Escaping to Bearing It

14 Thursday Nov 2013

Posted by eisakouo in Luke, Our Spiritual Process

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a way of escape, denying the Lord, entering into temptation, exiting God's process, Garden of Gethsemane, I Corinthians 10:13, leaving our process, losing our words from God, Mark 14:31 & 50, Mark 16, martyr, Matthew 26, Matthew 26:31-35, Oswald Chambers quote, overcoming failure, prayer, spiritual abortions, spiritual suicide, temptation

Do you remember Jesus’ three-fold warning to His disciples as they entered the Garden of Gethsemane? “Pray that you enter not into temptation.” Jesus didn’t say temptation could be avoided. He said they should pray to not enter into the temptation which was coming. What temptation? Luke doesn’t record the disciple’s failure. Everybody knows what it is… it was prophesied in the O.T. and recorded in Matthew 26 and Mark 16.

The disciples all scattered and fled the Lord when He was arrested. It was sin to them because they each, to a man, pledged to go to death for Jesus. For the first time in over three years, they were no longer following Jesus, the Lord of their life. Each man exited his process with God and lost hope.

This story is not just about denying the Lord. Yes, denying the Lord is big, but the larger problem is what exiting our process does to our inner man.

When we exit God’s process we lose hope.
When we exit God’s process all our words from the Lord come crashing to the ground —- all dreams, visions, hopes, and promises.
Everything abruptly ends.

It is like committing spiritual suicide. This is Satan’s ultimate goal when he tempts us. He desires to crush us and to snatch away our hope right before our words are birthed. Satan loves performing spiritual abortions.

I believe this is why all except one disciple died a martyr’s death. Look at Matthew 26:31-35 and Mark 14:31 & 50. All the disciples vowed the previous evening to die for the Lord. They all failed to fulfill that promise. Their boasting wasn’t just empty platitudes. They meant what they proudly stated. Later in life when the same temptation came to deny the Lord and run, they each fulfilled their promise. Early church history confirms it. Jesus had other plans for John. (John 21:18-23)

According to scripture the Lord always provides for us a way of escape and to bear temptation’s grasp.

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. I Corinthians 10:13

Jesus made it out of the garden of Gethsemane with His process intact. From a fleshly perspective, it appeared as though Jesus was trapped and the disciples escaped. In reality, the disciples were ensnared and Jesus alone escaped temptation. Outward circumstances are not a reliable indicator of spiritual realities. Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane was not a prayer of hopelessness and defeat. It was a prayer of surrender to His Father’s will. In surrender, Jesus found the strength to continue in His process and overcome.

The truth is the Lord always wants His children to walk in victory. Three times the Lord warned His disciples about being in caught in temptation’s snare. This warning went unheeded. Most of us operate just like the disciples… we believe we can handle it…only to find we can’t. The good news is the Lord provides a way of escape. This doesn’t mean the road automatically turns into Easy Street. It does mean we will be able to bear what is about to transpire…with God’s help. The key is being able to discern God’s path. This is why Jesus exhorted His disciple’s to pray.

God is not trying to keep His will from you today. He is trying to get you to understand and walk in truth. Take the time to get to know His best for you this week. Temptations are coming… wouldn’t it be great if you avoided those old pitfalls instead of falling head forward into Satan’s snares?

Blessings – From God’s Incubator,

Pastor

14 Inspirational Picture Quotes on Discipleship and Character

06 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by eisakouo in Quotes

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big assignment, Billy Sunday quote, catch fire, come and die, D L Moody quote, Dick Eastman quote, Dietrich Bonhoeffer quote, fail to finish, G.K. Chesterton quote, Henry Blackaby quote, Hudson Taylor Quote, John Wesley quote, Oswald Chambers quote, power of obedience, see the invisible, seed, small character, teach people, Teresa of Avila quote, the Christian Ideal, what is your message, work through me, worth remembering

Have a Blessed Weekend,

Pastor

From a Fan, to Follower, to Believer, to Disciple

28 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by eisakouo in Discipletips, Luke

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Christian, disciple, discipleship, discipleship is hard, doing Christian things, genuine believers, Korean house church, Oswald Chambers quote, Paul Estabrooks, suffering, suffering through obedience, the cost of discipleship, western church temptations

All genuine believers of Christ are on a journey… a journey to be closer to the Lord. None of us started out having already arrived. Hopefully by now you have grown closer to the Lord by some degree.

Have you learned discipleship is hard?
Have you learned there are no shortcuts?
Have you learned suffering through obedience?

A western Christian co-worker was visiting the Chinese city of Dandong which borders North Korea. He shares his challenging experience at a local house church meeting:

“It was the first time I had ever been called ‘Satan!’ But no one could fault the careful exegesis as this fiery Korean preacher bellowed to the 200-member house church.

