Ringing In The New Year

Matthew 6: 33 – 34, But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. NKJV

Can you believe it? Another year has quickly passed; it’s almost 2014! In order to put into perspective how fast time is passing, we can look back and see that it has been 14 years, or 5,110 days, or 122,640 hours since Y2K. It certainly doesn’t seem like it, does it? The Apostle James made a valid assessment when he spoke of this life as being a vapor. 

During the last week of December, people generally reflect over the year that has passed, and then evaluate whether their lives have improved or worsened as a result of their decisions. This time of reflection will cause many to consider making much-needed changes in an attempt to improve their lives over the coming year. We call these determinations for change “New Year’s Resolutions.”

However, if our own personal reflection isn’t enough to provoke us to want to better ourselves, we have television commercials that eagerly jump on the “band wagon” with suggestions to help us desire change. Between weight loss and fitness equipment advertisements, we seem to be inundated with “subtle” hints that we might need to slim down and shape up for the New Year.

As you prepare to make your New Year’s resolutions, please consider a suggestion that can help you successfully keep your commitments and obtain the goals you aim for in 2014. Seek God’s kingdom first, then write down your resolutions and look at them daily so that you can hold yourself accountable to them.

Secondly, prayerfully consider joining World Harvest Church North as we dedicate the first three weeks of 2014 to seeking the presence of God and drawing closer to the Lord. Every year, we as a local church body begin the year with a fast unto the Lord. In addition, we set time aside to enter our prayer closets and ask for the Lord to guide our steps in the coming year. When we put God first in the New Year, it releases His power to aid us so that we can personally accomplish those things we have determined in our hearts to change.

Many people in past years have been excited to join our church in the yearly fast. Nonetheless, the question that most of them ask is, “What type of fast are you keeping?” I will tell you, as I have already instructed WHCN. You pray and ask the Lord what He would have you to fast and then follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. However, most are participating in the “Daniel Fast.” There is great information on the Internet that can help you with the details of the Daniel Fast.

If you are under a Doctor’s order to keep a particular diet, please stay under your physician’s instructions. If you can’t fast food, then you can fast something else, or certainly set aside more time to be in prayer for His will to be done on earth. We all can do our part to make 2014 better. I personally invite you to join us on January 2, 2014, as we begin our 21 days of fasting and prayer.

We have seen many miracles in our church body and in individuals who have watched our services on our Cyber Church website this past year. Hebrews 11:6 says that God will reward those who diligently seek Him (Paraphrased). If you would like to be a part of the 2014 fast, please email us at prayer@whcnorth.org and let us know. We will include you in our prayers, for God to give you direction and strength.

May God Richly Bless You in 2014,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Follow The Unseen God

Hebrews 11 : 24 – 26, By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. NKJV

When my sister was a child, our mother took her for piano lessons. However, after she had gone to a few sessions, the teacher told mom that giving my sister the lessons was a waste of money. It wasn’t that my sister could not play the instrument. It was that God had given her a natural talent and ability that had its own way of manifesting. I use my sister’s story here to share a principle with you that will encourage you to seek the Lord and His will more and more each day.

When Jeremiah was a young boy, God told him that He had known him even before Jeremiah had been formed in his mother’s womb. God also revealed to Jeremiah that He had called and ordained him to be a prophet to Israel. Can you imagine being a very young boy and have the God of heaven and earth declare such a prophetic utterance over you? To say that Jeremiah was slightly intimidated would be a gross understatement.

I bring up these stories to prove to you that the unseen God has already mapped out your new life in Christ. Here’s a very important key to discovering your purpose in Christ that many have failed to lay hold of: If you desire to live the life and fulfill the purpose God has for you, you must be willing to seek Him first. As we seek God by faith, He will begin to reward us for our diligence. This is the awesome part of seeking God. Once He sees us set our hearts on knowing and serving Him, He begins to unlock for us the treasure and the mystery of who we are in Christ.  

There are people who have made fortunes seeking out and finding lost treasure. Even so, as we seek God, and in return discover the treasure that He has buried deep within our hearts, we become the new person that God intended us to become before we became sin conscious. This is part of the redemptive work of Christ that is released in our lives once we choose to follow God’s path; it began on the cross, but is completed in each of us who believe in Jesus.  

There are two schools of thought I know of which are used to discover and develop the hidden potential in each one of us. Many people in the Bible were raised and developed in a formal setting. Nevertheless, there are many others who had no formal training, yet seemed to have a natural ability to know just what to do and say. Just as we need teachers and mentors in our lives that can see our hidden potential, we also need to maintain a healthy communion with the Lord, so He can reveal to us our potential to serve His purpose.  

