Testing the Blessing (2) – To Keep Us From Getting Distracted

09 Wednesday May 2012

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In a time of momentary victory, what gets most of us so distracted that we forget where we were, how we got there, and where we should be going?   We forget our purpose and destiny.  This may have been the danger with Abraham. Maybe he became so satisfied with Isaac and the sweetness of knowing God’s promise fulfilled. Maybe he forgot the real goal was not Isaac, but the Lord.

How common is this in our lives? We experience the blessing of the Lord and become satisfied with the blessing instead of in the One who originally blessed us. When times are good we often find that our spiritual life grows stale, our prayer looses intensity, our Bible study becomes sporadic, our worship becomes optional, and our giving becomes superficial.

All of a sudden a trial or test arrives from nowhere and rouses us from our spiritual coma. In our slumber, we discover God wants us to continue to strive for holiness. He wants us to hunger for a relationship with Him and not settle for the blessings He gives.

I had a colleague who was invited to give a devotional at a ladies missionary meeting.  She pondered what to share to this group.  Eventually, she remembered a word the Lord had given her four weeks prior.  In fact, she had shared that same word several times to other groups.  She decided to go with it, instead of developing something new.   She related to me afterward that the devotional didn’t have any impact upon the group or upon her.  In other words, there was no anointing or unction in what she shared.    As she prayed about it afterward, the Lord spoke these words to her. “You offered up stale bread.  That word was one I gave you weeks ago. At that moment in time, it was fresh bread and now it is stale. You haven’t sought Me since, therefore there wasn’t any fresh bread coming out of the oven.  You didn’t have anything fresh to give that ladies group and that is why the devotional was flat and lacked anointing. Don’t rely on stale bread.”

I have been in church services when people stood up to give testimonies.  Some could only relate what God had done in their lives years ago.  Thus, they only offered stale bread.  What a travesty! We all need to be asking, “is God speaking and moving in my life today?” The answer is He wants to move today… not just yesterday.

Abraham and Sarah probably had a thousand pats-on-the-back and a thousand congratulations.  Why not, they were a hundred years old when God graciously moved.  But, this wasn’t the end, simply the beginning. The Lord wants us to seek His “well done” everyday.  He wants us to seek holiness, not just the comfort knowing we once were victorious. So times of testing often come to get us back on track.

When were your most intense prayer times?  When did you felt closest to the Lord?  I’m ashamed to say that my most intense and focused prayer times were often during intense battles with Satan and during times of tremendous need.  These occurred not on mountain tops but in valleys.

We see our life most clearly in the difficult times. We search for the Lord most intensely when trouble looms. It doesn’t have to be that way . . . but most often it is.  The next time you are tempted to complain in the storm, remember that very storm may have been sent to take you to the next level.

 

Blessings,

Pastor

 

 

Testing the Blessing (1) – Half Heartedness

08 Tuesday May 2012

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God wants to test us before and after He blesses us.

 

After these things God tested Abraham.  Genesis 22:1

 

Unfortunately, we do not get to choose our test.  It would be much easier if we did. Usually our test is related to, but not limited to, our blessing.  In Abraham’s case, he was tested before and after his blessing.  What Abraham was asked to do was something most of us would find nearly impossible…Sacrifice his son of promise.

 

He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Genesis 22:2

 

Our text tells us that “some time later” God tested Abraham. We don’t know how much later. If you remember, at the end of chapter 21 Isaac was two or three years old. From the text we know for certain Isaac was strong enough to carry the wood for the sacrifice and that he was old enough to understand that having a sacrifice without a lamb wouldn’t work.

