Matthew 26 : 40 - 41, Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." NKJV
There's a valuable lesson in the passage for today's devotion that I want to share with you. When we allow our flesh nature to rule our hearts and cause us to disregard our obedience to the Lord's command as the disciples did, it will cause us to enter into temptation. God has done everything within His power for us through Jesus Christ in order that we might be saved and obtain spiritual victory. Nevertheless, there are still some THINGS we must obey so we will be able to walk in victory over our flesh and over unbelief.
We know by what Jesus said to the disciples that none of the disciples "had" to enter into temptation. However, they chose to allow their flesh to rule their spirits. Instead of praying for God to strengthen them for the battle that was just ahead of them, they slept. They did this because of unbelief. Anytime we can hear the voice of God and ignore Him as the disciples did, it tells God that we don't believe His instructions. We also see this unbelief in operation with Adam in the garden. God told him not to eat the forbidden fruit, but he disobeyed and indulged anyway. We always talk about and preach on the sin of commission (doing something wrong), but did you know that there is also a sin of omission? James tells us, when we know the good that we should do and choose not to do it, to us, it is sin.
The thing that opened Adam and the disciples up to being tempted and sinning against the Lord was their lack of obedience to do what He had previously told them. God has promised to make a way of escape so that we won't have to enter into temptation because something is too hard for us to handle. Nevertheless, if we should choose not to heed His voice because of unbelief, then we will allow the enemy to tempt us into sinning against the Lord. Why is OBEDIENCE so important to the child of God as it pertains to living in victory over the Devil? To obey God is to walk or live by faith. When we choose to obey and live by faith, we are, at the same time, crucifying the flesh nature and living a victorious life over the wiles of the Devil. John teaches us in his epistle that our faith in Christ is our victory over the world. If we should allow unbelief to rule our hearts, and if we give place to our flesh instead of the voice of God, we are allowing ourselves to be placed in bondage to Satan's lies.
Let's advance this teaching to the reason for today's word. When we find ourselves living in unbelief as the disciples did, there's a tendency to begin to complain to God about the conditions that we have to live in. Look at how many times the disciples hardened their hearts and walked in fear when Jesus expected them to walk in faith. They did this over and again because they doubted the true identity of Jesus. Had they submitted to His Lordship and obeyed Him, they wouldn't have had any problems with unbelief.
We also see this principle of unbelief at work in the generation that God delivered out of Egypt. Every time the Holy Spirit spoke to that generation, they hardened their hearts because of unbelief. The only way to please God is by our faith, and that is demonstrated through our obedience. Therefore, when they chose to operate in unbelief, it prevented them from inheriting the promises of God. Consequently, they walked in lack. When they encountered lack, they began to murmur and grumble to Moses and God about the awful conditions of the wilderness. Unbelief had them blinded to the fact that the condition of lack wasn't caused by God, but, instead, by their own disobedience.
When Christians choose to walk in unbelief, we will be blinded. Moreover, our blindness will cause us to blame someone else for our lack of faith, as Adam blamed Eve. In conclusion, we know the unbelief that both the generation that was delivered in the wilderness, and the disciples of Jesus struggled with was caused by their unwillingness to surrender to the authority of God in their hearts. Therefore, whenever their unbelief got them into a desperate situation, they turned on God (Jesus). When we choose to ignore the voice of God because of a flesh-fit, and it opens the door for trouble, we must be careful not to murmur; instead, we should repent for our unbelief, lest we tempt God with it and force Him to become angry with us. God overlooked the sin and the weaknesses of Israel when He delivered them; He has looked beyond our faults as well. However, there is one thing God won't overlook, and that is a heart that murmurs against Him because it is filled with unbelief. If you find yourself murmuring against the Lord, you might want to check your heart with the Holy Spirit to see if you have missed an earlier command from the Lord.
