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
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Resisting the Lies of Satan
Matthew 6 : 19 - 21, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. NKJV
Have you noticed how the world is vying for our attention? We should all beware of the distractions of the world; they can cause us to stumble in our faith walk. Since the economy has worsened over recent years, it seems as though the voices in the world are trying to promote fear and intimidation as a constant diet. But as people of faith, we must resist the report of the enemy and only believe the report of the Lord. Let me qualify that statement: There is nothing at all wrong with listening to the news; it is a way to stay informed so that you might know how to pray for your country. There is something wrong with allowing the world to use fear and greed as a tactic to motivate people to act on what they are "selling".
The more we subject ourselves to the lies and deception of the world, the more we can become inclined to heed those lies and miss what the Lord is saying to the church. This has been revealed to us in the Genesis account with Eve and the serpent. Eve was fine until the serpent spoke against God's Word and shook her confidence in God. This caused her to become open to the spirit of deception and to believe a lie over the truth. If Satan can use the world to paint a very dismal picture that might suggest that God has somehow abandoned us, it can cause fear to rule our hearts... which will open us up to listening to his lies.
Jesus gives us the key to obtaining and walking in victory over the lies that might cause Christians to think that God has forsaken us in this world. He instructs us to focus on our eternal existence more so than our temporal existence on the earth. James tells us in his epistle that our life here is only a vapor. Therefore, we must discipline ourselves to prepare for our future life and not be bound to only surviving in this life. Everything about the Lord and His Word centers around us having and walking in faith. To the human mind, this is irrational, but that doesn't negate the truth that faith works and unbelief fails.
The world wants our attention so that it might cause us to listen with our minds and operate by our souls instead of listening with our hearts and operating out of our spirit man. The difference between the two methods of operation is that fear will hold a believer in bondage, and faith will cause a believer to live in freedom. You must not allow the old mindset of your past to dictate to you; it will tell you that you are in this world, so you must operate as this world operates. Resist that temptation lest you end up living in fear and being intimidated every time you hear a bad report coupled with the world's opinions. Instead, get into the Word of God and read what you must do as a child of God that He might be your provider, protector, and sustainer. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness during a forty day fast, He answered every ploy of the Devil with the Word of God. I strongly believe that there is someone who is reading this today that the enemy has bound by fear, and you need this word to encourage you to break that stronghold and hear what the Lord is saying to His church.
Lay up your treasures in heaven. Look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. As you practice the Word of God by putting it into action, you will begin to experience the liberty and freedom of faith in a very real and tangible way. We weren't created in the image of the world; we were created in the image of God. If we operate on the same level as the world, we are forced to live beneath God's best for us as His children. Please make a conscious decision and ask the Lord to help you to walk by faith and not by sight. Ask Him to help you to have the vision and fortitude to lay up for yourself treasures in heaven; these treasures can't be stolen or corrupted by the lusts of this world. Choose to live in freedom through your faith in God's Word, and then, if you haven't already begin to structure your life to receive a total transformation in the way you view the world and yourself as a Christian. We can do all things through Christ who gives us the strength. Let's turn this world upside down for the cause of Christ and reach a world that is shrouded in darkness with a hope that can't be extinguished!
Being a Light to Others,
Pastor Asa
Have you noticed how the world is vying for our attention? We should all beware of the distractions of the world; they can cause us to stumble in our faith walk. Since the economy has worsened over recent years, it seems as though the voices in the world are trying to promote fear and intimidation as a constant diet. But as people of faith, we must resist the report of the enemy and only believe the report of the Lord. Let me qualify that statement: There is nothing at all wrong with listening to the news; it is a way to stay informed so that you might know how to pray for your country. There is something wrong with allowing the world to use fear and greed as a tactic to motivate people to act on what they are "selling".
The more we subject ourselves to the lies and deception of the world, the more we can become inclined to heed those lies and miss what the Lord is saying to the church. This has been revealed to us in the Genesis account with Eve and the serpent. Eve was fine until the serpent spoke against God's Word and shook her confidence in God. This caused her to become open to the spirit of deception and to believe a lie over the truth. If Satan can use the world to paint a very dismal picture that might suggest that God has somehow abandoned us, it can cause fear to rule our hearts... which will open us up to listening to his lies.