A well-to-do merchant stood on the dock watching as final preparations were made for a ship to sail. As he stood there, he was joined by a stranger whose clothing revealed his poverty. Finally the stranger spoke up. “You seem mighty pleased about watching this ship sail,” he said. “Yes,” replied the merchant. “I have seen many ships leave this harbor, but this one gives me more satisfaction than any other I can remember. You see, on this ship I am sending ten thousand dollars worth of equipment for a mission hospital in China. I just had to come down and see that it got off safely.” “Then we have something in common,” said the stranger, “for I, too, have a gift on that ship.” “And what is that gift?” asked the merchant somewhat incredulously. “My only daughter is on that ship. She’s going to China as a missionary.” “Then my gift is nothing compared with yours,” came the merchant’s quiet reply.

Like this merchant, Abraham was a man of great wealth. His faith was so strong he would readily have given any or all of his wealth to God. However, Abraham’s material wealth was nothing compared with the gift God asked of him — his son Isaac. Yet Abraham passed even this test of faith in noble fashion.  How much deeper do you think Abraham’s walk with God became after this time of testing?

Why would God test Abraham? It seems that if anyone had a good track record, it was Abraham. (sort of) But he had been through so much and now he was old man.  Give him a break!  He believed God regarding the promise of a son. He obeyed God’s command for everyone to be circumcised. He even sent Hagar and Ishmael away when God commanded him. Hadn’t Abraham proved his faithfulness?  But there are some reasons God tested Abraham. . . and why He sometimes tests us.

One of the reasons God tests us is to combat half-heartedness.  I don’t know if Abraham was ever half-hearted in his faith, but we certainly are at times. Like the student who was so consumed to get an assignment done in the quickest way possible, rather than to do the best job possible, we tend to look for the minimum requirements necessary for discipleship.

We hear talk about grace and conclude that we just need to say a prayer and our eternal destiny is determined. To think this way is to misunderstand what God asks of us. Salvation cannot be earned . . . it is a gift. To believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is to rely on Him, trust Him, and build your life on Him. It is a new orientation for life, not a minimum requirement!

In the book, The Almost Christian Rediscovered (p. 160), Puritan Matthew Mead imagines God asking us some simple questions:

If my commands are not holy, just, and good, then why do you proclaim them as such? And if they are holy, just, and good, why don’t you obey them? If Jesus Christ is not worth having, why do you profess Him? If He is worth having, then why don’t you hold Him tight and draw as close as you can to Him?  If the means that I have appointed to convert and save souls (worship, prayer, study of the Scriptures) are not effective, why do you sit under them and rest in the performance of them? And if they are effective, then why don’t you submit to the power in them? If religion is not good, why do you profess it? If religion is good, why do you not practice it?

Simple isn’t it?  Much of the Christian life is.  When God allows times of testing to come into our lives, it does combat half-heartedness.  Tests cause us to remain “lean” in the spirit.  It causes us to work-off and keep-off useless fat from our spiritual walk.

God is always calling us to make REAL whole-hearted decisions for the Kingdom. The church in Laodicea was condemned because they were lukewarm. They “believed” but were half-hearted in their belief.  God considered half-heartedness to be worse than turning away entirely from Him. (Revelation 3) Both lead to hell but the one is worse because it leads us to hell while thinking we are headed to Heaven!

In the time of Moses, God told the children of Israel He wanted them to “love the Lord their God with ALL their heart, soul, and strength.” (Deut 6:5) This was the creed that every good Jew memorized.  When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus responded by repeating this creed and adding the word “mind“. Why? Half heartedness begins in the mind.  You must make up your mind..Now!  If we neglect to make-up our minds, half-heartedness or lukewarmness will infect our whole heart.  God knows the tendencies within men.  God sends tests our way to force us to “get off the fence“. They are sent to make our faith real.

 

Blessings,

Pastor

Growing, Growing, Until Its All Gone!

07 Monday May 2012

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Isaac grew and sometime between the age of three and five years old he was fully weaned. This was an important and joyous occasion because a child which reached this age was far more likely to survive to adulthood. The family celebrated this event with a great feast. But there was trouble brewing just under the surface. (Genesis 21:8)

Ishmael, who by now was a young man between sixteen and eighteen years old, would not have seen this as a reason to celebrate. Isaac’s survival meant he would not receive Abraham’s fortune or God’s covenant blessings.  So Ishmael began to “mock”- i.e. persecute Isaac.