Just sayin',
Pastor Asa Dockery
Friday, November 18, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Distractions from the Enemy
Nehemiah 6 : 1 - 3, Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it(though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono." But they thought to do me harm. So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?" NKJV
God has called you and me to do a great work in the earth. Therefore, there is no higher calling or mandate than to accept and to fulfill the purpose of God for our lives. There came a time when Nehemiah, the king's cupbearer, heard about the destruction of the wall that once protected the Jews from their enemies. When he received the news and realized the reproach that such an evil deed had brought upon his people, Nehemiah became very sad, and his countenance fell before the king. God gave him favor with the king, and Nehemiah was relieved of his duties, so he could go and rebuild the wall.
Occasionally, we are called upon by the Lord to lay aside one calling in exchange for a higher calling so that God might use us to rebuild walls and lives that have been torn apart by the enemy. If the Lord has moved you from one place to another, or released you from one purpose in order to prepare you for another, then you must be aware of the schemes Satan will try to use to distract you from serving God's will in a new place or new season. Satan has only a few weapons at his disposal, and one of the most effective of those is distractions. He works very diligently to capture our focus away from God's purpose for us so that he might cause us to leave off God's work.
Here is one of the main indicators that lets me know whether or not something is a distraction from Satan: He will use both situations in your life, and he will use the flesh of others to direct the focus of your attention to you. This is the ploy used by Sanballat and Geshem that we read about in today's passage. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem used intimidation, threats, and manipulation like weapons to distract Nehemiah from fulfilling God's purpose through his continued obedience.
Please take the time to read the first five chapters of Nehemiah to get a full understanding of all that Nehemiah had to endure and to overcome just to remain committed to the rebuilding of the wall. God had called Nehemiah away from serving the king because there were many lives at stake. Likewise, isn't it interesting how Satan will use people, threats, intimidation, and seduction to try and pull us away from serving God in order to protect ourselves? Consequently, Nehemiah was an excellent example for us to model our prayer life after when faced with these types of attacks. Throughout his book, we read where Nehemiah would call on the Lord to provide strength, protect, and fight for him so that he could continue to rebuild the wall.
Satan loves to distract Christians so that lives are left unguarded from his lies and assaults. He will use lusts and fear to cause us to place our focus on "self" instead of serving the purposes of God in our life. Do you know without any doubt that you're in the center of God's will? If you answered "Yes," then you must guard your heart from becoming distracted. If your answer was "No," then you must be willing to seek God's face and allow Him to remove any distractions from your life, thus enabling you to focus clearly on His will and not your own. You will know when you receive a "mandate" from God because you won't be able to ignore it or run from it. Like Nehemiah, God's hand will rest upon you.
Staying Focused During the Storms,
Pastor Asa Dockery
God has called you and me to do a great work in the earth. Therefore, there is no higher calling or mandate than to accept and to fulfill the purpose of God for our lives. There came a time when Nehemiah, the king's cupbearer, heard about the destruction of the wall that once protected the Jews from their enemies. When he received the news and realized the reproach that such an evil deed had brought upon his people, Nehemiah became very sad, and his countenance fell before the king. God gave him favor with the king, and Nehemiah was relieved of his duties, so he could go and rebuild the wall.
Occasionally, we are called upon by the Lord to lay aside one calling in exchange for a higher calling so that God might use us to rebuild walls and lives that have been torn apart by the enemy. If the Lord has moved you from one place to another, or released you from one purpose in order to prepare you for another, then you must be aware of the schemes Satan will try to use to distract you from serving God's will in a new place or new season. Satan has only a few weapons at his disposal, and one of the most effective of those is distractions. He works very diligently to capture our focus away from God's purpose for us so that he might cause us to leave off God's work.
Here is one of the main indicators that lets me know whether or not something is a distraction from Satan: He will use both situations in your life, and he will use the flesh of others to direct the focus of your attention to you. This is the ploy used by Sanballat and Geshem that we read about in today's passage. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem used intimidation, threats, and manipulation like weapons to distract Nehemiah from fulfilling God's purpose through his continued obedience.
Please take the time to read the first five chapters of Nehemiah to get a full understanding of all that Nehemiah had to endure and to overcome just to remain committed to the rebuilding of the wall. God had called Nehemiah away from serving the king because there were many lives at stake. Likewise, isn't it interesting how Satan will use people, threats, intimidation, and seduction to try and pull us away from serving God in order to protect ourselves? Consequently, Nehemiah was an excellent example for us to model our prayer life after when faced with these types of attacks. Throughout his book, we read where Nehemiah would call on the Lord to provide strength, protect, and fight for him so that he could continue to rebuild the wall.
