Sorrow Precedes Promise

Psalms 30: 5, For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. NKJV

Have you been asking God to give you a promise that is written in His Word? If so, then allow me to share some insight with you so that you can endure the sorrow that precedes the inheritance of the promise. 

It's always exciting when married couples hear they are going to have their first child. The new mom just beams with joy and great anticipation over the thoughts of bringing a brand new life into the world. I see this quite often at our church. It's interesting to watch how new moms respond when they experience the various changes and stages of their pregnancy. For example, shortly after discovering they are pregnant, many women begin to experience "morning sickness." 

Later, as the pregnancy progresses, they realize how much of a toll this new creation is taking on their physical being. Then finally, the day of delivery arrives; the moment has come to bring little "Johnny or Susie" into the world. Suddenly, the joy of childbirth gives way to pain, sorrow, and anguish (John 16:21). The smile that was once on the face of the new mom has been replaced with screams and tears as she brings forth her child in delivery. Labor can't be allowed to go on for too long, or it could do irreparable damage to the mom. Therefore, if the delivery doesn't progress quickly enough, the doctor may determine to take the baby in surgery...causing even more pain and a much longer recovery time for the new mom.

Here's the point to today's word; it will help you hold on during the delivery process...while God is getting you ready to receive your promise. In today's scripture, we read that God's anger is for a moment. His favor is for life. Just as the birthing process doesn't take long, nevertheless, it produces much pain and sorrow for the mom, the same holds true when receiving a promise from God; we sometimes have to endure a short season of sorrow and suffering in preparation for our promise to arrive. 

There're a couple of dynamics taking place here that can help you better understand why suffering may be involved in receiving promises from the Lord. First of all, you're standing in faith on God's Word; and we know that this principle invites spiritual persecution (Mark 4:17). When persecution comes against us because of the Word's sake, it can cause us to back away from believing our promise will soon arrive, since suffering is involved at that point. 

There's another dynamic also at work. It requires us to continue to stand or endure even when the persecution or birth pains begin. In order to withstand and overcome any fleshly weakness that might cause us to abort the process of delivery, we have to continue to persevere by faith. Remember, a promise that is given by God can only be received by faith. Therefore, trials may begin shortly before delivery of a promise; they will try our faith to see if it is genuine. If we should decide that the promise isn't worth the pain or trouble, we may stop believing and give up on our faith. The Holy Spirit does not want us to give up. Hence, He directed me to write this for you today. He said, "It is at the point of breakthrough or delivery that many will stop the birthing process simply because they don't realize that suffering is an integral (essential to complete) part of inheriting the promises of God." 

Just like God's anger is for a moment, but His favor is for life, the season of sorrow is only for a moment compared to the length of time you will have to enjoy the promise. All we want is a promise; however, God wants us to be made complete in Christ through our faith. Consequently, anytime we ask for a blessing from the Lord, He sees it as an opportunity to develop His characteristics in us through our faith. 

Now, let's look at the other side of the "coin." Why do we experience the suffering that is involved when we begin to go into the delivery of our promise from God? It's also found in Mark 4:17. Satan persecutes us in an attempt to discourage us so that we won't push (endure) until the promise comes. The enemy's goal is to talk us into aborting the promise; nevertheless, God will reward us even greater when, in faith, we resist the Devil's temptations and keep on pushing. God gives us the promise in Romans 8 that He will work all things together for our good.

Therefore, if you're standing in faith waiting on a promise from God, and you're experiencing persecution keep pushing, enduring, and holding on in faith. When you hold the manifested promise in your hands, you will have shown your faith to be genuine; and you will have overcome the Devil, which means you have greater spiritual authority as a result of persevering. It is a win, win!

You Can Do All Things through Christ, 

Pastor Asa Dockery

Passion30@whcnorth.org

Kept Strong by the Word

Deuteronomy 11: 8 - 9, "Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD swore to give your fathers, to them and their descendants, 'a land flowing with milk and honey.' NKJV

There is a word from the Lord that has exploded in my heart and spirit that you need to hear. Why do you need to hear it? Like so many in the body of Christ, you have most likely experienced persecution, heartache, and setbacks. These attacks come against us from our adversary the Devil; he sends them to undermine our faith. However, as faith walkers, we do well until we begin to experience heart-wrenching or physical pain. It is when we go through the lowest valleys of life that doubts, fears, unbelief, and hurt will try to talk us out of having faith.

