Ephesians 2 : 13 - 16, But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. NKJV
If religion is the solution to the issues that we are plagued with in the world, then how does one explain that religion has been the catalyst for the majority of history's conflicts and wars. The first murder in the Bible was over an offering unto the Lord between two brothers. The core reason for the violent act wasn't just over the offering. It was a result of God rejecting Cain's offering and accepting Abel's.
When man rejects God by refusing to honor His Word, it opens a huge door for Satan to attack. It's not that God rejected Cain or us; however, God tells us that it is us who reject Him when we choose to sin in His sight. The world and its systems or kingdoms have rejected God because they refuse to abide by His kingdom principles. As a result, those who are caught up in the world's system look only to themselves and not God when they find themselves in a conflict or feeling threatened.
When Jesus came to the earth as the embodiment of the Word, the world and the spirit of religion rejected Him. He was God incarnate or God in flesh. As God in the flesh, Jesus proved to us that it wasn't God the Father, who first rejected man, rather it was man, who had hardened their hearts toward Him. You see; Jesus wasn't born of the seed of a man. He was God's Seed in the earth. Therefore, He was truth incarnate and there was no sin in His heart or deceit in His mouth. Still, religion hated Him and sought many times to begin a conflict with Him in order to bring His life to an abrupt end. When God chose to wrap Himself in flesh, it took away the excuse man used to cover our sin.
Because Jesus had no sin in Him, religious zealots could find no fault in which to base a case against Him. This is the reason they became infuriated at Him- He was exposing them for the sinners and deceivers whom they truly were in their hearts, and this threatened them.
John 15 : 22 - 25, If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both, Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled, which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.' NKJV
Had Jesus been just a "good Man" or another "great prophet of God," they (and us) would have continued to blame one another for our faults. However, Jesus, the Son of the living God, through the Word that He spoke on the earth has taken away man's excuse for their sin. It is at this point that I want to remind you of how Jesus never used His deity and purity of heart to condemn those who sought to condemn Him in order to destroy Him Instead, He showed sinners His greatest act of love on the cross, where he was hung without a cause. He said, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." Jesus didn't condemn the world; instead, He used what Satan meant for evil and turned their violent act of war into the greatest act of love known to mankind and forgave us all.
When people reject God, who is our peace, they are choosing to live a life of war. Because they can't kill God, people will place blame and see other people as the source of their problems. Once this occurs, conflict usually follows. Jesus is the Prince of peace. Even so, He came to die for the sins of mankind so that we might have peace with God. Therefore, you can clearly see that Christianity isn't a religion; it is based on a relationship. Once we're in Christ, we have been reconciled with God and have peace with Him.
Do you have peace with God today? Please take some time and allow the Lord to reveal whether or not you really have peace with Him. If you discover that there is no peace in your heart, and you have lost most of your closest relationships while fighting for what you felt that you deserved, then ask the Prince of peace to forgive your sins and fill your heart with His presence and love. Now you can have love for your brothers and sisters and peace in your life.
He Is Our Peace,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Friday, February 3, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Honoring the Goodness of God
Romans 2 : 1 - 5, Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? NKJV
How often do you take the time to recognize the goodness of the Lord in your life? Unfortunately, it's so easy for us to fall into a rut or routine and lose sight of His goodness. However, it is the goodness of God that makes our lives in this world enjoyable and, at times, even tolerable. Whenever life becomes trying or filled with pain, we can be reminded of and long for the days when life was better. Even so, let's learn something very important from this. It is when we recognize that our lives are filled with God's goodness that we most often forget to include Him in it. Further, when we forget God and then our lives take a turn for the worse, pain, and misfortune can grab our attention very quickly.
The purpose of this word today is to bring attention to the value that must be placed by believers on God's presence in our lives. I have heard it said that respect and honor must be earned, not given. However, that isn't the case...especially when it comes to God; we must become humble and give Him both respect and honor because of who He is. Even so, beyond that, God has sacrificed His Son, and Jesus gave His life for us while we were still sinners. Why did God pay such a high price for our soul's salvation? Through this one ACT of love, Jesus displayed the depth of His love for us in order that we might honor and respect God's goodness. Nevertheless, now that we are His people, it is incumbent upon us to honor His presence and not take for granted His goodness.
What exactly does His goodness do for those who have it on their lives? In Psalms 23, we see that goodness will follow those who place their complete trust in the Lord. They will be anointed with oil, which means God's presence will be smeared on their being. They will be filled with His divine nature and with the attributes that will attract overflow into their lives. He will cause them to have protection, provision, and the power to eat in the presence of their enemies. He will give them peace to lie down and nourishment to keep them built up both spiritually and physically.