Satan loves to distract Christians so that lives are left unguarded from his lies and assaults. He will use lusts and fear to cause us to place our focus on "self" instead of serving the purposes of God in our life. Do you know without any doubt that you're in the center of God's will? If you answered "Yes," then you must guard your heart from becoming distracted. If your answer was "No," then you must be willing to seek God's face and allow Him to remove any distractions from your life, thus enabling you to focus clearly on His will and not your own. You will know when you receive a "mandate" from God because you won't be able to ignore it or run from it. Like Nehemiah, God's hand will rest upon you.
Staying Focused During the Storms,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Praise Your Way Out
2 Chronicles 20: 21 - 22, And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever." Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. NKJV
In the Old Testament, the people of God fought in the natural/physical realm, but under the New Testament covenant, believers war with spirits of darkness. These spirits war against our hearts and our minds trying to bring us into captivity and bondage. As Christians, we must be on guard and watchful when we find ourselves being controlled more by our emotions than by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Where the Spirit of the Lord is (in control), there is (or will be) liberty.
The Holy Spirit gave the instruction to write this devotion for someone, in particular. If this word resonates with you, then receive it as a word from the Lord for you today. Life is moving at such a rapid pace that it becomes a little overwhelming at times. What we might not realize about living in such a fast-paced world is this... our senses are stimulated by all the techno-gadgets, and this can "work" our emotions into a frenzy. If we don't keep a check on what is allowed to grab our attention, and we latch on to everything that comes along, we can quickly become emptied in our soul. Once we become weak or have an empty feeling in our hearts or emotions, we can be opened up to negative feelings.
You see. Our soul is not the source of our life, but rather it must be constantly filled by the presence of God. If all that feeds us during the day primarily comes through our senses and from this world, then eventually we will become depleted. Therefore, we must pull back from the world that is vying for our attention and begin to set our hearts on praising the Lord. As we praise God from our hearts, the presence of God will begin to be released through the anointing that comes from praise.
Your praise will invite God's presence into your heart and fill your emptied soul with light and life from the Holy Spirit. Doesn't the Word of God command us to put on the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness? Heaviness can occur when we become either tired or weak with a lack of spiritual energy caused by being away from His presence.
One of the primary reasons we were created was to give God praise. Therefore, we must fulfill that function if we desire to be fulfilled in our soul. If we neglect the vital essentials that keep us strengthened and well, then the world can begin to tear down our defenses and make us susceptible to becoming emotionally driven. As sons and daughters of God, we're to be led by the Spirit of God and not by our emotions or desires. By maintaining a consistent focus on praise, prayer, and time in God's Word, we are feeding our soul with God's life.
Paul and Silas were thrown into prison, and at the midnight hour, they began to praise God. As they praised the Lord, His presence began to shake the foundations of what was holding them against their will. Likewise, when we choose to praise God in our place of bondage or pain, God's presence is released into our situation to break strongholds from our hearts, our souls, and our minds. Let your faith supersede your feelings and begin to attract the presence of God into your "prison" today.
Praising God,
Pastor Asa Dockery
In the Old Testament, the people of God fought in the natural/physical realm, but under the New Testament covenant, believers war with spirits of darkness. These spirits war against our hearts and our minds trying to bring us into captivity and bondage. As Christians, we must be on guard and watchful when we find ourselves being controlled more by our emotions than by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Where the Spirit of the Lord is (in control), there is (or will be) liberty.
The Holy Spirit gave the instruction to write this devotion for someone, in particular. If this word resonates with you, then receive it as a word from the Lord for you today. Life is moving at such a rapid pace that it becomes a little overwhelming at times. What we might not realize about living in such a fast-paced world is this... our senses are stimulated by all the techno-gadgets, and this can "work" our emotions into a frenzy. If we don't keep a check on what is allowed to grab our attention, and we latch on to everything that comes along, we can quickly become emptied in our soul. Once we become weak or have an empty feeling in our hearts or emotions, we can be opened up to negative feelings.
