Acts 1: 6 - 8, Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." NKJV
The Bible is filled with Words of Wisdom, Knowledge, Prophecy, Truth, and etcetera. But how does a Christian know when a Word from God's Word is speaking directly to them? Do you just flip open the Bible and point to a scripture and say this must be God?
Jesus tells us in John 10 that His sheep (Christians) know His voice and another we won't follow. He also taught us in John 14 that He would not leave us comfortless, but would pray to the Father, and He would send to us the Spirit of Truth. Since the Father has given us the Holy Spirit, we must trust in Him and not lean to our own understanding; the Lord doesn't expect us to figure out the next step in our faith walk on our own. If you just randomly open your Bible and hope to hit the correct Word for the day, or you place a fleece before the Lord for confirmation to a prayer that you prayed, then know that there is a better way.
You see, we not only need a Word from the Lord to help us navigate life in a fallen world, but we must understand that God only gives us direction in the hour that it is needed. If we should be moved by impulse, we could be casting the seed of God's Word before its time and could risk it falling onto sterile ground or producing no results in our situations.
Let's suppose that you're having an issue with a co-worker, and you've asked the Lord to reveal wisdom to you from His Word. If the co-worker doesn't understand you or your faith, then there's a good chance that they will persecute you. If this is the case, then we want God to move quickly to alleviate the problem with the co-worker. Have you noticed that Christians tend to become anxious for God to move quickly on their behalf when they are faced with serious or difficult issues? This is why the Lord will only release "A Word in season" to those who are weary. It isn't based on the difficulty of our situation, but on the degree of our weariness. Hasn't the Lord promised us in 1 Corinthians 10 that He wouldn't place more on us than we're able to bear?
In our verses for today's word, the disciples asked Jesus if He was at that time going to restore the kingdom back to Israel. Jesus told them,"It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority." When I have heard ministers teach on these verses in Acts 1, they tend to stop where it says, "In His own authority," but Jesus didn't stop there; He proceeded to teach us the ways of God concerning the "timing" of the Father. He said, "You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses of Me in all the region and ultimately the world."
In other words, Jesus was telling them that it would happen, but not the way they thought it might. The kingdom will be restored when the Holy Spirit comes upon His people, and they move under the power or the authority of the Kingdom of God to fulfill God's will in the season that He has predetermined. I share this principle with you to say this: if you are looking to God for a Word of wisdom, knowledge, or etcetera, then you must be willing to wait until He sees that the timing is right. This way, His will shall be accomplished and not ours. It's not that God doesn't care about what we're going through. It is that He has a different perspective from His vantage point than we do; our view is generally from the temporal (flesh) view point, and His view is always from the eternal view point.
Now we understand better why the Lord will sometimes wait to answer our prayers when we find ourselves in fiery trials. There's another reason why the Lord will wait before releasing a Word of direction, and that is so He can see if we will wait on "His" timing, or if we will be moved by our carnal (impulsive) nature. Submit to God and resist the temptation to act on impulse; wait until you know that God has spoken a "Word in season" before you act. As a minister, I wait on the Lord to speak to me before I speak to the congregation or to you in a devotional. He knows what we need before we ask, but we must be willing to wait on God's ways and resist our own ways.
God's Way Is Best,
Pastor Asa
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Breaking the Law
Ps 119:9-12, How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes. NKJV
Have you ever tried to please someone that you respected or loved but couldn't? If so, then you understand the pain and rejection that is incurred when you offer your best and find that it's just not good enough. Because of this, people walk around with scars in their hearts, and those scars can adversely affect every area of their lives. When you truly desire to please someone, and they continually reject your efforts to find affirmation, it can cause you to lose self-esteem, self-worth, and has caused many to loathe themselves.
As men, we seek affirmation from those we love and respect. First of all, let's look in the Word of God to find out where we acquired this need... and is having this need biblical? If your view of God is one that is based on rules and limitations that you have to measure up to, then you will fall short of "that view" of God. No man can live up to the standard of God's laws in their own human strength.
God told Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Guess what? Even though Adam was sinless when God created him in His own image and likeness, Adam didn't keep God's law. Does this mean that God created Adam to fail? Absolutely not! Adam could have directed Eve's attention to the other tree in the garden called, "The Tree of Life." Had they partaken of the fruit from the tree of life first, they would have begun to experience the life of God in their souls, but unfortunately, that tree didn't hold the interest of their carnal desires. (Our five senses)
Let me ask you a question? Since man broke the law in the beginning, do you really believe that God thought man would now be able to keep the new moral code (or law) that He gave to Moses in Exodus? Was God just toying with us to make fallen man feel inadequate so that He could beat us down as if we were slaves? No, that is called condemnation. Condemnation is the result of feeling inadequate or unlovable when it seems like we can't please God.