Here's a lesson that Israel learned the hard way, and we would be smart to heed the wisdom they gained instead of making the same mistake. Israel saw the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. He brought them out of the land of bondage and through the Red Sea. He gave them water from the Rock and fed them with Manna from heaven. Nevertheless, they despised the goodness of the Lord in His sight because they chose to harden their hearts to the voice of God when He spoke to them concerning His commandments. They disdained the goodness of the Lord instead of honoring Him. As a result, they lost His goodness, which had held back sickness and disease. His presence had brought multiplied blessings upon them as the people of God. His presence had also kept the enemies of Israel at bay. One of the last points is probably the most important: When Israel chose to dishonor and rebel against the Lord, and showed contempt for His goodness, they lost His protection. The enemies of Israel took them into captivity because the spiritual protection of Israel was removed.
I really can't do justice in this short devotion on the goodness of God, but if you have breath today, then you have partaken of it already. The Lord isn't asking for much in comparison to what you will receive in return. All that He wants is for us to put Him first and to honor the gift of His goodness in our everyday lives. The goodness of God gives us the protection to live another day in the world, the ability to fulfill His purpose, and the opportunity to give Him the glory He so richly deserves. Oh how I love Jesus!
Thanking God for His Goodness,
Pastor Asa Dockery
How often do you take the time to recognize the goodness of the Lord in your life? Unfortunately, it's so easy for us to fall into a rut or routine and lose sight of His goodness. However, it is the goodness of God that makes our lives in this world enjoyable and, at times, even tolerable. Whenever life becomes trying or filled with pain, we can be reminded of and long for the days when life was better. Even so, let's learn something very important from this. It is when we recognize that our lives are filled with God's goodness that we most often forget to include Him in it. Further, when we forget God and then our lives take a turn for the worse, pain, and misfortune can grab our attention very quickly.
The purpose of this word today is to bring attention to the value that must be placed by believers on God's presence in our lives. I have heard it said that respect and honor must be earned, not given. However, that isn't the case...especially when it comes to God; we must become humble and give Him both respect and honor because of who He is. Even so, beyond that, God has sacrificed His Son, and Jesus gave His life for us while we were still sinners. Why did God pay such a high price for our soul's salvation? Through this one ACT of love, Jesus displayed the depth of His love for us in order that we might honor and respect God's goodness. Nevertheless, now that we are His people, it is incumbent upon us to honor His presence and not take for granted His goodness.
What exactly does His goodness do for those who have it on their lives? In Psalms 23, we see that goodness will follow those who place their complete trust in the Lord. They will be anointed with oil, which means God's presence will be smeared on their being. They will be filled with His divine nature and with the attributes that will attract overflow into their lives. He will cause them to have protection, provision, and the power to eat in the presence of their enemies. He will give them peace to lie down and nourishment to keep them built up both spiritually and physically.
Here's a lesson that Israel learned the hard way, and we would be smart to heed the wisdom they gained instead of making the same mistake. Israel saw the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. He brought them out of the land of bondage and through the Red Sea. He gave them water from the Rock and fed them with Manna from heaven. Nevertheless, they despised the goodness of the Lord in His sight because they chose to harden their hearts to the voice of God when He spoke to them concerning His commandments. They disdained the goodness of the Lord instead of honoring Him. As a result, they lost His goodness, which had held back sickness and disease. His presence had brought multiplied blessings upon them as the people of God. His presence had also kept the enemies of Israel at bay. One of the last points is probably the most important: When Israel chose to dishonor and rebel against the Lord, and showed contempt for His goodness, they lost His protection. The enemies of Israel took them into captivity because the spiritual protection of Israel was removed.
I really can't do justice in this short devotion on the goodness of God, but if you have breath today, then you have partaken of it already. The Lord isn't asking for much in comparison to what you will receive in return. All that He wants is for us to put Him first and to honor the gift of His goodness in our everyday lives. The goodness of God gives us the protection to live another day in the world, the ability to fulfill His purpose, and the opportunity to give Him the glory He so richly deserves. Oh how I love Jesus!
Thanking God for His Goodness,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
By Invitation Only
Matthew 6 : 9 - 10, In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. NKJV
What do I mean when I say, "By invitation only"? The Holy Spirit is very gentle and sensitive. He will not come unless he is invited. In fact, the Lord told John to look for the presence of the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove as the very evidence that Jesus was the Messiah. Therefore, how important is it that we position ourselves in a way that invites the presence of God is in our lives? Let's go back and take a look.