You may feel as though God overlooked you when it comes to possessing great talents and abilities. However, let me remind you that God has a great purpose for every believer in Christ. Our roles may not seem considerable in man’s eyes, but they are in God’s, and in ours, if we will humble ourselves and accept our place. In Christ, God has already accepted us; nonetheless, when it comes to us accepting ourselves, there can be a huge struggle. This is why God gives to every person the measure of faith that Paul tells us about in Romans 12. It is our faith in Christ that empowers us to overcome what the world has called us; and it will also be our faith that will cause us to move on to become what Christ has ordained for us.

Through faith, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He didn’t fit the “person or identity” that the world placed on him. Why and how did he know these things, since he was raised in Pharaoh’s house? Remember, when he was a baby, Moses’ mom placed him in a river and his sister watched over him until he arrived where Pharaoh’s daughter was bathing.

Without Pharaoh and his daughter knowing what was happening, Moses’ sister told them of a woman who could nurse the baby, who happened to be his own mother. God reunited the two in the house of Pharaoh, the enemy of Israel’s new-born males. This time of nurturing was a great opportunity for Moses’ mother to teach him about his Jewish heritage.

Once Moses came to the age of accountability, he began to accept his calling from the God of the Jews; he now knew what had been buried deep inside his heart. He also knew that there would be a reward if he chose to fulfill his calling. Most of us have come up in life under very harsh circumstances, but God has been with us the entire way. He has waited on us to arrive at the place that we would accept Him and all that He has called you and me to fulfill in the earth.

If you’re not fulfilling your heavenly calling and purpose in Christ, make a commitment to step out in faith today. Don’t allow what the world has said and done to you hold you back from being all God has called for you to become. Like Moses, know that there is a better day coming, and when that day arrives, you will be greatly rewarded for breaking out of the mold and into God’s liberty.

Following the Map of God’s Will,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Are We There Yet?

Philippians 3: 12 – 14, Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. NKJV

Paul teaches us in the LOVE chapter found in his letter to the church at Corinth that knowledge vanishes. When it comes to having knowledge, there are two types that I’m aware of. First, there is the knowledge of man that we gain through our experiences and from one another. Secondly, there is the knowledge that comes from God. It is only through this knowledge that we are able to grow.

I’ve been a student of God’s Word for a long time. There’s something about it that is intriguing. The more we learn from the Word of God about God and His kingdom, the more we need to learn. The knowledge that we can glean from God’s Word can never be exhausted.

So how is it that we can read and study the Bible and never arrive at a final destination in our quest to know God? Jesus gave us a key in the gospel of John. He said that the Words which He speaks, “They are Spirit, and they are life.” Unlike man’s knowledge or wisdom which evaporates likes fumes from fuel, the knowledge that we gain from studying and devouring God’s Word contains life and causes us to grow into the image of Christ.

Is there spiritual growth in your life? If you have a steady diet of the Word of God, whether it is through reading or being taught, there should be growth as a result. Like Paul, we haven’t obtained all that Christ has apprehended us for, but also like Paul, we are to press on toward the goal. No one will reach the place of tapping out the truth that is contained in the Word of God on this side of heaven. Consequently, we must continue to be committed students of the Bible. Knowledge will vanish, but the truth will give us life. If we have Life, living and dwelling in us, then we won’t be as apt to seek death or its pleasures. O taste and see that the Lord is good.

Feeding from the Master’s table,
Pastor Asa Dockery 

Until Christ Is Formed In You

Galatians 4: 19, My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you… NKJV

There’s much more to being a Christian than just saying, “I’m saved.” All who confess faith in Christ must also undergo the conversion process. Our transformation is manifest when Christ is formed in our hearts, and it becomes evident in our everyday lives. Now, we all know that this doesn’t happen overnight. Nevertheless, does that mean we can wait until it’s time for us to go to heaven before we commit to the process of being converted? No, it does not. As soon as you choose to accept Jesus as Savior, the Holy Spirit will immediately begin the work in your heart of converting you from “flesh-like” to “Christ-like.”

Those of us who have placed our faith in Christ as the Son of God have, by faith, become the children of God. However, none of us have the kind of faith it takes to walk fully in what God intends for us to inherit; nonetheless, we are reaching for the goal. On the other hand, many people teach that, once we accept Jesus, we have “it” all, and in-part that is true. Jesus is ALL that we need in order to please the Father and become born again. Nevertheless, now that we’re saved, we have an inheritance that must be given. There is a backlash that has come from teachings that tell believers they have “it” all at the moment of salvation. Believers will use that teaching or doctrine as an excuse to settle, instead of pursuing God for the rest. Therefore, we must begin to lay aside the old man and be renewed by putting on the new man… becoming more like Christ.  