God didn't hand down the Law on Mount Sinai just so we would break that set of rules, and He could point His finger at us in judgment and condemn us. Remember, man was already found guilty and sentenced in the Garden of Eden. The purpose of the Law on Mount Sinai was to show us that sin was in our hearts and that a sinful heart can't keep a Law that is holy.
Read Genesis 3 and you will see that when God came to Adam after he sinned and asked him if they had eaten of the forbidden fruit, he denied eating it and blamed Eve, his wife. When we seek to keep the "rules of God," there is also a part of us that lives in denial over what we have done. Denial is a coping mechanism that we developed because of man's fall into sin; it helps us to deal with condemnation in our own hearts. It also causes us to blame our sin on others instead of facing the truth, because we've tried to keep the Law and failed every time. If this describes your life, Jesus has some great news for you today.
Jesus tells us in John 3 that He didn't come into the world to condemn us; He came so that we might be saved from sin and condemnation through Him. The key words that we need to focus on are "through Jesus." Just like Adam couldn't keep the Law, because he didn't partake of the Tree of Life first, we can't keep God's Law until we first place faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord. ONCE YOU TRULY PLACE FAITH IN JESUS AS YOUR SAVIOR, THEN THE FATHER WILL ACCEPT YOU WITHOUT YOU HAVING TO KEEP ONE LAW.
When we receive Jesus in our hearts and know that He is the reason we are accepted by our heavenly Father, it will put an end to our seeking affirmation. Then we can live free of condemnation and simply obey the Father through our faith and not our works...which is earning the right to be a son. King David was a man that had committed adultery, and murder, and then tried to hide it from everyone. Yet, this man is recorded in the Bible as having a heart after the heart of God. David didn't try to keep the Law of God, because David loved the Law. When you love the God "of" the Law, He will empower you to keep the Law of God.
I'm Trusting and Not Trying,
Pastor Asa
Have you ever tried to please someone that you respected or loved but couldn't? If so, then you understand the pain and rejection that is incurred when you offer your best and find that it's just not good enough. Because of this, people walk around with scars in their hearts, and those scars can adversely affect every area of their lives. When you truly desire to please someone, and they continually reject your efforts to find affirmation, it can cause you to lose self-esteem, self-worth, and has caused many to loathe themselves.
As men, we seek affirmation from those we love and respect. First of all, let's look in the Word of God to find out where we acquired this need... and is having this need biblical? If your view of God is one that is based on rules and limitations that you have to measure up to, then you will fall short of "that view" of God. No man can live up to the standard of God's laws in their own human strength.
God told Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Guess what? Even though Adam was sinless when God created him in His own image and likeness, Adam didn't keep God's law. Does this mean that God created Adam to fail? Absolutely not! Adam could have directed Eve's attention to the other tree in the garden called, "The Tree of Life." Had they partaken of the fruit from the tree of life first, they would have begun to experience the life of God in their souls, but unfortunately, that tree didn't hold the interest of their carnal desires. (Our five senses)
Let me ask you a question? Since man broke the law in the beginning, do you really believe that God thought man would now be able to keep the new moral code (or law) that He gave to Moses in Exodus? Was God just toying with us to make fallen man feel inadequate so that He could beat us down as if we were slaves? No, that is called condemnation. Condemnation is the result of feeling inadequate or unlovable when it seems like we can't please God.
God didn't hand down the Law on Mount Sinai just so we would break that set of rules, and He could point His finger at us in judgment and condemn us. Remember, man was already found guilty and sentenced in the Garden of Eden. The purpose of the Law on Mount Sinai was to show us that sin was in our hearts and that a sinful heart can't keep a Law that is holy.
Read Genesis 3 and you will see that when God came to Adam after he sinned and asked him if they had eaten of the forbidden fruit, he denied eating it and blamed Eve, his wife. When we seek to keep the "rules of God," there is also a part of us that lives in denial over what we have done. Denial is a coping mechanism that we developed because of man's fall into sin; it helps us to deal with condemnation in our own hearts. It also causes us to blame our sin on others instead of facing the truth, because we've tried to keep the Law and failed every time. If this describes your life, Jesus has some great news for you today.
Jesus tells us in John 3 that He didn't come into the world to condemn us; He came so that we might be saved from sin and condemnation through Him. The key words that we need to focus on are "through Jesus." Just like Adam couldn't keep the Law, because he didn't partake of the Tree of Life first, we can't keep God's Law until we first place faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord. ONCE YOU TRULY PLACE FAITH IN JESUS AS YOUR SAVIOR, THEN THE FATHER WILL ACCEPT YOU WITHOUT YOU HAVING TO KEEP ONE LAW.