In the beginning, God created man in His image, blessed them, and gave them control over the earth. The Lord wanted them to rule the earth in the same manner that He ruled in heaven. Unfortunately, Adam rebelled against God's authority in his life and lost his own dominion over the world.
As a result of Adam's rebellion, all of mankind was placed in bondage to sin and Satan. Adam's sin grieved the presence of God, and His presence lifted off them, allowing them to see their own nakedness and shame. It was shortly after the fall of man that God instituted the plan of redemption. His first redemptive act was to kill an innocent animal in order to cover the shame of man's nakedness. This covering was a shadow of what the blood of Jesus would do for our sin-ridden conscious under the new covenant.
Through the knowledge of sin, man lost the presence of God because sin grieves His presence. Sin is not a suitable atmosphere for the Lord. Therefore, as believers we must guard our hearts from indulging in the pleasures of this world so that we don't grieve or quench the presence of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus gave us the model prayer, He began by honoring the Lord's presence. Hallowed means to set apart from all other names or gods and to exalt His name above all others. After He spoke of honoring the name of the Lord, Jesus went on to say that we are to invite His kingdom or rule of authority to be done on earth as it already is in heaven.
The body of Christ is in desperate need for the presence of God to return in great power. Therefore, we must first train ourselves to honor, revere, and esteem the name of the Lord in our lives through obedience to His Word and will. Secondly, we must create a pure and sacred place in which the presence of the Lord will feel welcomed. I used the word "feel" because He can be grieved and quenched. I have been in places with people where I was made to "feel" very unwelcome, and it wasn't comfortable for me.
Jesus gives us a clue in Matthew 5 as to how to become a vessel that honors and attracts the presence of God. He said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." We might not be perfect; we might not get everything right. Nevertheless, if we focus our heart's attention on hunger, then He has promised to fill our hunger and quench our thirst with His righteousness. Will you join with me in prayer that the hunger for God will return to the church, and His presence will once again fill the houses of worship in an unprecedented way?
"Holy Spirit, thou art welcome in this place."
Seeking the Presence of God,
Pastor Asa Dockery
What do I mean when I say, "By invitation only"? The Holy Spirit is very gentle and sensitive. He will not come unless he is invited. In fact, the Lord told John to look for the presence of the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove as the very evidence that Jesus was the Messiah. Therefore, how important is it that we position ourselves in a way that invites the presence of God is in our lives? Let's go back and take a look.
In the beginning, God created man in His image, blessed them, and gave them control over the earth. The Lord wanted them to rule the earth in the same manner that He ruled in heaven. Unfortunately, Adam rebelled against God's authority in his life and lost his own dominion over the world.
As a result of Adam's rebellion, all of mankind was placed in bondage to sin and Satan. Adam's sin grieved the presence of God, and His presence lifted off them, allowing them to see their own nakedness and shame. It was shortly after the fall of man that God instituted the plan of redemption. His first redemptive act was to kill an innocent animal in order to cover the shame of man's nakedness. This covering was a shadow of what the blood of Jesus would do for our sin-ridden conscious under the new covenant.
Through the knowledge of sin, man lost the presence of God because sin grieves His presence. Sin is not a suitable atmosphere for the Lord. Therefore, as believers we must guard our hearts from indulging in the pleasures of this world so that we don't grieve or quench the presence of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus gave us the model prayer, He began by honoring the Lord's presence. Hallowed means to set apart from all other names or gods and to exalt His name above all others. After He spoke of honoring the name of the Lord, Jesus went on to say that we are to invite His kingdom or rule of authority to be done on earth as it already is in heaven.
The body of Christ is in desperate need for the presence of God to return in great power. Therefore, we must first train ourselves to honor, revere, and esteem the name of the Lord in our lives through obedience to His Word and will. Secondly, we must create a pure and sacred place in which the presence of the Lord will feel welcomed. I used the word "feel" because He can be grieved and quenched. I have been in places with people where I was made to "feel" very unwelcome, and it wasn't comfortable for me.
Jesus gives us a clue in Matthew 5 as to how to become a vessel that honors and attracts the presence of God. He said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." We might not be perfect; we might not get everything right. Nevertheless, if we focus our heart's attention on hunger, then He has promised to fill our hunger and quench our thirst with His righteousness. Will you join with me in prayer that the hunger for God will return to the church, and His presence will once again fill the houses of worship in an unprecedented way?
"Holy Spirit, thou art welcome in this place."
