WHCNorth Mobile App

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!


2 Corinthians 9: 9 - 11, As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever." Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.  NIV

Indeed, we do serve a very gracious God. Our heavenly Father loves to bestow great blessings upon His children. It is God's delight to shower us with His love and favor and to demonstrate His goodness toward us so that the world might come to know Him. 

Even so, if we're not careful, we can become so consumed with getting our own needs met in order to meet the demands of this holiday that we can forget from Whom our blessings flow. Therefore, let's take the time today to reflect on the faithfulness and the goodness of our God; and as we do, the Holy Spirit will be released in our hearts and fill us with great joy and peace. It is important to have these attributes because we will relate to others those things we are feeling in our own hearts. If our hearts are filled with thanksgiving to God, then we will reflect our joy to others, who may not have God's peace in their hearts. 

When God supplies our needs and fills our hearts with His goodness, we can begin to pour out those blessings on those who are hurting. God wants us to be blessed so that we will have the ability to be generous to those who are in need. Is there a better time to share the love of Jesus than on Thanksgiving? Let me challenge you today to get alone with God before the pressure and the stress of this holiday season hit you. Allow God's presence to wash over your mind and relieve any cares or anxiousness you may be experiencing. Give those cares to God; allow Him to bless you so that you can be a blessing to others. Let's take the focus off us and let the Lord be glorified through our hearts and lives. This could very well be the beginning of the best "Thanksgiving" you have ever had. I am thankful to God for you.

Happy Thanksgiving, 
Pastor Asa Dockery

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

To God Be All Glory


Genesis 1 : 26, Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." NKJV

Did you know that worship, and dominion are interconnected? If we make the choice to worship God, then He has promised that we will walk in dominion in the earth. Whenever Lucifer was created by the Lord, He made him with timbrels, (tambourine) which is a sign of merriment in the Old Testament.

When Lucifer rebelled in his heart against the authority of God, it was for the sole purpose of glorifying himself over God. He desired to exalt his throne above God's throne, and this cost him his dominion as an Arch-angel. We see Satan make his first appearance in the New Testament when Jesus was led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness. Satan promised Jesus that he would give him great authority over his kingdoms and the glory of them if He would just worship him as "god." To this, Jesus quoted a portion of scripture from the Law of God, "You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve."

Satan will offer people this world's pleasures and fame as long as they make a commitment to worship their "self" nature and not God. Nonetheless, it is not hard to see that the price a person pays for listening to Satan far outweighs any short-term fame, wealth, or authority because they soon become enslaved to his lies. Jesus tells us in Mark 8, "What shall it PROFIT a man if he should gain the whole world, and lose his soul?" Once again, we can see that worship, and dominion are connected.  

It is God, who has given us the right to have dominion over the earth, and it was Satan, who stole that right through man's sin. As man made the decision to worship self in the place of God, he has slipped deeper into bondage and depravity. The key to remaining faithful to God is to avoid hardening your heart to His voice. If you truly desire to live with authority, then you must see to it that God has the proper place of priority in your life over self.

The more a person or a people harden their hearts against God, the more they will turn their worship toward self...this will produce bondage in their lives. Instead of having dominion over the creatures that God promised us in the beginning, men will worship them as god.  

Romans 1 : 18 - 23, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man -- and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. NKJV

They didn't worship or honor God because they rejected or suppressed the truth that God had revealed to them. As a result, they chose to worship the very thing that God had given man dominion over. Do you honor the Word of God in your heart? When the Holy Spirit speaks the truth into your life, do you listen? Each time we deny the authority of God to speak into our lives, we are giving our dominion over to Satan to hold us in bondage.  

Worshiping God through Obedience, 
Pastor Asa Dockery

Monday, November 12, 2012

Looking Good For the Race


Hebrews 12 : 11 - 15, Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: NKJV 

You are in a race of faith. Your focus is either on "looking good" for the race or "finishing" the race. Today, you will learn how to avoid hitting the wall and on remaining in the race without being diverted by the distraction of self-justification.

Jesus died for sin, but self-justification sent Him the cross. Did that get your attention? It's true that Jesus was sent by the Father to become our sin offering and to redeem the soul of mankind from destruction. However, if you read the final chapters of the gospel of Matthew, you will learn that Jesus was crucified because some self-righteous people made up false charges against Him. They were threatened by His authority and fame that were growing daily.  