When we receive Jesus in our hearts and know that He is the reason we are accepted by our heavenly Father, it will put an end to our seeking affirmation. Then we can live free of condemnation and simply obey the Father through our faith and not our works...which is earning the right to be a son. King David was a man that had committed adultery, and murder, and then tried to hide it from everyone. Yet, this man is recorded in the Bible as having a heart after the heart of God. David didn't try to keep the Law of God, because David loved the Law. When you love the God "of" the Law, He will empower you to keep the Law of God.
I'm Trusting and Not Trying,
Pastor Asa
Living the Blessed Life
Romans 6: 1 - 4, What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. NIV
Do you remember the day that you received Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord? If you haven't yet made the decision to do so, then I pray that you will today, because Paul tells us in Romans 3 that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Jesus came to earth as the Lamb of God to take away our sins, all because of His love for the Father. Yet, when we come to Jesus...even as someone that is broken... we are coming to Him filled with "self."
All Christians who choose to live a godly life in Christ must go through the process of dying to self. Let me explain what I mean. The other night I was preaching on the subject of abiding in the vine (who is Jesus) and of how we are the branches...with His life flowing through us, and I used an analogy about a cantaloupe to illustrate. Jesus tells us in John 15 that we must abide in Him, and He in us, lest we wither and be burned. A cantaloupe can't say to the vine, "I don't like the requirements being placed on me (that I must be connected to you) so I will disconnect myself and grow beside you." What would happen? The cantaloupe not only would not ripen...it would rot on the ground!
Once we become born again, there is a process that every true believer must go through in order to be converted from the "self" nature into a believer who is being filled and motivated by God's love. Until we all choose to deny self, take up our cross, and follow in Jesus' footsteps, we can't have any part in Him nor experience the blessed life. If you will read Ephesians 5, you will see that Paul uses the marriage relationship as a natural demonstration of a spiritual relationship between Christ and the Church. We must leave all others and cleave only unto Him and be faithful to Him. This principle is especially important in the initial stages of becoming a disciple of Christ.
We must cling to His life in order that it might empower us to die to our individuality (or self nature). Remember, it was "self" that caused Lucifer to sin against God. It was "self" that reared its ugly head in the Garden of Eden and separated mankind from our Creator, God. Paul teaches on this principle even greater in Colossians 3, Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. NIV
As we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, we will be transformed by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, who resides within us, into children of God. As we continue in His Word, whether we feel like it or not, the Word will begin to transform our hearts... which will then change what we desire or seek after. Once this begins to emerge in your life, you will begin to experience the blessed life. But, that's not all; once you begin to experience the liberation and the freedom of living the blessed life, don't stop there, because that is only the beginning! When we grow beyond the point in our walk where we pursue God just to be blessed, and we continue on to pursue Him for "more of Him," then He will begin to reward us for being diligent seekers of God.
It's amazing how we can begin our faith walk being so filled with self, but, as we continue to abide in Christ and His Word, we become filled with the love of Christ; He then constrains us to live a holy and joyful life...all while living in a fallen world. You will know the love of God is replacing self when you love obeying the Word of God instead of "having to keep the Word."
Loving the Blessed Life in Christ,
Pastor Asa
Do you remember the day that you received Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord? If you haven't yet made the decision to do so, then I pray that you will today, because Paul tells us in Romans 3 that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Jesus came to earth as the Lamb of God to take away our sins, all because of His love for the Father. Yet, when we come to Jesus...even as someone that is broken... we are coming to Him filled with "self."
All Christians who choose to live a godly life in Christ must go through the process of dying to self. Let me explain what I mean. The other night I was preaching on the subject of abiding in the vine (who is Jesus) and of how we are the branches...with His life flowing through us, and I used an analogy about a cantaloupe to illustrate. Jesus tells us in John 15 that we must abide in Him, and He in us, lest we wither and be burned. A cantaloupe can't say to the vine, "I don't like the requirements being placed on me (that I must be connected to you) so I will disconnect myself and grow beside you." What would happen? The cantaloupe not only would not ripen...it would rot on the ground!
Once we become born again, there is a process that every true believer must go through in order to be converted from the "self" nature into a believer who is being filled and motivated by God's love. Until we all choose to deny self, take up our cross, and follow in Jesus' footsteps, we can't have any part in Him nor experience the blessed life. If you will read Ephesians 5, you will see that Paul uses the marriage relationship as a natural demonstration of a spiritual relationship between Christ and the Church. We must leave all others and cleave only unto Him and be faithful to Him. This principle is especially important in the initial stages of becoming a disciple of Christ.