Seeking the Presence of God,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Learning How to Honor Grace
Ephesians 2 : 8 - 9, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. NKJV
Since Adam and Eve fell in the garden, mankind has been performance based. Being performance based is rooted in the fact that, as sinners, we lost our spiritual identity and worth. Therefore, we struggle with not having an identity or value because sin stripped us of our spiritual inheritance. We have sought to earn or regain them through being good enough or by working hard enough (performance). It doesn't matter how many jobs we work or how many titles that men give to us; none of our works can match the value and worth of God's love for us.
I understand why the Lord had Paul write about GRACE being a gift that doesn't have to be earned because God knows how we struggle. However, the point that I want to discuss with you today isn't about performance, or trying to earn what has already been freely given. Instead, it is about the abuse of God's unmerited favor called "grace."
Abuse can occur when someone has been given a precious gift that cost them absolutely nothing. Paul explains the free gift of God's love in Romans 5 by teaching us that while we were yet sinners, God demonstrated His love for us by giving Jesus for our sins. The world didn't know or understand the work of the cross until after it was all over. Even so, God loved us, even though we were sinners and ignorant of His love, and of the grace that He had given on our behalf.
Since believers enter salvation and experience God's unmerited favor without any real, personal cost, there is a tendency for many to abuse or take grace for granted. Why do you suppose God would entrust such a precious and valuable gift of love to former sinners who might, at times, handle it with carelessness? The best way to teach someone how to be responsible is to give them responsibility. God requires us to be responsible for the free gift of His love and mercy called grace. The Bible says, "Where much is given, much will be required."
We might not start out treating God's grace as sacred, but let us go through some fiery trials because we walked away from His love for the pleasures of this world, and it will be the goodness of God that will recapture our attention. I'll explain.
Suppose a person has been gloriously saved. Nonetheless, they decide to use grace as an excuse to go back into sin. Now suppose that their sin causes them to get into trouble, and they face severe consequences. However, instead of God allowing that person to face the full brunt of their rebellion, He decides to give them another opportunity. That "second chance" shows them the goodness and longsuffering of God while under grace. When a person who abuses grace, but God allows them to experience mercy instead of judgment (they knew they deserved a lot worse), they will see the goodness of God. According to Romans 2, His goodness produces or brings about a truly repentant heart.
It will be the goodness of God that will humble our prideful self and cause us to begin to respect and esteem the value of God's gift of love. If you're a child of God, then you have experienced the unmerited/unearned favor of God. There may be times that this world will pull you out of the will of God. However, it will be His goodness in times of trouble that will bring you back...and with a broken and contrite heart. If this sounds familiar to you, it's because Jesus taught us about the grace and goodness of God in the story of the prodigal son. When the son found himself wallowing in filth and eating with the swine, he came to his senses and desired to return to his father's house as a servant, not as a son. He no longer felt worthy to be his father's son. Nevertheless, the father lavished his love on the son when he saw him coming home.
After a child of God waivers and falls into sin, it will be the goodness of God that restores him to the place of grace from which he has fallen. We have a loving and compassionate heavenly Father, who is longsuffering. Let us honor the free gift of God and save ourselves from hardships and heartaches.
Saved by Grace,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Since Adam and Eve fell in the garden, mankind has been performance based. Being performance based is rooted in the fact that, as sinners, we lost our spiritual identity and worth. Therefore, we struggle with not having an identity or value because sin stripped us of our spiritual inheritance. We have sought to earn or regain them through being good enough or by working hard enough (performance). It doesn't matter how many jobs we work or how many titles that men give to us; none of our works can match the value and worth of God's love for us.
I understand why the Lord had Paul write about GRACE being a gift that doesn't have to be earned because God knows how we struggle. However, the point that I want to discuss with you today isn't about performance, or trying to earn what has already been freely given. Instead, it is about the abuse of God's unmerited favor called "grace."
Abuse can occur when someone has been given a precious gift that cost them absolutely nothing. Paul explains the free gift of God's love in Romans 5 by teaching us that while we were yet sinners, God demonstrated His love for us by giving Jesus for our sins. The world didn't know or understand the work of the cross until after it was all over. Even so, God loved us, even though we were sinners and ignorant of His love, and of the grace that He had given on our behalf.
Since believers enter salvation and experience God's unmerited favor without any real, personal cost, there is a tendency for many to abuse or take grace for granted. Why do you suppose God would entrust such a precious and valuable gift of love to former sinners who might, at times, handle it with carelessness? The best way to teach someone how to be responsible is to give them responsibility. God requires us to be responsible for the free gift of His love and mercy called grace. The Bible says, "Where much is given, much will be required."