Jesus gives us the key to obtaining and walking in victory over the lies that might cause Christians to think that God has forsaken us in this world. He instructs us to focus on our eternal existence more so than our temporal existence on the earth. James tells us in his epistle that our life here is only a vapor. Therefore, we must discipline ourselves to prepare for our future life and not be bound to only surviving in this life. Everything about the Lord and His Word centers around us having and walking in faith. To the human mind, this is irrational, but that doesn't negate the truth that faith works and unbelief fails.
The world wants our attention so that it might cause us to listen with our minds and operate by our souls instead of listening with our hearts and operating out of our spirit man. The difference between the two methods of operation is that fear will hold a believer in bondage, and faith will cause a believer to live in freedom. You must not allow the old mindset of your past to dictate to you; it will tell you that you are in this world, so you must operate as this world operates. Resist that temptation lest you end up living in fear and being intimidated every time you hear a bad report coupled with the world's opinions. Instead, get into the Word of God and read what you must do as a child of God that He might be your provider, protector, and sustainer. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness during a forty day fast, He answered every ploy of the Devil with the Word of God. I strongly believe that there is someone who is reading this today that the enemy has bound by fear, and you need this word to encourage you to break that stronghold and hear what the Lord is saying to His church.
Lay up your treasures in heaven. Look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. As you practice the Word of God by putting it into action, you will begin to experience the liberty and freedom of faith in a very real and tangible way. We weren't created in the image of the world; we were created in the image of God. If we operate on the same level as the world, we are forced to live beneath God's best for us as His children. Please make a conscious decision and ask the Lord to help you to walk by faith and not by sight. Ask Him to help you to have the vision and fortitude to lay up for yourself treasures in heaven; these treasures can't be stolen or corrupted by the lusts of this world. Choose to live in freedom through your faith in God's Word, and then, if you haven't already begin to structure your life to receive a total transformation in the way you view the world and yourself as a Christian. We can do all things through Christ who gives us the strength. Let's turn this world upside down for the cause of Christ and reach a world that is shrouded in darkness with a hope that can't be extinguished!
Being a Light to Others,
Pastor Asa
Monday, November 7, 2011
I Believe That I Know God
Romans 10: 1 - 4, Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. NKJV
Is there a test that a Christian can take that determines whether they're self-conscious or God-conscious? Even though the people of Israel were God's chosen people, they still didn't know the God that had chosen them. Had they known Him, they would have also known what God required of them as it pertained to them being righteous before Him.
The Jews in Jesus' day rejected Him as their Messiah because they believed they were correct in their service to God. There is a way that seems right unto a person, but its end is the way of death. We can see that Israel being chosen by God wasn't enough for them to inherit eternal life. According to scripture, they didn't know God or His ways. The very reason that God sent His Son, Jesus, is so that He might show Israel and the gentiles the WAY to know the Father. Even so, His chosen people rejected Jesus because they were convinced He was a fraud, and were convinced that their way would lead them to the Father.
Let me ask you a question before we continue. Were the Jews self-conscious or God-conscious? Satan had blinded them from seeing the Light of the gospel because they chose not to believe in Jesus as the Christ. When anyone rejects the truth of God's Word because they're convinced that they know the way to the Father, it gives Satan access to their mind to deceive them. Ultimately, without repentance, they will believe a lie and perish.
There's an old adage that goes something like this... "You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time." Today, I want to use that saying but with a twist. "You can fool people into believing that you are holy because they see your outward appearance, but God isn't fooled because He looks on your heart." Just because we may be accepted by people in "religious circles" doesn't mean that our righteous deeds are acceptable in God's sight. It is easy to learn what a certain group of people will accept and what they won't, simply by hanging (very quietly) around them for awhile. Once you find out their "likes" and "dislikes," all you have to do is perform in order to please them and be accepted.
Although you may have acceptance and can make the presentation of "self" look pleasing to people, are you living a life that is holy before the Lord? This is by no means a word intended to diminish anyone, but is only to be used to illustrate how easily we can be deceived by our own hearts. It has never been about pleasing people, but rather about pleasing God. If your focus is on pleasing self or people, then you are self-conscious. If the focus of your heart's desire is always to please the Father as Jesus did while on earth, then you are becoming God-conscious. When you boil down all that we've covered today, it comes to this one truth: the Jews were religious and self-righteous, but they were ignorant of God and His ways.
