Measuring Up to God's Standard

John 6: 28 - 30, Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent." Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? NKJV

When a person comes to faith in Christ as the Son of God, God gives that person a new heart and a new nature. Faith gives God the ability to change us from the inside out. Nevertheless, in today's scripture, we can see how men try to measure up to God's standard through their own good works. These men asked Jesus what good things they could do that would please God. Jesus told them that it wasn't about their good works; the true work of God is done in our hearts through faith in Jesus as His only-begotten Son.

Good works can never make an evil heart just or right in God's sight. God didn't give the Law so that man could show himself as "good to God." He gave His Law to reveal the evil that was hidden in our hearts and hopefully bring us to repentance and faith in Christ. 

Instead of the people in today's story becoming humble and placing faith in Jesus as their Messiah, the sin in their hearts tempted Jesus to prove to them that He was indeed God's sent One. Now think about what you've read for just a moment. Unbelief caused these men to think that they could do something in their flesh that would please God. However, it kept them from believing that Jesus was really God's Son. We see, then, how sin and unbelief in our hearts can make us think more highly of ourselves and less of Jesus.

The only way to convert a heart that has been perverted by sin is through faith. Faith in Jesus will complete us so that we no longer try to measure up to God's standard of righteousness. The need to be righteous is met in the person of Jesus... not in our own works.

However, once we come to faith, we can focus on walking out God's plan for our new life in Christ. Without faith, we can't please God. Nevertheless, now that we walk by faith, we can enter the rest of God and enjoy our new lives. Are you working to earn God's approval or are you resting in the work of Christ? If you sense that you're still working to earn the FREE gift of God, which is your soul's salvation, then begin to confess that Jesus is your Savior and Lord until it gets into your heart and becomes real to you.

Liberated From Dead Works,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Don't Run When Trouble Comes

John 10: 11 - 13, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep..." NKJV

Every believer should make the choice to serve the Lord's purpose in the earth thereby glorifying Him in their lives and serving as a witness to others. However, we must realize that when we make that commitment to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him, it will come at a price. As a matter of fact, the higher your calling is the higher the price you will have to pay. I am in no way suggesting that you are somehow paying for your salvation; there are many examples in the Bible of where God called people to serve Him, and it was expensive for them. For some, the price was so high that it cost them their lives.

Basically, once you have chosen to accept God's will over your own desires in life, you will have to choose to love Him more than yourself or this world's goods. Just because we decide to love God and to display our love through obedient actions doesn't mean Satan won't try to distract us or cause a diversion in our lives to get us off focus. He will try to threaten us in an attempt to get us to back off in unbelief instead of moving forward in our faith. If the enemy finds something that is effective in our progression in Christ, he will keep using it against us so that we stop obeying the Lord.

Have you made a commitment to Christ to serve and please Him with your life since you have become a Christian? Did you encounter a hardship or an attack of Satan that may have caused you to back off of your commitment? If so, then know that you're not alone. Now that God is dealing with your heart, it is important that you decide to begin moving onward.  

Through the grace of God, the Lord will keep working in your heart; He will begin healing the pain of loss so that you will become strong enough to engage in the good fight of faith again. Once you get to the place where God knows you're ready to advance, He will give you instructions to step out in faith once again. Falling doesn't have to be fatal, but quitting can be. You see; the just shall live by faith, and if anyone draws back in unbelief, the Lord will have no pleasure in them (Hebrews 10).

You may be new in your faith in Christ and afraid to step out; you may have been walking with the Lord a long time and been injured along the way and stepped back. Nevertheless, all of us need to make the decision to set our face like a flint and choose to suffer for Christ so that He will be glorified. We must decide to decrease that Christ might increase in us. God has promised to restore to us the years that the enemy has stolen from us. Come on! Let's walk on the water together.

By the Grace of God, 

Pastor Asa Dockery

Protection From Deception

Proverbs 4: 20 - 23, My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. NKJV

As believers in Christ, we have been redeemed from the curse of sin and death. Consequently, we must place our faith in this truth without wavering, lest we open the door of our hearts to the enemy. The Word of God not only tells us that our God is just in all His ways, and that He loves us; it also gives us countless examples, which prove He is faithful to His people. If you're wondering why I mention the character of God while teaching on afflictions, allow me to explain. We must arm ourselves with the truth about God so that we will be able to stand when we find ourselves afflicted by Satan. 

