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Friday, August 30, 2013

Fellowship

1 John 1: 5 - 7, This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. NKJV
In today's scripture, John is teaching believers in Christ why we have fellowship with one another. Simply put, it is because we have believed and obeyed the truth. God's Word brings us into fellowship with the Lord and with each other. As long as we walk in the truth, we are walking in the light and will have fellowship with other believers.
Paul teaches us in 2 Corinthians 6: 14 that we are not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. He goes on to ask these questions: For what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion does light have with darkness? Fellowship and communion have similar meanings- in that we aren't to be partakers of unrighteousness and darkness. Therefore, as believers in Christ, we're not to allow sinners to influence us, so that we begin to partake of their evil ways.
I'm writing this word today on fellowship under the leading of the Holy Spirit to shed some light on the subject of Christians crossing cultural barriers in order to share the gospel with the lost. Let me begin by addressing an issue that many Christians will face at one time or another in their faith walk. Have you had a friendship with someone who was a believer, nevertheless, they decided to go back into sin? Whenever you discovered their choice, how did it affect the dynamics of your friendship? More importantly, how did it affect your fellowship? Did you notice that their decision to sin brought a barrier into the relationship that didn't exist previously? The barrier of sin should have caused you both to feel uncomfortable in each other's company.
Sin kills fellowship! The book of Amos asks us the question, "If we don't agree, how can we walk together?" Without agreement in a friendship about what truth is, how can a saint and a sinner agree and/or walk with each other in fellowship? It can't happen unless the sinner repents or the believer compromises their convictions about the Word of God. However, having stated the obvious let me ask an important question. How can we, who walk in the light commune with sinners and reach out to them for Christ's sake? Since we are of the Light (Jesus) and sinners are of the world, there can't be true communion or fellowship. Therefore, when we reach out to a lost person, we will sense a barrier. In the body of Christ, this barrier has prevented Christians from sharing the love of Christ with sinners, and this ought not be. It has also caused believers to "kill their witness" or "influence" with sinners because they have treated the lost with disrespect.
One day, Jesus went to the house of Matthew (Levi) who was known to be a tax collector for Rome. Matthew was a newly appointed disciple of Christ, who had invited Jesus to his house for dinner (communion) along with some of his friends, who also happened to be tax collectors and sinners. Nevertheless, when the scribes and Pharisees heard that Jesus was having fellowship with sinners, they accused Him of befriending them. Why? The scribes and Pharisees knew that "their law" didn't allow them to eat (fellowship or partake) with sinners. Consequently, they accused Jesus of becoming a friend of sinners. What they didn't know was this: Jesus wasn't "trying to become like the sinner" at the dinner table; Rather, He was there to offer the "sick" hope and eternal life through evangelism.
When Jewish believers sat at a table with publicans and tax collectors, sharing the meal meant that they were entering fellowship or communion with darkness. However, although Jesus was eating with sinners, He wasn't communing or partaking of their unrighteous ways. Instead, He was evangelizing them around a meal. In other words, Jesus broke down the wall that separates us from evangelizing sinners by showing us how to reach out to the lost without compromising our convictions.
In His day, Jesus was a "Friend of sinners." He is still a friend to sinners; however, today, He chooses to operate through us as His ambassadors in the earth. Therefore, we must show the same love toward sinners that Jesus did that day when He sat to eat with them in Matthew's house. There is much friction between the body of Christ and certain sects of society. Consequently, today's teaching can empower the body of Christ to overcome the barriers and reach out to the lost in love without fear of compromise. Let's love the sinner and hate the sin. Isn't that the method that Jesus used when He saved you and me?
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has launched an evangelistic outreach in America and Canada, and they want all Christians to participate in it. This could be the largest revival for sinners in our nation's history; however, it will require your assistance. To learn more about MyHope with Billy Graham, you can click on our website at www.whcnorth.org. From our website, you can go the MyHope link and learn how you and your church can get involved. Let's bring Christ to the lost in America and Canada like never before. Won't you join us?
Now Let's Eat,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Going Stealth