‘The third temptation of Jesus,’ he declared, ‘was when the devil offered him the kingdom without the cross. The devil was basically saying, Don’t go off and make all those sacrifices, touch all those lepers, spend nights in agony praying, and end up being tortured by soldiers and dying a horrible death. Just take it all now…from my hand!’ He went on, ‘The church often has the same temptation. The devil offers us power without suffering. And… I’ve got to say this even though our western friend is here…this is a temptation one part of the church tempts another part of the church with. We have to call that part of the church ‘Satan,’ just as Jesus had to call Peter ‘Satan’ when he made the same suggestion later in his ministry.’

Good rip-roaring stuff, and thoroughly biblical. But I was intrigued as to why this pastor had singled out the western church as the tempter. He was happy to explain over a meal.

‘I hosted five pastors from North America last year. All Koreans. They came with reading material. Good stuff as far as it went, and they were supplying a sort of formula for church growth. But could one of them even bring himself to mention suffering? No! And when I heard those Korean pastors preach, it was also absent.’

He leaned forward and whispered, ‘When these pastors preach to the persecuted church, and mention everything but suffering, they are taking away the cross from the Christian life. That’s why I have to say that they are bringing a satanic suggestion. Anyone who says you can follow Christ but not carry your cross is no better than the old deceiver himself. Jesus said so. He said it to Satan, and he said it to Peter. And I’m going to say it to anyone else who dares to think they can be a witness for Christ from anywhere else but on a cross.'”

(Standing Strong Through The Storm – by author Paul Estabrooks)

This Korean pastor understood what Jesus understood about the process of discipleship. It is extremely difficult and the devil tempts us everyday to take the easy road. Jesus always referred to His followers as disciples. In fact, the term “disciples” occurs 269 times in the New Testament, while the term “Christian” only occurs three times. We are who Jesus says we are.

This is why Jesus turned around to speak to the large masses of people following Him. They were following for many reasons but He knew the reality of the situation. Some were only wanting to see more miracles. Others wanted to gain another free meal. Still others were tantalized by Jesus’ radical ways.

So Jesus began to cull this crowd by laying out five marks or descriptions of what it meant to be a real disciple. From all outward appearances these crowds were willing and even anxious to follow Jesus, providing the cost was not too high or the demands too great.

They were not unlike many people today who do “Christian things” like go to church, pray, sing Christian songs, etc., but are not really committed to real growth in Jesus. In a sense, they were “along for the ride” but were unwilling to give up everything in their lives which conflicted with following the Lord in a committed way.

They also are not unlike many today who look to Jesus to solve their money problems, relational problems, health problems, etc., but quickly grow disillusioned and unwilling to obey. When following Jesus doesn’t readily solve these issues or when following Jesus requires real sacrifice… they fall away until they need something from Jesus again.

As Jesus’ time on earth drew to an end and His own personal cross loomed on the horizon… the process of discipleship was on His mind. In the next few blogs I will examine Jesus’ five demands of a real disciple.

Blessings,

Pastor

Inspirational Prayer & Faith Quotes

15 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by eisakouo in Quotes

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Adrian Rogers, believe, Christian quotes, Elton Trueblood, Faith in God's timing Neal Maxwell, faith like light, faith tested, God's willingness Martin Luther, He will bring you through it, inspirational quotes, John Wesley, Joni Erickson Tada, Oswald Chambers quote, regenerated believer spiritual believer Watchman Nee, taking God at His word, words with heart John Bunyan

Have a Blessed Weekend,

Pastor

How to Receive an Answer from God (Part 1)

17 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by eisakouo in How to Receive an Answer from God

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actual miracle, attitudes in prayer, delays, delays are not denials, disgrace and disappointment, exceptional parent material, God wants to do something greater, Luke 1:18, Luke 1:25, Luke 1:38, maturity, Meyer quote, Oswald Chambers quote, prophet, sign of maturity, Ted Turner, time, why prayer doesn't work, willing to let God answer in His own time, willing to wait, Zechariah and Elizabeth

A mother of five took one of her daughters, age 9, out for a mother-daughter breakfast. During their meal, she courageously asked her daughter, “How do you think I could be a better mom?” The young girl thought for a moment. Then she promptly related, “Well, you do yell a lot. I know you’ve been praying about that, but it isn’t really working yet.”

Touché! A quip like this had to hurt just a little. Why doesn’t prayer “really work” sometimes? Why do some of our most earnest and sincere prayers appear to go unanswered?

In this blog and following, I am going to focus on our attitudes in prayer. My focus is not about “the how to’s” of prayer, or the “whys” of prayer, but our attitudes. Maybe you’ve sincerely attempted prayer but are still not netting many results. If so, then follow along as I attempt to examine four attitudes which will help get results from heaven.