Paul teaches us how to be effective in spiritual warfare by putting on the whole armor of God. Therefore, it is crucial that we get into the Word of God and learn about Him and His divine nature. If we don't know intimately the God that we say we believe in, then Satan can use pain and disappointment to find an opening in our armor. Not only do we need to know our God so that we can be strong in battle; we must know what He has said in His Word about us. 

If we should go into a season of affliction and not have a good understanding of God's ways and His nature, then we are susceptible to being hurt. This brings us to the reason for today's word. Once our hearts are wounded by the enemy concerning our faith in God's goodness, we can begin to see things in a different perspective. A perfect example of this is when Satan convinced Eve that God didn't want her to eat of the tree of knowledge because she would be like God. She didn't know God's ways the way she should have. Therefore, she became hurt at God and began to see what was forbidden as something that was favorable for her future.

Eve took on a "wounded spirit" mentality. Consequently, she saw herself as a victim of God's doing. Satan was successful in turning her heart against God without her realizing that Satan was the instigator. When a believer becomes wounded in their heart during a time of battle or affliction, it can cause them to become cynical (distrustful, pessimistic, sarcastic) about God and His Word.  

I can tell when a Christian has been wounded in their heart and has allowed cynicism to replace faith. Instead of them walking in agreement with me as their pastor, or in agreement with the promises of God, or what God's Word declares about them in Christ, they begin to "find fault" with authority and spiritual matters. It is because they have allowed a lying spirit of the enemy to convince them of something that isn't true about God concerning their situation. When a person becomes cynical, they can be easily led down a dark and foreboding path of bitterness and of isolation away from God's presence.  

There is so much that can be taught on this subject. However, I pray that what I've written will help you to guard your heart. If you are hurt, or you experience hurt in the future, be careful that you don't open yourself to believe a lie about God and what He has declared over you as one of His children. One of the signs of believing a lie is a change in your perception of God. God never changes. Therefore, it is us who has changed how we view God. If God be for you, then who can be against you?

Keeping Our Hearts Protected,
Pastor Asa Dockery 

The Prayer of A Hungry Heart

Psalms 119: 33 - 40, Just tell me what to do and I will do it, Lord. As long as I live I'll wholeheartedly obey. Make me walk along the right paths, for I know how delightful they really are. Help me to prefer obedience to making money! Turn me away from wanting any other plan than yours. Revive my heart toward you. Reassure me that your promises are for me, for I trust and revere you. How I dread being mocked for obeying, for your laws are right and good. I long to obey them! Therefore in fairness renew my life, for this was your promise-yes, Lord, to save me! Now spare me by your kindness and your love. Then I will have an answer for those who taunt me, for I trust your promises. TLB

There are a whole lot of distractions in the world that can lead us astray from the Lord and into temptation. The key to overcoming the diversions that are sent to you by Satan is to watch for anything that tries to pull you or your heart away from serving the Lord. We're all humans; and on occasion, we can get blindsided by our flesh and become distracted spiritually.

The psalmist teaches us how to guard our hearts from the trappings of our flesh that can cause us to stray from God's path for our life. We must be willing to admit to ourselves, and to the Lord, that we have weaknesses; and we must also pray to the Lord that He will keep us from being led away into temptation through our flesh nature. Our humble heart will show the Lord that we know our weaknesses, and that we desire to walk in His ways and obey His will. It also invites the Lord to be our shield and defense from subtle attacks of the enemy that could cause us to sin against the Lord.

If you haven't already, you will discover that there is a waiting period between your obedience to God and in Him releasing the promise in your life. There is always a season of testing between believing in God and coming to know God beyond any doubt. It is in the waiting seasons of life that we must be on guard against the strategies of the wicked one. It is also during these times that our flesh can become weak and cause us to entertain thoughts concerning giving in to pleasures of this present world.

The psalmist teaches us to be mindful of God's goodness and faithfulness when we find ourselves growing weary while waiting on the Lord. He sought the Lord to keep him from slipping away from loving God more than himself. This prayer is an admirable one for believers to pray. It shows the Lord that we hunger after Him more than we desire to indulge in the world's delicacies. We should love the Lord more than the pleasures of this world.  After all, our existence on this earth isn't about having pleasures; it is about receiving life for our soul so that we can live for God. Do you have a hungry heart for God, but struggle to show that hunger? I pray that this word today will give you the enlightenment that will help you remain true to your convictions and to the Lord. God rewards those who DILIGENTLY seek Him.