We might not start out treating God's grace as sacred, but let us go through some fiery trials because we walked away from His love for the pleasures of this world, and it will be the goodness of God that will recapture our attention. I'll explain.
Suppose a person has been gloriously saved. Nonetheless, they decide to use grace as an excuse to go back into sin. Now suppose that their sin causes them to get into trouble, and they face severe consequences. However, instead of God allowing that person to face the full brunt of their rebellion, He decides to give them another opportunity. That "second chance" shows them the goodness and longsuffering of God while under grace. When a person who abuses grace, but God allows them to experience mercy instead of judgment (they knew they deserved a lot worse), they will see the goodness of God. According to Romans 2, His goodness produces or brings about a truly repentant heart.
It will be the goodness of God that will humble our prideful self and cause us to begin to respect and esteem the value of God's gift of love. If you're a child of God, then you have experienced the unmerited/unearned favor of God. There may be times that this world will pull you out of the will of God. However, it will be His goodness in times of trouble that will bring you back...and with a broken and contrite heart. If this sounds familiar to you, it's because Jesus taught us about the grace and goodness of God in the story of the prodigal son. When the son found himself wallowing in filth and eating with the swine, he came to his senses and desired to return to his father's house as a servant, not as a son. He no longer felt worthy to be his father's son. Nevertheless, the father lavished his love on the son when he saw him coming home.
After a child of God waivers and falls into sin, it will be the goodness of God that restores him to the place of grace from which he has fallen. We have a loving and compassionate heavenly Father, who is longsuffering. Let us honor the free gift of God and save ourselves from hardships and heartaches.
Saved by Grace,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Monday, January 30, 2012
A Covenant of the Spirit
John 4: 24, God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." NKJV
Why did God, the Creator of man, create us with flesh instead of allowing us to be spirit beings... seeing that He is Spirit? After all, didn't He tell the Word (Christ) and the Holy Spirit (on earth), "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness?" Fortunately, for us the mystery can be solved by simply looking at the transformation of a seed. When a seed is planted into the ground, it begins to take on a metamorphosis. As the seed goes into the ground and dies, it gives life and way to the sprout, which becomes the new life above the ground. From that point on, the seed is never seen again. However, we know that it existed because we can see the fruit or evidence of the seed.
We know through the Word of God that God is Spirit, and that He created us as living beings with flesh. Even so, the flesh (us) is just a "temporary seed," if you will, that awaits the season in which the Farmer (the Father) plants it in the new Soil (Jesus) of His Kingdom. When man sinned and decided to partake of the Tree of Knowledge instead the Tree of Life, all of us were cut off from becoming partakers of God's life. Had Adam decided to eat of the Tree of Life, He would have given us the power to be transformed from flesh into spirit beings. However, since there was no life in us, but rather sin, we had no power to be transformed from living in the flesh into walking in the spirit.
Mankind lived in this fallen state until the Seed of God (Jesus) came and was buried in the earth for three days in order to redeem fallen man from sin. Jesus spent three days in the earth and rose again; this was a foreshadow of how He would afterwards enter the soil of man's heart and resurrect us into the "new creation" in Him, thus fulfilling God's original plan for those who believe.
Now that we have seen and known the disastrous results that stemmed from man's sin, let us not walk according to our fleshly desires, but let us walk after the Holy Spirit and live. To gain a fuller understanding of my final thoughts today, I encourage you to read Romans 5: 1 - 8: 5.
In these chapters, Paul takes us on a journey of how man died in sin, but has now been given the opportunity to choose life in Christ and become born again. Even though Paul is speaking to believers, both then and now, he exhorts us to walk according to the Spirit, not rely on or live after the lusts of our flesh.
In Romans 5 and 6, Paul gives us many analogies in which he shows what will happen to believers if we should decide to abuse saving grace for the opportunity to go back under the flesh and sin. When you read chapter 7, you will see that Paul tells us that if we don't choose to die (in Christ) to our old man and become alive unto God, we won't have the power to become changed into the image of Christ (the Seed buried in us). Finally, he tells us that if we continue to neglect Christ's life in us and His will for us to die to the flesh and sin, and we choose to live in our old ways, we will also live under the condemnation of the Law.
In Christ, we have died to the old man who was under the power and penalty of God's Law. When we choose to live by faith in Christ, the Law of God loses its hold on us because we are living in the spirit and not in our flesh. After we have chosen Christ as our savior, God (the Farmer) requires us to live by faith and die to self so that the life of Christ might transform us into His glorious image. If you're a believer in Christ, but remain in bondage to self and sin, yield your heart completely to God, and He will live His life through your humility.