Time is one of the biggest issues most face when it comes to prayer. In order to receive from God we must be willing to let the Lord answer in His own time. If you are like me… I want what I want, when I want it. I want answers to my prayers right away. After all, I think that what I’m praying about is important and God should answer…quickly. But it’s not always in my best interest or God’s, for Him to answer immediately. During these moments it is imperative to maintain the belief that the Lord has our best interest at heart. If the Lord delays, it is the very best for all concerned.

God often delays answering our prayers because we are not mature or responsible enough to receive. The question becomes can we handle it?

A hundred years ago, who would have thought it would have been possible to send pictures through space? Who would have imagined that somebody standing in front of a camera in New York could be seen by people in Washington? Who could have imagined that instead of waiting for the news to arrive in a newspaper, you could see it happening for yourself, live? A hundred years ago they would have said it was impossible. This is not the case now.

Who would have thought a hundred years ago, it would be possible for people personally to send their own pictures and videos through space to be on the news which runs 24/7. Yet, this happens everyday.

Now, even children and teenagers have this capability. Many have learned the hard way that just because they can, doesn’t mean they should post every pic and video of themselves. Many of them have chosen to send naked pictures of themselves for the whole world to see. Just because we have been given this power doesn’t mean it has been the very best thing for us.

Being willing to wait for something you want or even need is a sign of maturity. Not being willing to wait is a sign of immaturity.

This wasn’t the reason Zechariah and Elizabeth’s answer was delayed in Luke 1. In verses 6 and 9 we see that they were upright, blameless, and kept faithfully serving God despite their disgrace and disappointment in not having a child.

This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men. Luke 1:25

Yes, this elderly couple was “disgraced” by God’s lack of movement in their lives. Ever been there? Do you think God is even concerned when He delays our prayers? Maybe He is in heaven laughing at our disgrace. People wrongly conclude we are “less spiritual” because God has delayed our prayer requests.

Real maturity is loving God despite it all. Mature people do not stop loving God when life doesn’t make sense. Zachariah and Elizabeth kept plugging away with their faith and love for God intact.

As strange as it may seem, God’s delays are not God’s denials! He needed someone He could trust to not deny Him when their prayers weren’t being answered right away. He wanted to answer Zechariah and Elizabeth’s prayers in a miraculous fashion. This meant that their answer would not arrive right away. This also meant they were the “exceptional parent material” God needed to raise a prophet… not just any prophet … the prophet that would usher in Messiah.

Cable television tycoon Ted Turner has often been quoted as being critical of Christianity. Turner made some very revealing remarks at a banquet in Orlando, Fla., in 1990. On this occasion he was given an award by the American Humanist Association for his work on behalf of the environment. Turner said he had a strict Christian upbringing and at one time considered becoming a missionary. “I was saved seven or eight times,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. But he said “he became disenchanted with Christianity after his sister died, despite his prayers.” (Spokesman-Review, May 1, 1990. http://www.christianglobe.com.)

Here is a man who didn’t pass the “prayers delayed test.” In fact, this test actually changed the course of his life. His personal prayers were not answered by the Lord, so he chucked his whole relationship with God.

I am sure we have all considered giving up on prayer at one time or another. We get discouraged and quit praying for a season because deep down we wonder if prayer really makes a difference. In Zechariah and Elizabeth’s case, God wanted to do something greater than they had originally requested. God trusted them because they would not give up on Him when their prayers seemed to be going unanswered.

Have you given up on God because He appeared to be deaf to your concerns? Or, are you still faithfully serving Him despite the delay in getting what you have been praying about? Can God trust you to not deny Him when the answers to your prayers are delayed?

Zechariah couldn’t believe the angel’s good news. He doubted what he was hearing.

Zachariah said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.” Luke 1:18

Even good, sincere Christians have doubts at times! Why did he doubt the angel’s message? Because he knew he and his wife were “well along” in years. I am feeling a little advanced in years myself these days. They knew that it would take a full-blown miracle for them to have a child! We tend to doubt God when the answer to our prayers requires an actual miracle.

This is the difference between Mary (Jesus’ mother) and Zechariah. Mary did believe God could do a miracle. Zack, because of his age… couldn’t make the leap.

Different issues create certain problems for people. Some can’t believe God for a restored marriage. Some can’t believe God for restored health. Others can’t believe God for a financial miracle. Bottomline… You will hear words like, “That’s impossible!” In other words, “I can’t believe that will actually happen for me. God might be able to work a miracle in somebody else’s life, but not mine.”

The way to correct this is to speak and believe like Mary. “Be it done to me according to Your word.” Luke 1:38

Blessings,

Pastor

Growing, Growing, Until Its All Gone!

07 Monday May 2012

Posted by eisakouo in Abraham: Life of Faith

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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