Matthew 16: 13 - 15, When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" NKJV
There is a very good reason why Jesus commands us to keep His sayings. Our heavenly Father wants us to be protected from our adversary, the Devil. You may be thinking, "Doesn't Psalm 91 teach us that God protects us from the enemy by keeping us under the shadow of His wings?" Yes, He does; however, if you read that psalm, you will learn that there are a few things you and I have to do in order to bring God's protection on our lives.
The Lord wants us to follow His leading so that He can give us wisdom from above. When we speak according to God's will, and then obey the instructions of the Holy Spirit, God empowers us with the ability to outsmart the enemy, who by-the-way is invisible to us. We are given several examples in the gospels of when either Satan or people tried to figure out who Jesus was... even though they knew He was the Son of Joseph and Mary. There was something very special about Jesus that caused His enemies much discomfort and curiosity.
There were also times that both Satan and men tried to "trip or tempt" Jesus. Nevertheless, He ALWAYS outwitted them. He never fell prey to their deceptive and manipulative lies. Whenever the scribes and Pharisees felt their power was threatened by the miracles and wisdom of Jesus, they would devise plots to destroy Him. However, He would mysteriously escape from their trappings. What made Jesus "stealth" or undetectable to the enemy?
In Luke 4, we see that Satan is tempting Jesus. Satan was trying to discover Jesus' spiritual identity; he wanted to know if Jesus was the Son of God. However, because Jesus didn't give into Satan's seductive offers, the enemy left in defeat; he didn't learn anything that gave away Jesus' identity.
There are two points that you must take away from today's word: Number 1, Satan and the enemies of Jesus didn't know Jesus' identity; and Number 2, they couldn't form any weapon or trap that could stop or kill Jesus. (Until it was time for Jesus to die on the cross) Even then, they still didn't know who Jesus was. Even so, why is this important to you as a believer in Christ? When you and I operate under the direction and authority of God's Word, and His will, we are shielded from the weapons of Satan. Neither Satan nor the religious rulers could apprehend, prevent, or distract Jesus from doing God's will. Because Jesus did only those things that pleased the Father, He couldn't be detected on the enemy's radar.
Likewise, when we only do those things which please the Father, we, too, become stealth. No weapon that is formed against us shall be able to prosper; and every tongue that rises up against us in judgment, we will condemn by our righteousness in Christ. Now let's compare Jesus' ability to overcome all that the adversary plotted against Him with what happened to Adam. Adam didn't obey the commands of God; neither did he choose to obey God's purpose for placing Adam in the garden. Consequently, it wasn't hard for Satan to figure out a way to get to Adam. Through Adam's disobedience to God's commands, Satan was able to lock on (radar term) Adam in the natural. In other words, Satan knew what would work on Adam... what would cause him to sin.
We have a choice every single day of our lives. We can choose to obey the Lord and "fly undetected" by Satan's radar, or we can choose to serve the lusts of our flesh and fall prey to Satan's devises and his arsenal.
Our military in America uses stealth technology on some of their airplanes. These planes have flat surfaces and hard edges. They're not designed with the same curvature as commercial airplanes because they serve a DIFFERENT purpose. When you accepted Christ, you were enlisted into the Lord's service for a specific purpose. The contractors who build the stealth planes also coat the fighter planes with a material that absorbs radar signals. If the enemy's radar doesn't receive its signal back, they will believe that there is no aircraft near a specific area. This technology allows us to hit without being detected prematurely and therefore, escape before the opposition knows what has hit them. In this same way, God has clothed us with the righteousness of Christ; nevertheless, we must choose to walk in the ways of Christ in order to remain undetectable to our enemies in the spirit realm.
If we will choose to live and walk in the Spirit, Satan won't be able to define us by our human identity; and he won't be allowed to keep us from our destiny in Christ. It's time to go stealth on the Devil!
Undetectable in Christ,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Agreement