Nevertheless, during the hard seasons of life, we must make a conscious decision, whether to continue walking by faith or to draw back in unbelief. As a pastor, I hear from people around the world who tell me how tough it is for them to live by faith in the times in which we live. As a result, I am strongly compelled by the Holy Spirit to share the truth with you today about where you may be, why you may going through the fire, and what you can do to overcome it.

James tells us that if we will submit to God and resist the Devil, he will flee from us. Even so, in the context of this scripture, James mentions that God gives more grace. Some seasons in life require "more grace" than others, such as a loss of a family member, a career, or a home. The key is to find the strength that you will need in order to ENDURE this trial, overcome it, and continue to walk by faith. 

In today's scripture, you will find the key to living victoriously...even in adversity. God's Word will give us the strength that is needed to confront, endure, and prevail over the trials that come our way in life. If we will keep, obey, and continue in God's Word, then the Word will keep us during the hard seasons of life. God not only wants you to overcome the trials sent to you by Satan; He wants you to be restored and brought into a better season. According to James 1:12, after you have been tried and found faithful, you will be rewarded. Therefore, if there has ever been a "time" in life that the people of God need to know and stand on God's Word, it is now!

It is only when we know and obey the Word of God that we are truly walking and living by faith.  When we choose to live by faith, then God allows us to inherit the promises He has given to us from His Word. You can do this, but you have to do it in God's strength, not in yours. If you're not familiar with the Word of God, let this word challenge you to get in the Bible and then let it get into you. If you're already knowledgeable of God's Word, nevertheless, you haven't applied the Word to your conduct, behavior, or speech; I challenge you to allow the Word to have a place in your heart. Keep it; and it will keep you when the enemy rages against you.

As Moses told the children of Israel, I want to encourage you as well. "Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD swore to give your fathers, to them and their descendants, 'a land flowing with milk and honey.'

Be Strong through God's Word Today, 

Pastor Asa Dockery

passion30@whcnorth.org

A Good Work

Colossians 2: 8 - 10, Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. NKJV

Philippians 1: 3 - 6, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; NKJV

In Colossians 2, Paul explains that we are complete in Christ. Nevertheless, we learn in Philippians 1 that God is still at work in our hearts and in our lives; He is performing His purpose in us so that we will be able to stand before the Lord complete on the Day of Christ. Even so, if we take both scriptures and place them together, as I have in today's word, it appears as if Paul is contradicting himself. In one letter, we're complete in Christ; however, in the other letter, God is still working on us until we have been made complete.

Why does it seem as though there is a discrepancy in the scriptures? Inconsistencies are seemingly evident when we take scriptures out of their context and take them at face value. So what was Paul really communicating to us about being complete? We know from scripture that Jesus is the only way to the Father. When Jesus offered Himself as atonement for the sin of the world, His gift was accepted by the Father. There is no other "work or offering" that can be brought before God...it is only through Christ's blood that anyone can be saved. Therefore, we are complete in Christ.

On the other hand, God is performing a work in us to bring us into completion (or perfection.) While our salvation in Christ is perfect or complete, we are not. Therefore, God allows us to be tested so that through our faith and patience, we can become complete. We must remember that God isn't angry at us when trials come to test our faith and our hearts...God is examining whether or not we will remain obedient to Him. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord will deliver us out of them all. When we confess that our faith is in Christ, it will be tried in order to reveal if it is genuine. If it is sincere faith, then the plans of Satan and his weapons that are formed against it will fail; and we will be successful in overcoming his evil devices.

Do you remember what God said about Job before his faith was severely tried? God said that there was no one like Job on the earth. He also said that Job was a righteous man, one who fears God and shuns evil. Nevertheless, Satan expressed a different view on the character of Job. Satan told God that if He removed all that he owned, Job would curse God. You can read about Job's response to the trial in the first few chapters of Job. He never sinned against God, nor did he bring accusations against Him. Therefore, the things that Satan spoke about Job's character were false, and what God said about Job was true. Even so, none of this was established in the natural realm until after Job had been tried for nine months. 

The trial of Job PROVED that he was a devout man of faith in God. Likewise, when we, who are in Christ, endure the trials and temptations of this world, and overcome them, it is further proof that our faith is in Christ and not in ourselves. James 1: 12, mentions the principle of being approved by trial. He said, "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been tried (approved), he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."

 According to James, we're blessed when we are tempted, but we do not yield to it. Instead, we conquer it through our faith. Nonetheless, have you noticed that when you tell others you're going through a trial, or that you've been tempted by the world, some will condemn you? Even so, James says, if we will endure the trial or temptation by faith, then we are blessed, not condemned. So why does God allow our faith to be tried? 