How can anyone please the Lord and not hang out with Him during their day? How can we know God or His ways so that we might please Him if we never seek His face with our heart or invest time in His Word? There must come a time in everyone's walk with the Lord when we must decide not to place any confidence in what we believe about God and begin to discover who He is through intimacy with Him. The Jews who rejected Jesus believed in God, but Jesus knew God as Father because He had been with Him. In the end, Jesus was accepted, and they were cut off. However, if they should ever turn to the Lord in faith, the veil that covers their hearts will be lifted.
But for the Grace of God,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Is there a test that a Christian can take that determines whether they're self-conscious or God-conscious? Even though the people of Israel were God's chosen people, they still didn't know the God that had chosen them. Had they known Him, they would have also known what God required of them as it pertained to them being righteous before Him.
The Jews in Jesus' day rejected Him as their Messiah because they believed they were correct in their service to God. There is a way that seems right unto a person, but its end is the way of death. We can see that Israel being chosen by God wasn't enough for them to inherit eternal life. According to scripture, they didn't know God or His ways. The very reason that God sent His Son, Jesus, is so that He might show Israel and the gentiles the WAY to know the Father. Even so, His chosen people rejected Jesus because they were convinced He was a fraud, and were convinced that their way would lead them to the Father.
Let me ask you a question before we continue. Were the Jews self-conscious or God-conscious? Satan had blinded them from seeing the Light of the gospel because they chose not to believe in Jesus as the Christ. When anyone rejects the truth of God's Word because they're convinced that they know the way to the Father, it gives Satan access to their mind to deceive them. Ultimately, without repentance, they will believe a lie and perish.
There's an old adage that goes something like this... "You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time." Today, I want to use that saying but with a twist. "You can fool people into believing that you are holy because they see your outward appearance, but God isn't fooled because He looks on your heart." Just because we may be accepted by people in "religious circles" doesn't mean that our righteous deeds are acceptable in God's sight. It is easy to learn what a certain group of people will accept and what they won't, simply by hanging (very quietly) around them for awhile. Once you find out their "likes" and "dislikes," all you have to do is perform in order to please them and be accepted.
Although you may have acceptance and can make the presentation of "self" look pleasing to people, are you living a life that is holy before the Lord? This is by no means a word intended to diminish anyone, but is only to be used to illustrate how easily we can be deceived by our own hearts. It has never been about pleasing people, but rather about pleasing God. If your focus is on pleasing self or people, then you are self-conscious. If the focus of your heart's desire is always to please the Father as Jesus did while on earth, then you are becoming God-conscious. When you boil down all that we've covered today, it comes to this one truth: the Jews were religious and self-righteous, but they were ignorant of God and His ways.
How can anyone please the Lord and not hang out with Him during their day? How can we know God or His ways so that we might please Him if we never seek His face with our heart or invest time in His Word? There must come a time in everyone's walk with the Lord when we must decide not to place any confidence in what we believe about God and begin to discover who He is through intimacy with Him. The Jews who rejected Jesus believed in God, but Jesus knew God as Father because He had been with Him. In the end, Jesus was accepted, and they were cut off. However, if they should ever turn to the Lord in faith, the veil that covers their hearts will be lifted.
But for the Grace of God,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Friday, November 4, 2011
In The Beginning- God
Acts 17: 26 - 28, And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being... NKJV
When testifying about their faith in Jesus, I often hear people say things like, "I just don't know where I would be today if the Lord hadn't saved me." However, before we address that statement, let's go back to the origin of all mankind. If it hadn't been for the Lord God, none of us would even be alive. Is it not amazing that, although man originated from God, only a small portion of people will dare to acknowledge God's existence, and even fewer will acknowledge their faith in Jesus?
If we only live, and move, and have our existence in God, then how much of our life or what we own should we be willing to attribute to Him? ALL OF IT! If this is true, and the scriptures bear it out that it is, then why don't more people give more honor and glory to God? When Satan caused man to sin against God, he accomplished far more than just getting them to eat a piece of fruit. Through sin, we also became separated from the life of God in our minds because of spiritual blindness. The Bible records that after they had eaten the forbidden fruit, the eyes of them were opened, and they knew they were naked? Sin does separate us from God, just like death separates us from life. Nevertheless, sin goes much deeper than separating us from God; it also separates our minds from knowing the mind of God.
If we don't know God or know how to walk in His ways, then how will be able to please Him? The writer of Hebrews reveals that without faith, it is impossible to please or agree with God. We must believe that He exists, and He rewards those who diligently seek Him. Here is where the problem lies: Because sin had separated us from life, the heart of man became darkened through the deceitfulness of sin. Consequently, we learned to lean on our own understanding and stopped seeking God.