Allow me to give you a couple of stories from the Word of God that will help explain the term, “Becoming Christ-like.” Abram had an encounter with the Lord in Genesis 12. During this visitation, God promised Abram that, in him, all the families of the earth would be blessed. As Abram walked with God, which is a type of us continuing in our faith by obeying God’s Word and instructions, God promised Abram a son. The son whom God promised didn’t automatically materialize in Sarai’s womb, but, instead, began as a Word in Abram’s heart. When Abram entered a covenant with God, God swore to Abraham that he would, indeed, have a son of his own. After twenty-five years, God fulfilled His promise to Abraham and Sarah, and she conceived their son of promise.  

God waited until the bodies of Abraham, and Sarah were beyond the human ability to conceive and bring forth a baby before He allowed them to inherit their promise. Doesn’t that sound a lot like us having to wait to inherit the promises of God until our old man is dead? Yes, it does.

The second story is about a virgin named Mary. God spoke to her about the promise of a Son, just as He did with Abraham. Isn’t that interesting? God is making the same promise to a virgin woman in the New Testament that He had previously made in the Old Testament to a man. What is the significance of God repeating this principle? The Old Testament represents the flesh, and the New Testament represents the Spirit. Abraham believed God and had a son by a woman who was unable to be pregnant. Mary believed God and gave birth to the Son of God without the assistance of a man.

So what do these two stories have to do with us being Christians and the need to become Christ-like? When we’re born again, we look more like the first Adam than the Last Adam. As we CONTINUE abiding in the Word of God and standing on the promises of God, the Word that has been hidden in our hearts begins the transformation in us. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15 that we have borne the image of the earthly man, Adam. However, as the Word grows in our hearts, we will become like the Last Adam. We start out in the flesh; nevertheless, as we grow in the faith, we will take on the attributes of Christ and be converted into spiritual beings.  

Does this sound to you like we get “it all” at the moment of salvation? You have the remainder of your life to become Christ-like. Even so, that doesn’t mean that you need to procrastinate. If we harden our hearts to the voice of God like the children of Israel did, it will prevent the Holy Spirit from performing God’s will in our hearts and lives. None of us who have accepted Jesus as our Savior want to stand before Him naked and ashamed. We don’t want Him to look at us with disappointment on the Day of Judgment, nor do we want to hear disapproval in His voice. For this reason, it is essential that all believers know that Christianity is more than a one-time experience.

We are to enter a covenant relationship with Christ, just like a man enters a covenant relationship with his wife. The two shall become one flesh. We must become one with Christ in order to inherit the promises of God. Our faithfulness to God’s Word and His will assures us that Christ is being formed in our hearts and will transform our lives.

Walking the Talk,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Merry Christmas 2013

The God of LOVE gave us His Son.

John 3 : 16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. NKJV

When Jesus came to earth, He brought us LOVE.

John 13 : 34 – 35, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." NKJV

Jesus brought us JOY.

Luke 2 : 9 – 12, And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." NKJV

Jesus brought us PEACE with God.

Luke 2:13-14, And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" NKJV

Jesus brought us TRUTH.

John 14 : 6, Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. NKJV

Jesus brought us FORGIVENESS and LIFE.

Luke 23 : 33 – 34, And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." NKJV

Let’s share with others ALL that Jesus has brought to us during this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas from the Dockery’s
Pastor Asa Dockery

My Christmas Prayer For You

Luke 1: 30 – 38, Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy one who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." NKJV

The very first story that is told in the Bible is the account of creation. God looked at His creation and saw that there was a void in the earth. Something catastrophic had occurred leaving the earth formless and void. However, if you read the story found in Genesis one, you will see that God was restoring and filling the earth with living vegetation and living creatures. Throughout the Word of God, we can see God at work restoring the earth and the lives that had been devastated by the evils of sin.

Since the fall of man, mankind has had a void in their hearts. The fall caused us to become separated from the very presence of God. As a result of that void, people have pierced themselves through with many sorrows in their effort to fill that void with something other than the presence and life of God. Although sin originally separated us from the life of God, it did not separate us from the love of God. The love of God overcame His wrath against sin and caused Him to send His Son to earth.

For God so loved the “world” that He sent us His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life. God created a void in heaven and filled the womb of a virgin on earth. What is so amazing and glorious about this virgin conceiving and giving birth to the Christ-child is the truth that she didn’t need a man in order to obey God’s will. When Mary heard the angel tell her about God’s plan to allow her to bring forth the Christ into the world, she agreed with His Word instead of doubting it. As a result of her faith and willingness to agree with God, the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and the formation of Jesus began in her womb.  

This event of Mary becoming the Mother of God is the greatest story of all time. Many traditions and forms of celebrations have arisen over the centuries to commemorate that joyous occasion. Over two-thousand years later, people celebrate the birth of Christ and remember how God filled the void in man by first filling the womb of a virgin without the aid of a man. The lesson that we need to learn from the method God used to send His Son to man is very important. God shows us through the immaculate conception of His Son that we don’t need man to partake or to enjoy His goodness and life in our lives. In fact, the more we try to add “man’s ways” to the gift of God’s Son and the celebrations that surround this blessed event, the less we will be able to experience the liberty of His gift.