We must cling to His life in order that it might empower us to die to our individuality (or self nature). Remember, it was "self" that caused Lucifer to sin against God. It was "self" that reared its ugly head in the Garden of Eden and separated mankind from our Creator, God. Paul teaches on this principle even greater in Colossians 3, Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. NIV
As we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, we will be transformed by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, who resides within us, into children of God. As we continue in His Word, whether we feel like it or not, the Word will begin to transform our hearts... which will then change what we desire or seek after. Once this begins to emerge in your life, you will begin to experience the blessed life. But, that's not all; once you begin to experience the liberation and the freedom of living the blessed life, don't stop there, because that is only the beginning! When we grow beyond the point in our walk where we pursue God just to be blessed, and we continue on to pursue Him for "more of Him," then He will begin to reward us for being diligent seekers of God.
It's amazing how we can begin our faith walk being so filled with self, but, as we continue to abide in Christ and His Word, we become filled with the love of Christ; He then constrains us to live a holy and joyful life...all while living in a fallen world. You will know the love of God is replacing self when you love obeying the Word of God instead of "having to keep the Word."
Loving the Blessed Life in Christ,
Pastor Asa
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Who Am I
Exodus 3: 9 - 11, And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" NIV
When God appeared to Moses and spoke to him from a flaming bush, Moses was on the run as a fugitive from Egypt; he was hiding out on the far side of the desert near Horeb, the mountain of God. What do you do when your past causes you to run right smack into the presence of God? You answer the call!
Just imagine the shock of seeing a bush on fire, but not consumed by the flames. Now imagine you hear the voice of God speaking from the bush... and if that isn't enough to make you faint, the Lord tells you to go to Egypt and set His people free. Like Moses, I would be asking the same question, "Who am I?" Moses was lost; he didn't know his spiritual identity.
The Bible teaches us a lot on the subject of being lost. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. Just like Moses asked the Lord that very important question, "Who am I?" All Christians must ask God that same question if we're going to fulfill the calling of God on our lives. Back in the beginning, when man sinned, we lost our spiritual identity; we began to identity with the creation more so than our Creator. Moses struggled to hear the plan of God, not because he couldn't hear, but because he didn't know who he was. All Moses could remember was his past and how Egypt was his enemy... because he had committed a murder. When God reassured him that the king who had pursued him was dead, He then told Moses the plan to deliver the people of God from their bondage.
It's vitally important for us to understand that not everyone that God called lived a perfect life. Just look at Saul of Tarsus; he murdered Christians in the early church. He was converted on the road to Damascus and became the Apostle Paul. If we are going to step out and fulfill God's calling on our lives, we must get to know the One who has called us first. He is our new identity. So if God has revealed to you His plan and told you to go back to the place that He has brought you out of and represent Him, you must first ask the Lord, "Who am I?" If not, the enemy will keep throwing your past up to you; he will use your mistakes, sins, and failures to hold you back from obeying the Lord.
When we look at the sure success of Jesus' ministry and how He was able to endure such horrendous suffering in order to complete God's will on the earth, we see an excellent example of someone who knew who they were in the Spirit. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he told Jesus to do something to prove His real identity. Because Jesus knew "full well" His identity, the seduction of Satan's provocations didn't move Jesus at all. Jesus knew that He was the Son of God, and He didn't have to prove anything to Satan. When we truly know our spiritual identity through an intimate relationship with the Father, we won't be moved to prove our calling to man. We won't feel the need to please man when we know who we are in Christ. Like Moses, we won't run from our calling, but we will face it boldly through our relationship with the Lord.
Your parents gave you a name when you were born, but when you answer the call of God on your life, He will give you a new identity. There is great freedom in answering the call of God. Moses' past no longer had a hold on his heart and life. He fled Egypt a fugitive and in bondage, but he returned to Egypt as a deliverer of the people of God. Who is God sending you to... as their deliverer?
Hidden in Christ,
Pastor Asa
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When God appeared to Moses and spoke to him from a flaming bush, Moses was on the run as a fugitive from Egypt; he was hiding out on the far side of the desert near Horeb, the mountain of God. What do you do when your past causes you to run right smack into the presence of God? You answer the call!
Just imagine the shock of seeing a bush on fire, but not consumed by the flames. Now imagine you hear the voice of God speaking from the bush... and if that isn't enough to make you faint, the Lord tells you to go to Egypt and set His people free. Like Moses, I would be asking the same question, "Who am I?" Moses was lost; he didn't know his spiritual identity.
The Bible teaches us a lot on the subject of being lost. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. Just like Moses asked the Lord that very important question, "Who am I?" All Christians must ask God that same question if we're going to fulfill the calling of God on our lives. Back in the beginning, when man sinned, we lost our spiritual identity; we began to identity with the creation more so than our Creator. Moses struggled to hear the plan of God, not because he couldn't hear, but because he didn't know who he was. All Moses could remember was his past and how Egypt was his enemy... because he had committed a murder. When God reassured him that the king who had pursued him was dead, He then told Moses the plan to deliver the people of God from their bondage.