 

But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. (Galatians 4:29)

 

Sarah understood this to be more than just childish play. She realized as long as Ishmael was around, he would be a threat to Isaac inheriting the promise and blessings of God.  She suggested that Abraham “get rid of that slave woman.”  I find it interesting to note Hagar’s status in the past twenty years.  She began as a handmaid to Sarah. Then she was promoted to be Abraham’s second wife.  Once the promised seed Isaac was born, Sarah called her a “slave.” How we view things differently when God’s promises come to pass in our life.  How differently we talk when we want freedom for ourselves and our children.  If we would just view and speak the way God speaks before the promise comes to pass.

 

Getting the Fraudulent Heir out of Their Hair

 This was a most difficult situation.  Ishmael was still Abraham’s son.   For the last sixteen years he has fathered this boy and loved him.  How could Abraham just toss Ishmael out?  Wouldn’t this be considered child abuse?

Understand, the more critical the issues are, the more critical our obedience. I could literally spend a whole day talking about the ramifications of the decision Abraham made by sending Hagar and Ishmael away. Some have even suggested that Abraham should have sacrificed Ishmael for the future good of the world and Middle East Peace. But this is man’s solution, not the Lord’s.

The real issue here was who would be the heir according to the Promise of God?  God made it clear many years earlier that Isaac was the ONLY child He would receive.  Why could only Isaac be the heir?  Was God being unfair or hard nosed by not receiving Ishmael?  No, Isaac had to be the heir because this was God’s original word.  (By the way… When you have to use the word “orginal” and “God’s word” in the same sentence, something is wrong!) If Abraham’s heir was from any other woman, God’s word would be false and He would be a liar.

What should Abraham and Sarah do?  They have birthed the Promised Child, but in the process have also birthed Ishmael. Should they allow God’s Promised Child to grow up as rivals in the same home with the fraudulent heir?  Should they simply let Isaac fight it out with Ishmael. No, Sarah had a word from the Lord.  “Hagar and Ishmael must go!”

Let me chase a rabbit for just a moment.  Gentlemen….use your spouse’s discernment. What we cannot see due to our proximity to the problem, our wives can easily discern.  Listen, your wife was not given to you by God to torture you.  No, God has blessed you with a helper. This is especially true in the areas of discernment. It is high time you use her gifting.

At some point-in-time we have to give back to God all our sins, errors, and mistakes. Most of these are birthed by our own hands.  Even though we did it doesn’t mean it has to remain this way.

Abraham did exactly what the Lord told him to do and sent Hagar and Ishmael walking. But don’t think for a moment God had abandoned Hagar and Ishmael.  This was the God’s best for both camps. Now God could provide Ishmael the one thing Abraham could not give him, legitimacy.  In Abraham’s world Isaac must be God’s chosen heir.

God cared deeply for Ishmael.  He had previously told Hagar He would take care of them and we learn later that is exactly what the Lord did.

All those who choose to walk in the promises of the Lord must follow the same process as Abraham and Sarah.  What “fleshly impediments” have we left uncrucified which are now challenging God’s real or legitimate work in our life?

 

 

Paul likens the removal of Ishmael with the removal of the flesh. (Galatians 4-5) Why must the “flesh” be removed?  Like Ishmael, the flesh challenges, mocks, and ultimately persecutes the Lord’s spiritual work in our life. If you are going to walk in the Spirit and Power of God, then you must remove the impediments to the Spirit of God. These impediments are our flesh, which belong to our old nature. That which is fleshly can never inherit the promises of God. The Ishmael in you must go!