You see. Our soul is not the source of our life, but rather it must be constantly filled by the presence of God. If all that feeds us during the day primarily comes through our senses and from this world, then eventually we will become depleted. Therefore, we must pull back from the world that is vying for our attention and begin to set our hearts on praising the Lord. As we praise God from our hearts, the presence of God will begin to be released through the anointing that comes from praise.
Your praise will invite God's presence into your heart and fill your emptied soul with light and life from the Holy Spirit. Doesn't the Word of God command us to put on the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness? Heaviness can occur when we become either tired or weak with a lack of spiritual energy caused by being away from His presence.
One of the primary reasons we were created was to give God praise. Therefore, we must fulfill that function if we desire to be fulfilled in our soul. If we neglect the vital essentials that keep us strengthened and well, then the world can begin to tear down our defenses and make us susceptible to becoming emotionally driven. As sons and daughters of God, we're to be led by the Spirit of God and not by our emotions or desires. By maintaining a consistent focus on praise, prayer, and time in God's Word, we are feeding our soul with God's life.
Paul and Silas were thrown into prison, and at the midnight hour, they began to praise God. As they praised the Lord, His presence began to shake the foundations of what was holding them against their will. Likewise, when we choose to praise God in our place of bondage or pain, God's presence is released into our situation to break strongholds from our hearts, our souls, and our minds. Let your faith supersede your feelings and begin to attract the presence of God into your "prison" today.
Praising God,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Blessed But Barren
Genesis 15 : 1 - 4, After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." But Abram said, "Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!" And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." NKJV
If you don't know the story of Abram's life up to this point, I invite you to read Genesis 12 - 15. When God spoke to Abraham, He told him to leave his kindred and to get away from his father's house. We know that Abraham obeyed God; however, he only partially obeyed. He came out and left all of his family behind, except for Lot, his brother's son.
While Abraham walked with God by faith, God blessed him with great possessions and favor. By the time we catch up with Abraham in Genesis 14, he has accumulated much wealth, cattle, and possessions, but he was yet to have an heir. It is here that we see Abraham confronting God about the barrenness in his life.
Although God had blessed Abraham with all the natural blessings he desired, Abraham was not content because his heart's desire and God's promise of giving him a son had not been fulfilled.
There is a vast difference between being blessed and in being fruitful. In the past, Christians have mistaken the meaning of having the blessings of God. We have taken them to mean that we are fruitful, but that just isn't the case. As we walk with God, His presence becomes so evident in our lives that we begin to receive favor from people. However, this is not a true indicator that we have been obedient to God's will, nor does it mean that we have become fruitful in the Spirit.
Blessings come from walking with God or walking by faith in Christ, but fruitfulness, can only occur one way- through obedient faith, or faith that is followed through with action. We know that Abraham came out, just like God commanded, but he brought Lot with him, and this was disobedience in God's sight.
You can be a born-again believer, not be obedient to the Lord, and still be blessed. We've already established this truth in the life and story of Abraham. While walking with God by faith, but in disobedience, the blessings flowed into Abraham's life. Even Lot was blessed tremendously because he walked with Abraham for twenty-five years. It is equally important that we see Abraham had a "problem" of lying when it came to his relationship with his wife, Sarah. So we know that, besides the fact that he was disobedient, Abraham also had character flaws.
None of Abraham's weaknesses or sins kept God from calling him out to live a blessed and fruitful life by faith. It really doesn't matter who we were when God called us or what weaknesses or character flaws we have when we come out of bondage to sin... all that matters to God is that we obey and leave behind what He tells us to leave.
Finally, Abraham has gotten to the point in his walk with God that he challenges the Lord about the previous promise He had made to him of having a son of his own. We too, must get to the place, if we're not fully cooperating with God's will, where we begin to apply pressure on God to keep His promise to us about being fruitful in our walk... not just blessed.
Once Abraham confronted God about the barrenness in life of not having the ability to have a son, God began the process of separating Abraham and Lot. One year after they finally separated, Sarah gave birth to Isaac, the son of promise. Through this story, we should get a glimpse of what it really means to be obedient to God and of the result of our obedience. You must know that fruit comes from obedient faith...not our works. Abraham tried to twist God's arm with the birth of Ishmael, but God rejected him because he wasn't the son of promise, but of works.