It's vitally important for us to understand that not everyone that God called lived a perfect life. Just look at Saul of Tarsus; he murdered Christians in the early church. He was converted on the road to Damascus and became the Apostle Paul. If we are going to step out and fulfill God's calling on our lives, we must get to know the One who has called us first. He is our new identity. So if God has revealed to you His plan and told you to go back to the place that He has brought you out of and represent Him, you must first ask the Lord, "Who am I?" If not, the enemy will keep throwing your past up to you; he will use your mistakes, sins, and failures to hold you back from obeying the Lord.
When we look at the sure success of Jesus' ministry and how He was able to endure such horrendous suffering in order to complete God's will on the earth, we see an excellent example of someone who knew who they were in the Spirit. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he told Jesus to do something to prove His real identity. Because Jesus knew "full well" His identity, the seduction of Satan's provocations didn't move Jesus at all. Jesus knew that He was the Son of God, and He didn't have to prove anything to Satan. When we truly know our spiritual identity through an intimate relationship with the Father, we won't be moved to prove our calling to man. We won't feel the need to please man when we know who we are in Christ. Like Moses, we won't run from our calling, but we will face it boldly through our relationship with the Lord.
Your parents gave you a name when you were born, but when you answer the call of God on your life, He will give you a new identity. There is great freedom in answering the call of God. Moses' past no longer had a hold on his heart and life. He fled Egypt a fugitive and in bondage, but he returned to Egypt as a deliverer of the people of God. Who is God sending you to... as their deliverer?
Hidden in Christ,
Pastor Asa
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Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Taking On Water
John 15: 19 - 20, If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. NKJV
I remember one day, when our family was on vacation, we took a three hour boat ride out into a bay in Florida. The captain of the boat told us that he was going to stick the nose of the boat out into the ocean for a moment. Now the ocean was particularly rough that day, and as we exited the bay and entered into the choppy ocean waters, the boat began to bounce up and down. This was very disconcerting to my wife, Debbie (women like security). But, isn't it amazing how a boat can just float on top of millions of gallons of water, but if only a few hundred gallons get on the inside of the boat, it can sink?
Well, when Jesus came to earth, mankind was drowning in sin. God had previously warned Adam in the Garden of Eden not to partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In other words, God was putting man into an environment that was conducive for life to flourish; He didn't want him to allow sin to enter into the boat (soul). When they chose to eat of the forbidden fruit, it allowed sin to enter the heart and we fell (sank) into the one trap that God warned Adam to avoid.
Paul tells us in Romans 3 that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Therefore, we all need a Savior to deliver our souls from the very depths of sin. If you have received Jesus into your heart, then He has delivered you out of the flood that was caused by sin on the inside of your heart. His blood has washed and cleansed your heart in order that His Spirit might be able to enter it. The Holy Spirit fills our hearts as we yield to His leading; this allows us to walk above the lust for sin in this world. Now we're "in" this world, but we're not "of" this world. If we fully understood what that sentence meant, it would revolutionize the body of Christ around the world. For one thing, we know that we're not in this world alone, because we have the Spirit of God dwelling in our hearts. It means that we have victory over the worldly storms that try to cause our vessels (souls) to take on water. Jesus tells us to cast our cares on Him and don't take on the care (or water).
It also means that we must not try to fit into the world's system, because it is based on self and unbelief. Even though we are in this world, we still live in the Kingdom of God, and His kingdom is based on love and faith in Christ. Paul tells us in Romans 12 not to be conformed to this world; instead, we are to be transformed by the Word of God in order that we might know what the will of God is for our individual lives. Jesus has chosen us out of this world so that we might make a difference in other people's lives.
As we set out to fulfill God's purpose, we must guard our hearts so that we don't allow what we face out there to come in and cause us to begin to sink in unbelief. The enemy of your souls is constantly throwing things at your ships in the hope of gaining an entrance into your hearts. Keep the shield of faith, spoken about in Ephesians 6, over your hearts. The one way that I keep my shield of faith up to protect my heart is to always remind myself, "No matter what comes my way, the Lord is with me." He will never leave you nor forsake you. Therefore my trust is in the Lord, and this protects my heart. Where do you find yourself today? Are you living in troubled waters? Fasten your eyes on Jesus and ignore the storm until you see the power of God destroy the threats of the Devil in your life. Don't take on water. Trust God!!!