Seeking to Be Filled with God's Goodness,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Little Portions and Big Needs

John 6: 5 - 9, Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, "two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little." One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" NKJV

If you read the four verses preceding today's passages, you will discover that this multitude was drawn to Jesus because of the mighty miracles that He had previously performed. I understand the curiosity of the crowd. Nevertheless, did you notice how limited the mindsets of Jesus' disciples seemed to be that day? The disciples had been present when Jesus healed many people of all manner of sickness and disease. However, when it came to feeding the multitude, they never considered that Jesus' power was also able to take care of this need.

The scripture tells us that Jesus asked Phillip the question about taking care of feeding the people as a test. He wanted to see if Phillip would trust in Him to provide, or if he would lean on his own understanding. Unfortunately, His disciples chose through unbelief to be limited to only what they could see and could reason in their minds, in spite of being in the presence of Jesus and knowing all that He had done for the sick.

You might tend to think that after seeing all the miracles that Jesus performed, the disciples would have arrived at a place of faith in their own lives. Nevertheless, we see this wasn't the case. How long does it take before a believer can begin to trust in the faithfulness of God's goodness? How many miracles do we have to see performed in our own lives before we realize that God will take care of us? It's sad, but at the same time amazing, how the disciples could doubt Jesus' authority and love for them after being witnesses of all that He did for countless people. In each test of their faith, it was as though Jesus had to reaffirm to them that He was the Son of God and that their needs would be provided by Him.

Why do you suppose the disciples didn't go from one level of faith to another each time they witnessed Jesus perform another miracle in front of their eyes? There's just one reason that I can think of that would explain why Jesus constantly had to prove Himself to them. Even though they saw miracles that only God could do, they refused to place faith in Jesus as the Son of God. In chapter 11, Daniel tells us that those who know their God shall be strong and do great exploits (or miracles). Even so, these men were consistently weak in their faith when it was tried. Their weakness tells me that they doubted Jesus' spiritual identity, and were, therefore, controlled by unbelief.  

There comes a time in every believer's walk with Jesus when they have to take the plunge and place ALL of their trust in His love and faithfulness. Whenever we come to this place in our lives, we will stop asking God to prove Himself and His love for us because of doubt and unbelief. Let's face it; trust is hard to develop. Nevertheless, if we want God to save us, then we must place our complete trust in Him. After all, wasn't it God who saw to it that our salvation was provided for even while we were still in our sin? Absolutely!

If you haven't taken the plunge and stepped out in faith, then I encourage you to do so today. Just take God at His Word and obey His Holy Spirit, and you will find that He will be with you the entire way. I have noticed that new situations and adversity always seem bigger than my faith. However, I know they're not greater than my God. Consequently, I allow my faith in what I know about my God to be stretched so that I can overcome the adverse situations. In other words, I'm growing in my faith... just like you.

Walking With Jesus by Faith,
Pastor Asa Dockery

A Holy Nation of Kings and Priests

Exodus 19 : 5 - 8, Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel." So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do." So Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD. NKJV

In Christ, we have been made a nation of kings and priests unto our God. It is God and not man who has ordained us to be raised up above all people. However, in order to grasp fully what it means to be a holy nation of kings and priests, we have to look to God's Word for clarity.

Since the fall, man has struggled with both pride and insecurity. In fact, it was pride and a haughty look that caused man to fall. (Proverbs 16: 18) Even so, it was also caused by the sense of insecurity that Satan found in Eve's heart. (Genesis 3) Satan convinced Eve that she lacked one thing... to be like her God. He proceeded to tell her that if she ate of the tree of knowledge, she would become like God, knowing good and evil.

As children of God, we must guard our hearts from comparing ourselves to someone else lest we fall into the traps of Satan. Unfortunately, this not only happened to Eve; it also happened to God's holy people, Israel. Even though God had ordained Israel to be above all the people of the earth so that He could display His love, mercy, and goodness through them, they didn't see themselves in the same way. They wanted to be like other nations who had their own king.