As I leave you for today, ask yourself this question, "Am I blessed and fruitful?" Now ask the Lord the same question? He will reveal to you whether or not you're being fruitful in the spirit. The Lord has truly blessed the body of Christ, but are we bearing the fruit of obedience?
Lord, Make Me Fruitful,
Pastor Asa Dockery
If you don't know the story of Abram's life up to this point, I invite you to read Genesis 12 - 15. When God spoke to Abraham, He told him to leave his kindred and to get away from his father's house. We know that Abraham obeyed God; however, he only partially obeyed. He came out and left all of his family behind, except for Lot, his brother's son.
While Abraham walked with God by faith, God blessed him with great possessions and favor. By the time we catch up with Abraham in Genesis 14, he has accumulated much wealth, cattle, and possessions, but he was yet to have an heir. It is here that we see Abraham confronting God about the barrenness in his life.
Although God had blessed Abraham with all the natural blessings he desired, Abraham was not content because his heart's desire and God's promise of giving him a son had not been fulfilled.
There is a vast difference between being blessed and in being fruitful. In the past, Christians have mistaken the meaning of having the blessings of God. We have taken them to mean that we are fruitful, but that just isn't the case. As we walk with God, His presence becomes so evident in our lives that we begin to receive favor from people. However, this is not a true indicator that we have been obedient to God's will, nor does it mean that we have become fruitful in the Spirit.
Blessings come from walking with God or walking by faith in Christ, but fruitfulness, can only occur one way- through obedient faith, or faith that is followed through with action. We know that Abraham came out, just like God commanded, but he brought Lot with him, and this was disobedience in God's sight.
You can be a born-again believer, not be obedient to the Lord, and still be blessed. We've already established this truth in the life and story of Abraham. While walking with God by faith, but in disobedience, the blessings flowed into Abraham's life. Even Lot was blessed tremendously because he walked with Abraham for twenty-five years. It is equally important that we see Abraham had a "problem" of lying when it came to his relationship with his wife, Sarah. So we know that, besides the fact that he was disobedient, Abraham also had character flaws.
None of Abraham's weaknesses or sins kept God from calling him out to live a blessed and fruitful life by faith. It really doesn't matter who we were when God called us or what weaknesses or character flaws we have when we come out of bondage to sin... all that matters to God is that we obey and leave behind what He tells us to leave.
Finally, Abraham has gotten to the point in his walk with God that he challenges the Lord about the previous promise He had made to him of having a son of his own. We too, must get to the place, if we're not fully cooperating with God's will, where we begin to apply pressure on God to keep His promise to us about being fruitful in our walk... not just blessed.
Once Abraham confronted God about the barrenness in life of not having the ability to have a son, God began the process of separating Abraham and Lot. One year after they finally separated, Sarah gave birth to Isaac, the son of promise. Through this story, we should get a glimpse of what it really means to be obedient to God and of the result of our obedience. You must know that fruit comes from obedient faith...not our works. Abraham tried to twist God's arm with the birth of Ishmael, but God rejected him because he wasn't the son of promise, but of works.
As I leave you for today, ask yourself this question, "Am I blessed and fruitful?" Now ask the Lord the same question? He will reveal to you whether or not you're being fruitful in the spirit. The Lord has truly blessed the body of Christ, but are we bearing the fruit of obedience?
Lord, Make Me Fruitful,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Monday, November 14, 2011
Even Though
Hebrews 11 : 6, But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. NKJV
Even though God initially didn't give Abraham any details concerning the land that He had promised to give him and his descendants, it didn't keep Abraham from believing in God (Genesis 12).
Likewise, even though I don't know where God is taking my family and me, I choose to move forward in Christ. I may not know any details of the journey or the destination; nonetheless, I am not discouraged from continuing to walk on, through faith in God.