In God Will I trust,
Pastor Asa
I remember one day, when our family was on vacation, we took a three hour boat ride out into a bay in Florida. The captain of the boat told us that he was going to stick the nose of the boat out into the ocean for a moment. Now the ocean was particularly rough that day, and as we exited the bay and entered into the choppy ocean waters, the boat began to bounce up and down. This was very disconcerting to my wife, Debbie (women like security). But, isn't it amazing how a boat can just float on top of millions of gallons of water, but if only a few hundred gallons get on the inside of the boat, it can sink?
Well, when Jesus came to earth, mankind was drowning in sin. God had previously warned Adam in the Garden of Eden not to partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In other words, God was putting man into an environment that was conducive for life to flourish; He didn't want him to allow sin to enter into the boat (soul). When they chose to eat of the forbidden fruit, it allowed sin to enter the heart and we fell (sank) into the one trap that God warned Adam to avoid.
Paul tells us in Romans 3 that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Therefore, we all need a Savior to deliver our souls from the very depths of sin. If you have received Jesus into your heart, then He has delivered you out of the flood that was caused by sin on the inside of your heart. His blood has washed and cleansed your heart in order that His Spirit might be able to enter it. The Holy Spirit fills our hearts as we yield to His leading; this allows us to walk above the lust for sin in this world. Now we're "in" this world, but we're not "of" this world. If we fully understood what that sentence meant, it would revolutionize the body of Christ around the world. For one thing, we know that we're not in this world alone, because we have the Spirit of God dwelling in our hearts. It means that we have victory over the worldly storms that try to cause our vessels (souls) to take on water. Jesus tells us to cast our cares on Him and don't take on the care (or water).
It also means that we must not try to fit into the world's system, because it is based on self and unbelief. Even though we are in this world, we still live in the Kingdom of God, and His kingdom is based on love and faith in Christ. Paul tells us in Romans 12 not to be conformed to this world; instead, we are to be transformed by the Word of God in order that we might know what the will of God is for our individual lives. Jesus has chosen us out of this world so that we might make a difference in other people's lives.
As we set out to fulfill God's purpose, we must guard our hearts so that we don't allow what we face out there to come in and cause us to begin to sink in unbelief. The enemy of your souls is constantly throwing things at your ships in the hope of gaining an entrance into your hearts. Keep the shield of faith, spoken about in Ephesians 6, over your hearts. The one way that I keep my shield of faith up to protect my heart is to always remind myself, "No matter what comes my way, the Lord is with me." He will never leave you nor forsake you. Therefore my trust is in the Lord, and this protects my heart. Where do you find yourself today? Are you living in troubled waters? Fasten your eyes on Jesus and ignore the storm until you see the power of God destroy the threats of the Devil in your life. Don't take on water. Trust God!!!
In God Will I trust,
Pastor Asa
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Full But Never Satisfied
Hebrews 11 : 6, And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. NIV
We all know that even Christians sometimes struggle with issues in their lives. Since we're all humans, we also have the frailties that are associated with our humanity. One of the issues that many Christians (and non-Christians) battle with is over indulging. You will know that you are over indulging in something when it places you in bondage to it. Millions of Christians are deeply in debt, because they're seeking to fill a void in their lives with material objects.
Any place in your life that has over indulgence (or abuse) of something is really a void in disguise. The mistake that we tend to make when addressing the issue of over indulging is trying to medicate it with something or someone. This might seem strange, but the thing that you desire isn't a desire at all; it is the absence of faith. The more you learn to trust the Lord, the less you will be driven by desires.
Anytime you want to know the root cause of something that you, as a believer, are wrestling with, just go to Genesis (Occasionally, the Lord sends me there too). Humans weren't created in the image and likeness of God to be dominated and manipulated by our desires. In fact, if you will read about Adam before the fall, you will see that God anticipated and supplied all of Adam's needs and desires even before Adam asked for them. (Gen. 1, 2)
The need to be desire-driven occurred when Eve believed the lie that the serpent told her about the character of God. The serpent began weaving his web of deceit by challenging the Word that God had spoken concerning the Tree of Knowledge. After he challenged the truth, the serpent continued on by replacing the truth with a lie. He told her that if she partook of the fruit, she would become like God. The lie that she chose to believe caused her to DOUBT the Word of God which, in essence, made her question the character of God.
The lie of the serpent broke the trust that Eve had placed in her Creator. If you will read Genesis chapter 3, you will see that the moment her confidence in God's Word being the truth was crushed, she saw that the fruit as something desirable. She replaced her trust in God for a desire. She desired the creation more than the Creator. As Christians, if we struggle with a lack of trust, then we will tend to worry, doubt and/or be afraid. Worry can lead to over indulgence as a form of self-preservation. It can become our security blanket while living in a fallen world.