Thus, man began to take the glory and honor for his or her accomplishments and denied the existence of the living God. We were blind and lost in the "pit of sin," without hope. But God! Had it not been for God and His infinite mercy, we all would be headed for an eternity of torment and pain. Now, we, who have been saved can also testify as to where we would be had it not been for the Lord saving us.
The Lord invites us to call upon Him while He is near and to seek Him while He may be found. It's not that man is reaching up to God, but rather God is reaching down to man. Salvation never began in the heart or mind of man; it began in the heart of God. He is, indeed, our heavenly Father. Even so, will man allow Him that place in their life? Even though man missed the will and destiny of God in the beginning, today, we can get back on track by humbling ourselves and seeking His face.
No one has the promise of life beyond the breath that you just breathed. Therefore, we should be willing to accept the gift of eternal life while we have the chance and acknowledge that life begins with God. After we accept this gift, we must also remember that God is the one who authored it, and it will be God, who will complete that work in us. As a result, our response to God should always be one of humility and brokenness along with a deep desire to know Him as our heavenly Father. God is not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance. The Lord gives grace to those who are humble before Him.
Seeking the Lord,
Pastor Asa Dockery
When testifying about their faith in Jesus, I often hear people say things like, "I just don't know where I would be today if the Lord hadn't saved me." However, before we address that statement, let's go back to the origin of all mankind. If it hadn't been for the Lord God, none of us would even be alive. Is it not amazing that, although man originated from God, only a small portion of people will dare to acknowledge God's existence, and even fewer will acknowledge their faith in Jesus?
If we only live, and move, and have our existence in God, then how much of our life or what we own should we be willing to attribute to Him? ALL OF IT! If this is true, and the scriptures bear it out that it is, then why don't more people give more honor and glory to God? When Satan caused man to sin against God, he accomplished far more than just getting them to eat a piece of fruit. Through sin, we also became separated from the life of God in our minds because of spiritual blindness. The Bible records that after they had eaten the forbidden fruit, the eyes of them were opened, and they knew they were naked? Sin does separate us from God, just like death separates us from life. Nevertheless, sin goes much deeper than separating us from God; it also separates our minds from knowing the mind of God.
If we don't know God or know how to walk in His ways, then how will be able to please Him? The writer of Hebrews reveals that without faith, it is impossible to please or agree with God. We must believe that He exists, and He rewards those who diligently seek Him. Here is where the problem lies: Because sin had separated us from life, the heart of man became darkened through the deceitfulness of sin. Consequently, we learned to lean on our own understanding and stopped seeking God.
Thus, man began to take the glory and honor for his or her accomplishments and denied the existence of the living God. We were blind and lost in the "pit of sin," without hope. But God! Had it not been for God and His infinite mercy, we all would be headed for an eternity of torment and pain. Now, we, who have been saved can also testify as to where we would be had it not been for the Lord saving us.
The Lord invites us to call upon Him while He is near and to seek Him while He may be found. It's not that man is reaching up to God, but rather God is reaching down to man. Salvation never began in the heart or mind of man; it began in the heart of God. He is, indeed, our heavenly Father. Even so, will man allow Him that place in their life? Even though man missed the will and destiny of God in the beginning, today, we can get back on track by humbling ourselves and seeking His face.
No one has the promise of life beyond the breath that you just breathed. Therefore, we should be willing to accept the gift of eternal life while we have the chance and acknowledge that life begins with God. After we accept this gift, we must also remember that God is the one who authored it, and it will be God, who will complete that work in us. As a result, our response to God should always be one of humility and brokenness along with a deep desire to know Him as our heavenly Father. God is not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance. The Lord gives grace to those who are humble before Him.
Seeking the Lord,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Through Faith We Receive Understanding
Hebrews 11: 3, By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. NKJV
Faith requires us first to trust God, and, in return, He will give us understanding of His ways. However, we can't know or understand God through man's knowledge. There is only one Way to understand the Father and this is accomplished through a relationship with Jesus, His only-begotten Son. If you're a believer in the Lord Jesus and know that He is, indeed, the Son of the living God, then you can rest in the assurance that you have been born again.
In today's devotion, you will discover that if a person tries to understand God through knowledge, they will eventually fall prey to the spirit of offense and walk away in spiritual darkness. There is only one way to know the Father or understand His ways and that is through faith in Jesus. After you place trust or confidence in Christ as your Savior, the Father will begin the process of revealing His ways to you.