Genesis 1 : 3 - 4, Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. NKJV
If you've ever wondered why the Word says "good" after each time God made something, it's because God saw on earth what He had declared in heaven. Whenever God saw something that He had spoken, He knew that there was agreement between heaven and earth.
We live in the natural world or realm because that is what God desired. However, God and Satan exist and operate within the realm of the spirit. Proverbs 18 : 21 teaches us that death and life are in the power of the tongue. Nevertheless, how can our invisible words generate the power that is necessary for death or life to operate in our lives? By the words that we choose to use, we are either speaking death or life over ourselves and our families. Jesus tells us in the gospels that we are either justified or condemned by our words.
Even though you and I live in a human body, we were created by God, who is Spirit. Therefore, we are a spirit; we possess a soul, but we live in a body. When we speak as a spirit being in an earthly body, we are empowering either the kingdom of God or the kingdom of darkness. Faith moves God, but doubt, fear, and unbelief move Satan. Let me give you a few examples to help you grasp this word today. Consequently, with new understanding, you can align your words to agree with God and combat Satan.
Jeremiah 1 : 11 - 12, Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see a branch of an almond tree." Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word." NKJV
Please notice that God gave Jeremiah a vision in the Spirit, and then God asked him what he saw. When Jeremiah spoke the words from his mouth, God heard what He had already purposed when He initially gave Jeremiah the vision of the almond branch. God had agreement with Jeremiah. Before God created man, God did everything from speaking to creating. However, when He us (mankind), God turned the power over to us to speak what we want to happen in the natural realm. Once God had agreement with man on the earth (Jeremiah), He was released to empower Jeremiah's prophecy and to bring it into existence in the natural realm.
Genesis 3 : 4 - 6, Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate... NKJV.
In this scripture, Satan is speaking (words) to Eve about his will and, at the same time, opposing God's will. Once Satan convinced Eve that God's Word wasn't the truth, but his was, she acted on what Satan had promised her. Instead of Satan creating life, he used Eve and her agreement on earth to produce death in mankind. Even so, Satan couldn't do anything in the natural realm without first getting agreement from man. Jeremiah spoke life, and Eve spoke death. One activated God, and the other activated or released Satan in the earthly realm.
Let me leave you with this final example from God's Word:
Luke 4 : 3 - 4, And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'" NKJV
Jesus, who is the Word incarnate (made flesh like man) was approached by Satan just like Eve and was, likewise, tempted. Satan hoped to get Jesus' agreement so that he could spoil God's plan just as he did with the first Adam. Nevertheless, Jesus never agreed with Satan about anything. Jesus never opposed Satan with His own opinions; He chose to quote the Word of God in response to Satan's offers. Instead of speaking or agreeing with Satan and producing death, Jesus spoke the Word of life out His mouth. The result of Jesus' decision to speak life empowered God in the earthly realm to bless mankind with eternal life through Christ.
Although you and I were born under the rule of sin, we don't have to speak death. We can choose, as Jesus did, to speak the Word of Life over ourselves and our family. Are your mouth and life in agreement with God? If so, then you will have life and enjoy life. However, if your heart and mouth aren't in agreement with God's will or Word, you will speak death. If we want to live and prosper, then we must begin speaking life out our mouth and walking in agreement with God. Only Jesus has the Words of eternal life. Therefore, speak Jesus.
I Speak Life Over Your People, Lord,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Reaching Out In Love