My Life Is Hidden in Christ,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Why did God, the Creator of man, create us with flesh instead of allowing us to be spirit beings... seeing that He is Spirit? After all, didn't He tell the Word (Christ) and the Holy Spirit (on earth), "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness?" Fortunately, for us the mystery can be solved by simply looking at the transformation of a seed. When a seed is planted into the ground, it begins to take on a metamorphosis. As the seed goes into the ground and dies, it gives life and way to the sprout, which becomes the new life above the ground. From that point on, the seed is never seen again. However, we know that it existed because we can see the fruit or evidence of the seed.
We know through the Word of God that God is Spirit, and that He created us as living beings with flesh. Even so, the flesh (us) is just a "temporary seed," if you will, that awaits the season in which the Farmer (the Father) plants it in the new Soil (Jesus) of His Kingdom. When man sinned and decided to partake of the Tree of Knowledge instead the Tree of Life, all of us were cut off from becoming partakers of God's life. Had Adam decided to eat of the Tree of Life, He would have given us the power to be transformed from flesh into spirit beings. However, since there was no life in us, but rather sin, we had no power to be transformed from living in the flesh into walking in the spirit.
Mankind lived in this fallen state until the Seed of God (Jesus) came and was buried in the earth for three days in order to redeem fallen man from sin. Jesus spent three days in the earth and rose again; this was a foreshadow of how He would afterwards enter the soil of man's heart and resurrect us into the "new creation" in Him, thus fulfilling God's original plan for those who believe.
Now that we have seen and known the disastrous results that stemmed from man's sin, let us not walk according to our fleshly desires, but let us walk after the Holy Spirit and live. To gain a fuller understanding of my final thoughts today, I encourage you to read Romans 5: 1 - 8: 5.
In these chapters, Paul takes us on a journey of how man died in sin, but has now been given the opportunity to choose life in Christ and become born again. Even though Paul is speaking to believers, both then and now, he exhorts us to walk according to the Spirit, not rely on or live after the lusts of our flesh.
In Romans 5 and 6, Paul gives us many analogies in which he shows what will happen to believers if we should decide to abuse saving grace for the opportunity to go back under the flesh and sin. When you read chapter 7, you will see that Paul tells us that if we don't choose to die (in Christ) to our old man and become alive unto God, we won't have the power to become changed into the image of Christ (the Seed buried in us). Finally, he tells us that if we continue to neglect Christ's life in us and His will for us to die to the flesh and sin, and we choose to live in our old ways, we will also live under the condemnation of the Law.
In Christ, we have died to the old man who was under the power and penalty of God's Law. When we choose to live by faith in Christ, the Law of God loses its hold on us because we are living in the spirit and not in our flesh. After we have chosen Christ as our savior, God (the Farmer) requires us to live by faith and die to self so that the life of Christ might transform us into His glorious image. If you're a believer in Christ, but remain in bondage to self and sin, yield your heart completely to God, and He will live His life through your humility.
My Life Is Hidden in Christ,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
When Hard Labor Gives Way to Rest
Genesis 2: 1 - 3, Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. NKJV
In the sixth day of creation, God made man, and when He had finished His work, He entered into the seventh day. God now began to rest from all His labors. Even so, at some point during this time, the Lord took the man and his wife and put them in the garden. As we know, the garden was filled with every source of nourishment that they would need. However, today, I want to bring your attention to what God was doing when He began fellowship with His creation. He was in His rest, and it was time for Him to enjoy both man, whom He had created, and the work of His hands.
Adam was created with the "REST of GOD" on his life because he had the presence of God as well. They were in perfect harmony, and it pleased the Lord. Any and everything that man needed, God saw to it that it was provided. In other words, God made life very easy for mankind. Up to this point, mankind had no sorrow, and no hard-labor; woman didn't know what pain was, nor did she know what it meant to have her husband rule over her. However, all of this changed the moment they sinned against God's command and ate of the tree of knowledge.
There are many people around the world that profess to have faith in Christ. However, they are not aligning themselves with His commandments. Just like Adam and Eve, when we choose to disobey God's Word and will for our lives, we will grieve the Holy Spirit, and He will lift His presence from our lives. (Explanation in next verse) Likewise, the moment the first couple partook of sin, the presence and the consciousness of God lifted from them; for the first time, they knew what sin was like. They also knew what life would be like apart from the presence of God.