What is the answer to over indulgence? The more we fill our hearts with the presence and the love of God, the less we will need external things to fill our lives. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 that if we will hunger and thirst for righteousness, the Lord will fill us. Jesus also tells us in John 4, if we will drink of the water of life that He offers us, it will spring up as a well out of our inner being. In order for you to begin to experience the fullness of God in your life, you will have to trust Him. When He instructs you to put something down, simply obey His voice. It will be your trust and willingness to obey that will please the Father, and He will be allowed to reward you. Once you trust the Lord to the point of being free from the desire, the Lord might just give it back to you. He does this to show us that it isn't the thing that is evil; it is the lack of trust in our heart that is evil.
If you desire to trust the Lord, but thoughts of doubt prevent you from stepping out in faith, just ask the Lord to help you with your unbelief. All God is looking for is a sincere heart that chooses to love Him more than self. Once He finds such a person, because He seeks after true worshipers, then He will fill that heart with His love, liberty and presence.
Seeking After the Lord,
Pastor Asa
We all know that even Christians sometimes struggle with issues in their lives. Since we're all humans, we also have the frailties that are associated with our humanity. One of the issues that many Christians (and non-Christians) battle with is over indulging. You will know that you are over indulging in something when it places you in bondage to it. Millions of Christians are deeply in debt, because they're seeking to fill a void in their lives with material objects.
Any place in your life that has over indulgence (or abuse) of something is really a void in disguise. The mistake that we tend to make when addressing the issue of over indulging is trying to medicate it with something or someone. This might seem strange, but the thing that you desire isn't a desire at all; it is the absence of faith. The more you learn to trust the Lord, the less you will be driven by desires.
Anytime you want to know the root cause of something that you, as a believer, are wrestling with, just go to Genesis (Occasionally, the Lord sends me there too). Humans weren't created in the image and likeness of God to be dominated and manipulated by our desires. In fact, if you will read about Adam before the fall, you will see that God anticipated and supplied all of Adam's needs and desires even before Adam asked for them. (Gen. 1, 2)
The need to be desire-driven occurred when Eve believed the lie that the serpent told her about the character of God. The serpent began weaving his web of deceit by challenging the Word that God had spoken concerning the Tree of Knowledge. After he challenged the truth, the serpent continued on by replacing the truth with a lie. He told her that if she partook of the fruit, she would become like God. The lie that she chose to believe caused her to DOUBT the Word of God which, in essence, made her question the character of God.
The lie of the serpent broke the trust that Eve had placed in her Creator. If you will read Genesis chapter 3, you will see that the moment her confidence in God's Word being the truth was crushed, she saw that the fruit as something desirable. She replaced her trust in God for a desire. She desired the creation more than the Creator. As Christians, if we struggle with a lack of trust, then we will tend to worry, doubt and/or be afraid. Worry can lead to over indulgence as a form of self-preservation. It can become our security blanket while living in a fallen world.
What is the answer to over indulgence? The more we fill our hearts with the presence and the love of God, the less we will need external things to fill our lives. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 that if we will hunger and thirst for righteousness, the Lord will fill us. Jesus also tells us in John 4, if we will drink of the water of life that He offers us, it will spring up as a well out of our inner being. In order for you to begin to experience the fullness of God in your life, you will have to trust Him. When He instructs you to put something down, simply obey His voice. It will be your trust and willingness to obey that will please the Father, and He will be allowed to reward you. Once you trust the Lord to the point of being free from the desire, the Lord might just give it back to you. He does this to show us that it isn't the thing that is evil; it is the lack of trust in our heart that is evil.
If you desire to trust the Lord, but thoughts of doubt prevent you from stepping out in faith, just ask the Lord to help you with your unbelief. All God is looking for is a sincere heart that chooses to love Him more than self. Once He finds such a person, because He seeks after true worshipers, then He will fill that heart with His love, liberty and presence.
Seeking After the Lord,
Pastor Asa
Monday, February 21, 2011
No Fear
John 10 : 37 - 39, If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand. NKJV
Fear is a very powerful force and is used by Satan to hold people in bondage. Do you have fear in your life, and that fear controls what you do or don't do? If so, please don't feel alone, because you're not. Because of sin, we have received the spirit of bondage to fear. Why? Because sin brings forth death, and death produces great fear. The key is to overcome fear through our obedience to the Father, who loves us more than we could ever love ourselves.
The passage above gives just one account of where people sought to kill Jesus. Yet, there are many stories in the gospels that let us know that His life was threatened many times; still, no one could stop Him. You see, Jesus wasn't in bondage to fear, and even though He knew there would be attempts to kill Him, He didn't allow man's plans and intimidations to cause Him to disobey the Father's will. Now that, my friend, is liberty in the Spirit.