Allow the Lord through His Holy Spirit to point out to you what things you have allowed to grow in your flesh. Remember, it is these very things which choke the real legitimate work God has desired to accomplish in you. The flesh rivals God’s promises to us. This is one of the main reasons why many men and women of God miss their ultimate calling in life.  They have yet to ask the Holy Spirit to examine them for needless fleshly growths. If you are sitting there today and you want to move higher in your walk than ever before… this is the move you need to make.

 

Blessings,

Pastor

 

 

Pastor Youcef’s Attorney to be Jailed for Representing the Persecuted

05 Saturday May 2012

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Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s Iranian attorney has been convicted for his work defending human rights and is expected to have to begin serving his nine-year sentence in the near future.   As we have previously reported, Pastor Youcef’s attorney, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, was sentenced to nine years in prison and banned from practicing law or teaching for ten years by the Iranian government, essentially for representing individuals like Pastor Youcef.

Dadkhah recently stated, “I was in a court in Tehran defending one of my clients, Davoud Arjangi, a jailed political activist on death row when the judge told me that my own sentence has been approved and I will be shortly summoned to jail to serve the nine-year sentence.” He continued, “I have been convicted of acting against the national security, spreading propaganda against the regime and keeping banned books at home.”

The ACLJ has learned that the Judge who informed Dadkhah his appeal had been denied is Iranian Judge Abolghasem Salavat, also known as the “Judge of Death.” He is infamous for the harsh imprisonment of those accused of political and religious “crimes.”

This news is disturbing for another reason: Dadkhah’s imprisonment leaves Pastor Youcef without legal representation. Dadkhah has previously communicated to us that if the sentence against him were carried out, no attorney would be willing to represent Pastor Youcef for fear of being imprisoned or disbarred for representing the persecuted pastor.

Iran has recently begun to crack down on attorneys who represent clients, like Pastor Youcef, who Iran dubs as enemies of the state for their beliefs. Dadkhah, a world-renowned Muslim human rights attorney in Iran, has defended numerous political and religious prisoners, including recently 12 Christians who were tried on Easter Sunday for their faith, in the same Iranian provincial court that sentenced Pastor Youcef to execution. Because he provides his legal services free of charge, the Iranian regime has asserted that he is “aiding and abetting” in the alleged crimes of his clients.

The news that this incredibly brave human rights attorney has been sentenced to prison by Iranian officials is very troubling to say the least. This development reinforces that Iran has no regard for basic human rights. It also raises further concern about the fate of Pastor Youcef. With his attorney facing nine years in prison, and no other lawyer likely to take the case, Pastor Youcef has no legal advocate, placing him at greater risk.

Though we can confirm that Pastor Youcef was still alive as of yesterday, the imprisonment of his attorney places him in grave danger of execution without any further appeal. We are dedicated to continuing our efforts internationally to secure Pastor Youcef’s release. We urge Iran to overturn both Pastor Youcef’s and his attorney’s convictions, and at the very least postpone Dadkhah’s imprisonment pending further appeal.   The ACLJ will continue to use all available means to fight for their freedom, including the Tweet for Youcef campaign, which is now reaching more than 2 million Twitter accounts each day. We also continue to call on the Senate to pass a pending resolution calling for Pastor Youcef’s release.

(Reblogged from the ACLJ’s website)

 

Blessings,

Pastor

 

How to Select an Honest CEO

05 Saturday May 2012

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A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.”  The young executives were Shocked, but  the boss continued. “I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I  have given you.  I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.”

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil, and compost.  He planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by—still nothing in Jim’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn’t say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil – he so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room.

When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful, in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. “My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,” said the CEO.  “Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!” All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front.

Jim was terrified. He thought, “The CEO knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!”  When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed.  Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, “Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!” Jim couldn’t believe it. Jim couldn’t even grow his seed.

“How could he be the new CEO?” the others said.

Then the CEO said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!”

Blessings,

Pastor

Mission Accomplished – Promise Fulfilled!

