Monday, June 8, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
When You're In It
As I sit to write this I began to think of a word I heard from Bishop Michael Pitts, and I just began to expand on it & study it, and I do understand how thousands of times that this message, or sermon, or blog, or whatever has been said. But, recently I have been dealing w/ & have been dealing w/ people who need to hear this in some of their hardest moments. I am talking about the time in your life when you feel like you are at your absolute worst time & if one more thing happens, you’re going to break! The time where it seems just one thing after another hits, & you feel that Satan & every demon in hell is assigned to you!
Now, I cannot help to believe that when this happens, its happening for a reason, & I would love to say “its all from the devil, & that as a Christian you’re never suppose to come against things, & its all a cake walk, just skippin’ & grinin’!” And to a certain extent it is. Yes, the devil does throw stuff against you, but the devil is a liar! He is such a liar that he will lie to you saying that he caused all of this, when really yes things happened, but yet the word says “…I have refined you, but not as silver, I have tested you in the furnace of affliction…Isaiah 48:10” and also “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trails, that the genuineness of your Faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ…1 Peter 1:6-7”
So, my point being is that he will lie to you so much making you think its all of him so you never fix what God is trying to get off of you. The things that need to come off to get to your next level or next season. And I greatly believe that God watches us as we are in the midst of trouble, of affliction, or better yet said, in our “fire“, to chose who he can use. Kind of like how college scouts come to see high school players play & see how they do in tuff circumstances, in games, in competition, to see if they can use them, or are they weak & will break.
What I’m trying to say, what is stirring in my spirit, is stay strong, hold on, at ALL cost, continue to rejoice, at ALL times, no matter what, b/c even when you do not feel like it, when you feel that nothing is left, that’s the time to send up a praise to just thank God for what he has already done! Because a praise sent up when you’re in the valley, in your lowest point, I believe is much stronger than one sent up on your mountain top. You must know, you wouldn’t be here right now if it was not for God, & He would not bring you this far to die now! Remember what he has already done for you! I love what David said as everyone was worried about him going against Goliath “ Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God….The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me…1 Samuel 17:36-37” obviously what he is saying is that his past victories over a lion and a bear gives (*& gave) him the faith to trust God for victory over Goliath.
That’s what I feel so strong, God has delivered you from so much, he has not done it to leave you high & dry now, he will deliver you if you stay strong, press in deeper & more than ever, & expect things to turn around for you. David said “ I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He SHALL strengthen your heart; Wait I say on the Lord!…Psalm 28:13-14”
My God! There is so much to speak or preach on w/ these passages’, but I just want to encourage you, that yes the pain might be getting worse & worse, but the classic “preacher thing” to say is, like a woman about to give birth, as the pains get worse, the deliverance is even closer!
In Micah chapter 4 and 5 it speaks of the woman’s birth pains, it says “…And to Babylon you shall go. There you shall be delivered; There the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies…Micah 4:10” what that speaks of is that your deliverance is coming in a strange place or in a strange way, but the certain thing is that it IS coming! My God! Your pain is leading to something, its pain w/ a purpose! I know that might not want to be what you wanted to hear, but you must know that, Jesus said it will rain on the just & the unjust, so it will happen, the difference is how will you react!?!
This has not been anything “deep” or some new revelation, it is just the point of standing on God’s word & his promises (*over 3,000 in the Bible!). I encourage you to just apply the promises, and know that Jesus did not only come just to save us, but that we may receive the blessings of Abraham, and to live life more abundantly. Stand on the promises! My prayer is that in this time of trouble or trials or whatever, that as you cast devils, that you also praise & rejoice in the Lord at all times! That the fire will burn off of you the things it is meant to, and it will unlock a praise in you that you did not even know you had. That you will stand strong & trust in the Lord, that you will be chosen in the fire. And know that this thing will not be the end of you, but just a point of stretching you & pulling on you, to stretch you out so that your capacity, & your ability to receive, will be enlarged. I pray that it all makes sense, & that it can help someone, & until next time, may God Bless…
Listening to: “Lord, I Praise You” by: Clint Brown
Now, I cannot help to believe that when this happens, its happening for a reason, & I would love to say “its all from the devil, & that as a Christian you’re never suppose to come against things, & its all a cake walk, just skippin’ & grinin’!” And to a certain extent it is. Yes, the devil does throw stuff against you, but the devil is a liar! He is such a liar that he will lie to you saying that he caused all of this, when really yes things happened, but yet the word says “…I have refined you, but not as silver, I have tested you in the furnace of affliction…Isaiah 48:10” and also “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trails, that the genuineness of your Faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ…1 Peter 1:6-7”
So, my point being is that he will lie to you so much making you think its all of him so you never fix what God is trying to get off of you. The things that need to come off to get to your next level or next season. And I greatly believe that God watches us as we are in the midst of trouble, of affliction, or better yet said, in our “fire“, to chose who he can use. Kind of like how college scouts come to see high school players play & see how they do in tuff circumstances, in games, in competition, to see if they can use them, or are they weak & will break.
