How to Receive an Answer from God (Part III) – Letting God Answer in His Own Power

26 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by eisakouo in How to Receive an Answer from God

Tags

Abraham and Sarah, glory to God, helping God, Ishmael, Lazarus, old lady and the atheist, prayer, require a miracle, the Lord did it, wrong solutions

Have you ever tried to help God out while waiting for the answers to your prayers? I’ve been there … got a few t-shirts and learned some hard lessons.

The classic Biblical example of a couple trying to help God is Abraham and Sarah. God promised a great nation would come from their loins. Years passed without a son being born. When it appeared God needed their assistance, they took matters into their own hands and had a son (Ishmael) through their servant Hagar. This was not God’s plan, or His promise.

I also think of young couples who get married too soon and live to regret it. Our quick/help solutions are almost always the wrong solutions. We need to wait for God’s solutions, even if they require a miracle, as it did for Abraham and Sarah!
Why does God wait until the last possible moment, when the answer requires a miracle? Why do our circumstances often get worse before He answers?

It is because we tend not to give the Lord credit for answering our prayers until all of our capabilities have been exhausted. When God answers our prayers after all avenues have been exhausted, things can only be explained by God acting on our behalf. Everyone, believers and non-believers alike, realize it was God who moved and answered by His power. The glory is all His and His alone. Sometimes the glory comes from the answer and sometimes it comes from how it was answered. Ultimately, people will say, “The Lord did it.”
We see this clearly when Jesus raised His friend Lazarus from the dead. Jesus wanted an occasion to reveal His power to everyone. Jesus knew He could count on Mary and Martha because they would not deny Him, even though their “personal prayers” appeared to be going unanswered. Jesus delayed and let Lazarus die to show everyone He had the power over the grave! But those four to five days before Jesus arrived were rough on the sisters. All this reveals that the closer we are to the Lord, the more our faith gets tested. If you consider yourself to be a friend of God, then rest assured… you will be tried.

If your prayer has not been answered, don’t give up or act too soon to solve it yourself. Instead, trust God and wait on Him! God wants to reveal His power through your situation…. to you and to someone close to you who needs to know that your God is for real!
A little old lady came out every morning on the steps of her front porch, raised her arms to the sky and shouted, “Praise the Lord!” One day an atheist moved into the house next door. Over time, he became irritated with the little old lady. So every morning he would step out onto his front porch and yell after her, “There is no Lord!”
Time passed with the two of them carrying on this way every day.

Then one morning in the middle of winter, the little old lady stepped onto her front porch and shouted, “Praise the Lord! Lord, I have no food and I am starving. Please provide for me, oh Lord!” The next morning, she stepped onto her porch and there were two huge bags of groceries sitting there.

“Praise the Lord!” she cried out. “He has provided groceries for me!” The atheist jumped out of the hedges and shouted, “There is no Lord. I bought those groceries!”
The old lady threw her arms into the air and shouted, “Praise the Lord! He has provided me with groceries and He made the devil pay for them!”

Blessings,

Pastor

Growing, Growing, Until Its All Gone!

07 Monday May 2012

Posted by eisakouo in Abraham: Life of Faith

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Abraham, fleshly impediments, Fraudulent Heir, Galatians 4:29, Genesis 21:8, give back to God our sins, God's legitimate work, God's original word, Isaac, Ishmael, mistake and errors, mock, more critical our obedience, Oswald Chambers quote, persecute, remove the flesh, Sarah, slave woman, the Lord's solution, the Promised child, use your spouse's discernment, view things dfferently

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

What Happens When We Abandon God’s Timing…

22 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by eisakouo in Abraham: Life of Faith

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Abandon God's timing, Abraham, benefit others, detours, Genesis 16:3, God knows best, Hagar, Ishmael, lasting consequences, mistakes, Plato quote, potiential disaster, Sarah, seed of abraham, spiritual speeding tickets, strengthen our faith, waiting on God, weakneses

We Miss God’s Plan for Our Life When…

We Abandon God’s Timing and Settle for Self Timing

So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. (Genesis 16:3)

It is a mistake to forsake Godly foresight, especially when it is surely given. One mistake often births a second and then a third. I don’t know about you, but I barely recover from one detour, never mind a second or third detour. The scriptures reveal that Ishmael was born because Abraham and Sarah couldn’t wait any longer. Because they couldn’t wait for God, they also failed to detect the potential disaster their mistakes would create for millennia to come.

Now maybe you still don’t think that looking ahead is important and disobeying God is no big deal. Maybe you think that your mistakes are “your mistakes” and they do not affect anyone else. As believers, it is imperative we look ahead and seek Godly foresight.