The Scribes and Pharisees constantly persecuted Jesus and rejected His truth because they didn't understand Him. To come to faith doesn't mean that you understand God; it means that in spite of sometimes not understanding Him, you choose to trust Him. The Scribes and Pharisees sought understanding apart from faith in Jesus, and this caused them to stumble at His teachings. It wasn't because Jesus was speaking to them in a foreign language. They stumbled because they didn't believe He was the Son of God because, if they had believed He was the Christ, they would have understood and received His teachings.
In John 6, we read where Jesus was teaching some Jews about Him being THE BREAD from heaven. He told them that their fathers had eaten of the bread that God through Moses gave them, and they (their fathers) were dead. He went on to tell them that if they would eat His flesh and drink His blood, they would never die. When He told them to eat His flesh and drink His blood, they MISUNDERSTOOD Him and began to walk away. Remember, I said earlier that if we don't walk by faith, eventually we will take on the spirit of offense; this is the very thing that occurred with them. Between you and me, they were probably more offended that He had said they would never die than they were over Him commanding them to partake of His body...simply because they refused to believe that Jesus was the Christ.
Let's address the problem of unbelief. God is spirit, and we are carnally (fleshly) minded. Humans believe in what they can see, and God is invisible. The just are to walk by faith and not by sight in order to have eternal life. It is the same as someone from a foreign country coming to your homeland and trying to communicate to you in their native language. You wouldn't understand their words. So how do we come to understand the Word of God? Faith is our interpreter. The writer of Hebrews wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: By faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
If you truly desire to know the invisible God as your heavenly Father, you must first be fully willing to trust in Jesus as the Son of God. As you begin to implement this principle in your walk, the Holy Spirit will enlighten your understanding to be able to comprehend the hidden wisdom of God and to know His ways. By this, we will know that we have eternal life.
Understanding God through Faith in Jesus,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Faith requires us first to trust God, and, in return, He will give us understanding of His ways. However, we can't know or understand God through man's knowledge. There is only one Way to understand the Father and this is accomplished through a relationship with Jesus, His only-begotten Son. If you're a believer in the Lord Jesus and know that He is, indeed, the Son of the living God, then you can rest in the assurance that you have been born again.
In today's devotion, you will discover that if a person tries to understand God through knowledge, they will eventually fall prey to the spirit of offense and walk away in spiritual darkness. There is only one way to know the Father or understand His ways and that is through faith in Jesus. After you place trust or confidence in Christ as your Savior, the Father will begin the process of revealing His ways to you.
The Scribes and Pharisees constantly persecuted Jesus and rejected His truth because they didn't understand Him. To come to faith doesn't mean that you understand God; it means that in spite of sometimes not understanding Him, you choose to trust Him. The Scribes and Pharisees sought understanding apart from faith in Jesus, and this caused them to stumble at His teachings. It wasn't because Jesus was speaking to them in a foreign language. They stumbled because they didn't believe He was the Son of God because, if they had believed He was the Christ, they would have understood and received His teachings.
In John 6, we read where Jesus was teaching some Jews about Him being THE BREAD from heaven. He told them that their fathers had eaten of the bread that God through Moses gave them, and they (their fathers) were dead. He went on to tell them that if they would eat His flesh and drink His blood, they would never die. When He told them to eat His flesh and drink His blood, they MISUNDERSTOOD Him and began to walk away. Remember, I said earlier that if we don't walk by faith, eventually we will take on the spirit of offense; this is the very thing that occurred with them. Between you and me, they were probably more offended that He had said they would never die than they were over Him commanding them to partake of His body...simply because they refused to believe that Jesus was the Christ.
Let's address the problem of unbelief. God is spirit, and we are carnally (fleshly) minded. Humans believe in what they can see, and God is invisible. The just are to walk by faith and not by sight in order to have eternal life. It is the same as someone from a foreign country coming to your homeland and trying to communicate to you in their native language. You wouldn't understand their words. So how do we come to understand the Word of God? Faith is our interpreter. The writer of Hebrews wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: By faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
If you truly desire to know the invisible God as your heavenly Father, you must first be fully willing to trust in Jesus as the Son of God. As you begin to implement this principle in your walk, the Holy Spirit will enlighten your understanding to be able to comprehend the hidden wisdom of God and to know His ways. By this, we will know that we have eternal life.