Here is something that Satan and religion don't want you to know; however, God does, and He's greater than all else. You can confess faith in Christ and tell people you're born again, but if you sin against God's Word, His presence won't dwell with sin. You won't lose God's love or the saving power of the Holy Spirit, but you will lose His power to live victoriously because you have chosen to live in rebellion. It also means that you will have trouble, hardship, and be weighted down with heavy and grievous burdens. Sin produces death, and death produces failure, calamity, bondage, and heartbreak. However, the presence of the Lord produces life, joy, strength, hope, and freedom...just to mention a few.
When God brought Israel out of Egypt, His presence went before them. (Exodus 33) His presence manifested as the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. He provided all that was needed in order to sustain their lives while He tested their obedience. Nevertheless, continually, the people of God chose to sin and dishonor Him, even though His presence was with them. There came a time when they pursued other gods and began to put the creation before the Creator. Consequently, His presence lifted, and every one of them, age twenty and older, perished in the wilderness. God didn't allow them to enter into His rest that He had promised to those who would love Him more than this world.
Today, the promise of a rest from God for His people is still available. Even so, we must choose to live by faith and denounce unbelief or rebellion. When we begin to seek the Lord and His righteousness first, He will begin to release His presence upon our lives. We will know the moment this occurs because life will immediately become easier. Instead of everything breaking down and people always failing you, you will begin to experience success and favor. When God promises us His rest, we need to snap to attention and heed what He is saying to us. If we do, it will go well for us, and we will also possess the authority that God has promised to us in the New Testament. I want to leave you with a scripture that reveals why God's presence lifted off Israel in the wilderness. Have a blessed and restful day.
Hebrews 3: 7 - 14, Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways. 'So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'" Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end... NKJV
Pressing to Enter into His Rest,
Pastor Asa Dockery
In the sixth day of creation, God made man, and when He had finished His work, He entered into the seventh day. God now began to rest from all His labors. Even so, at some point during this time, the Lord took the man and his wife and put them in the garden. As we know, the garden was filled with every source of nourishment that they would need. However, today, I want to bring your attention to what God was doing when He began fellowship with His creation. He was in His rest, and it was time for Him to enjoy both man, whom He had created, and the work of His hands.
Adam was created with the "REST of GOD" on his life because he had the presence of God as well. They were in perfect harmony, and it pleased the Lord. Any and everything that man needed, God saw to it that it was provided. In other words, God made life very easy for mankind. Up to this point, mankind had no sorrow, and no hard-labor; woman didn't know what pain was, nor did she know what it meant to have her husband rule over her. However, all of this changed the moment they sinned against God's command and ate of the tree of knowledge.
There are many people around the world that profess to have faith in Christ. However, they are not aligning themselves with His commandments. Just like Adam and Eve, when we choose to disobey God's Word and will for our lives, we will grieve the Holy Spirit, and He will lift His presence from our lives. (Explanation in next verse) Likewise, the moment the first couple partook of sin, the presence and the consciousness of God lifted from them; for the first time, they knew what sin was like. They also knew what life would be like apart from the presence of God.
Here is something that Satan and religion don't want you to know; however, God does, and He's greater than all else. You can confess faith in Christ and tell people you're born again, but if you sin against God's Word, His presence won't dwell with sin. You won't lose God's love or the saving power of the Holy Spirit, but you will lose His power to live victoriously because you have chosen to live in rebellion. It also means that you will have trouble, hardship, and be weighted down with heavy and grievous burdens. Sin produces death, and death produces failure, calamity, bondage, and heartbreak. However, the presence of the Lord produces life, joy, strength, hope, and freedom...just to mention a few.
When God brought Israel out of Egypt, His presence went before them. (Exodus 33) His presence manifested as the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. He provided all that was needed in order to sustain their lives while He tested their obedience. Nevertheless, continually, the people of God chose to sin and dishonor Him, even though His presence was with them. There came a time when they pursued other gods and began to put the creation before the Creator. Consequently, His presence lifted, and every one of them, age twenty and older, perished in the wilderness. God didn't allow them to enter into His rest that He had promised to those who would love Him more than this world.
Today, the promise of a rest from God for His people is still available. Even so, we must choose to live by faith and denounce unbelief or rebellion. When we begin to seek the Lord and His righteousness first, He will begin to release His presence upon our lives. We will know the moment this occurs because life will immediately become easier. Instead of everything breaking down and people always failing you, you will begin to experience success and favor. When God promises us His rest, we need to snap to attention and heed what He is saying to us. If we do, it will go well for us, and we will also possess the authority that God has promised to us in the New Testament. I want to leave you with a scripture that reveals why God's presence lifted off Israel in the wilderness. Have a blessed and restful day.