Before coming to the knowledge of the truth in Christ, humans try to be good. Mankind has a "performance" mindset that drives us to base our worth on our accomplishments. We try to be justified in God's sight based on our good works. Even if we're not cognoscente of this in our lives, we still have a tendency to seek approval through good deeds because, after all, we're only human.

Even though the Jewish leaders sought to please God through self-justification, this didn't stop God from instituting the principle of faith. Under the new covenant, we must resist operating according to our works and decide to submit to God's will. Once we accept Jesus as our great Sacrifice for sin, then we must take the next step and begin a LIFE that is built on faith through obedience before the Father.

Sometimes, when we find ourselves in a fiery trial that challenges our spiritual identity, it can be easy to slip up and try to please the Father by being "good enough."  As humans, we have, once again, attempted to perfect our flesh and resist the truth that all have sinned and come short of God's glory.  However, God hasn't called us to perfect our flesh or to cover our human weaknesses with religious acts. He has called us to perfect our walk, and through our faith walk to become holy, even as He is holy.  

If you seek to be good enough in your strength, then you have fallen into a place that will lead you to condemnation and defeat. However, if you seek both to obey the Father and to please Him by faith, then you will begin to live a victorious and holy life.  

It seems there is always a struggle in Christians' lives between being "good enough" and obeying God by faith. Allow me to use an analogy to help you see where the Lord is taking us today. In the world of auto-racing, the main goal is being the first to cross the finish line so that you win the prize. However, when "Christian" humans endeavor to walk by faith, there is a tendency to focus too much on starting the race and not enough attention placed on finishing the race of faith.

Paul tells us in no uncertain terms, in Philippians 3 that he had arrived at the place in his walk of faith where he no longer looked at his past accomplishments or his present accomplishments. Instead, he was focused on finishing the race and wining the prize that was yet to come in his life. Let's look at this in another light. You may get a few things right along the way and feel really good about yourself. You may get a few things wrong along the way and feel awful about yourself, but neither of those is justification by faith. Basing whether or not we are successful in our faith walk on either of these would still mean our focus was on self-accomplishments and off of Jesus. The writer of Hebrews admonishes us to look unto Jesus, who is the Author and the Finisher of our faith while running the course in life. As we keep our eyes on Jesus, it will teach us to focus on winning the race and not being "good" while in the race. "Run, _____________, Run!"  

So if you slip and blow it, repent; don't beat yourself up over it. You're not under the law, but grace; good sacrifices are no longer a requirement... only repentance and brokenness. Perfect your walk of faith, and God will do the rest of the work in you. Just listen and obey the Lord!

Resting and Winning,
Pastor Asa Dockery 

Friday, November 9, 2012

Developing An Attitude Of Gratitude


Acts 3 : 2 - 9, And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them -- walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. NKJV

The man who was healed at the gate Beautiful was grateful to God and didn't care who knew it. Are you in need of God's divine favor in your life today? Jesus tells us that God knows what our needs are, even before we bring them to Him in prayer. Nevertheless, if we have an attitude of gratitude, we will patiently wait for God to supply. God has put certain principles in place, and He requires us to both know and abide by them in order to show that we are humble before Him. 

James teaches us in his epistle that God gives grace to the humble, but He opposes the proud. Throughout the Bible, you can see where God deals with His people over the generations about the issue of pride. Pride can stand in the way of God's blessings being released into His people's lives. 

Pride can be manifest in various ways and adversely affect a Christian's ability to receive from God. Vanity can cause discontent; and it will get in the way of us getting the touch from God that we need because we will focus only on what we don't have or on the desire that isn't fulfilled. If we give a place to a mindset that is fueled by pride, then it can cause us to grow dissatisfied with God's provision and timing. When we allow discontent to influence our hearts, we will begin to develop a negative attitude toward God.

If we're not careful, instead of having a humble attitude toward God, where we are thankful for all that He has done for us, we will become impatient; and we will begin to demand from Him that our needs be met. This doesn't happen overnight. However, it will develop over time if left unchecked. Therefore, we must be careful to guard our hearts from poisonous thoughts that cause us to feel like a victim of God, instead of being grateful to Him.

We need to be honest with ourselves before God. Do we have an attitude of gratitude today? Are we discontented with the way God has dealt with us about our needs or desires? Do we take the time to thank Him for all that He has deposited in our lives? Are we focused only on what God hasn't done for us? By answering these few questions honestly, we can see just where we are on the road to developing an attitude of gratitude in our hearts.