Understanding God through Faith in Jesus,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Silencing the Accuser's Voice
John 8: 7 - 11, So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." NKJV
There is a time for every purpose under heaven. Jesus tells us in Acts 1 that we will know when it is the right season or timing to share either the Word of God or the love of God with someone. The Lord has called us to be witnesses of Him to a world that is trapped in spiritual darkness. As His witness, we have to know when to speak out and when to just "be there" for them when sin kicks them to the curb.
Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will come upon us and give us the authority to be His witness to whomever He sends our way. However, authority isn't enough when it comes to knowing HOW to minister a word to someone who is in darkness or rebellion. We must ask the Lord for discernment. Allow me to explain further. When someone is in sin or has rebelled against God, it also means that they have hardened their hearts to the voice of God. Some people may need to hear a truth from God's Word that will awaken them from sin, but others may require that we show them grace first. For this, we need to ask the Holy Spirit for direction because He discerns the heart and knows the mind of the recipient.
Before I continue, let's bring this down to where you and I live for a moment. How do you feel when someone approaches you and tries to correct you with the Word, but seemingly has no love or compassion? You will probably want to erect emotional walls to protect your heart from being hurt even deeper. However, there are two approaches that the Lord has directed me to share with you today that will enable us to be a more effective witness for Christ.
Throughout the gospels, you can see that Jesus showed great compassion, mercy, love, and grace to the sinners. Nevertheless, when it came to those who thought they were "saved" but lived in religious rebellion, Jesus seemed always to speak the truth directly to their hearts. He never minced words when addressing wolves in sheep's clothing. However, we can see that Jesus used two totally different approaches because He knew the hearts of the people that He was ministering to with the word.
In John 8, Jesus addressed some people in another way... very differently than we might think. Early, one Sabbath morning, Jesus was ministering in the synagogue. As He was teaching the people, some scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to Him that had been caught in the very act of adultery. According to the Law of Moses, if she were to be found guilty, this woman was condemned to die. Consequently, since she was taken in the act of adultery, the evidence was overwhelmingly against her. However, instead of Jesus telling the men to stone her, He turned the tables on her accusers. Please note that Jesus didn't condemn her in front of her accusers. Instead of quoting the Law of Moses to her, Jesus directed the subject of sin to her accusers, and they became convicted in their hearts. He spoke the truth to them, but He extended grace to the accused woman.
After every man had departed from His presence, He asked the woman where her accusers were. She told Him that there were none, to which Jesus replied, "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more. After the accusers were gone, Jesus spoke the command to obey to the freed woman. He first gave her grace, while in the company of her accusers, and then He spoke the truth into her heart that she was required to obey. His love empowered her to receive the truth that she needed to live a life without immorality.
If our hearts are hardened because of the accuser, the Lord will show us grace so that we might experience His love, and then He will reveal the truth to our softened heart. What I am describing generally takes place during a difficult trial where you feel nothing but guilt and shame; that is when God's grace is released. If you respond correctly to His grace, then He will speak the truth so that you can begin to obey by faith and please the Lord.
Are you living under a cloud of condemnation that makes you feel guilty and ashamed? If so, then turn your heart to the Lord in humility and love, and allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse your conscience through His grace.
But for the Grace of God,
Pastor Asa Dockery
There is a time for every purpose under heaven. Jesus tells us in Acts 1 that we will know when it is the right season or timing to share either the Word of God or the love of God with someone. The Lord has called us to be witnesses of Him to a world that is trapped in spiritual darkness. As His witness, we have to know when to speak out and when to just "be there" for them when sin kicks them to the curb.
Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will come upon us and give us the authority to be His witness to whomever He sends our way. However, authority isn't enough when it comes to knowing HOW to minister a word to someone who is in darkness or rebellion. We must ask the Lord for discernment. Allow me to explain further. When someone is in sin or has rebelled against God, it also means that they have hardened their hearts to the voice of God. Some people may need to hear a truth from God's Word that will awaken them from sin, but others may require that we show them grace first. For this, we need to ask the Holy Spirit for direction because He discerns the heart and knows the mind of the recipient.
Before I continue, let's bring this down to where you and I live for a moment. How do you feel when someone approaches you and tries to correct you with the Word, but seemingly has no love or compassion? You will probably want to erect emotional walls to protect your heart from being hurt even deeper. However, there are two approaches that the Lord has directed me to share with you today that will enable us to be a more effective witness for Christ.
