Tag Archives: bondage

Learn to Go Against the Flow, While Resting in God’s Flow

04 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by in Daniel - No Compromise

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As you have probably gathered by now, I like Daniel. His life is not simply a “feel good” story. Daniel is an inspiration on how to continually live for God during difficult times. While other Jews apparently had given up and given in to living a compromised life in a wicked land… Daniel chose a difficult course. Where are the rest of Daniel’s kinsmen? Before I move on here, we need to understand Daniel and his friends were living under God’s judgment. For the next seventy years the whole nation would have to live in exile. How would you like to live under this type of bondage, knowing it was God’s hand which brought you to this place?

What is interesting is even though everyone else was experiencing bondage, Daniel and those who stood for righteousness did not. Daniel discovered the flow of God while living in an evil, demonic, and wicked empire. This is good news, if you can believe for it. Even under the judgment of God, even under a wicked regime, even under curses and even when the devil is trying to take you out… you can experience the flow of God and the Lord can move mightily in your life.

Jesus understood this principle. He lived under the bondage of the Roman empire. The spiritual conditions were deplorable when He preached in the country and cities of Israel. This was why He could say with absolute authority…

If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” They answered Him, “we are Abraham’s offspring, and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You shall become free’?” (John 8:31-33).

Isn’t it amazing how everyone thinks they are free, when they are really in bondage? Only a free man can free a man. Only the free can see and discern that people are really in bondage. Only in Christ are we truly free. Outside of Jesus Christ all men are in bondage and cannot experience the deeper blessings of God.

Back several decades ago, when I was a mere teenager, Bob Dylan became a Christian. He would later renounce that decision. Whatever? While he was a believer he cut two albums. One of the songs he sang was “Your Gonna Have to Serve Somebody.” (You can check it out on YouTube)  I mention part of the lyrics below as an example of what I am sharing today.

“You may be an ambassador to England or France,
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance.
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world,
You might be a socialite with a long string of pearls.
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed,
You’re gonna have to serve somebody.
Well it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord;
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk.
You may be the head of some TV network.
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame.
You may be living in another country under another name.
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed,
You’re gonna have to serve somebody.
Well it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord,
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a construction worker working on a home.
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome.
You might own guns and you might even own tanks.
You might be somebody’s landlord, you might even own banks.
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed,
You’re gonna have to serve somebody.
Well it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord.
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

Might like to wear cotton, you might like to wear silk.
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk.
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread.
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed.
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed,
You’re gonna have to serve somebody.
Well it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord,
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”

It is true. You going to have to serve somebody. Better to serve the Lord, He loves you and the benefits are outstanding.

 

Blessings,

Pastor

 

The High Cost of Low Level Complaining (Part 1) Ingratitude

28 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Dying to Self

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I am sure if you are like me, you have done your fair share of complaining. For many of us voicing complaints is our first response when events go awry. Listen to reality tv or the evening news at the barrage of displeasure coming from people’s mouths. I don’t know about you, but I am always glad to hear a piece of good news when it is provided.

The Bible has much to say about the practice of complaining. The Scriptures tell us not only what people complain about, but also how it affects others and how God responds to it. We may not take our complaining seriously, but God does. When it is all boiled down, complaining is an accusation against God. Complaining accuses God of malfeasance.

It is impossible to fulfill the command to be “thankful in everything” (I Thessalonians 5:18) when you are a chronic complainer. The only way to break this curse of complaining is to become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and learn how to be thankful for all of God’s movements in our life.
Complaining reveals much about us. The first issue the high cost of low-level complaining uncovers is our ingratitude for God’s care. Listen to the story from the Children of Israel’s journey to the Promised Land.

And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.” Numbers 11:1

 

We might want to side with these people except they have done nothing except complain since they were freed from the bondage of Egypt. The word here for complain is the word “anan“. It means to mourn. They were literally mourning, whining, and weeping because they pitied themselves. Was life so bad for them now that they just decided to sit down and throw a pity-party for themselves? Have you learned who shows up when you throw a pity party for yourself? … Only you. Who else would want to attend?

All this complaining “displeased the Lord.” The Father was exceedingly grieved and hurt by the complaints of the people. It also stirred up His righteous indignation and fire broke out in the camp. Was all this displeasure with God truly vindicated? What were the people actually complaining about in this occasion?

First, the people were vocally venting about what they didn’t have. Most of these complaints revolved around food.

…and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?  Numbers 11:4b

 

The foodies wanted more, especially in the meat department. This craving for “flesh” led them to whine and vent about their lack.

 

Next, the people complained about they used to have.

We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic: Numbers 11:5

 

Remember these Israelites were just freed from Egyptian slavery. Now they were complaining how their old life was better than what they were experiencing now as freed people of God. What a testimony! Sadly, believers do the same thing. When they find themselves under pressure you hear the same types of statements, “I never had this many problems before I got saved!” It is true. You don’t have many problems when you are in bondage.

Did they really eat freely in Egypt? How many meals can you make out of “leeks, onions and garlic?” I agree these items were on the menu before, but these were about all they had. They had conveniently forgotten about the fact they were in bondage just a few months prior. Sometimes freedom means self-denial. Fantasizing about the “good old days” of bondage will only assure we stay in bondage.

 

The people complained about what they didn’t have, what they used to have, and also they vented about what they actually did have. Now we come to the heart of the issue.