Hebrews 3: 7 - 14, Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways. 'So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'" Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end... NKJV
Pressing to Enter into His Rest,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Monday, January 23, 2012
Praying Beyond Our Human Limitations
Mark 11 : 23 - 24, For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. NKJV
Aren't you glad that God knows the end from the beginning? Since God is both omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowing), He knows what we need before we even realize it. Paul tells us in Romans 12: 3 that God has dealt to every person the measure of faith. Through faith, we have the power and access in Christ to come boldly before the throne of God and obtain mercy and find help in times of need. Jesus instructs us to believe when we come before our heavenly Father so that we might receive the answer to our need.
Too many times, we can allow our human constraints to place limits on our God. Today, I want to encourage you to begin to seek God for more than just your everyday needs to be met, or your problems to be solved. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6: 25, "Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"
Our purpose as Christians on the earth is to be ambassadors for God's Kingdom. Jesus challenged us in Matthew 6 to think and live higher than the heathen who don't have a covenant with the supernal God. Wasn't it God who gave us the ability to dream big dreams and to imagine the impossible? Well guess what. With God, all things are possible. So we must learn how to come into agreement or alignment with His perfect will and not lean too heavily on our flawed human limitations. Let me leave you with an example so that you might see how God operates in a believer's life in order to get them to believe Him for more, not settle for less.
Genesis 15: 1 - 5, 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." However, 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." Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." NKJV
Abraham is widely known as the "father of the faith" meaning that God used him to begin a new work in the earth and to establish a "seed" by faith. He was the father of the faith, yet we see him asking God why he remained childless; he even offered to take in someone else's son as an heir. However, we can pull back from the story and look at the entire time that Abraham was waiting on God for his own son and see more clearly that there was a disconnect with Abraham.
In the scripture from Genesis 15, we read where Abraham is talking to God about a SON, yet God is trying to convey to Abraham about a NATION that would span many generations. If the father of the faith struggled for twenty-five years to grasp and accept one of the first promises that God had spoken to him, then could it be that we might have our sight set too low? Could it be that God has promised you greatness, but life has beaten you down, and you have settled for far less than God's intended best? Perhaps it's time to begin to look back over the past years of your walk with the Lord and resurrect the old prophecies, visions, and dreams that He has declared over your life.
Dream BIG,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Aren't you glad that God knows the end from the beginning? Since God is both omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowing), He knows what we need before we even realize it. Paul tells us in Romans 12: 3 that God has dealt to every person the measure of faith. Through faith, we have the power and access in Christ to come boldly before the throne of God and obtain mercy and find help in times of need. Jesus instructs us to believe when we come before our heavenly Father so that we might receive the answer to our need.
Too many times, we can allow our human constraints to place limits on our God. Today, I want to encourage you to begin to seek God for more than just your everyday needs to be met, or your problems to be solved. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6: 25, "Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"
Our purpose as Christians on the earth is to be ambassadors for God's Kingdom. Jesus challenged us in Matthew 6 to think and live higher than the heathen who don't have a covenant with the supernal God. Wasn't it God who gave us the ability to dream big dreams and to imagine the impossible? Well guess what. With God, all things are possible. So we must learn how to come into agreement or alignment with His perfect will and not lean too heavily on our flawed human limitations. Let me leave you with an example so that you might see how God operates in a believer's life in order to get them to believe Him for more, not settle for less.
Genesis 15: 1 - 5, 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." However, 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." Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." NKJV
Abraham is widely known as the "father of the faith" meaning that God used him to begin a new work in the earth and to establish a "seed" by faith. He was the father of the faith, yet we see him asking God why he remained childless; he even offered to take in someone else's son as an heir. However, we can pull back from the story and look at the entire time that Abraham was waiting on God for his own son and see more clearly that there was a disconnect with Abraham.
In the scripture from Genesis 15, we read where Abraham is talking to God about a SON, yet God is trying to convey to Abraham about a NATION that would span many generations. If the father of the faith struggled for twenty-five years to grasp and accept one of the first promises that God had spoken to him, then could it be that we might have our sight set too low? Could it be that God has promised you greatness, but life has beaten you down, and you have settled for far less than God's intended best? Perhaps it's time to begin to look back over the past years of your walk with the Lord and resurrect the old prophecies, visions, and dreams that He has declared over your life.
Dream BIG,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)