth was… God didn’t “make” him do anything … he chose to be obedient the day he left Ur for God’s promise. God didn’t make him “wander“.

When we go through stuff in life (stuff being difficulties, hardships, and trials) it is easy to blame God. The truth is, like Abraham, we also choose our obedience. Stuff always happens because the devil will be given the opportunity to test our words and obedience. Unless we are dead to self and our desires, it can become easy to fall back into old patterns and blame God.

This is one of the reasons God changed Abraham’s name. It is why God calls us by different names. If we do not know who we are, how are we going to convince anyone else we serve the Lord. Like Abraham, God is not making us do anything, we choose our obedience. Calling our obedience anything else is an insult.

We choose our obedience. In other words, we must own our spiritual decisions. Our identity is not what we believe God makes us do, but it’s found in knowing who we are in Him. We are who He says we are. God called Abraham a prophet and told him to pray for Abimelech and his family in this chapter. This is the first mention of the word “prophet” and “prayer” in the Bible. Abraham found out a lot about himself and his mission after he was confronted with his disobedience. We will find our purpose and destiny too – once we repent, choose obedience and find our identity in the Lord.

Blessings – From God’s Incubator,

Pastor

Possessing Kingdom’s Keys

23 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by eisakouo in Kingdom of God, Our Spiritual Process

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Charles Dickens quote, coming into agreement, God's storehouse, key defined, keys, knowing purpose and importance, learning to possess the keys, little key big door, Matthew 16:19, spiritual authority, trusted servant

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19

God has given believers the authority to open and shut the doors of heaven. A big part of having a key is learning to be responsible with it. You understand its purpose and know its importance. If we fail to come into agreement with what the Bible says about Kingdom Keys, we will ultimately fail at opening and closing the doors of heaven.

A key is a mechanism or device which opens something. If you have the key to something, you have the authority to open it. I have in my pocket some keys to a Ford F150, a Land Rover, and keys to storage units.

What does it mean? If I have keys to a vehicle, I have the authority to unlock it, to get in, possess all its contents, and drive away. If I have the key to a storage unit, I have the authority to open it, unlock it, go inside, and once I’m inside… I have access to the contents of whatever has been placed there.

All this is not spiritual rocket science, but whoever holds the keys has the authority to open and close. Jesus is saying, “I am going to give you some keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.” A part of receiving these keys is knowing what Jesus’ knows and then coming into agreement with what Jesus reveals about those keys. It is not difficult to comprehend, but many fail to follow Jesus’ words.

We are accustomed to having and using keys… they are a part of our normal and everyday life. In Jesus day they had keys and locks as well, but it was usually only kings and wealthy people who had such doors and locks. The king would pick out a trusted servant to whom he would give the key to the storeroom. This was the highest honor the king could bestow.

This trusted servant would take the key and wear it on a chain around his neck. It would be obvious to all that he had the keys of entrance to the palace, and further, into the treasures of the king. If the steward was doing his job correctly he would never take the chain from around his neck. He wore it continually as a sign of the authority given to him by the king.

The man who had the key was the man who could let you inside to see the king, or he was the man who could refuse you entrance. This is what’s behind Jesus’ statement when he says, “I will give you the keys to the kingdom.” Jesus is giving His servants charge of the storeroom!

I cannot express to you the importance of this scripture. But simply knowing about the Keys of the Kingdom is not enough. All believers must believe in the benefits found in God’s storehouse and the importance of using the keys. This teaching from Jesus is like a lot of other Biblical teachings… everyone is aware of it, but very few if any apply it. Most everyone I know is fully aware of the “armor of God” found in Ephesian 6. They know about it… they can tell you about it… but they never put on the armor. Knowing and doing are two different things.

Ask the Lord today about possessing and using the Keys to the Kingdom. The Lord is not trying to keep heaven’s bounty from us… He is simply explaining how the Kingdom works.

Blessings – From God’s Incubator

Pastor

Understand the Lord’s Will

22 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by eisakouo in How to Receive an Answer from God, Our Spiritual Process

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A B Simpson quote, discovering God's will, Ephesians 5:17, God's wishes and God's purposes, opportunity, quiet time, relevant information, thelema, we can't force or coerce revelation

So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:17

Doesn’t the phrase “God’s will” get tossed around a lot? You probably speak to yourself about God’s will all the time. In actuality, God’s will is not some mysterious unknown venture. He is not attempting to keep you from discovering His will, but has relevant information for you every day. The word used here for “will” is thelema. It defines what God wishes or purposes to be done on earth. It is how God desires to bless us all through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Do you think He wants your mind so saturated with worries and anxieties that you can’t process His thoughts and plans for your life?
Do you think He wants your calendar so crowded, you don’t have time for the important things?
What do you think God wants to speak to you about His thelema today?