Revelation 3: 14 - 21, "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' -- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked - I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. NKJV
You've probably read and/or been taught by a minister about how the believers in Laodicea had become lukewarm in their love for Jesus. Today, the Lord has given me fresh insight into this scripture that we need to know, especially in America.
There is a mindset that exists within the body of Christ that has probably been there since the fall of man. Whenever someone doesn't act responsibly, or they have sinned, there have always been folks who believe these wrong doers should be thrown out of the church. This mindset of cutting people off isn't based on Paul's teaching on correcting and restoring a fallen brother. Rather, it is one that prejudges a person as unredeemable.
When we read the passages from Revelation today, we can clearly see the heart of Jesus. Although the believers had allowed their hearts to grow cold toward their relationship with Christ, He took the time to reach out to the church in love. First, He told the church very specifically what their spiritual condition was. We must not try to discipline someone, unless we first let them know what exactly they have done. Jesus let the believers know that they had fallen away from their intimacy with the Lord.
Secondly, He let them know that they had deceived themselves into believing they were fine spiritually. James tells us that if we don't obey the Word that we hear, we will become deceived. We must be more than just hearers of the Word; we must also be doers as well, if we desire to be blessed by the Lord.
Finally, we reach the point of today's word. After Jesus rebuked the church at Laodicea, He then counseled them, so that they would know where they had erred from the faith. Afterward, He let them know that He rebukes and corrects those He loves. Isn't that amazing? Jesus loved them, even though He was about to spew them out of His mouth; He loved them even though their love and worship for Him had grown cold, and He loved them enough to correct them for the error of their ways.
Jesus loved that church enough to "go to them" and reach out in love as only our Lord can do. He sought to restore them through love. He also told them that He was standing at the door and knocking, if anyone would hear His voice and let Him into their hearts, He would come in and dine with them. Wait a minute! Why does the Lord of the church have to knock on the door of the hearts of the people? He knocked because they had shut the Lord out; they had become so blinded by their love for earthly blessings that they had forgotten from Whom those blessings had come.
Jesus is knocking on the hearts of believers all across America and in various nations around the world. He wants us to allow Him to reenter our hearts and lives so that He can commune with us. Jesus wasn't trying to cut this particular church off. He sought them out so that He might restore them into a right-relationship with Himself. Where is your love today? Is your heart consumed by the things of this world? If so, won't you allow the Holy Spirit to redirect your desires back to the Lord so that you can be restored today?
It's Time to Dine with the Master,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Monday, August 26, 2013

His Word Produces Life

Isaiah 55: 3, Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; NKJV

Have you thought about the power that is required to fuel the entire world? Take a moment and think about all the things in our lives that require power from all kinds of sources. It seems that anything functional requires some type of power to make it operational. Humans require electric impulses that are fired from our brains to operate daily and to make rational decisions. Our bodies must be fed nourishment in order to maintain strength.

However, society seems to be lacking fuel; it is slowing to a screeching halt in some aspects, and economists and governmental officials are scratching their head trying to remedy the problem. We wind up clocks, plug in our cell phones, and fuel up our cars, but the world doesn't realize that man doesn't live by bread alone. No one can live independent of God for very long. Likewise, society can't flourish and prosper apart from the blessing and power of God either.  

You've probably read on a church sign somewhere that if someone goes seven days without the Word, it makes one weak. Jesus tells us in John 6 that He is the bread from heaven. The fathers of the Jews whom He was speaking to that day had eaten of the Manna that Moses gave them and were dead, but the Bread  He was offering them would give them everlasting life. He also tells us that His Words are spirit, and they are life. The point of today's devotion is to impart some wisdom from God's Word so you can both have life and enjoy it to the full. (John 10: 10)

No one can live eternally without placing faith in and living by the Word of God.  God upholds all things by the Word of His power. In other words, we don't perpetuate life as humans, but God sustains life through the power that is contained in His Word.

John 1: 1 - 5, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. NKJV

Many countries around the world are experiencing very troubling times, and the leaders of those countries are perplexed. They are dumbfounded as to how to go about rectifying their adverse situations. You see; when people neglect the Source of life and try to separate themselves from the Word of God, this negligence allows death to begin to take hold of everything that isn't plugged into the OUTLET.

The Lord is calling His people to repentance and to turn back to His Word, which is truth. The text from Isaiah 55 tells us that if we will incline our ear, turn to Him, and hear, our souls will live. Satan has worked overtime trying to separate the people of the world from the Word of God in order that he might pollute our hearts with sin and cause death to people's souls.