The New Testament believer is commanded to walk by faith and not by sight. Even so, what exactly does that mean to us who have placed our trust in Jesus? It simply means that we have chosen to surrender control of our lives to Christ on earth, both now and in our future, and to allow the Holy Spirit to guide our steps. What are we really giving up or surrendering when we finally yield our plans and desires to the Lord? Do we actually have the ability to determine just how long we live or how well our life will be in future years? We absolutely do not! We are not God; however, we can be rewarded if we will seek God first and please Him by faith.
When we're young and filled with zeal for life, it is normal to have visions of grandeur and high aspirations for ourselves. Even though we may have plans for our lives, we also know that life doesn't always go according to our plans. Depending on what time of day you opened this email, you may have already realized that today isn't cooperating with your schedule. However, we are learning to place our plans and our lives in God's control, and He will work all things for our good.
I bring up the issue of having plans to point out to you a deeper truth. Even though you have plans for your life, and though you may be on track to fulfill most, if not all, that you have purposed in your life, it doesn't mean that your life is pleasing to your heavenly Father. There is no eternal value in our plans unless we come into an agreement with God's plan and will for us.
The Word of God tells us that we have no promise of tomorrow. God only promises us today. "Today, if you will hear His voice and not harden your hearts..." Just having plans doesn't mean we will have a hope or a future, but when we surrender our agendas and dreams to include God's will, then He can guarantee us both fulfillment in this life and eternal bliss in the life to come. The great reward that I have learned from trusting the Lord and obeying His plans over my own plans is this: I don't have to sweat the details. I simply obey what He requires of me, and I leave the rest up to Him to work out for me and my family.
A life that is surrendered to the Lordship of Christ is one of peace, security, reward, and of hope for the life to come. "Won't it be wonderful there, having no burdens to bear?" When we enter His rest, we cease from our own labor.
Peace Beyond Comprehension,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Even though God initially didn't give Abraham any details concerning the land that He had promised to give him and his descendants, it didn't keep Abraham from believing in God (Genesis 12).
Likewise, even though I don't know where God is taking my family and me, I choose to move forward in Christ. I may not know any details of the journey or the destination; nonetheless, I am not discouraged from continuing to walk on, through faith in God.
The New Testament believer is commanded to walk by faith and not by sight. Even so, what exactly does that mean to us who have placed our trust in Jesus? It simply means that we have chosen to surrender control of our lives to Christ on earth, both now and in our future, and to allow the Holy Spirit to guide our steps. What are we really giving up or surrendering when we finally yield our plans and desires to the Lord? Do we actually have the ability to determine just how long we live or how well our life will be in future years? We absolutely do not! We are not God; however, we can be rewarded if we will seek God first and please Him by faith.
When we're young and filled with zeal for life, it is normal to have visions of grandeur and high aspirations for ourselves. Even though we may have plans for our lives, we also know that life doesn't always go according to our plans. Depending on what time of day you opened this email, you may have already realized that today isn't cooperating with your schedule. However, we are learning to place our plans and our lives in God's control, and He will work all things for our good.
I bring up the issue of having plans to point out to you a deeper truth. Even though you have plans for your life, and though you may be on track to fulfill most, if not all, that you have purposed in your life, it doesn't mean that your life is pleasing to your heavenly Father. There is no eternal value in our plans unless we come into an agreement with God's plan and will for us.
The Word of God tells us that we have no promise of tomorrow. God only promises us today. "Today, if you will hear His voice and not harden your hearts..." Just having plans doesn't mean we will have a hope or a future, but when we surrender our agendas and dreams to include God's will, then He can guarantee us both fulfillment in this life and eternal bliss in the life to come. The great reward that I have learned from trusting the Lord and obeying His plans over my own plans is this: I don't have to sweat the details. I simply obey what He requires of me, and I leave the rest up to Him to work out for me and my family.
A life that is surrendered to the Lordship of Christ is one of peace, security, reward, and of hope for the life to come. "Won't it be wonderful there, having no burdens to bear?" When we enter His rest, we cease from our own labor.
Peace Beyond Comprehension,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Friday, November 11, 2011
Growing From Faith Into Love
Mark 12: 30, And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. NKJV
Recently, I was called on to deliver the eulogy at my brother-in-law's memorial service. As I was seeking the Lord for wisdom that would be a source of strength and comfort to the family, the Holy Spirit taught me something new about faith.