We can’t force or coerce revelation from God’s throne. I have tried and it doesn’t work. What I have learned is, I get more revelation outside my time with God, than in my scheduled alone time with Him. My scheduled time with God is when I work things out I already know and have already learned. Quiet times with God are mostly about praying for what I already understand!

On this point Pastor Guillermo Maldonado reminds us…

Your faith will be strongest in the area in which you have the greatest revealed knowledge from God. Likewise, your faith will be weakest where you lack revelation or have little of it.

The enemy establishes a stronghold where God’s knowledge and revelation do not exist.

The only way we are going to make any progress is through gaining revelation… God’s revelation. No one can speak into your life like your Heavenly Father. I can speak to you, your spouse can speak to you, and your parents can speak to you… but the words which make the greatest impact come from God. He has just the right words you need and He is the only one who can give it to you.

I believe God is wanting to speak into each of us right now! He can only speak to us when we are ready, willing, and able to receive it. Someone said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re making plans to do something else.” Before something else happens… get a thelema word from God.. it will change your life.

Blessings – From God’s Incubator,

Pastor

Mystical Moments With God

21 Tuesday Jan 2014

Posted by eisakouo in How to Receive an Answer from God, Our Spiritual Process

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appointed time, awake and alert, chromo, clock, Ephesians 5:15-17, Hellen Keller quote, hora, hour, impulse to soar, Jesus, kairos, King Herod, Matthew 2, redeeming the time, spiritual carpe diem, spiritual opportunities, wise men

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time (redeeming the time), because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15-17

There are three different words in the New Testament to describe what time means.

Hora is usually translated “hour.”
Chrono refers to measured time in general. You can hear the clock ticking in this word.
Kairos (used here in Ephesians) means special appointed times, fixed or special occasions when doors are wide open to move. The Lord wants His children to be aware of these types of spiritual opportunities or mystical moments with God. These are truly Spiritual Carpe Diem moments.

The question is will we recognize these types of opportunities when they come? When Jesus was born, the Wise Men from the East recognized “karios” time (Matthew 2). When the star appeared, they recognized it as an opportunity to see the Promised Messiah, born King of the Jews. They made the most of that opportunity.

In contrast, those closest to Jerusalem, the priests and teachers of the land, missed their “kairos” opportunity. In fact, when the wise men appeared asking for their advice, their hearts were not stirred or prompted to search further. The door of opportunity literally walked straight by their houses and didn’t impact their lives. Even wicked King Herod was more attuned to hearing from God than the keepers of God’s word. Wow!

The truth is God has opportunities for you in 2014. The question is will you be awake and alert enough to sense God’s prompting and movements. It is always “kairos time” with God.

Blessings – From God’s Incubator

Pastor

Don’t Look Back – God Is In Your Future

16 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by eisakouo in Dying to Self, Our Spiritual Process

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2 Corinthians 5:17, all God's children have a past, good and bad activities, looking back, Lot's wife, Luke 9:62, maps, mercies are new everyday, Philippians 3:13, receiving new information, receiving new revelation, stop counting losses, you are here

The Lord spoke to me one time telling me to “stop counting losses”. These are the things “I used to do, used to possess, or used to be involved in.” In our journey with the Lord, “old things pass away and all things become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) “Losses” consist of both good and bad activities. The problem with continuing to count losses is it prevents you from receiving new instructions and new revelation because you are constantly facing the wrong direction. As Jesus warned, it is hard to plow new ground when you are looking back. (my paraphrase of Luke 9:62) Lot’s wife couldn’t receive her new location because she was still enamored with Sodom. Many people have had difficulties receiving healing because they couldn’t answer the question, “What do you want the Lord to do for you?” Sounds simple, but one of our biggest problems as believers is letting go the past… both the victories and defeats.

If the Lord discourages “looking back”, then what are we supposed to do? The Christian faith is a “pressing forward” type of faith. God mainly speaks about our present and future. This is why His mercies are new every day. There is only enough grace each day to handle our present activities. If you are having difficulties letting go, then make a once-and-for-all decision to loose yourself and move forward.

Maps are only beneficial if you know where you are. I love looking at those diagrams for malls or buildings when you enter. It always states in big, bold, red letters… YOU ARE HERE! If we do not know where we are (because we are always looking at where we have been) then the Lord cannot move us forward. The old quote, “Don’t look back, you are not going that way” is true. This is why Paul said, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13) All God’s children have a past. God is more interested in what is going to happen to His children, than what has happened. His words and revelations to you will be about your now… so get with His program. Your blessings are waiting for you!