Our sins, errors, or mistakes have lasting consequences. In the case of our passage today, Abraham and Sarah missed the fact that their “Ishmael” would create dissention. First, Hagar and Sarah began to argue and disagree due to jealousy and envy. Eventually, God’s promised child was born. Now this same dissention carried over to the next generation. As you know, the conflicts between the seed of Abraham (Isaac and Ishmael) continue to this day. Does all this seem like a good idea? What seemed like a good idea soon became a colossal disaster. Now it might have seemed like a good idea for Abraham to have a son by Hagar, after all Sarah was too old, but they failed to look ahead.

Have you ever received a speeding ticket? Did you conclude, “I shouldn’t have received that ticket. I wasn’t speeding.” But I ask – Are there consequences to speeding? You may think not if you conclude… “There are no consequences if I don’t get caught.”

Yet the ones who do not get caught are the same ones who wreck and cause others to wreck or kill themselves. Speeding has consequences. One teenager in Philadelphia has received 440 tickets! He faces possible fines of up to $88,000, 6 years in prison, and a lifetime ban on driving.

One of our prayers should be – “Lord, catch me now. Give me a ticket now before I make a big mistake. Help me to look ahead with Godly foresight. Help me to slow down and go in Your speed and time.”

SPEEDING – Is thinking your “time” is more important than the law.

SPIRITUAL SPEEDING – Is thinking God is moving too slow, therefore I need to speed things up.

If God were passing out spiritual speeding tickets today or if Gabriel were to pull you over, would he give you a spiritual speeding ticket for getting out of God’s timing? It is far better for the Lord to “ticket” you before you get out of His timing and bring lasting consequences upon you and your family.

Sometimes we must wait so God can prepare us for what lies ahead.
Sometimes God makes us wait so that He can work on some weaknesses we have.
Sometimes God makes us wait to strengthen our faith.
Sometimes God makes us wait to benefit those who are watching our life.
Sometimes God makes us wait in order to give us His very best, not just what is adequate for the moment.
Sometimes God makes us wait for reasons only He knows.

Whatever the case, the better choice is to wait upon the Lord.

Blessings,

Pastor

Underestimating God’s Power To Do the Supernatural

18 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by eisakouo in Abraham: Life of Faith

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

answer prayers, Avery Miller quote, behavior reveals the truth, bigger than God, Frustration is easy, Genesis 16:1, Genesis 18:14, God could have moved, God may not be early but He is never late, God's will is never dependent, internal alarm, Ishmael, miss God's plan, non-activity of God, Phillips Brooks quote, plan B

We miss God’s plan for our life when… We Underestimate God’s Power to do the Supernatural.

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. Genesis 16:1

Let me first say that God’s will is never dependent on what we do or do not have at our disposal. A lot of times, we look at the facts around us and we say, “There is no way God can do something in this situation. This situation is even too much for God to turn around into good.” Even though we may not say it aloud… we believe it in our hearts.

Sarah knew that her womb was barren and past child-bearing age. Making matters worse, Abraham was ten years her senior. It had been ten plus years since God had promised them a child. Evidently, she got to the place where she didn’t believe God could do something supernatural. She possibly thought, “Well God could have moved if I had just been younger and healthier.”

When Abraham thought that his problem was bigger than God could handle, he decided that it was a good idea to try and help God out. Later in Abraham’s life, God reminded him of this very issue.

Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.” Genesis 18:14 (NIV)

Is anything too hard or difficult for God? Of course not. But how we behave towards God in the middle of our tribulations reveals exactly how much we believe God.

Everyday, it is our behavior which reveals the truth of our beliefs, not our lips. God desires us to possess real integrity towards Him. It is easy to keep and employ God as the option of last resort. So often it’s only when we come to the end of ourselves that we begin to seek God. If God doesn’t start opening the doors of opportunity quickly, an internal alarm is triggered and panic arises. Many begin kicking all available doors to see if God is behind any of them. We think of God’s delay as being His weakness. Unfortunately, like the afore-mentioned, we remain clueless to the timing of God.

Sarah and Abraham became frustrated while waiting, so they wrongly concluded, “if God isn’t going to move then we might as well go to plan B, Ishmael.” Hasn’t frustration with the apparent “non-activity” of heaven stopped more movements of God in your life than anything else?