If you believe that you have fallen short in the process of having a thankful disposition toward God, then the first step is being willing to recognize it, and the next step is to change it. Consequently, you can begin to challenge thoughts of discontent when they come to mind with thoughts of thanksgiving before the Lord. As you practice these steps, you will begin to experience a life of freedom filled with hope and expectation. Once the hindrances of the enemy are disarmed, you will sense a joy in your heart that will erupt into thanksgiving for the freedom from pride. Now you can live the remainder of your life with an attitude of gratitude and be blessed.

Thankful to God for You,
Pastor Asa Dockery 

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Blind Bartimaeus Had Faith to See


Mark 10: 46 - 50, Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you." And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. NKJV

In some respects, we are like blind Bartimaeus. He couldn't see Jesus; however, he knew that Jesus was near enough to hear his cry for help. We can't see Jesus, but we, too, know that Jesus is near to us and will hear our pleas for help. Paul teaches us in Romans 10 that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by, he cried out for Him to have mercy on him. This blind man had an infirmity that may have aided his ability to receive healing. Let me explain. 

We're told in Romans 1 and Hebrews 10 that "the just" are to live by faith. Even so, we must also walk by faith and not by sight. Bartimaeus didn't have to overcome the need to "see" Jesus before he placed his faith in Jesus to heal him. He simply believed what he had HEARD concerning Jesus as a Healer. However, in John 20, we learn that Thomas stated he wouldn't believe that Jesus had risen from the dead, unless he saw Him with his own eyes. Unlike blind Bartimaeus, Thomas placed more faith in what he could see than the truth that he had heard. Jesus told Thomas, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." NKJV

We may have problems that plague us. Nevertheless, if we simply believe what the Word declares about our God, then we are blessed. Jesus never told Thomas that he was blessed. He told him that those who believe without having seen Christ, they are blessed. Do you have a need in your life today that requires the Master's touch? Have you heard or read that God will supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus? Then do what blind Bartimaeus did and cry out to the Lord; because you know that He hears you, even though you can't see Him. Thank God that He has given each person the measure of faith. As a result, we can come to know the invisible God through His written Word, which we have heard.

Faith Is Key to Seeing Your Miracle,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

How Can Faith Help Us?


Exodus 14: 10 - 12, And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness." And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." NKJV 

Have you placed your complete trust in Jesus as your personal Savior? If so, then you are no longer a spiritual orphan, neither are you a slave to Satan nor sin. You are a child of God. The writer of Hebrews teaches us that we have an advocate. Jesus is our High Priest; He has entered the heavenly temple where God dwells and ever lives to make intercession on our behalf. Jesus stands in our defense when we are attacked by Satan.

When God told Moses that it was time for Pharaoh to let His people go so that they might go into the wilderness and worship Him, He was removing them from living in bondage. Once they departed Egypt, they were no longer slaves or outcasts. God had moved by His sovereignty and placed them under His loving care. 

As slaves, they were accustomed to being told what they could and could not do with their lives. However, when God brought them out, it was to break them from having a slave mindset. No longer would they be controlled by man; they would be led by God's voice and would move accordingly by faith. The Israelites were used to listening to man's instructions. Consequently, before their faith could be fully established, God had to use various experiences to teach them how to trust in Him for instruction. 

Therefore, God brought them down to the Red Sea and hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he would pursue the children of Israel. When they saw the army coming near them, their hearts became fearful and doubt began to control their mouths. They cried out against God to Moses because in their hearts, they believed that God had brought them there to kill them. You see; as former slaves, they weren't accustomed to anyone standing up for them, defending them against Pharaoh or his taskmasters. 

Therefore, out of fear, they begin to defend themselves; nevertheless, they did so against the very One, who was delivering them from their bondage. Please read that line once more. It was because the Jews knew their former dictator, but didn't know their God that they turned on God; they feared Pharaoh and didn't trust God. Have you ever gotten in a tough place and fear took over because of Satan's attack against you, and you began to accuse God of setting you up for failure? God understands why we do this, and He has patience with us. He's at work in our lives, trying to establish us in the faith, just as He did with the Jews.

Moses told the Jews to be still (keep their mouths shut), and they would see the salvation of the Lord. I stated it earlier; even so, I want to write to you once again. These FORMER slaves weren't used to having someone defend them against Pharaoh; however, God wanted to teach them to trust in Him. 