My brother-in-law's testimony included being a man who was once the prodigal son of a pastor, but was now a devoted follower of Christ. Rick had faith in Christ in his early years, but he struggled with giving his life completely over to Him. Approximately fourteen years ago, the Lord began to deal with his heart, and he made a solid commitment to obey... no matter the cost.
A few years ago, Rick was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS). As the disease began to take its toll on his health and his body, he grew from being just a man having faith in Christ into a man of God, who was determined to live in order to bring His Lord honor and glory. As difficult as life became for Rick, he never allowed the attacks of the adversary to discourage him from obeying and loving the Lord.
In today's scripture, Jesus is admonishing His disciples to do more than just have faith in Him. He commands us to love the Lord with all our hearts. In most parts of the world, it doesn't require much to confess or have faith in Christ. However, when it comes with a price of personal sacrifice, it can become very trying on us to demonstrate great faith.
In Matthew 6, Jesus instructs us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. As we move beyond the initial commitment of faith in Christ and begin to demonstrate our faith through love, we will no longer live for "self," but we will live, instead, for the glory and honor of our Lord. As a result of such love, we will exemplify a testimony of having Christ living in our hearts and ruling over our decisions.
There is so much more to being a disciple of Christ than just confessing faith in Him. If we will choose, like so many who have gone before us, to live our new lives to serve and honor Christ, then others will be able to see His strength, characteristics, and heart shining through our love for Him. Didn't Jesus also command us to let our lights so shine before men that they would see our "GOOD WORKS" and glorify the Father in heaven? We must decrease through personal sacrifice and, at times, choose to suffer so that we might obey God's will in order for others to see Christ in us.
As people of faith, we can either allow suffering and persecution to prevent us from obeying the Father's will, or we can choose to love the Lord more than ourselves, and through obedient faith, bring glory and honor to His holy name. The choice is ultimately up to you to decide.
I Must Decrease and He Must Increase,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Recently, I was called on to deliver the eulogy at my brother-in-law's memorial service. As I was seeking the Lord for wisdom that would be a source of strength and comfort to the family, the Holy Spirit taught me something new about faith.
My brother-in-law's testimony included being a man who was once the prodigal son of a pastor, but was now a devoted follower of Christ. Rick had faith in Christ in his early years, but he struggled with giving his life completely over to Him. Approximately fourteen years ago, the Lord began to deal with his heart, and he made a solid commitment to obey... no matter the cost.
A few years ago, Rick was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS). As the disease began to take its toll on his health and his body, he grew from being just a man having faith in Christ into a man of God, who was determined to live in order to bring His Lord honor and glory. As difficult as life became for Rick, he never allowed the attacks of the adversary to discourage him from obeying and loving the Lord.
In today's scripture, Jesus is admonishing His disciples to do more than just have faith in Him. He commands us to love the Lord with all our hearts. In most parts of the world, it doesn't require much to confess or have faith in Christ. However, when it comes with a price of personal sacrifice, it can become very trying on us to demonstrate great faith.
In Matthew 6, Jesus instructs us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. As we move beyond the initial commitment of faith in Christ and begin to demonstrate our faith through love, we will no longer live for "self," but we will live, instead, for the glory and honor of our Lord. As a result of such love, we will exemplify a testimony of having Christ living in our hearts and ruling over our decisions.
There is so much more to being a disciple of Christ than just confessing faith in Him. If we will choose, like so many who have gone before us, to live our new lives to serve and honor Christ, then others will be able to see His strength, characteristics, and heart shining through our love for Him. Didn't Jesus also command us to let our lights so shine before men that they would see our "GOOD WORKS" and glorify the Father in heaven? We must decrease through personal sacrifice and, at times, choose to suffer so that we might obey God's will in order for others to see Christ in us.
As people of faith, we can either allow suffering and persecution to prevent us from obeying the Father's will, or we can choose to love the Lord more than ourselves, and through obedient faith, bring glory and honor to His holy name. The choice is ultimately up to you to decide.
I Must Decrease and He Must Increase,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Thursday, November 10, 2011
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
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
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