In what should be a fulfilling and heart-warming season, we are witnessing an upswing of anxiety, depression, and despair in more and more people because of the “frenzy” that is brought on by a world that overshadows and surrounds this sacred event. As Christmas, which is the celebration of the birth of Christ, becomes more and more about something else, disastrous results can occur. Anytime something is misused or misrepresented, such as Christmas has been by the world, it will also alter the intended purpose, and the results of the season that surrounds it.

Christ was sent to earth to fill the void that was caused by man turning his heart on God. If we should turn our hearts toward the world’s view of Christmas at the expense of not having Christ as the focal point, then the season won’t have the power to fill the void in our hearts. Remember, it was Satan convincing Eve that she could find fulfillment outside of God’s will that formed the void to begin with.

The “Christmas” that the world portrays will leave you empty and hurting. However, the CHRIST-mas that is spoken of in Luke 1 will fill your hearts and lives with great joy, whether you have a worldly Christmas or not. Always remember that nothing can replace Christ and the joy that He gives to the human heart. It’s good to share our love through gifts and Christmas get-togethers, but our love didn’t empty heaven in order to fill the hearts of mankind. It was God’s love that did that.  

If you have to be away from your family and the ones who mean the most to you this Christmas, instead of looking at what you don’t have, begin to thank God for the Christ that is always with you and allow Him to fill that void in your heart with His presence. Doesn’t the Bible teach us that when we have Christ in us, we have the “HOPE OF GLORY?” Christmas and hard times come in seasons. Christ is year-round and will never forsake you, especially in your darkest valleys. If you are hurting this Christmas because of lack, separation, or the loss of a family member, then invite the Lord to fill that void with His comfort, peace and love.  

I want to thank you personally for allowing this ministry to be a part of your life this past year. Today, I pray that God will heal the brokenness in your life and fill your heart with His comfort and joy. May the Holy Spirit surround you wherever you might be this week and cause you to know that He loves you. May the LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.  

Merry Christmas Y’all,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Talking To Yourself

Psalms 103: 1 – 5, Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. NKJV

There are some days that you just have to talk to yourself. Pardon the pun, but the soul has a mind of its own, and it tries to tell us how we’re going to act or respond to life based on our feelings. Unfortunately, we’re living in a day and hour when people are listening to and obeying their minds and emotions instead of taking control over their souls. When anyone, especially believers, falls prey to allowing their thoughts, emotions, and circumstances to dictate their attitude, it opens the door for the enemy to pull them down on his level. Let me explain.

We have to understand that our soul is weak at best. Therefore, we must look outside of it to draw the strength that is needed to live victoriously. The type of strength that I am speaking about can only be gotten from reading, meditating, and quoting the Word of God.  

Even though we may wake up with certain thoughts going through our heads in anticipation of the day that lies ahead, it doesn’t mean we have to take ownership of those thoughts. We’re told in Matthew 13 that while men slept on the enemy came in and planted weeds among the good seed. Consequently, when you and I wake up with wrong thoughts or a bad attitude toward the day, we might have to do some “weeding” before moving on.    

The principle that I’m sharing with you today comes directly from the Word of God. The psalmist is recorded in God’s Word as he speaks to his soul and instructs it to bless the Lord first. He knew where his strength came from. Likewise, as we lift up the name of the Lord, His presence begins to lift our soul. God’s presence will give us a different perspective than the one our soul would want us to live under.  

Even as he told his soul to bless the Lord, he went on to tell it to remember all the benefits that God already gave to him. We, too, have to remove bad thoughts from our minds and begin to replace them with praise and memorization of God’s promises and blessings. Lest you become weary of the chore of having to clean your mind’s garden continually, let me say that God’s Word, once it has been planted, will begin to grow and will spread throughout your entire being. Nevertheless, we must begin somewhere, and the scripture that comes from Psalms 103 is a very good place to start.

Renewing My Mind Daily,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Emotional Affair

Colossians 3: 1 – 4, If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. NKJV

From the beginning chapters of the Bible until the end, God reminds us about the importance and sanctity of marriage. Marriage between a husband and wife is one of the physical and tangible ways God has chosen to demonstrate our relationship with Christ.

Just as we are commanded to be faithful to our spouse as Christians, we are also commanded to be loyal to the Lord. Jesus tells us in John that we are to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we seek to fulfill this one command to love, it will empower us to live a holy and devoted life of purity to Christ.  

Even though we might commit ourselves to Christ and to our spouse for life, this won’t prevent the enemy from tempting us. Therefore, we must continually guard our hearts so that we don’t give ourselves over to seduction through deception. Let me explain what I mean by deceptive seductions. Well-meaning and sincere people have fallen prey to emotional affairs simply because they didn’t realize they were crossing an invisible line in an attempt to “help the opposite sex."