04 Friday May 2012

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Abraham and Sarah made it!  They were finally going to see the fulfillment of God’s word. Their journey started over eight chapters ago and spanned almost 25 years.  Abraham wasn’t perfect. He just kept on believing regardless of circumstances, hardships, detours, and delays. This was what spoke to me most about Abraham’s life of faith. Ultimately, he kept believing the Lord despite everything he faced.  Chapter 21 records the Lord’s promise being fulfilled.

 

Then the Lord took note of Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he has promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. (Genesis 21:1-2)

 

The verb “paw-kad” means to take note of, visit, or be gracious. Here it was used to denote the idea of divine intervention for the purpose of good. God intervened in the life of Sarah for the purpose of blessing her with a son. This same verb (paw-kad) was used to describe God’s intervention in Joseph’s life, as well as Hannah’s, when she delivered Samuel.   It was also used when God led Ruth and Naomi back to Israel.

When God answers our prayers it is more than just a miracle, it is a divine visitation.  No one may truly understand it all, but you will.  Why?  You are the one who prayed and prayed for years, months, or weeks.  You are the one who carried the word in your heart.  You are the one who was tested until the word came true in your life.

Our goal is hold on to God’s word until His “divine intervention” manifests in us. One of my favorite biblical phrases is “it came to pass.”  Praise God it didn’t come to stay, it came to pass!

Questions –

  • Why did God visit Sarah?  
  • Did God simply feel sorry for them?   
  • Did they finally pray enough times?   
  • Did they finally say their prayers in the correct order so as to unlock the answer?   
  • Did they finally get enough people agreeing with them?   
  • Was it on Abraham’s 100th birthday, so his wish came true as he blew out the candles?

NO – God said He would do it; therefore He did. The repetition of the written word of God reminds us of the total reliability of the promises of God. If God said He will do something, then you can be assured that He will. God’s promises are absolute.

Most of our gnawing struggles can be overcome by simply trusting in the word of God and the promises of God. We move to a higher altitude when we put our confidence in God’s word.

During World War I, an American Airmen took off from an airfield located in Kobar, Arabia. Little did the pilot know that while the plane was on the ground a large rat had crawled inside the cockpit.  While in the air the pilot became aware of the rat’s presence when he heard some gnawing behind him. He immediately realized that the sound he was hearing was the sound of a rat. Alarmed at what could turn into a disastrous situation, the pilot remembered that rats could not live in high altitudes. So the pilot did the smart thing and pointed his airplane up and climbed to altitudes where breathing was difficult. After some time at the high altitude, the gnawing stopped. When he landed on the ground he found the rat had died.  The gnawing rat represents the many gnawing struggles we face daily in our walk with God. Many, if not all, of the gnawing struggles that we face on a daily basis can be dealt with much like the pilot dealt with the gnawing rat. It can be dealt with by climbing to greater altitudes where God’s word causes us to soar and earthly issues die for lack of air.

Every believer has some seed of promise God has planted in them.  The Father is a faithful sower.  Are the promises of God being matured in you?  Are you in the beginning, middle, or near the end of your process?  Stay in your process.  A divine visitation may be just around the corner.

 

Blessings,

Pastor

 

When God’s Ability Is Finally Bonded With Faith’s Availabilty…

02 Wednesday May 2012

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When God’s ability is finally bonded with faith’s availabilty, it creates a spiritual tipping point. This passage doesn’t read like a spiritual tipping point, but it is, for both Abraham and Sarah.

 

 Then they said to him, ‘Where is Sarah your wife?’ And he said, ‘Behold, in the tent.’ And he said, ‘I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing. And Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?’ And the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh saying, “Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?” Is anything too difficult for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.’ Sarah denied it however, saying, ‘I did not laugh’; for she was afraid. And He said, ‘No, but you did laugh’ (Genesis 18:9-15)

 

It was customary in those days, as in some cultures today, for the women to neither be seen nor heard while male guests were entertained. Sarah thus prepared the bread out of the sight of the men (cf. verse 6), and she remained inside the tent as they ate. While she carefully kept out of sight, her curiosity got the best of her. She may have peeped through the folds of the tent or had her ear to the door, anxious to hear the conversation outside. I doubt that any of us could have avoided such a temptation either.