Throughout the gospels, you can see that Jesus showed great compassion, mercy, love, and grace to the sinners. Nevertheless, when it came to those who thought they were "saved" but lived in religious rebellion, Jesus seemed always to speak the truth directly to their hearts. He never minced words when addressing wolves in sheep's clothing. However, we can see that Jesus used two totally different approaches because He knew the hearts of the people that He was ministering to with the word.
In John 8, Jesus addressed some people in another way... very differently than we might think. Early, one Sabbath morning, Jesus was ministering in the synagogue. As He was teaching the people, some scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to Him that had been caught in the very act of adultery. According to the Law of Moses, if she were to be found guilty, this woman was condemned to die. Consequently, since she was taken in the act of adultery, the evidence was overwhelmingly against her. However, instead of Jesus telling the men to stone her, He turned the tables on her accusers. Please note that Jesus didn't condemn her in front of her accusers. Instead of quoting the Law of Moses to her, Jesus directed the subject of sin to her accusers, and they became convicted in their hearts. He spoke the truth to them, but He extended grace to the accused woman.
After every man had departed from His presence, He asked the woman where her accusers were. She told Him that there were none, to which Jesus replied, "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more. After the accusers were gone, Jesus spoke the command to obey to the freed woman. He first gave her grace, while in the company of her accusers, and then He spoke the truth into her heart that she was required to obey. His love empowered her to receive the truth that she needed to live a life without immorality.
If our hearts are hardened because of the accuser, the Lord will show us grace so that we might experience His love, and then He will reveal the truth to our softened heart. What I am describing generally takes place during a difficult trial where you feel nothing but guilt and shame; that is when God's grace is released. If you respond correctly to His grace, then He will speak the truth so that you can begin to obey by faith and please the Lord.
Are you living under a cloud of condemnation that makes you feel guilty and ashamed? If so, then turn your heart to the Lord in humility and love, and allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse your conscience through His grace.
But for the Grace of God,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Unhappy with God
Ephesians 4 : 17 - 19, This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; NKJV
The Bible tells us that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart. However, what happens when we become unhappy with God? Whether we like it or not, God has sent us to establish the work of His Kingdom in a world filled with sin and violence. In the book of John, Jesus tells us that we are in this world, but we are not of it. Consequently, we must not lose sight of that truth, lest we succumb to the schemes and lies of the Devil and get off focus.
Paul tells us in Corinthians that Satan is the god of this world. As such, he doesn't want a bunch of Christians running around spoiling his plans. Even so, the children of God don't have to concern themselves about Satan because Jesus has already defeated him on the cross. The only one that we need to be aware of and not give into is our "self." Self is that old nature that you and I used to live in agreement with while living in sin, but now we have been redeemed, and self is the one whom we must crucify daily. If we refuse to die to self, then he will get us entangled in the affairs of this world and engage us in a personal battle with Satan.
Should this occur, as it did in the Garden of Eden with Eve, Satan can then turn our hearts on God because we feel He isn't keeping us as safe and provided for as we think He ought. We are commanded to trust God, not place demands on Him. Remember, Satan tempted Jesus to cast himself off a mountain; however, Jesus reminded him that we are not to tempt the Lord God.
Satan lied to Eve about the character of God; he wanted to convince her that God was keeping her from being like Him by forbidding them to eat of the tree of knowledge. Consequently, they took an offense against the Lord. When this offense took over their hearts, they tempted the Lord with sin. Therefore, we must guard our hearts from being offended or getting defensive with God so that we don't become demanding of Him.
Jesus has told us in the book of John that, in this world, we would have tribulation. However, He also told us to be of good cheer because He had already overcome the world. If we should take our eyes off Jesus and look at how God is allowing this world to mistreat us, then our hearts will open up to hurt and to the possibility of an infection of bitterness and/or unbelief against God.
Once Eve heard that God had "rejected them" from being like Him by keeping them from that one tree, hurt filled their hearts against God. The spirit or mindset of rejection is a hard lie to overcome because we started life as a sinner. At times, it's difficult for us to forget our past, even though God has already sent Jesus to pay the price for our sin and has accepted us in Christ. This world has a way of making us FEEL like we did before God bathed us in His love.
After Adam and Eve discovered that they were naked, and were ashamed, they sewed fig leaves together and made aprons to cover themselves. The Lord revealed to me the other day what the significance of the outward covering meant. Since they were now blinded by sin, the leaves represented a hardness or callousness against God. The fig leaves also represented the works of man. It's easy for someone who feels rejected to fall into the pit of performance, and through works try to earn God's love and favor. This is the pit that God wants us to stay out of and is the reason for today's word.