This is probably the greatest ploy that Satan uses to destroy the marriages of many ministers. It is in a minister’s heart to want to help those who are in need. However, if we’re not careful, we can cross the line of protection and therefore, veer from giving sound counsel into fulfilling a person’s emotional needs. One way to avoid this pitfall is to point those who are in need to Jesus and away from personal emotional interaction.

You will know that you have strayed from the “protected path” when you begin to share your heart and feelings with a co-worker, friend, or counselee; however, you begin to keep those areas closed with your own spouse.

One of the best stories that depicts this occurrence is found in Judges 16. Here, Samson is revealing his whole heart to Delilah. The moment Samson told her everything Delilah knew that she had won him over through seduction. After this, we can begin to see the fall of this mighty man of God. He is pierced through with great pain and sorrow from his sin.  

As Christians, we must be willing to give Christ our whole heart. If we don’t, then it can clear the way for Satan to offer us another avenue to get “our needs met.” Nevertheless, Satan’s way will cost you dearly. Just like Paul instructed us in today’s scriptures, we have to set our affections on things above and die to the lusts of our flesh while on earth. Circumcision of the flesh will hurt; however, giving in to an emotional or spiritual affair can destroy you, your soul, and your marriage.

Take the time that is needed to be fulfilled by the Lord and your spouse (if you are married) so that you don’t give place to the Devil. Set your affections on the Lord and delight yourself in Him. He has promised to give you the desires of your heart; and you will be able to live and enjoy a fulfilled life.

Already Taken,
Pastor Asa Dockery

A Sacrifice Of Worship

Exodus 10: 21 - 26, Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt." So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. Then Pharaoh called to Moses and said, "Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be kept back. Let your little ones also go with you." But Moses said, "You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. Our livestock also shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. For we must take some of them to serve the LORD our God, and even we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there." NKJV

Do you feel like you’re in a place or a season of oppression? Unfortunately, all believers experience hard places in their walk; and it may seem as if it would be better to “make a deal with Pharaoh” and “cut our losses.” Nevertheless, we must remember our covenant with God. The Lord revealed something to me several years ago, and it remains just as relevant today. He said, “Men love to make deals, but God only “makes covenants.” The terms of our spiritual release from our foes have already been predetermined by the Lord; they are not up for negotiation by our captors.

If you remember, God had promised Abraham, the father of Israel that his people would live in a land for four hundred years and afterwards, they would come out with great substance. Pharaoh told Moses that he would let the people of God go so that they could worship the Lord…. However, he also said they had to leave their livestock behind. Therefore, Moses wouldn’t agree with him.  

You see; when the enemy seems to have the upper hand in a situation in our lives, we must remember our covenant with the Lord. I’m sure there are some of you reading this today that are in a situation you can’t get out of; and your adversary wants you to take a loss before releasing you.

Please note that Pharaoh was willing to let them go, but he wanted to keep their animals so that they couldn’t worship the Lord in the wilderness. What is the enemy in your situation trying to steal from you that could be used to bring glory and praise to God if it were released with you? God doesn’t want you to come out with regrets. He wants you to walk free with everything that He has given to you; it will be a witness to others of His faithfulness and honor.

God will lead you with peace. When Pharaoh gave Moses the conditions of his release, Moses didn’t have peace and, therefore, rejected the offer. So be still and know that God has your best interest at heart. When the conditions match the covenant, then the release will come without strings or regrets. Those who wait upon the Lord are renewed. The Lord waits until we can come out with our praise intact so that the world, and our enemies will know Who it was that has delivered us.  

Not Leaving Without My Praise,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord

Psalms 68 : 19, Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! NKJV

The Lord desires that we celebrate His goodness in our lives. Therefore, we are instructed in His Word to acknowledge Him as the Source of all our needs. It is His good pleasure to give us His kingdom and to see that we’re provided for in every area of life.

The psalmist teaches us to bless the Lord because He loads us with daily benefits through Christ. You’ve probably noticed that life has become very demanding. Consequently, as a result of these demands, we can on occasion become overwhelmed. Nevertheless, we must always remember that it is the Lord, Who has brought us this far; and He will watch over us and keep us as we continue in our walk with Him.  

We must guard our hearts from becoming consumed by life’s challenges to the point that we ignore the hand of God that moves daily on the behalf of His children. I can’t even begin to tell you all that the Lord has done for our family, the church, and the members of WHCN. However, I can tell you that if we keep  our eyes on the Lord and allow Him to move in His time, He will show up on time.  

Even though John tells us in his gospel about the works of Jesus, he also said that there are far more things Jesus did that haven’t even been written. He goes on to say that if everything that Jesus did while He walked on the earth was written down, the world couldn’t contain the books. Amazing!