When God brought you and me out of bondage to sin, we didn't trust anyone, especially God because we were slaves to sin. Nevertheless, now that we have been saved by His grace, God has taken on the responsibility of taking great care of us and defending us against our "pharaohs." As sons and daughters of God, we must be willing to stand still and hold our peace in times of trouble. We must allow God to fight our battles. The time of being a slave and thinking like one is over. Now, we are the children of promise, and God is our gracious heavenly Father. He knows what is best for us, and He wants us to walk by faith and not by sight so that we will inherit His promises. May this word fill your heart with hope today and may you overcome any doubt and fear about your situations.

Peace Be Still,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

God Knows Us Better Than We Do


Job 1: 8 - 11, Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" NKJV

Wouldn't it be wonderful to know God in the same way that He knows us? Through today's devotion, God is teaching us that He has made the Way possible for us to know Him even as we are known? In Christ, we have full access into the glorious throne room where God dwells so that we can commune with Him personally. We have also been given the Holy Spirit, who further reveals our heavenly Father to us through the person of Jesus Christ.

In today's scriptures from the book of Job, we see that God is speaking to Satan about the character and faith of Job. It seems as if God is Job's advocate in court and is defending him against Satan's railing accusations. I thank God for giving us this glimpse into the realm of the Spirit so that we might know for ourselves what goes on just before we "go on trial."

In America's court system, the accuser has to offer up evidence that will support or add credence to their case. All that Satan had to offer in his argument was an accusation; however, God laid out a very specific defense on Job's behalf. One of the most asked questions from believers and non-believers alike is centered on the reason why God allows us to suffer. Nevertheless, I'd like to share a new insight about Job's trial that was given to me by the Holy Spirit. 

Job wasn't privy to the conversation that was being discussed in the spirit-realm between God and Satan. He didn't know what was about to take place that would invade his life and bring him to his knees. Nonetheless, Satan struck Job's family, possessions, and livestock; and he destroyed all that Job had. However, in response to all that Satan had done against him, Job never sinned, nor did he speak foolishly against God. It is human nature to want to strike out and get revenge when someone commits an offense against us. Even so, faith will give the place of vengeance to God.  

The trial of Job's faith and patience only served to prove that what God had already spoken about Job before Satan's attack against him was true. As a result of Job having faith in God and loving Him more than worldly possessions, he came into agreement with God's report about him instead of agreeing with Satan's report. 

We are most vulnerable to doubt when we come under a spiritual attack. We will know when doubt begins to fill our minds because we will begin to have wrong thoughts about God and ourselves. Consequently, we must make a decision whether to believe God's Word or the demonically inspired thoughts.

We must choose to stand on what God has declared in His Word about who He is and who we are in Christ, lest we enter into temptation and lose faith. As we endure the temptation by standing in faith, based on what God has said about us in His Word, then He can rebuke Satan and reward us.

When Job endured his trial and kept his faith, his enemies were rebuked, and Job was rewarded double for his trouble. Because of his stand of faith and his believing the report of the Lord, God restored twice as much to Job as he had lost. Are you on trial today? Do you feel like striking out against someone because of the wrong that they have perpetrated against you? Remember, there has already been a discussion about you, even before you got the evil report. The case was previously tried, and the verdict was in your favor. All you must do is pray for strength and stand in faith until you receive the verdict of "innocent in Christ."  

God Knows Me,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Monday, November 5, 2012

Hope Arises When We Turn to God


Psalms 107: 1 - 7, Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way that they might go to a city for a dwelling place. NKJV

Have you ever noticed that we don't always have the right answers or the solutions to problems? Are you faced with difficulties that seem insurmountable to you? The Psalmist in today's scripture gives us both encouragement and instruction for when life gets to be too much for us. It is in those times when we're surrounded by trouble and controversy that our souls can begin to faint.

You will know that your soul is fainting when you just can't handle the pressure and responsibilities that this world throws at you. You will also know that you are losing heart when everything becomes overwhelming. When we battle with depression, it is as though we have no power within ourselves to do even the smallest of tasks.

The people who are mentioned in the verses for today's word were overwhelmed in their souls. They had so much coming against them that they saw no hope and became defeated in their hearts. It was at this point; they turned to the Lord of mercy for assistance; and He delivered them from all their distresses. As a result of them calling on the Lord, He showed them the correct way to live. They learned how to cope with life's problems through His power. Oh, that people would praise the Lord for He is good, and His mercy endures forever. 

However, even when we are in despair, Hope will begin to return when we choose to turn our hearts over to the Lord. It's not enough just to tell Jesus our problems; He wants our hearts also, so that He might give us His mercy. As we surrender, hope will fill our hearts and souls; and strength will finally return. It's not that the issues we face have gotten better, but rather, it's that we have given our heart's attention to the Lord. As a result, He will fill us with His power and grace, and we will experience His love. 