If you experience a hardship or tragedy that causes you to become offended at God, it is not the time to turn away from Him. Satan meant it for evil, but if we remember why we're on earth and Who it is that we love and serve, then this can keep us from tempting the Lord with sin. If what the Lord has had me share with you seems hard to grasp, remember this... by grace you have been saved. In order to live victorious in this world, we must live by faith in Christ and walk humbly, by the grace of God.
Are there areas in your heart today where you hold anger against God because of something that has happened to you? Then you should know that Satan did this to cause an offense; however, no weapon of Satan can prosper against the righteous seed of God. You can simply humble yourself before the Lord right where you are, ask Him to take away the sting of Satan's attack, and allow God's love to heal the wound in your heart. Jesus came that we might have life in abundance. Delight yourself in Him.
Looking unto Jesus,
Pastor Asa Dockery
The Bible tells us that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart. However, what happens when we become unhappy with God? Whether we like it or not, God has sent us to establish the work of His Kingdom in a world filled with sin and violence. In the book of John, Jesus tells us that we are in this world, but we are not of it. Consequently, we must not lose sight of that truth, lest we succumb to the schemes and lies of the Devil and get off focus.
Paul tells us in Corinthians that Satan is the god of this world. As such, he doesn't want a bunch of Christians running around spoiling his plans. Even so, the children of God don't have to concern themselves about Satan because Jesus has already defeated him on the cross. The only one that we need to be aware of and not give into is our "self." Self is that old nature that you and I used to live in agreement with while living in sin, but now we have been redeemed, and self is the one whom we must crucify daily. If we refuse to die to self, then he will get us entangled in the affairs of this world and engage us in a personal battle with Satan.
Should this occur, as it did in the Garden of Eden with Eve, Satan can then turn our hearts on God because we feel He isn't keeping us as safe and provided for as we think He ought. We are commanded to trust God, not place demands on Him. Remember, Satan tempted Jesus to cast himself off a mountain; however, Jesus reminded him that we are not to tempt the Lord God.
Satan lied to Eve about the character of God; he wanted to convince her that God was keeping her from being like Him by forbidding them to eat of the tree of knowledge. Consequently, they took an offense against the Lord. When this offense took over their hearts, they tempted the Lord with sin. Therefore, we must guard our hearts from being offended or getting defensive with God so that we don't become demanding of Him.
Jesus has told us in the book of John that, in this world, we would have tribulation. However, He also told us to be of good cheer because He had already overcome the world. If we should take our eyes off Jesus and look at how God is allowing this world to mistreat us, then our hearts will open up to hurt and to the possibility of an infection of bitterness and/or unbelief against God.
Once Eve heard that God had "rejected them" from being like Him by keeping them from that one tree, hurt filled their hearts against God. The spirit or mindset of rejection is a hard lie to overcome because we started life as a sinner. At times, it's difficult for us to forget our past, even though God has already sent Jesus to pay the price for our sin and has accepted us in Christ. This world has a way of making us FEEL like we did before God bathed us in His love.
After Adam and Eve discovered that they were naked, and were ashamed, they sewed fig leaves together and made aprons to cover themselves. The Lord revealed to me the other day what the significance of the outward covering meant. Since they were now blinded by sin, the leaves represented a hardness or callousness against God. The fig leaves also represented the works of man. It's easy for someone who feels rejected to fall into the pit of performance, and through works try to earn God's love and favor. This is the pit that God wants us to stay out of and is the reason for today's word.
If you experience a hardship or tragedy that causes you to become offended at God, it is not the time to turn away from Him. Satan meant it for evil, but if we remember why we're on earth and Who it is that we love and serve, then this can keep us from tempting the Lord with sin. If what the Lord has had me share with you seems hard to grasp, remember this... by grace you have been saved. In order to live victorious in this world, we must live by faith in Christ and walk humbly, by the grace of God.
Are there areas in your heart today where you hold anger against God because of something that has happened to you? Then you should know that Satan did this to cause an offense; however, no weapon of Satan can prosper against the righteous seed of God. You can simply humble yourself before the Lord right where you are, ask Him to take away the sting of Satan's attack, and allow God's love to heal the wound in your heart. Jesus came that we might have life in abundance. Delight yourself in Him.
Looking unto Jesus,
Pastor Asa Dockery
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