There are a few reasons; the first of which is to see whether we will remain obedient to Him in the fire (Deuteronomy 8). Another reason God allows us to go through the fire is to teach us to fear Him with reverential respect (Exodus 20: 18 - 20). If we will fear the Lord and remain obedient through the afflictions of this life, then God will reward us... after we have proven ourselves faithful to Christ. The result of such a process is the development of Godly-character in us so that we become like Christ.

The final reason or motivation as to why God allows us to endure trials is because He loves us. Therefore, He doesn't want us to lose our reverential fear for the Lord and go back into sin. The fear of the Lord will keep us from sin. We're told in Hebrews 12 that God chastens those He loves and scourges every son (daughter) that He receives. Whenever we are chastised by the Lord, it isn't because He is angry at us; it is because He loves us. God loves us enough to correct us when we allow our old fleshly ways to direct our paths. His love never fails! 

 If you would like to hear more on this teaching, you can click on the link provided to hear the sermon, "No Weapon Formed Against You Shall Be Able To Prosper." http://www.cross.tv/95001

Overcoming This World By Faith in Christ,

Pastor Asa Dockery

passion30@whcnorth.org

You Can Overcome

Romans 8: 35 - 39, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJV

Nothing pleased Satan more than when Adam and Eve decided to act on his lie and sin against God. Since the fall of man, Satan has used fear and condemnation to oppress mankind and to hold us without mercy in his prison. Just as Satan exploited the desires of Eve and used them to lead her into a trap of spiritual bondage, he also wars against you and me trying to keep us in bondage to our Adamic nature. Nevertheless, in Christ, we have been redeemed from the power of sin and Satan. We no longer have to pay attention to the lying voices of doubt, fear, unworthiness, and unbelief.

People who have been beaten down their whole lives have a tendency to accept that they are unworthy; and this can cause them to give in to the lie that tells them sinning is all they will ever be able to enjoy. I have faced adversity my entire life. I too have heard the voices of condemnation, shame, and unworthiness that try to keep me at the back of the line, but there has been a larger power within my heart that kept telling me, "It's not so"! You see; the Bible says, "Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world." I've been saved since I was around the age of 7 or 8; however, I still had to face some very intimidating giants who exploited my fears and weaknesses.   

Unlike the world, I chose to submit to God. I did not allow the voice of condemnation to tell me that sin, and perversion was the only way to enjoy life. As I remained submitted to the Lord, He gave me the grace to "turn the other cheek" whenever someone bullied or cursed me. I didn't allow their opinions or the curse words directed at me to define me and cause me to abort my assignment in Christ. It is because I chose to remain submitted to God, instead of becoming filled with bitterness and rage that God empowered me to resist the Devil and overcome his lies. Had I not had faith that God was for me, and that, through Christ, I would be able to endure and overcome, I would have fainted and given into a lifestyle of sin and destruction.

If what I have written today resonates with you and describes the kind of oppression that has taunted and lorded over you, I want to encourage you to take back your life. I'm not talking about regaining it by revenge or rebellion, but through faith in Christ. We must understand that our battles are not with those who have hurt and wounded us; they are with spirits of darkness. So we fight back by standing on God's Word and character. I refuse to allow people's opinions and hate-filled words to hold me back from being the person God ordained for me to be from the foundation of the world. He ordained me to be a holy and loving man long before there was a Devil, a serpent, and a beguiled woman.  

Instead, I choose to believe the report of the Lord. I stand on what He has declared over me and my family. You must, AT NO TIME, allow the enemy to obtain a place in your heart that will cause you to believe that God doesn't love or care for you because you've had to face some JUNK in your life. NEVER GIVE IN!!! As you stand and continue to stand against the pressures of guilt, shame, fear, unbelief, unworthiness, condemnation, and isolation, you will grow in the power of God. Instead of seeing yourself as a grasshopper and your enemies as giants, they will begin to see you as one of God's giants and themselves as the grasshoppers.   

You must choose whom you're going to serve today. Are you going to allow Satan to convince you that God doesn't love you, even though He gave His Son in your place? Or are you going to believe the Word of God? If you said, "God's Word," then you will have to stand on IT when Satan throws another jab or punch at the weak areas of your life. You must resist the temptation to respond out of your flesh, causing you to sin. God didn't create us to live in sin; He created us to have authority over the Devil and dominion in this world and to be blessed so that we will be a blessing to others. Now hold your head up high and know that God has your back.  