Blessings – From God’s Incubator,

Pastor

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

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

A Sacrifice of Praise – Driving Satan Crazy

06 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by eisakouo in Our Spiritual Process

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a praise of sacrifice, accuse God, adversity, God believes in His children, Hebrews 13:15, hell breaking loose, learning something new, pain, Paul Billheimer quote, praise must leave our lips, sacrifice of praise, satan, Satan's chief accusation, Satan's logic, sorrow, Watchman Nee quote

I wrote a blog last week about “Becoming Fixed On Praise”. Sometimes “keeping our praise on” is not easy.

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give (confess) thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15

A “sacrifice of praise” appears to be an oxymoron. Anything sacrificed in the Bible was offered up and killed. How can such a beautiful word be associated with sacrificial offerings? Maybe if we turned it around and called it a “praise of sacrifice”, it would make more sense. Praise doesn’t carry a death sentence, but the one offering it, the worshiper does! Paul Billheimer relates –

One must sacrifice his own judgment, his own opinion, his own evaluation of what is right and good, and “praise God always for all things” including the good, bad and indifferent.

The most difficult thing to do when all hell is breaking loose is to praise God. Every reflex tells us to blame our circumstances, blame people and accuse God of malfeasance. We learn through the story of Job – Satan believes that if he sends enough pain, sorrow, and adversity our way, we will collapse under the weight and curse God. Satan’s chief accusation towards God is always… if good is removed from God’s children, they will hate Him. Satan sees to it everyday …. to apply negative pressure to our lives to get us to agree with him. Have you been guilty of agreeing with him lately?

Conversely, the Lord believes in His children. He believes if pressure is applied to our lives, we will be driven closer to Him. So when the going gets tough and it always does… the tough believer should offer a “sacrifice of praise”. This means we are dead to making accusations against God. We refuse to follow Satan’s logic and blame our Creator. A sacrifice of praise is choosing then to believe God is good. God is great and all His dealings with us personally are just and right. We are dead to believing any differently…no matter what the outward circumstances dictate.

One other issue… A “sacrifice of praise” isn’t really a sacrifice or praise until it leaves our lips. The goodness and greatness of God must be our confession in difficult times. If you want to be one of those believers who drives Satan crazy, then praise God when everybody else has already cursed Him and left. Praise God when you don’t understand, when you can’t make sense out of life. Choose to praise God when every bit of physical evidence says God is wrong and Satan is right. Choose by loosening your lips to praise God anyway!

Blessings – From God’s Incubator,

Pastor

Becoming Fixed On Praise!

02 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by eisakouo in Our Spiritual Process, Times of Testing

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bad news, fixed and established, hurdles, mountain top experience, no rewards for avoiding, obstacle course, Paul E. Billheimer quote, Psalms 57:7, rewards for overcoming, Satan is allergic to praise, steadfast, there is no such thing as bad news, wrong expectations

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises! Psalms 57:7

How many of us have exited a church service, retreat, or special quiet time with spiritual euphoria? Let’s face it… it is easy to fall in love with mountain top experiences. Giants are easy to face when we are spiritually pumped. But, this verse is about being steadfast, fixed, or established. It is about making a commitment and establishing a routine or habit the rest of our lives. Everybody enjoys praising God when life is going well. Let a little bit of bad news arrive and most believers hit a sour note.

Someone once said of a true believer, “There is no such thing as bad news.” How can this be? I didn’t think 2013 would ever end without more ill news.

For a real believer… one whose heart is fixed on the Lord and knows the impact of praise… all news (good and bad) is merely an opportunity for growth. The truth is if you have receive a little bad news, God knows you are ready for it.

The Christian life is more like an obstacle course than a sprint or marathon. But how many believers expect little or no opposition in their race? Most are absolutely dumbfounded when difficulties arise. The truth is … if we are growing, God knows He can trust us with greater opposition. If we plan for obstacles and difficulties, we can rejoice when we meet little resistance, rather than planning for no resistance and meeting difficulties. Wrong expectations will suck the praise right off our lips.

In the end, God is going to pass out rewards for “overcoming”, not for “avoiding”. God cannot reward us if we never overcome! We need to stop asking God for the hurdles in life to be removed. We need to ask the Lord for more hurdles. The Lord wants to move us from “glory to glory.”

In 2014, may praise continually be in our mouths.

Blessings – From God’s Incubator,

Pastor