Has the Lord ever told you to do something, but because you were intimidated by the fear of man, you chose to disobey God? The Father loves us too much to allow us to be controlled by fear, especially the fear of death. There have been times in ministry that I would obey God, and then I would hold my head down waiting for the proverbial "shoe" to drop. This just indicates that I wasn't developed in the love of God. It's obvious that I loved the Lord, or I would have disobeyed Him instead of confronting "my fears." But, I wasn't developed or completed in His love. I didn't have a trust in Him to the point that I could rest in the truth that He would keep me... even in the presence of my enemies.
If you will read Job 1, you will see where God is bragging on the faith and strengths of Job. God told Satan that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" NKJV
Although God revealed these good qualities in Job, we read a little later that Job was consumed by fear. He said, "The thing that I feared the most has come upon me." If the thing that he feared the most happened to him, then what were the other things that he feared less than this one, and how many were there? Makes you begin to think that fear held Job in bondage, doesn't it? Before his children were killed in the collapse of their home, Job tells us that he continually sacrificed to the Lord on behalf of his children. He was afraid that they would sin against God and die, so he sacrificed many animals. Guess what? They died while throwing a party.
The attack of Satan against the faith of Job in his God caused him to face and endure the very thing that he feared the most. Yet, through it all, and even though God had allowed Job to go through the pain of losing his children, Job never stopped trusting God. "Though God slay me, yet I will trust Him." Job understood that, in this world, we can suffer horrendous losses. He knew that it was possible to live through his worst nightmare. After his nine month ordeal had ended, Job, once again, experienced the goodness and faithfulness of God in his life. This time, he wasn't controlled by fear; because of Job's continued faith in the fiery furnace of affliction, the fear had been replaced with the character of God. The love of God had been perfected or developed in the heart of Job, and fear was cast out.
The Father loves us too much and has given too much for our redemption to allow Satan to torment us with the spirit of fear. We have been given the Spirit of adoption. Now, Satan can't control or manipulate us through fear, because we are being perfected in God's love.
In Love with God,
Pastor Asa
Fear is a very powerful force and is used by Satan to hold people in bondage. Do you have fear in your life, and that fear controls what you do or don't do? If so, please don't feel alone, because you're not. Because of sin, we have received the spirit of bondage to fear. Why? Because sin brings forth death, and death produces great fear. The key is to overcome fear through our obedience to the Father, who loves us more than we could ever love ourselves.
The passage above gives just one account of where people sought to kill Jesus. Yet, there are many stories in the gospels that let us know that His life was threatened many times; still, no one could stop Him. You see, Jesus wasn't in bondage to fear, and even though He knew there would be attempts to kill Him, He didn't allow man's plans and intimidations to cause Him to disobey the Father's will. Now that, my friend, is liberty in the Spirit.
Has the Lord ever told you to do something, but because you were intimidated by the fear of man, you chose to disobey God? The Father loves us too much to allow us to be controlled by fear, especially the fear of death. There have been times in ministry that I would obey God, and then I would hold my head down waiting for the proverbial "shoe" to drop. This just indicates that I wasn't developed in the love of God. It's obvious that I loved the Lord, or I would have disobeyed Him instead of confronting "my fears." But, I wasn't developed or completed in His love. I didn't have a trust in Him to the point that I could rest in the truth that He would keep me... even in the presence of my enemies.
If you will read Job 1, you will see where God is bragging on the faith and strengths of Job. God told Satan that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" NKJV
Although God revealed these good qualities in Job, we read a little later that Job was consumed by fear. He said, "The thing that I feared the most has come upon me." If the thing that he feared the most happened to him, then what were the other things that he feared less than this one, and how many were there? Makes you begin to think that fear held Job in bondage, doesn't it? Before his children were killed in the collapse of their home, Job tells us that he continually sacrificed to the Lord on behalf of his children. He was afraid that they would sin against God and die, so he sacrificed many animals. Guess what? They died while throwing a party.
The attack of Satan against the faith of Job in his God caused him to face and endure the very thing that he feared the most. Yet, through it all, and even though God had allowed Job to go through the pain of losing his children, Job never stopped trusting God. "Though God slay me, yet I will trust Him." Job understood that, in this world, we can suffer horrendous losses. He knew that it was possible to live through his worst nightmare. After his nine month ordeal had ended, Job, once again, experienced the goodness and faithfulness of God in his life. This time, he wasn't controlled by fear; because of Job's continued faith in the fiery furnace of affliction, the fear had been replaced with the character of God. The love of God had been perfected or developed in the heart of Job, and fear was cast out.
The Father loves us too much and has given too much for our redemption to allow Satan to torment us with the spirit of fear. We have been given the Spirit of adoption. Now, Satan can't control or manipulate us through fear, because we are being perfected in God's love.
In Love with God,
Pastor Asa
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