Do you have a book of testimonies where you’ve written down the times you’ve seen the faithfulness of God in your life or in your family’s lives? Will you join with me today as I celebrate the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord? Let’s tell Him that we know where our daily blessings come from… and we’re not ashamed to admit it to others.  

Bless The Lord,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Only Be Strong And Courageous

Judges 6: 14 - 16, Then the Lord turned to him and said, "I will make you strong! Go and save Israel from the Midianites! I am sending you!" But Gideon replied, "Sir, how can I save Israel? My family is the poorest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least thought of in the entire family!"  Whereupon the Lord said to him, "But I, Jehovah, will be with you! And you shall quickly destroy the Midianite hordes!" TLB

When I read this passage, it reminded me of a principle that Jesus taught His disciples about servants. He said, “The greatest among you shall be your servant.” Generally, a true servant doesn’t see themselves as great. However, it seems to me that God has established a track record in the Bible of looking over people who were famous or of a grand stature. Instead, He would pick candidates whom we would think were the least likely to serve Him.

Gideon struggled deeply with a lack of self-confidence because of his “standing” in his community and family. Even so, when God looked on Gideon, He saw a mighty man of valor, a man of strength, ability, and force. We know from the story of David that God doesn’t look on the outward appearance of a man or woman; He looks on their heart. Consequently, when God finds a person who may be considered the least of the least, but, nevertheless, he has the heart of a servant-leader or is a warrior of righteousness, He calls them into service.

You may be reading this today and saying, “I can so relate to the way Gideon felt.” When we struggle with a lack of confidence, and we can only see our weaknesses, then we need to allow God to speak His Word into our heart. God saw the hidden potential in Gideon and spoke what He saw into Gideon’s ears. We’re told in Romans 4 that God calls those things that are not as though they were.

Like Gideon, when we see what we’ve been called to do for the Lord, we can certainly be overwhelmed. Even so, we must understand that God doesn’t call us to serve Him in “our” strength, but “His” strength. This is the reason why the Lord could call Gideon a mighty man of valor and why He had full confidence that Gideon could finish all that God had instructed him to accomplish. The Lord knew that Gideon would fully rely on the presence of God and in the Words that He had spoken over him.  Gideon was assured of success because he knew that God was with him. When you and I have God’s presence and God’s instructions, we will also fulfill the purposes of God; and we will be victorious like Gideon was against the Midianites. With God all things are possible! It all begins with that first step of faith. ..Only when you step out will you know that God is truly with you.

Walking with God,
Pastor Asa Dockery

God's Infinite Love

Hebrews 8: 7 – 12, For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah -- not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." NKJV

I’m so grateful that God doesn’t leave us to figure out salvation for ourselves. Will you praise the Lord with me today for His boundless love toward mankind? Even when we are faithless, God remains faithful. Let me explain what I mean. It was God who spoke to man after He had created him. He told him about the blessings, the power, and the provision that was provided for them. It was the Lord, who bound Himself to mankind through His covenant to be our Savior, Protector, Provider, and all that we would ever need.

Nevertheless, it seems that man has struggled to have a heart for God since before the fall. If we look at Adam’s actions when he was with Eve in the garden, it seems that he was more wrapped up in Eve and what she desired than what God wanted. Even so, God has never allowed our lack of love and devotion toward Him to prevent His love from freely flowing toward us, His people.

While His own chosen people rejected His covenant and Him, God declared that He would make yet another covenant; and He would see to it that it was fulfilled. However, this new covenant could only be satisfied if He could find someone who would love Him as much as He loves us. Therefore, God sent His Son to earth, and through Jesus’ love for the Father, God could make the declaration that the writer of Hebrews has made known to us, “All shall know Me.”

Isn’t it wonderful that God didn’t let man’s rejection of Him as God keep Him from accepting us in Christ? The greatest gift that God has ever given to mankind was the gift of His only begotten Son. In Christ, every promise from God has been made forever secure. We can place our soul’s trust in His Word and know of a surety that it will never fail or be altered.

You see; the first covenant included mankind and his willingness to obey God (or lack thereof). However, the second covenant isn’t that way. It is based on the blood of Jesus, Jesus’ faithfulness, and on the love of God for His people. It is steadfast and sure; and it has been confirmed through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Consequently, if you have placed your faith in the Lordship of Jesus Christ, there is rest for you today.

We don’t have to work like those who were born under the old covenant. However, we are to believe and obey His voice out of a heart filled with gratitude. The new covenant is based on God’s love, not on man’s goodness. May we love God, honor His Word in our hearts, and be grateful to Him for the blessings that He has given to us through Christ.

Thank God for God,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Victory Is Sweet

Hebrews 2 : 14 – 16, Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. NKJV

It has been said by someone that sin doesn’t die; nevertheless, we are to die to sin. Long before God made man, sin entered creation through the prideful heart of Lucifer, who became Satan after his fall. Satan is the originator of sin.