It was in this context the Lord assured Abraham that Sarah would have a son next year. It appeared Abraham either failed to mention what he heard from God previously in Genesis 17 about a son, or he failed to convince Sarah of its certainty. Whatever the case, the words of God were intended more for Sarah’s benefit than Abraham’s. It was vital that she, too, have faith in God’s promise.

Initially, Sarah’s response differed little from her husband’s response.  He laughed too when God spoke to him the last time about a son.  Now, Sarah was laughing as well. What was their laughter all about?  Maybe it was a combination of surprise, shock, sheer joy, and unbelief.  How could such a thing be?  One wonders if Sarah’s laughter was not heard outside the tent.

Notice the rebuke is directed, at first, toward Abraham, not Sarah. “And the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh? ’” (Genesis 18:13). In essence, God is saying, “Hey husband, why is your wife laughing at such a wonderful promise?  What have you been telling her?”

  • Had Abraham deliberately kept God’s promise from her?
  • Was his faith so weak that he could not convince his wife?

Somehow he had to give account to God for his wife’s response. I find it most interesting that Sarah’s response mirrored Abraham’s. He had provided the example for her. I personally have met people like this who could barely believe for themselves, much less pull along a “weak believing person”.  In other words, their faith was so weak they were more easily pushed down than pulled up!

The words of our Lord speak as loudly to us today as they did to Abraham. “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14a).

Here was the bedrock issue. The only reason for such unbelief was a failure to comprehend God’s ability to work in and through us. This means there was a break down in our comprehension of what God can do through men.  For most, the question has never been, “what can God do?”  Everyone believes and knows God can do anything.  We must personalize that question.  “At my current faith level, what can God do through me?  Do I personally believe God will powerfully move through me to others?”

This was the heart of the matter.  Abraham and Sarah fully believed in their heart they were past the point of producing a miracle baby.

This is a sticking point for many who seek to believe the Lord for a promise.  Most believe in God, but many believers have little or no faith in themselves.  Fifty years earlier Abraham and Sarah could have easily believed for a child.  Why?   They were in the possible category.  Now, while God was still in the possible category, they had grown into the impossible zone for God to do anything.

God was confronting them for thinking they were beyond living in the miracle zone.  Understand, if the matter of having a son was not impossible, the glory for such a miracle would have not have been given to God.  The birth would have simply been a product of love.

Now – The delay of Isaac’s birth was intended both to necessitate and to nurture the faith of Abraham and Sarah.  God was not trying to torture and frustrate Abraham and Sarah. If God delays a miracle in any way, it only means He wants to develop our spiritual walk. God was not only providing a son, he was creating a “Father of many nations.”  Creating a son was easy.  Developing a Father of Nations was the difficult part.

Had Abraham and Sarah come to terms with their unbelief and sarcasm they would have grown more quickly in their relationship and faith towards God. It is high time we start getting honest with ourselves and honest with God.  We spend so much time “acting spiritual”,  we actually begin to believe we are someone spiritually deep.

Sarah lied to God when she said she didn’t laugh.  I think she actually believed she didn’t laugh. Sarah did not deny her thoughts, only her actions.  Sarah didn’t care what went on inside her mind and spirit.  She only cared that others perceived her as having her spiritual act together. How do we know?  She only tried to hide the fleshly error, not the heart issue.  No one knew how sarcastic she had grown towards the promises of God.

Does anyone know what is really going on in you today?  You could be floundering around “big time” spiritually.  Your outward actions do not expose the truth. We all must learn to believe the Spirit’s assessment of our lives…not the fleshly hogwash we tell ourselves and others.

I believe God wants to accomplish some big things in our lives.  These things can only be accomplished by the Lord working through people of faith so that He might receive all the glory.  Have you arrived at the place where your faith is fully available for Him to use?