When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, He reiterated what God had spoken through Moses...we are a holy people before the nations of the world. He didn't use like vernacular; nonetheless, the meaning is the same. He declared over us in Matthew 5 that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. This sounds a lot like an exalted people to me.

Jesus also said that we are a city that is set on a HILL that cannot be hidden. God didn't raise Israel up, nor did He raise us up as new covenant believers to show how good we are. He has raised us to show the world how good He is to us. Jesus instructed us to let our lights shine in such a way that men will see our good works and glorify our heavenly Father. However, in order for us to bring glory to the Lord, we will have to carry out God's will and not our own desires. This is what is implied when God ordained us to be kings and priests. He wants to raise us up in the world so that others can learn about our God and come to faith in His Son, Jesus.

In spite of God's desire to promote Israel as His very own nation of kings and priests, they chose to be like other nations. They wanted to have a king to rule over them. Israel had fallen prey to their personal foolish desires and insecurities, which caused them to reject their God and His blessings on them. If you read 1 Samuel 8, you will see what the nation of Israel was willing to subject themselves to in order to have their very own king.

As Christians, we must be very careful that we don't fall into the same trap as Israel and desire to be more like the world instead of serving God. It's time for the people of God, who have forsaken their kingdom assignment and identity for the pleasures of this world, to return to their first love. We must be about our Father's business; we must humble ourselves under His mighty hand so that He can exalt us in due season. God has created us in Christ Jesus to rule in heavenly places. However, Satan will try to seduce us to serve his agenda instead. Are you a Christian? Are you serving God's will for your life in Christ or are you serving yourself? The Lord tells us in Deuteronomy to choose life so that we and our descendants might live and possess our inheritance.

Serving Christ by Serving Others, 

Pastor Asa Dockery

Procrastination

Hebrews 10: 35 - 36, Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: NKJV

As children of God, we must learn how to obey both God's voice and His commandments. We're told in Hebrews 5 that even Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered. Why do you suppose obedience is so important to God? Today's scripture gives us one of the most important reasons. Our heavenly Father works His good pleasure in our lives through the principle of faith. Therefore, God has given us His Word in "seed" form. If we place our faith in His Word and obey His will, God has promised to bless us with His promises.

If we ignore God's Word or His will for our lives, then He can't release His promises to us. This principle brings us to the point of today's devotion: has the Lord instructed you to obey Him in an area, and you, for whatever reason, have put off doing it? All Words from God have a season; and some of them have a small window of opportunity to be obeyed? Consequently, if we should procrastinate past the season that was given for a particular Word from the Lord, we will have allowed unbelief to cause us to miss our harvest of blessing from that Word.

Do you have remorse or regret in your life over past opportunities when God told you to obey, but you ignored His voice? I certainly have; and many in the Bible did as well. Nevertheless, through much suffering, I have come to realize that obedience is far better than living with heartache and regret. When the Lord instructs us to obey Him, and it seems hard at the time, remember that God desires to bring a blessing or harvest in your life; however, He must have your cooperation. Even so, He loves to challenge us in the areas of our lives where the flesh nature is most dominate. As He instructs us, and we step out in faith, His Word goes to work in our hearts to cut away the power of our flesh nature that has kept us from living in the blessings of the Lord. 

Let me leave you today with an example of procrastination that turned into quick obedience through much longsuffering. Abram, the father of the faith was instructed by the Lord to leave his father's house and all his kindred and go to a land that God would show him. Abram left as God commanded; however, he brought Lot, his nephew with him. This is called partial-obedience for those who keep score. Nevertheless, in God's eyes, it is still unbelief and disobedience. After twenty-four years, Abraham left Lot behind and walked on with God. As a result, approximately one year later, Sarah gave birth to Isaac, the son of PROMISE. 

In Genesis 22, after these things had transpired, God tested Abraham's obedience once more. God told Abraham to take his only son and offer him on a mountain that He would show him. The Bible tells us that after God spoke to Abraham and gave him specific instructions, he got up EARLY the next day and obeyed. Abraham learned through much suffering the cost of disobedience. However, he also learned the blessing of obedience. As Christians, we must come to the place in our walk of faith where we understand the blessing of obedience, and we arise quickly. If the Lord is prompting you to obey, and you haven't, ask Him right now to give you the power to submit so that you will receive His promises. 

Learning Faithfulness,

Pastor Asa Dockery