When God placed man in the garden, He warned Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge, lest he die. However, Adam and Eve allowed sin to enter the hearts of men; because of their disobedient actions, sin was now “living” in them. Even though Adam refused to confess his sin to God, he was conscious of the shame and guilt of it. We know this because Adam and Eve hid themselves from the presence of God when He approached them.

When God asked Adam if he had sinned, it was the deceitfulness of sin that kept Adam silent and in denial. If we don’t confess our sin to God, it will keep us in bondage as well. We are commanded in the Word of God to confess our sins before the Lord first, and then we are to turn away from them. 

However, many people fall into the trap of condemnation over the sin that is living in their hearts and manifesting in their lives. As a result of the condemnation, they try to stop sinning in their own power. You must remember that sin doesn’t die; it is us who’s flesh nature has to die in order to overcome sin’s strangling hold. It was for this reason that God sent Jesus into the world to die for our sin. Since Jesus had no sin in His heart, nor was any deceit in His mouth, He didn’t have to die TO SIN; instead, He had the power to die FOR OUR SIN.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus told His disciples that if they desired to be His disciples, they would first have to deny self, take up their cross, and follow His example. Jesus knew that each disciple had to come to a place in their walk of faith where they would have to choose to die to the old life of sin. We, too, as Christ’s disciples have to make the same decision to die to sin that we might live unto God. Until believers choose to die so that they can live, they won’t have the power to quit sinning. If we could stop ourselves from sinning without the power of Christ in us and working through us, then He died in vain. We are to submit to God, resist the Devil, and then he will depart from us. In other words, we must first honor God in our hearts. It is through our honor of the Lord and His authority in our hearts, that He can give us the victory over the sin in our lives.

In God’s kingdom, if you desire to receive, you must first give. If you desire to be exalted, you must first become humble. If you long to live apart from sin, you must first die to the sin nature by the Spirit of God. Victorious living in the kingdom of God will cause us to suffer for a little while, but the liberty we experience afterwards will be well worth the pain.

Dying to Live,
Pastor Asa Dockery 

An Uninvited Guest

Matthew 16 : 21 – 25, From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. NKJV

In order to live a life that is pleasing to our heavenly Father, it is essential that Christians learn how to discern between the flesh nature and the Spirit of God. I would define discernment as being able to see through deception and lies. Discernment can also be the ability to know the very intent and point of origin of a motive or thought. For example, we can see in today’s scriptures how Jesus could discern Simon’s response as a motivation or prompting of Satan. 

We can sometimes act just like Simon did in this story because we don’t always know what is hidden in our own hearts until God decides to reveal it to us through a situation. Have you ever set out to do something for someone and had your actions completely misunderstood? I’m sure we can all imagine how Peter must have felt when he tried to prevent Jesus from obeying God’s will and consequently, Jesus called him Satan?

Jesus could recognize that Satan was using Simon’s flesh nature to try to get Him to abort His assignment on the cross. Simon had good intentions. However, if Jesus had listened to Simon, no one would be saved. It’s obvious that Peter loved Jesus and wasn’t going to stand idly by and let Him suffer without a fight. Like Peter, we can respond to many things in our own strength in an attempt to keep ourselves or someone else from suffering for the sake of Christ. Nevertheless, if the situation is the will of God, then we may be opening the door for Satan to try to override the plan of God.

Why is it that out of all the disciples present, Peter was the only one who had a negative response to what Jesus had told them? The Lord used this occasion to reveal to Simon (Peter) a weakness in his life that needed to be addressed. Once again, as Christians we must be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, lest we allow our flesh to get us in trouble. Trouble will occur when we respond to God’s will in the same way that Simon responded to Jesus. Simon made the mistake of thinking more highly of himself than he ought. The Lord tells us to humble ourselves under His mighty hand and in due season He will raise us up.

If we should ignore the Lord’s rebuke and become offended when we are corrected, it will only show that we have allowed pride to respond instead of humility. Jesus didn’t correct Simon in front of everyone so that He could humiliate him, but that He might show Simon what Satan was doing through his fleshly ways. Whether we admit it or not, our flesh can become an open door for Satan to enter our lives and have a voice of influence that affects our decisions.  

 Jesus never allowed His flesh to give place to the Devil, even though He walked as a Man on the earth. (John 1: 14) He was completely submitted to His Father’s will, although it caused Him to suffer and die. Peter tells us in his epistle that Jesus had no sin; neither was there any deceit in His mouth. We too can lead a victorious life, if we choose to live a crucified life as Jesus did. We have the same Holy Spirit, and the same heavenly Father that Jesus did while He was on the earth. Nonetheless, we must be willing to die to self and allow God to be glorified in our lives through obedience. May the Glory of the Lord shine through you today!