Blessings,

Pastor

Are You Ready for Fresh Revelation from the Lord?

27 Friday Apr 2012

Posted by in Abraham: Life of Faith, Receiving Revelation

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“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.” (Genesis 17:1)

 

After thirteen years of silence, God appeared to Abraham and said, “I AM God Almighty.” In Hebrew, the name was “El-Shaddai,” which essentially meant “the God who is sufficient” and was used to emphasize His infinite power.  It was the first time  God had been called by this name in scripture.

How mighty was He? What could He do? The “proof” of Abraham’s faith and Sarah’s faith was just a year away.  They had been waiting for 24 years.  In the very next chapter God again promised the son and fixed the time for his arrival.  The angel said to Sarah and Abraham, “Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Genesis 18:14)

This was an excellent question to ask. “Is anything too hard for God?” The answer was and is, of course, no! He is El-Shaddai, Almighty God.

If we are going to live by faith and receive the precious promises of God, then we are going to have to ask and answer the same question… “Is there anything too hard for God?”  If you do not take the time to work through this issue, then it becomes impossible to move forward in faith.

A children’s catechism class was learning the Apostles’ Creed. Each child had been assigned a sentence to repeat. The first one said, “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” The second child said, “I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son…” When he had completed his sentence, there was an embarrassing silence. Finally, one child piped up, “Teacher, the boy who believes in the Holy Spirit isn’t here.”  Oooops!

Abraham, the “Father of many nations“, had finally shown himself a true believer. God needed a man to believe He was El-Shaddai, God Almighty. Now Abraham was finally at the point in his life where he could believe and receive this fresh revelation of God. Maybe there was an angel in heaven who shouted, “Father, the man you called out of Ur is finally here and ready to fully believe.”   God wants to give you a fresh revelation of Himself.  The only question is … Are you ready to receive it?  Are you at the place in your life where you can grasp and go with God’s revelation without forgetting and losing that precious revelation?  A lot of people say with their lips they want to do something great and grand for the Lord.  I hear it all the time.  If you and I were ready, we would be receiving God’s revelation of Himself.  The time has come where we desperately need to empty ourselves of everything in our lives not of the Lord, so that we might receive the full revelation of the Lord.  Nothing is impossible with the Lord.  We simply have to show up and believe.

 

Blessings,

Pastor

 

Recovering From a Spiritual Dry Spell

26 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in Abraham: Life of Faith

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One of the reasons I identify with Abraham and Sarah is because their spiritual walk was not perfect.  They both made plenty of mistakes, but didn’t stay in that condition.  Eventually, they got things back on track with the Lord. Maybe, like Abraham, you have blown it spiritually.  You need a fresh encounter with God and a renewed vision.

Spiritually speaking, it is never too late to make a fresh start because we are never beyond God’s reach.  In Genesis 17, God challenges Abraham to move to a new level of trust and faith.  This was a time when Abraham probably thought his best years were behind him. Yet, God asked him to step up and believe. It is amazing to consider that when we think it is all over, God is thinking about new beginnings.

Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. 2 “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly.” 3 Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying…  (Genesis 17:1-3)

Abraham was now ninety-nine years old. Twenty-four years had passed since God’s initial call and he had left Ur. It had also been thirteen years since the events recorded in Genesis 16. So far as we can tell, God had not spoken since He and Hagar got together. Thirteen years of silence!   If we would be honest with ourselves, we too have experienced long periods of “dry spells” in which God’s revelations and appearances were few and far between. It didn’t really have to be this way. But because we held on to our sin and kept walking in disobedience, even after being confronted with the truth, God remained silent.