Like the psalmist, we, too, will begin to praise the Lord and declare that His mercy does endure forever. Faith in Jesus will cause us to have an eternal perspective. However, when we're consumed with problems, and our soul faints within us, we can't seem to see beyond today. Just look at the difference Jesus makes in the life of the person who decides to place their trust in Him. The Lord gives us vision, and without vision, the people perish. Thank God for Jesus. If it wasn't for the hope that He gives us, where would we be?

Christ in You Is the Hope of Glory,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Friday, November 2, 2012

Faith Brings Us into Agreement with God


Matthew 16: 15 - 18, He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. NKJV

Did you know the very moment that you confessed Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord you were given a new identity? Paul teaches on this principle in 2 Corinthians 5. He said, "If One died for all, then all have died. Jesus died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Paul goes on to teach us in this chapter on spiritual transformation that old things have passed away, and all things have become new in Christ. This occurs when we place our faith in Christ."

People know you according to your earthly name and identity; however, when you believe in Christ, you're given a new beginning and a new identity in the spirit. We can see how this transpires in today's scripture from the gospel of Matthew. Jesus asked his disciples a question about His own spiritual identity; and even before Simon had the time to think what the answer should be, God revealed it to him by the Holy Spirit. Now here is where the transformation begins to take place.

Jesus declared that the Father had revealed a particular truth to Simon by the Holy Spirit, which means that this was spoken into Simon's spiritual ears. At this point, Simon could have dismissed it as a "bad or wrong" thought. He could have ignored it and kept his mouth closed, but he didn't. What caused Simon to proclaim what was revealed to his heart? It was his faith. When he heard or realized the truth that the Holy Spirit had told him, Simon not only believed it in his heart, but he also confessed it with his mouth. In other words, he agreed with God through faith. Instantaneously, Simon was given a new name and a new identity. His old life, in the sight of God, was dead. At that very moment, he was a new creation.  

When God reveals a spiritual truth to us like he did with Simon, we have the option of denying it or keeping it to ourselves. However, if we will confess the truth, subsequently our confession of faith will bring us agreement with what God has revealed to our spirit. When God sees that there is agreement, He can perform His Word in our lives, just as He did in Simon's that day.

I'm not teaching about the power of positive confession; I want you to understand the importance of speaking out of your mouth the things that God has revealed to you so that He can perform His Word in your heart and life. Just as Simon declared Jesus' hidden identity through his faith and was transformed, God will do the same work in your life as you declare His written and revealed Word out of your mouth by faith. 

Speaking the Word through Faith,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Thursday, November 1, 2012

God Has Given You Power to Be Heard


2 Chronicles 7: 14 - 15, If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. NKJV

Truly, the God of heaven and earth has given His people a very special privilege; however, it is a huge responsibility as well. In the days of King Solomon, God gave the Jews great favor. He allowed them to build a temple where they could assemble together and pray. After the temple was constructed, God gave His own special people the favor that allowed them to pray and have their prayers be heard. As a result, repentance was brought to their nation and healing to their land.

Even so, in the New Testament, we have been given a greater covenant through Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews did a masterful work under the leadership of the Holy Spirit explaining the vast difference between the old covenant and the new covenant. Today, we don't have to go to a specific temple and pray. You see; we're in Christ, and it is through Him that we have access into the most holy place.  

God has chosen us, who have placed our faith in His only-begotten Son to represent Him in the earth. In Christ, we have been granted favor. Nonetheless, unlike the old covenant believer, we have been given access into the very presence of God. It is there that we can come before the throne of grace, obtain mercy, and find grace to help us in a time of need. 

The world is very much in need of God's grace and His restoration. The responsibility to invite God's help into the earth falls upon the children of God. The heavenly Father has given us the power to be heard through Jesus Christ. We can call to Him in times of trouble and know that He hears our prayers and supplications. 

Instead of losing hope and giving into despair over the direction your particular nation may be heading, turn to the Lord in faith. God has made a covenant with us in Christ. He has given us the promise that if we will pray, He will hear our prayers, forgive us of our sin, and heal our land. You and I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us. Greater is He that is in us than he who is in the world. The battle has already been won. It's up to us to see that the victory is protected in our generation. Let's pray until we see the hand of God moving across the land and lives are saved.

We Have the Power in Christ,
Pastor Asa Dockery