What I’m trying to say, what is stirring in my spirit, is stay strong, hold on, at ALL cost, continue to rejoice, at ALL times, no matter what, b/c even when you do not feel like it, when you feel that nothing is left, that’s the time to send up a praise to just thank God for what he has already done! Because a praise sent up when you’re in the valley, in your lowest point, I believe is much stronger than one sent up on your mountain top. You must know, you wouldn’t be here right now if it was not for God, & He would not bring you this far to die now! Remember what he has already done for you! I love what David said as everyone was worried about him going against Goliath “ Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God….The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me…1 Samuel 17:36-37” obviously what he is saying is that his past victories over a lion and a bear gives (*& gave) him the faith to trust God for victory over Goliath.
That’s what I feel so strong, God has delivered you from so much, he has not done it to leave you high & dry now, he will deliver you if you stay strong, press in deeper & more than ever, & expect things to turn around for you. David said “ I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He SHALL strengthen your heart; Wait I say on the Lord!…Psalm 28:13-14”
My God! There is so much to speak or preach on w/ these passages’, but I just want to encourage you, that yes the pain might be getting worse & worse, but the classic “preacher thing” to say is, like a woman about to give birth, as the pains get worse, the deliverance is even closer!
In Micah chapter 4 and 5 it speaks of the woman’s birth pains, it says “…And to Babylon you shall go. There you shall be delivered; There the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies…Micah 4:10” what that speaks of is that your deliverance is coming in a strange place or in a strange way, but the certain thing is that it IS coming! My God! Your pain is leading to something, its pain w/ a purpose! I know that might not want to be what you wanted to hear, but you must know that, Jesus said it will rain on the just & the unjust, so it will happen, the difference is how will you react!?!
This has not been anything “deep” or some new revelation, it is just the point of standing on God’s word & his promises (*over 3,000 in the Bible!). I encourage you to just apply the promises, and know that Jesus did not only come just to save us, but that we may receive the blessings of Abraham, and to live life more abundantly. Stand on the promises! My prayer is that in this time of trouble or trials or whatever, that as you cast devils, that you also praise & rejoice in the Lord at all times! That the fire will burn off of you the things it is meant to, and it will unlock a praise in you that you did not even know you had. That you will stand strong & trust in the Lord, that you will be chosen in the fire. And know that this thing will not be the end of you, but just a point of stretching you & pulling on you, to stretch you out so that your capacity, & your ability to receive, will be enlarged. I pray that it all makes sense, & that it can help someone, & until next time, may God Bless…
Listening to: “Lord, I Praise You” by: Clint Brown
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Just Receive It!
As I began to sit down & really seek God on what it was that he wanted me to write (b/c I don’t want to say anything out of myself, but only what the Holy Spirit places in me) I could not help to continue to feel a stirring of talking about “Receiving from God,” a word that I had heard spoke awhile ago, & as it kept stirring in my spirit I just began writing many points that I could remember & placing what I believe God has placed on my heart.
Now as you would read or study through the bible, you would come across numerous accounts or times that illustrates receiving from God or expecting to receive from God, but at this certain time I’m going to use the story of Blind Bartimaeus using Mark’s gospel chapter 10:45-52
Mark 10:45-52 (King James Version)
45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.
48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
As we deal with the scripture & begin to look at it; especially in verse 45 we see the words of Jesus immediately proceeding Bartimaeus’s story, it says, “Jesus came not to be ministered unto, but to minister…” the point being that Jesus came to minister! That he came because he has something to give!
Then as you see in the next verse, the story begins “…and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people…” Now reading this it makes you think or begin to realize that throughout Jesus’ walk on this earth, wherever he went it always seemed to be someone there who had a need. So this then speaks to us, telling us, if we’re going to receive from God we have to get it settled down in us that we don’t have to talk God out of stuff.
Now this is big to me & really stirs my spirit, so lets deal with this first! You do not have to “twist God’s arm” or “sneak” or find some conniving way to get something from God. No, you need to go back to v. 45 & remember that the Word said “Jesus came to minister, & to give my life” so then you must understand that Jesus came to deliver, that Jesus came to Heal, that Jesus came to set the captive free! You must understand that you’re not trying to get him to do something that he doesn’t want to do, you’re not trying to talk God out of a blessing, you’re not trying to butter him up, all you are doing is just standing on His word! I believe people would be amazed of the level of breakthrough they could have if they just stood on the promises of God! My bible says that Jesus came to serve, he came to do all this, he came to minister to us!
