God is not to be blamed for the lack of revival in the churches. Reviving the same failed ideas does not require the moving of the Holy Spirit. Pulpit preaching seeking to inspire the congregation to recreate past ideas, only on a larger scale, and by getting out of our comfort zone, simply bewilders the hearers. Before the Holy Spirit will grant the miraculous, He requires a better comprehension of Him and what He is about to do. How does the Holy Spirit act? He moves upon us to cause us to obey Him without forcing us. “And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27 KJV). What does the Holy Spirit expects of us? He is both given to those who obey Him, as well as to cause us to obey Him. “And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him” (Acts 5:32). Miracles will be wasted on the Church, if God’s people have not learned the fundamentals of Spirit inspired obedience. If we still have reservations about why we can’t obey, then that must be removed before God’s Spirit will act. “Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow Me” (Luke 18:22). LORD, we need revival in the Church, but we need to address the deficiencies in our understanding before we can receive the outpouring of Your Spirit. Grant to us the new wineskins of better understanding that we may have the appropriate vessel for the filling of Your Spirit. Transform Your Church. Even so, return quickly. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Obedience of Christ
Identity Crisis: Who Are You?
LORD, I am who You say I am (John 1:12). You are the Most High God (Genesis 14:18), the “High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity” (Isaiah 57:15 KJV), who has condescended to dwell with mankind (Revelation 21:3). You have created me in Your image (Genesis 1:27) that I may magnify You in choosing to walk with You in obedience (Genesis 17:1) and reverential trust (fear of the LORD: 2Chronicles 19:9). I am saved by Your grace through faith in You to walk in holiness (Ephesians 2:8-10). As a nation, we are blessed to be called by Your name to humbly pray and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways that You may turn (2Chronicles 7:14) and rain righteousness upon us (Hosea 10:12). As a Church, we are Your mirror to reflect Christ’s righteousness, love, and saving grace to the world (2Corinthians 3:18). A husband represents the headship of Christ to their wife (Ephesians 5:23). Parents represent Christ’s lordship to their children (Ephesians 6:1). Men ought to respect the biological uniqueness of women to bear the seed of humanity (1Timothy 2:15), as women need to respect the biological necessity of man providing the seed for the propagation of the human race (Genesis 2:18). LORD, may we understand who You are that we would know who we are. Magnify Your name. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Asymmetric Warfare
History is full of warring parties whose relative military powers differ significantly. This is asymmetric warfare. David versus Goliath. American colonists versus the British regular forces. The Viet Cong versus the American military. Hamas versus the Israelis. Do the weak actors, rebels, or insurgents always win? No. The underdog Americans won against the British in the American Revolution, but the more industrial Union defeated the more agrarian Confederacy in the American Civil War. Nations rise and fall because of the Unseen Hand of God. “6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in Mine hand, O house of Israel. 7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; 8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. 9 And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; 10 If it do evil in My sight, that it obey not My voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them” (Jeremiah 18:6-10 KJV).
Christ In You
“Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27 KJV). What can be more balanced and sound of doctrine and practice than “in all things [Christ] might have the preeminence” (1:18)? ‘Fundamentalists’ stress soundness of doctrine about Christ. Getting people saved would be their primary goal. By comparison, the ‘other evangelicals’ stress developing a relationship with Christ. Discipling converts would be their emphasis. Both are essential. Christianity is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (1:27) with soundness of doctrine about Christ’s saving and continually sanctifying grace. The Pharisees did get right the need for obedience to God’s law, but they strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel because they forgot Yahweh wanted a people, who knew Him. “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). Automatons who obeyed without heart were not desirable. “And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). May our God receive for Himself a people walking in loving obedience with an ever increasing understanding of Him. Amen.
Obey God
“Obedience to a law of disobedience is disobedience. And disobedience to a law of disobedience is obedience.” The Josiah Manifesto: The Ancient Mystery & Guide for the End Times by Jonathan Cahn. “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God” (Romans 13:1 KJV). “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29 KJV). “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15 KJV).
KEYWORDS: Obedience, Disobedience, Serve the LORD, Spiritual Warfare, Supernatural Warfare
Voice of God: Not in the Thoughts of the Wicked
“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4 KJV). Surely the Psalmist speaks only metaphorically, or is he? If God must be in all our thoughts, then everyone must be ungodly. No. We must be underestimating how God inhabits the thoughts of the godly. “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2Corinthians 10:5 KJV). Let us treat every thought as if we were listening to God, then we would not be as the wicked. Amen?
We Need A Miracle 