I remember on one occasion when I was upset with the Lord over His dealings with me.  I was sulking and throwing a spiritual pity party.  After a few days of this, I soon realized that no one was attending my pity party but me.  A few days later I was praying and heard these words from the Lord,  “I am not going to come and get you this time.”  In other words the Lord was telling me, “He wasn’t going to attend my selfish pity party either.”  I decided it would be better to repent and return to the Lord, rather than continue in my self-absorbed vanity.  I still didn’t understand the Lord’s dealings in my life. But at least I was on track again.  It was only months later that I understood what God was doing.  Sometimes it is better to repent first and ask questions later.

Here is the point: When we insist on “doing it our own way”, we will eventually eat the fruit of those seeds. Thirteen years earlier Abraham had taken a wrong turn (he and Sarah birthed an Ishmael). For thirteen years there had been only silence from heaven.  These were years of unhappiness and unrest in the household of Abraham. Yes, the old couple had a child… but it wasn’t the “child of promise.”  By their own hands, they produced unwanted/ungodly interference to God’s plan. It wouldn’t have been so difficult had not the promise of God still been lingering in the air.   The presence of Ishmael in the home created contempt, bitterness, envy, and strife.  Yes,  they had problems before this, but they were always ultimately victorious.  I don’t believe these were necessarily lost years.  God used these thirteen years to teach Abraham the cost of acting presumptuously on his own.

One of the most frightening things in life is when you insist on having things your own way. God may let you have your way for a season. You may be sorry you asked for it.  But ultimately for those who are hot hearted for God, the hunger for the promises of God draw you back.

Blessings,

Pastor

Blaming Someone Else for Our Failure

25 Wednesday Apr 2012

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We Miss God’s Plan for Our Life When… We Blame Someone Else for Our Failure.

Then Sarai said to Abram, You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering.(Genesis 16:5)

 

I am sure Abraham said to himself; “What have I done? It was all my wife’s idea.  If she hadn’t insisted on me sleeping with Hagar, then I wouldn’t be in this mess.”  Even though assessing and shifting blame makes us feel better, it accomplishes nothing. The moment we begin to blame others, we lock ourselves into permanently missing God’s will.  Why?  Because we never come to the knowledge of the truth about our own condition.  There is no room for confession and repentance.  If this happens, we hinder ourselves from coming back into God’s will.

How many times has it been beneficial for you to say, “It’s his fault or it’s her fault?”   Has this type of rationalization helped your spiritual walk or simply comforted your flesh?  Everyone loses when we try to play the “blame game.”

 

People who are out to find fault seldom find anything else.

 

In our passage it was Sarah who blamed Abraham for the problems with Hagar’s conception. Maybe Abraham remained quiet because he knew he had stepped out of God’s will.  Even if we blame no one else but ourselves… it is wasted time and energy. The reason is because we don’t move on to learn from our mistakes and correct them.  The time and energy you could have spent on making a U-turn is spent on blaming yourself.

It appears all parties here in this story hope their “problem” would simply disappear.  Sarah mistreated Hagar and Hagar left. Notice Abraham didn’t send a search party to find Hagar, and Sarah wasn’t pleading for Abraham to go out and find her. God has a way of making us deal with our mistakes rather than hoping they take care of themselves.

The story is told of two hunters who came across a bear so big that they dropped their rifles and ran for cover. One man climbed a tree while the other hid in a nearby cave. The bear sat down between the tree and the cave. Suddenly, the hunter in the cave came rushing out, almost ran into the waiting bear, hesitated, and dashed back in the cave. The same thing happened a second time. When he emerged the third time, his friend frantically called out, “Woody, are you crazy? Stay in the cave till he leaves!” “Can’t,” panted Woody. “There’s another bear in there.”

Running only causes our problems to reappear. Whenever we run away from problems we need remember we will often face very same or similar problems down the road. What we don’t deal with today, we will deal with someday.  Running doesn’t solve anything. Even if everyone seems to agree with you, if you are running away from problems and conflicts in your life, you are running the wrong way. Even if everyone is running alongside of you, you are wrong.

The best course of action is to always take it to the Lord, confess, repent, and get directions on how to solve the problem.

 

Blessings,

Pastor