So, the more you get this, you begin to see that it does not really have to do with his desire towards you, because you know that is there, but it has to do with your receptivity towards him. I believe someone needs to understand that, because every place He went He met needs, every place Jesus went he delivered people, every place Jesus went he was healing the sick, every place Jesus went he ministered because according to Mark 10:45 that’s why he came! Maybe I should have said this earlier, because maybe someone doesn’t understand, the literal meaning of minister is “to attend to the wants and needs of others” so when the word says “…but to minister…” the literal translation is “but to meet the wants and needs of others”! My God! That’s a Thank You Lord moment right there!
See you have to understand that the difference was not in what he came to do, the difference was that some people knew how to receive. Because the word says that there was a great number of people or many people there, but as you see, Bartimaeus did what it took to get his word, to get his miracle, & that shows me how it is amazing that so many people can be in a service, or in the midst of the anointing, but only those who really press in to his presence will get what they need!
Now I have written all of this, because I believe that if you go into church, if you go into the House of God, & you made the effort out of either emotion or devotion to find yourself sitting there, you should just go ahead & make the decision that if he is going to minister, if he is going to serve, if he is going to meet the wants and needs of others, than by God I’m going to receive it! I mean, my God; if you’re already there, why not!?! You’re going to be there the same amount of time whether you press in or not! You just need to have it already made up in your mind, if He’s passing out blessings, then I’m going to get my hand on mine! If he is passing out miracles, I’m going to get mine!
You have to come against the “highway side” mentality, & quit being passed by! Everyone passes you by, many have passed you by! But my God! You heard Jesus was coming & you decided to press in & get it! You can say, well I haven’t seen anything yet, well HELLO! Neither did Bartimaeus! He was blind! But he heard Jesus’ voice, he HEARD! Isn’t it funny how the bible says “faith comes by HEARING and HEARING by the word of God” Haha! My Lord! That excites my spirit!
…while I’m at it, you would not believe the good it would do if you just threw up a couple second prayer everyday & ask God to minister to you at the next service, oh man, I’m telling you, your expectation will sky rocket! You’ll come into church saying “you know what, you all look nice, thank you for doing your hair & wearing some deodorant, Bless the Lord, but I came here for something bigger than that! God is coming to minister to me today! I may not be able to see it! But by God I can hear it & I’m going to get mine!
Woo! I am getting a little excited! I’m telling you this stirs like no other in my spirit right now. Ok now this posting has become like a book so I am finishing up.
You must know that you do not have to feel that you have to be able to quote a certain amount of bible verses, or lived this “Holy Life” , or that you have to have always been saved, that you have to of had a Grandmamma who has pictures of Baby Jesus everywhere, because in reading the story, it gives me comfort that ministry can find you in an unlikely circumstance, remember it said Bartimaeus was begging on the “way side,” but all you have to do when you are where you are at, is understand you have a right to receive, because the bible said the son of man came to minister! But know, receiving is not passive, as you see in the story, it is active, it calls for action, Bartimaeus had to cry out & press through nay sayers! (*that could preach!). For example (of being active) if someone was to come up & bless you with a check to take care of all your needs & pay off all of your debt, but you never take the action to go to the bank & cash it! The check means nothing! You’re still in your same spot!
See some people’s problem is that they want God to just do something for them & they never have to take any action towards anything, or without any involvement. But as you see throughout the New Testament, miracles involve action, receiving involves action, and you will see that any time someone wanted something, Jesus always gave them something to do, “pick up your bed”, “go dip in the pool.” Unless you are engaged in the process, unless you activate yourself, the most anointed pastor in the world cannot get you anything when you do not how to receive or if you are unreceptive.
My prayer is that you begin to press in to what God has & stand on his word & what it says. This story is one of my favorites! It has so many principals, almost impossible to put all in one writing. But my prayer is that you expect something & get ready to receive something , because like my pastor says…the atmosphere of expectancy is the breeding ground for miracles…I encourage you to press in, pray, fast, give & get it at all cost. Then watch God open & bring things through like never before!
Now as you would read or study through the bible, you would come across numerous accounts or times that illustrates receiving from God or expecting to receive from God, but at this certain time I’m going to use the story of Blind Bartimaeus using Mark’s gospel chapter 10:45-52
Mark 10:45-52 (King James Version)
45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.
48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
As we deal with the scripture & begin to look at it; especially in verse 45 we see the words of Jesus immediately proceeding Bartimaeus’s story, it says, “Jesus came not to be ministered unto, but to minister…” the point being that Jesus came to minister! That he came because he has something to give!
Then as you see in the next verse, the story begins “…and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people…” Now reading this it makes you think or begin to realize that throughout Jesus’ walk on this earth, wherever he went it always seemed to be someone there who had a need. So this then speaks to us, telling us, if we’re going to receive from God we have to get it settled down in us that we don’t have to talk God out of stuff.