In the beginning, when God spoke light into existence, there was nothing but darkness and death. However, once He spoke, and there was light, it didn't take long before the world began to show signs of life. We must come out of the darkness of Satan's lies and walk in the Light of God's Word so God can empower us with life once again.

God's method of introducing life to the earth, mankind, and dead situations has never changed. In the beginning, we read, "And God said." After this, we read where God spoke through holy men to His people. "Thus says the Lord." In the New Testament, the Word became flesh, and we heard, "Verily, verily, I say unto you. Jesus taught both His disciples and us, to use the Word to speak to dead situations. "It is written." If you are living in a situation that seems hopeless, begin to speak the Word of God in faith over it, until the power of God resurrects it with new life. God has promised us that if we will humble ourselves and pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways, He will hear from heaven and heal our land. Let's speak the Word of God over the nations and watch them be resurrected in newness of life for the glory of God.

And God Said,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Thursday, August 8, 2013

There is Nothing about Sin That Is Just


Genesis 3: 6 - 11, So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" NKJV

There's an old adage I've heard all my life that says, "A word to the wise is sufficient." Don't you just wish that Adam would have heeded the Word of warning from God not to eat of the tree of knowledge? I sure do, especially when I remind myself of Adam. I suppose we all turn a deaf ear to God from time to time, but the repercussions should teach us to listen the first time.

We all live on this side of Adam's decision to sin against God. Therefore, we must teach ourselves to be sensitive to God and the leading of His voice. He has promised to be a very present help in times of trouble. Since the fall of man, justice has been very difficult to find and to maintain in the earth. People constantly strive for justice and equality in the world, but only a few will find it. The only One who can give us true justice and equality is Jesus Christ. Even though Jesus never committed a sin, He willingly chose to suffer for the sins of the entire world. Where is the justice in all of that, I ask?

When we read Genesis 3 in its entirety, we never find where God punishes Satan, who orchestrated the fall of man and embodied a serpent to pull it off. The serpent was cursed. The woman received great punishment as well as Adam, but we don't see where God addresses the real culprit, Satan. Doesn't that seem a little unjust? If you said," Yes", then you have a good understanding of how unjust sin really is toward humanity.  

Here's something that the Lord revealed to me recently to help my lack of understanding of why God allowed Satan to go seemingly without punishment. Once Adam and Eve sinned, they began to blame someone else instead of taking responsibility for their own actions. Sin in the hearts of the man and woman demanded the other person receive the punishment as a way of getting justice served. They did not realize that they were just as guilty as the other party. Had God cut one off for the sin, he would have had to cut all of mankind off as well. God had a plan, and He reveals it to His babes in Christ. (Matt. 11: 25)

Even though it appears that God was being unjust in His punishment in Genesis 3, He was actually extending mercy toward the man and woman who had violated His law and deserved to perish. Whenever people are guilty of violating God's law or man's law, it seems that they demand justice more than those who are violated by those who break laws.

The world in which we now live is the result of the fall of man. Consequently, we must be willing to wait on our salvation from the curse of sin, by faith. This means we are going to have to endure hardness as a good soldier, especially when we face the fiery furnaces in this life. We can face them because we know that God is with us, and He will one day deliver all the righteous out of this world of sin. At that moment, God will dispense judgment and punishment upon the head of our adversary, the Devil.  

You see. God designed a place called Hell for Satan and his demons before the fall of man. God never intended man to enter the horrors of Hell, but we have a free will. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 that many will choose the broad way that leads to destruction, and few will choose the way that leads to life everlasting. Many will choose the way that leads to destruction and eternal condemnation simply because Satan has poisoned them against the love of God like he did with Adam and Eve in the garden. Satan convinced Eve that God didn't want her to be like God, so she took on Satan's offence against God and sinned. Beware that you don't allow the spirit of offence to poison your heart thus causing you to depart from the living God through the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3)

I pray that this devotion gives you a greater understanding into the ways of God and Satan so that you might be able to resist the Devil and overcome his lies through your faith in Christ.