Sitting in Heavenly Places in Christ,

Pastor Asa Dockery

If You Are The Son Of God

Luke 4: 1 - 4, Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'" NKJV 

Do you know your spiritual identity? I ask you this question for a very important reason. When we don't know who we are in Christ, or we don't receive our identity from Christ, then Satan will use our ignorance against us. We're told in Hosea 4: 6 that the people of God are destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Truth). Therefore, now that we are a new creation in Christ, we should invest the time that is required in prayer and in the study of God's Word to know who we are. If we're born again, then we're not the old man... because he had to die. We can't be two people. 

Jesus never gave into Satan's attempts to make Him prove Himself because He knew who He was. If a person knows who they really are, they won't try to be a people-pleaser or try to fit-in in order to be accepted by others. We must not go-along to get-along at the expense of becoming someone we're not. We know that Jesus knew who He was in the Spirit realm because He didn't act on any of Satan's suggestions to prove Himself. 

Here is something for you to ponder today: Why did Satan want Jesus to prove Himself? Why did Satan care who Jesus really was? If we don't know who we are concerning our spiritual identity, then Satan will use people and situations to make us prove ourselves; and if we oblige him, he will pull us into a snare and entrap us in sin. That's what Satan's desire was for Jesus; However, Jesus knew exactly who He was. Unfortunately, there's the other side of the equation. Remember Adam and Eve? She didn't know who she was spiritually and Satan exploited her ignorance, causing her to commit sin in order to become like God. Did you notice that Satan used identity as a means to entrap her...just like he tried with Jesus?

Nonetheless, why didn't Eve already know that she was created in God's image and blessed by Him? We see now that spiritual ignorance about our new identity can be used by Satan to seduce us into sinning against God. Consequently, Satan tried to get Jesus to prove Himself; he wanted Jesus to go against the will of God and sin. Satan's desire was to bring Jesus into bondage to him so that he could become greater than Jesus. 

Many times throughout the gospels, you will see that the scribes, the Pharisees, and the Jews tried to get Jesus to prove who He was to them. Even when Jesus was hanging on the cross, there were Jews who taunted him and demanded that He come off the cross and prove Himself to them... so that they might believe. Nevertheless, if Jesus had obeyed their unbelieving demands and came down from the cross, do you think God's plan would have been accomplished? Of course, it would not! We can see that Satan is extremely subtle and through this subtlety, he is very effective at pulling people into his web of deceit, and entrapping them in sin.

Jesus never, ever proved Himself to any unbelieving person or demon. All He had to do in order to overcome Satan's temptations was to speak the Word and obey the Father. Therefore, we need to know our new identity in Christ so that we will speak only the Word against our spiritual foes. As a result, we can fully obey God's will and plan, and have a blessed life. Because Jesus never proved Himself, He gave His Father the opportunity to confirm His identity with many signs and wonders. There are many confirmations from His heavenly Father that should have validated to Israel that Jesus was, indeed, the Son of God. Like Jesus, if you walk in your new identity in Christ, not allowing Satan to pull you into one of his divisive ploys, then God will validate you as well. When the enemy comes against you, just be still and know that God has a plan. He will deliver you from your enemies. Knowing you're a child of God and walking in faith will assure you of victory over the enemy.

You Can Do This, 

Pastor Asa Dockery

passion30@whcnorth.org

When the Church Defies Gravity

1 Thessalonians 4 : 15 - 18, For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. NKJV

We have learned from the scriptures that God came to earth many times to visit with His people. The first account of such an encounter was when God was calling out to Adam while walking through the Garden of Eden in the cool of the evening. Another example is found in Exodus when God came down on Mount Sinai to commune with His people, Israel. Likewise, in John, the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among the Jews, and they beheld the glory of God.

However, it was after four-hundred years of living in bondage to Egypt that God heard the afflictions of His people and sent Moses to DRAW His people out of bondage. I bring up this story because the Holy Spirit is telling me that He is, once again drawing His people out of the world. Consequently, we must overcome the PULL of the world's pleasures, bondages, and cares. We can accomplish separation from the world only when we first desire a closer and more personal relationship with our Creator and heavenly Father.

Much of what Christians have been experiencing in their daily lives is the result of God shaking everything that can be shaken. As the Lord shakes this world, we will experience separation anxiety from it. The Jews experienced this same unease when they departed Egypt. When they had to face the hardships of the wilderness, they began to look back at what they had left behind. They had to undergo the process of "dying to self" in order to overcome the world. The writer of Hebrews explains in detail what we are facing in today's world. 