Now this is big to me & really stirs my spirit, so lets deal with this first! You do not have to “twist God’s arm” or “sneak” or find some conniving way to get something from God. No, you need to go back to v. 45 & remember that the Word said “Jesus came to minister, & to give my life” so then you must understand that Jesus came to deliver, that Jesus came to Heal, that Jesus came to set the captive free! You must understand that you’re not trying to get him to do something that he doesn’t want to do, you’re not trying to talk God out of a blessing, you’re not trying to butter him up, all you are doing is just standing on His word! I believe people would be amazed of the level of breakthrough they could have if they just stood on the promises of God! My bible says that Jesus came to serve, he came to do all this, he came to minister to us!
So, the more you get this, you begin to see that it does not really have to do with his desire towards you, because you know that is there, but it has to do with your receptivity towards him. I believe someone needs to understand that, because every place He went He met needs, every place Jesus went he delivered people, every place Jesus went he was healing the sick, every place Jesus went he ministered because according to Mark 10:45 that’s why he came! Maybe I should have said this earlier, because maybe someone doesn’t understand, the literal meaning of minister is “to attend to the wants and needs of others” so when the word says “…but to minister…” the literal translation is “but to meet the wants and needs of others”! My God! That’s a Thank You Lord moment right there!
See you have to understand that the difference was not in what he came to do, the difference was that some people knew how to receive. Because the word says that there was a great number of people or many people there, but as you see, Bartimaeus did what it took to get his word, to get his miracle, & that shows me how it is amazing that so many people can be in a service, or in the midst of the anointing, but only those who really press in to his presence will get what they need!
Now I have written all of this, because I believe that if you go into church, if you go into the House of God, & you made the effort out of either emotion or devotion to find yourself sitting there, you should just go ahead & make the decision that if he is going to minister, if he is going to serve, if he is going to meet the wants and needs of others, than by God I’m going to receive it! I mean, my God; if you’re already there, why not!?! You’re going to be there the same amount of time whether you press in or not! You just need to have it already made up in your mind, if He’s passing out blessings, then I’m going to get my hand on mine! If he is passing out miracles, I’m going to get mine!
You have to come against the “highway side” mentality, & quit being passed by! Everyone passes you by, many have passed you by! But my God! You heard Jesus was coming & you decided to press in & get it! You can say, well I haven’t seen anything yet, well HELLO! Neither did Bartimaeus! He was blind! But he heard Jesus’ voice, he HEARD! Isn’t it funny how the bible says “faith comes by HEARING and HEARING by the word of God” Haha! My Lord! That excites my spirit!
…while I’m at it, you would not believe the good it would do if you just threw up a couple second prayer everyday & ask God to minister to you at the next service, oh man, I’m telling you, your expectation will sky rocket! You’ll come into church saying “you know what, you all look nice, thank you for doing your hair & wearing some deodorant, Bless the Lord, but I came here for something bigger than that! God is coming to minister to me today! I may not be able to see it! But by God I can hear it & I’m going to get mine!
Woo! I am getting a little excited! I’m telling you this stirs like no other in my spirit right now. Ok now this posting has become like a book so I am finishing up.
You must know that you do not have to feel that you have to be able to quote a certain amount of bible verses, or lived this “Holy Life” , or that you have to have always been saved, that you have to of had a Grandmamma who has pictures of Baby Jesus everywhere, because in reading the story, it gives me comfort that ministry can find you in an unlikely circumstance, remember it said Bartimaeus was begging on the “way side,” but all you have to do when you are where you are at, is understand you have a right to receive, because the bible said the son of man came to minister! But know, receiving is not passive, as you see in the story, it is active, it calls for action, Bartimaeus had to cry out & press through nay sayers! (*that could preach!). For example (of being active) if someone was to come up & bless you with a check to take care of all your needs & pay off all of your debt, but you never take the action to go to the bank & cash it! The check means nothing! You’re still in your same spot!
See some people’s problem is that they want God to just do something for them & they never have to take any action towards anything, or without any involvement. But as you see throughout the New Testament, miracles involve action, receiving involves action, and you will see that any time someone wanted something, Jesus always gave them something to do, “pick up your bed”, “go dip in the pool.” Unless you are engaged in the process, unless you activate yourself, the most anointed pastor in the world cannot get you anything when you do not how to receive or if you are unreceptive.
My prayer is that you begin to press in to what God has & stand on his word & what it says. This story is one of my favorites! It has so many principals, almost impossible to put all in one writing. But my prayer is that you expect something & get ready to receive something , because like my pastor says…the atmosphere of expectancy is the breeding ground for miracles…I encourage you to press in, pray, fast, give & get it at all cost. Then watch God open & bring things through like never before!
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