God Is Always Good,
Pastor Asa

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Pray for Your Enemies


Matthew 5: 43 - 46, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. NKJV

Have you ever wondered what would happen in the world if every Christian fulfilled the requirements that Jesus gave to us in today's text? The world would definitely be a far better place to live. When we make the decision to live according to Jesus' instructions, it frees us to live a life that isn't bound by wounded emotions or vengeful thoughts. When we choose to obey the commands of Jesus which are found in this chapter, we are also releasing God to settle the battles justly on our behalf.

In Deuteronomy, we read that it is God's will for His people (Christians) to live above and not beneath. Our heavenly Father doesn't want us to live in bondage to anyone or anything. However, in order to live above the influence of this world, we must know and obey what Jesus has said. Nevertheless, even if what He requires is hard for us to do, if we comply, we will greatly benefit as a result of our obedience.

The Lord has given me two examples to share with you of when someone prayed for their enemies while they were being violently persecuted. After the Roman soldiers had beaten Jesus without mercy, they stripped Him of His clothes and nailed Him to a wooden cross. Nonetheless, before Jesus yielded up His Spirit, He prayed and asked His Father to forgive those who had crucified Him. 
 
This very short, but effective prayer changed the course of history. In Ephesians, 4, Paul tells us that God has forgiven us for Christ's sake. Jesus' prayer on the cross released the Father to have mercy and to show us grace (unmerited favor) so that we might be forgiven. You and I have been forgiven because Jesus chose to honor the very teaching that He gave us during His Sermon on the Mount.

In Acts 7, we read that Stephen was being stoned, yet he prayed unto God and asked Him not to hold their sin against them. Stephen's love for God was displayed to all who were present when he was being stoned to death. He exemplified the very attributes of Christ in his death. Stephen made a very hard, but important decision in the final moments of his life. He chose to love his enemies and to release them from any unforgiveness. 

If you choose to forgive others and pray for your enemies, you are releasing yourself from a potential stronghold of the enemy to harden your heart against God and His Word. When we choose to bless our enemies, we are inviting the presence of God to move on our behalf, thus allowing God's will and not man's to be fulfilled in the other person's life. In so doing, we are living the life that is a reflection of God; therefore, the world will know that we are the children of God. God is love, and everyone who is born of God also loves.

Pray Your Way to Freedom,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Our Only Hope


1 Timothy 1: 1, Paul, a missionary of Jesus Christ, sent out by the direct command of God our Savior and by Jesus Christ our Lord-our only hope. TLB

I can remember when our sons were babies and learning to stand up on their own. They would crawl over to the coffee table or a piece of furniture and raise themselves up. The furniture gave them the confidence that they needed to take a step without being fearful of falling. Likewise, all of us from our earliest stages of life have learned how to depend on and place our hope in "things" to keep us safe.

We use the life lessons that we have learned, and we place our confidence and hope in natural elements for security. After a while, we begin to rely on those objects and people to support us to the point that we become totally comfortable and at rest. Unfortunately, there are times when we discover that not everything we rely on is trustworthy. Objects break, and people will fail us, causing our faith to be violated and our hope to be lost. 

Let me share a scenario with you that will demonstrate a principle about hope. Life is a lot like taking a cruise on a ship. Because of its strong structure and enormous size, it gives us a sense of safety while it's heading out into the deep. Consequently, the longer we are on the ship the more comfortable we become with its ability to keep us safe. We begin to relax and enjoy the comforts that the cruise liner offers its passengers. 

However, suddenly we realize that the ship is headed directly into a horrific storm. As the ship becomes tossed by the large waves and strong winds, the furniture that we took rest in has now become a flying object. We begin to grab onto anything that is firmly attached to the ship for stability. As the ship is tossed to and fro, we begin to lose our grip, and we are thrown around like a rag doll. 