Hebrews 12: 25 - 29, See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. NKJV

Why is God shaking everything that can be shaken in this world? He must get our ATTENTION! The Holy Spirit is preparing the body of Christ for the move of God that is about to sweep the planet. Therefore, we must make ourselves ready for it. Many times when God was about to reveal Himself to His people or begin a move of His Spirit in the earth,  He first called His people to a time of consecration and purity so that they would be prepared for the event.

Even so, we are also living in a season when the Holy Spirit is drawing us out of the PULL of the world's pleasures, and its cares. Just as the earth's gravitational pull holds all matter down to the earth, our flesh is, likewise, lured by the force of the world's temptations. Therefore, we must walk in the Spirit so that we don't fulfill the lusts of our flesh. Only when we answer God's call to live holy and dedicated to His purposes will we be able to defy the allure of the world. 

Nevertheless, one day the body of Christ will be ready for His return. As a result, instead of God coming down to earth to meet with us, He will call us up to meet with Him in the air. At that moment, no gravitational pull and no earthly lust will be able to hold us from being ONE with the Lord. Are you willing to make yourself ready? The Lord is calling! Have you accepted the Passion 30 Challenge? Click on the link for details.

 http://www.whcnorth.org/passion30.html

Answering God's Call for Preparation, 

Pastor Asa Dockery

Gleaning Handfuls of Favor

Ruth 2: 1 - 3, There was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz. So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. NKJV

It pays to obey God! Whenever we trust Him, and we obey His Word, He will grant us favor both with Him and with other people. We can find an example of God's favor in the story of Ruth. Ruth was allowed to go into Elimelech's field and glean (pick up what was left) behind the reapers of his field. She went into the field with the hope of finding favor in someone's heart so that she would have enough to eat during the famine.

When I was thinking about Ruth's story, I was reminded about the favor of God on my own life. There have been many times in Debbie's and my lives when there simply weren't enough resources to take care of our needs. Over the years, we've learned that when this type of trial arises, we need to turn to God and seek Him for the favor to supply the need, so that we don't have to go into debt for it. Time and again, God has shown us that His presence and favor are on us by granting our needs and our desires.

The Holy Spirit drew my attention and prompted me to write on the subject of Ruth walking in the favor of God; He wants us to notice that she was allowed to go into a field only after the reapers had already passed over it. However, when I think about "leftovers," it doesn't seem to me that there would be enough to sustain Ruth during this difficult period. 

Nonetheless, just as God's favor took care of Ruth, His favor has operated in our lives and supplied our needs when it was naturally impossible for us to do so. God has always been there in times of difficulty, trouble, and shortage to provide what our limited resources couldn't supply. Like Ruth, only picking up handfuls of grain, God has given us handfuls of favor to make up for any shortfall. 

Perhaps you can relate to this question. Have you ever gotten to the end of a fiscal year and noticed that more went out than came in? I know; it doesn't make sense, but that is the realm where God resides and does His best for us. We've heard many Christians tell us over the years that "somehow" they seem to make it from year to year; nevertheless they can't explain how they did it when they look at their checkbook or their financial records. You and I may not always be able to see God in every situation. Even so, that doesn't mean that He isn't with us. He shows us that He has been with us during the hard times by allowing His favor to supply those things that we could never have taken care of.  

Let me leave you today with a testimony that will build your faith. Debbie has had the same washer and dryer for seven years. Recently, our son moved out and needed appliances. We tried to get used ones, but to no avail. As a result, I told Debbie that I would buy her a new washer and dryer for her birthday, and we could give our old ones to our son. Nevertheless, shortly after telling her what I would do, we were hit with unforeseen problems that drained our finances so that we couldn't purchase the appliances we needed. I told Debbie that we would have to wait until we got back on our financial feet before we could move forward with the purchase.  

However, one day we were at work and received a call. The person on the other end of the phone said, "I have your new washer and dryer and need directions to deliver them." When she asked me about it, I said, "Don't look at me." Someone had been told by the Lord to give her a new washer and dryer, and they obeyed His instruction...and they were exactly the ones Debbie had wanted. Only God knew our situation, and therefore, it was God who supplied our need through "a handful of favor." What are you in need of today that requires the favor of God? Seek Him first, and then wait on Him to supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Reaping the Benefits of God's Favor, 

Pastor Asa Dockery