You may not be familiar with his name, but a great New England preacher, Phillips Brooks of yesteryear, was noted for his poise and quiet manner. At times, however, he suffered moments of frustration and irritability like most of us. One day a friend saw him pacing the floor like a caged lion. “What’s the trouble, Dr. Brooks?” asked the friend. “The trouble is that I am in a hurry,” said Brooks, “but God isn’t.” Can you agree? Haven’t we often felt the same? Brooks was also quoted as saying “The hardest task in my life is to sit down and wait for God to catch up with me.”

Yet patience is part of God’s strategy for maturing us. It’s a lost skill we all need to cultivate. Frustration is easy. It allows pride to grow and ultimately reject God’s will and timing. If you are waiting for God to act and wondering what’s taking Him so long, don’t make the mistake Abraham made and rush ahead of God and produce an Ishmael.

God continually reminds us to stick with the plan and continue to believe. If we don’t believe God can do the supernatural, we will miss His best plan for our life. God doesn’t need our help, especially help gained from Egypt. God wants to do far more than simply answer our prayers. His will is to answer our prayers and 100 other prayers we didn’t even mention or think about because He loves us. God may not be early… but He is never late!

Blessings,

Pastor

Abrabam and the Consequences of Compromise

03 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by eisakouo in Abraham: Life of Faith

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Abraham and Sarah, Canaan, curse instead of blessing, Egypt, famine, Genesis 12:18-19, Genesis 13:10, harem, hindrance, hyposcrisy, Ishmael, Lot, Mark 4:19, obstacles, private correction, Promised Land, public display of our disobedience, public rebuke, Sodom and Gemorrah, worldly riches

In a time of famine Abraham chose to go down to Egypt. He suggested his wife Sarah act like his sister so that he would not be harmed by Pharoah. Abraham’s vagabond days of being sustained by the mercies of God ended abruptly as he turned to Egypt as a source. He had a full belly but a bankrupt heart!

Remember this was the same man who walked away from his home and family and vowed never to return. This same man faced new enemies everyday in Canaan and never flinched or backed down. In those days he walked in obedience to the known will of God. But now that Abraham had succumbed to fear and entered Egypt, he was out of God’s will. He no longer walked in obedience and anointing.

When we walk away from the known will of God we forfeit God’s protective hedge of protection. Abraham walked out of Canaan, his fellowship with God, away from the tent and the altar.

The outcome of Abraham’s disobedience was that Sarah was put into a situation of real danger. The king claimed her for his harem, and the lie Abraham told opened that door. Abraham was trying to protect himself, but in protecting himself he exposed Sarah to indecency and danger.

Not only was Sarah endangered, but so was Lot. Abraham’s nephew went down to Egypt with him. Later on when the allurements and enticements of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah cast their spell over Lot, we are told that he saw Sodom as though it were the land of Egypt. (See Genesis 13:10) This lust for comfort and worldly glory was enhanced during this stay in Egypt. Abraham and Sarah quickly got over Egypt but Lot and his family never recovered from the worldly attachments they discovered in Egypt.

Egypt ultimately made Abraham very rich. You say, “What’s wrong with riches? They are not bad, but a blessing?” Yes they can be a blessing unless they come prematurely from a wrong source before we are ready to handle them. Jesus taught us the difference between “owning things” and “things owning us”. (See Mark 4:19). Jesus taught it was the “delighting in riches” that choked the Word in a person.

In Egypt Abraham was given sheep, oxen, menservants, maidservants, donkeys, and camels. This was the wealth of the oriental world. But when he came back into the Promised Land, the first thing we heard was the strife between Abraham’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen over the riches they received in Egypt. Abraham could deal with the riches, Lot could not. In addition, Abraham willing offered up the Promised Land to Lot. It was promised to him, not Lot. Wow!

Furthermore, we are told Abraham and Sarah were given maidservants, one of whom was named Hagar. Through Hagar Abraham later conceived Ishmael. Ishmael is recognized by Muslims as the ancestor of several prominent Arab tribes and being the forefather of Muhammad. The price of living in Egypt was extremely high and is still being paid today.

Abraham was called to be a blessing, but when he got into Egypt, he became a curse instead!

“The Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.”

A Christian out of fellowship with Christ is of no help to the lost people around him. Instead, he is actually a hindrance. His life of hypocrisy and weakness is a stumbling block and a plague upon the hearts of those who are watching him.

I end with this dramatic scene. Here was God’s man Abraham standing before a pagan king who had better morals than he. Listen as Abraham was publicly rebuked for his folly.

Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her and go.” (Genesis 12:18-19)

There is nothing more degrading for a Christian than to neglect God’s warning and afterward get rebuked by the world. God would always rather correct His children in private first. It is never God’s heart to make a public display of our disobedience. He loves His children too much to desire this type of display.

Blessings,

Pastor