But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. Numbers 11:6

Someone doesn’t like the taste of manna. Why not? This stuff only comes from heaven itself. It is only a miracle food. It only comes from the hand of God. Isn’t it amazing how quickly a miracle becomes so “normal” we are no longer grateful for its provision in our life. How quickly the children of God wanted something new, something better, and something more. Again, many believers operate in the same fashion. The church is no longer exciting enough. The Bible is no longer “feeding” us like it used to in the beginning. We treat the things of God like the Children of Israel regarded the miracle of manna. They wanted something new and better and so does the church of the twenty-first century. Here is the point. When the things of God are no longer exciting and appealing to us, we are in deep trouble. What terrible ingrates we must appear to God when we complain about all that we do not have rather than thanking Him for what He has graciously provided. Just like Israel, we too possess an attitude of ingratitude.

 

Many years ago, as the story is told, a devout king was disturbed by the ingratitude of his royal court. He prepared a large banquet for them. When the king and his royal guests were seated, by prior arrangement, a beggar shuffled into the hall, sat down at the king’s table, and gorged himself with food. Without saying a word, he then left the room.
The guests were furious and asked permission to seize the tramp and tear him limb from limb for his ingratitude. The king replied, “That beggar has done only once to an earthly king what each of you does three times each day to God. You sit there at the table and eat until you are satisfied. Then you walk away without recognizing God, or expressing one word of thanks to Him.”

Ingratitude denotes spiritual immaturity. Infants do not always appreciate what parents do for them. They have short memories. Their concern is not what you did for me yesterday, but what are you doing for me today. The past is meaningless and so is the future. If we continue to operate as toddlers, we will never grow. Those who are mature are deeply appreciative of all God’s provisions both past and present. Choose to be a mature and grateful believer. Appreciate all God has done and is doing in your life and cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

 

Blessings,

 

Pastor

 

 

 

Testing Your Metal – Spiritual Warfare!

25 Sunday Sep 2011

Posted by in Times of Testing

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10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Ephesians 6:10-12

      In the past few blogs I have been examining the major areas of testing all believers must endure to grow strong in the Lord.  In all of these different areas, some never move on to bigger and better things.  The Kingdom of God does not offer “social promotions.”  Some stay in their testing due to neglect.  Others become so infatuated with their “trials” and wrongly conclude that failure is the norm.   Regardless the reason, failure to proceed results in little or no growth.  God calls us to walk in victory and doesn’t want any of His children living below the spiritual poverty line. 

      Another major area all believers must learn, grow, and be tested in is the area of Spiritual Warfare and Deliverance.  Some new believers will arrive here right from the start.  Why?  They come to Christ straight out of bondage.  It is imperative these new converts learn and keep their freedom in Christ.  Not everyone comes to know the Lord from a sterile church pew.  Some find the Lord at the bottom of a bottle or while in the clutches of witchcraft.  Staying free is imperative for them. 

      Outside of this group I just mentioned, my concern is that most believers never allow the Lord to take them through the process of becoming a warrior.  Over the years the church has treated spiritual warfare like our nation treats its armed forces.  Hey, in America it is always someone else’s job to fight wars and engage in battle…. not the everyday citizen.  This is not true for everyone, but it is true for many. 

      The truth is that in God’s Kingdom all His children are raised to be free, ready, willing, and able to conduct spiritual warfare.  I know not all are called to take the lead, but all are called to fight!  Unfortunately, over the centuries too few have heard the call to arms and push back the enemy.  Remember, “the gates of hell are not supposed to prevail.” 

      The first order of business in Jesus’ ministry had to do with a confrontation with Satan.  Our lives are not different.  Many believers have needlessly been mowed down spiritually because:

  1. They were not completely free themselves.
  2. They lacked the tools to fight.
  3. They lacked the training to fight, with or without weapons.
  4. They were told by other believers not to even expect a battle. 

      Therefore, those who have neglected their training and testing don’t even know where the actual battle is being waged!  Like many of the previous generations of believers, they choose instead to spend their energy and zeal fighting other Christians.  They become vessels of contention and strife rather than warriors of deliverance.  Satan just sits back smiling, because he has not even been attacked.  As someone once said, “The Christian army is the only army that shoots its own wounded.” 

      If you have not allowed the Lord to train, teach, and test you in this area…. please allow Him to do so.  We are entering into a season when the Kingdom desperately needs its warriors trained, tested, and ready to fight.  Our verse in Ephesians reminds us that our warfare is not in the physical, but spiritual realm.  Our call is to “be strong in the Lord” and able to draw on His strength.  There is no time like the present to pursue the Lord and allow Him to reveal to us our armor.  Are you ready? 

 

Make Your Secrets Your Testimony

28 Thursday Jul 2011

Posted by in Our Spiritual Process

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“But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.” Luke 12:2     

      While most abhor hypocrisy in others, we all have certain actions, thoughts, and words we wished never saw the light of day. Jesus’ unconditional promise to us is “all words and deeds see the light and become known.”   Why?

      God knows that secret sins lead to certain bondage.  Keeping those secret sins a secret is a burden the Lord knows we cannot continue to bear.  It is the burdensome things we repeatedly do to keep our secrets that create a veil of hypocrisy in our lives. 

      The first step to freedom is knowing unconditionally that God loves you.  He values you so much He keeps a tally of the numbers of hair on your head.  Your picture is hanging on the front of the Father’s refrigerator in heaven.  God loves you and always has your best interest at heart. 

      Therefore, the Father wants an open dialogue concerning every issue in your life.  This includes the most secret of issues, even “things we don’t speak of.”  Allow the most intimate of secrets to be exposed by the Father so that your secrets become your testimony of God’s grace and your freedom in the kingdom.