Now the confidence and the hope that we once rested in has all but disappeared, and we begin to fear for our very lives. The more the storm intensifies, the greater our desperation becomes about our survival. In a panic-stricken moment, we realize that everything we have placed our trust and hope in has turned against us. 

Out of hopelessness, we look up to heaven and turn our focus on the Lord. Why... because He is the anchor for our soul. When this life begins to unravel and fall apart, God is our Rock in whom we can rely and know of a surety that He won't fail us. The writer of Hebrews tells us that He is a very present help in a time of trouble. Nothing in this life is eternal. Everything and everyone at one point or another will fail us. Only Jesus will be there for us when this world and the people in it fail us and break our trust.

When we think of storms, we tend to think about them only in a negative connotation because we've seen what they can do to human life and property. Nevertheless, there are some good things that the storms of life can produce. Whether they're natural, emotional, relational, or spiritual storms can break us of placing our eternal trust in temporal things and relationships. Storms can teach us that only God is the TRUE ANCHOR for our souls. 

If you have been broken because a job, a spouse, or a possession failed you don't despair; there is still hope after the storm. Jesus is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. When the world walks out on you, you can turn to Him, and He will walk in and pick you up. He is the blessed assurance that can never fail you. He will be faithful and go with you, even to the end. 

What could you be trusting in today that might be gone tomorrow and leave you devastated? Everything on this earth has been built by man has a breaking point. Even so, the Lord upholds the universe; and He will hold you when your world crumbles. Jesus is our only hope for eternal life. Are your faith and your hope in Him today? 

My Hope Is in the Lord,
Pastor Asa Dockery 

Monday, August 5, 2013

A Rightful Heir


Roman 8: 14 - 17, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. NKJV

Do you have a need in your life? Have you been petitioning the Lord for a while in order to have that particular need supplied? I believe it is safe to say that all of us have need. However, the Holy Spirit has given me a specific word to share with you today so that you might have the faith in your heart to receive your long-awaited miracle or breakthrough. The Word of God declares that the promises of God in Christ are yes and amen.

As human beings, who are recovering from the fall of man and learning how to live and operate in our new identity, we sometimes struggle with faith when it pertains to us personally. I've heard people make this statement my entire life: "I can believe for someone else's need much easier than for my own need." 

Nevertheless, since God is no respecter of persons, it isn't God that makes us feel inferior, it is our own hearts that do so. Therefore, we must take our focus off us and who we are in the natural, and we must begin to fasten our attention on who we are in Christ. It is only in Christ that we are made the righteousness of God. It is also through Christ that we have become the children of God; and as His children, we are heirs of God's promises.

Christ gives us the "right or the power" to become sons and daughters of God. Jesus has made us legitimate children of God. We have a legal and binding covenant with God through Christ that gives us access to receive His promises. We have the right to be healed and to walk in divine health. It is our right to prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers. You and I have the right to be delivered from bondages and to walk in spiritual liberty.

As Christians, we need to know what our rights are so that we don't allow Satan to rob them from us through spiritual ignorance. Please note that we're not being arrogant to God when making such audacious proclamations. Instead, we're being bold to Satan. If Jesus needed to declare the Word of God about His identity and about God being the source of His needs, then we must be able to quote the Word to Satan as well. When we tell our adversary what Christ has done for us, and we recite the promises of God over our lives to the Devil, it lets him know that we're not standing in our strength; we are standing in faith. Without faith, we can't please God. However, when we stand on God's Word, this allows God to rebuke the devourer from our lives and to release His promises upon us. 

Therefore, if the manifestation of your healing, your deliverance, or your breakthrough has been prolonged, then allow this word to get deep into your heart and begin to declare: "In Christ, I am a child of the Most High God, and I am a rightful heir of God's promises. Christ has paid the price for my redemption and has given me an inheritance." It is my prayer that you will take a stand of faith today against the demonic forces that have invaded your life and have robbed you of God's blessings. Take back what rightfully belongs to you as an heir of God.

Standing in Faith with You,
Pastor Asa Dockery