May I Decrease That He Might Increase,
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

A Holy Nation

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 light 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 

You're Coming Out Of This Storm

Psalms 9: 3 – 14, My enemies will fall back and perish in your presence; you have vindicated me; you have endorsed my work, declaring from your throne that it is good. You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked, blotting out their names forever and ever. O enemies of mine, you are doomed forever. The Lord will destroy your cities; even the memory of them will disappear. But the Lord lives on forever; he sits upon his throne to judge justly the nations of the world. All who are oppressed may come to him. He is a refuge for them in their times of trouble. All those who know your mercy, Lord, will count on you for help. For you have never yet forsaken those who trust in you. Oh, sing out your praises to the God who lives in Jerusalem. Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds. He who avenges murder has an open ear to those who cry to him for justice. He does not ignore the prayers of men in trouble when they call to him for help. And now, O Lord, have mercy on me; see how I suffer at the hands of those who hate me. Lord, snatch me back from the jaws of death. Save me, so that I can praise you publicly before all the people at Jerusalem's gates and rejoice that you have rescued me. TLB

 I can tell you from my own personal battles that it is easy to give into despair and lose all hope when you find yourself overwhelmed by your enemies. Even so, I encourage you not to lose hope when you’re facing a storm because God has kept you; and He will keep you until this season has passed. Remember, we’re in a spiritual battle, and we must resist the enemy’s attacks and threats by standing in faith on God’s promises.

The Lord compelled me to write today’s word to you from Psalms 9 as confirmation that He hasn’t abandoned you. If you’re in a terrible season, it WILL come to an end. Apparently, you have had to face some situations; people have obviously shaken your peace and perhaps your faith. Nonetheless, you must not allow despair to cause you to be moved from trusting in the Lord. God is faithful, and He will keep you in times of trouble; and when the difficulty has ended, God will move those who seek to destroy you far from you.

Satan will use people and harsh situations to try to get us to lose heart or faith in God. Nevertheless, we must not give in to his threats or lies. If you allow the enemy to move you, let it be into the Lord’s presence. We need to remain in the presence of God; however, we especially need to be there when we find ourselves in a vulnerable place, and our faith is giving way to fear and doubt.

It's one thing to face danger; nonetheless, it’s an even greater threat when we find ourselves in a spiritual place where we are giving our hearts over to despair. The Lord wants you to know today that He is still with you; and He will bring you out of this, if you continue to hold on to Him and the Word of God. The One who watches over us neither slumbers nor sleeps, and He is faithful to keep us from harm.  

If you’re on the verge of losing all hope, and you’re about to give in to the spirit of fear, please consider this devotion as a direct word from the Lord to you. It is confirmation that you can hold on until this season is over. The Lord loves you and wants to show you His love through this word. We are told in Romans 10: 17 that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The Word of God is spiritual food, and His presence is the spiritual strength your soul needs to face another day with hope. When God is with you, it’s not over; it’s only the beginning of a new season in Christ. We’re being changed from glory to glory into the image of Christ.  

If you know that this was God’s Word to you today, will you contact us so that we can pray for you? You can email your prayer request to prayer@whcnorth.org.

The One Who Called You Is Faithful,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Promotion

John 15: 14 – 16, You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. NKJV

There are Christians, and then there are obedient Christians. Jesus teaches that if we discipline ourselves to follow His will and not our own, it affects how He views us. Consequently, do you seek the Lord so that you might know and do His will in your life? Are you a disciple of God’s Word? And do you allow it to be the standard by which you live your life? If so, then Jesus sees you as His friend.

In America, we have within our government an organization called the Central Intelligence Agency. This group of people handles some of the most classified and sensitive information concerning our national security. However, as important as this information is to our public defense, it doesn’t even compare to the wisdom that Jesus reveals to those who obey His will in their lives. Doesn’t the Bible teach us that except the Lord watch over the city, the watchmen stay awake in vain? If we should be so consumed with temporal knowledge that we make no time or effort for serving Jesus, what will it profit us eternally? Absolutely nothing!

Jesus’ desire is that we, His disciples be obedient to His voice and His calling, thereby fulfilling His divine purpose in and through our lives. As we are faithful to Him, He will begin to reveal His hidden wisdom and secret plans to us. It is vitally important that Christians learn to be obedient to the Lord. Our submission will allow Him to have greater influence in the direction of the affairs of all men.  

When we are well-trained in our obedience, Jesus will see that we are raised to places of prominence. For example, God revealed to Joseph in the book of Genesis the interpretation to Pharaoh’s dream. Therefore, as a result of having divine insight, Pharaoh exalted Joseph over both the economy and the plan that carried Egypt and the Jews through seven years of famine.

It’s high time for us as the people of God to set our affections on things above and not on the earth. We need to be about our Father’s business; we must allow Him to use us as SALT and LIGHT so that this world might be preserved from corrupt men. You may see yourself as insignificant. Nevertheless, all you need is to be obedient and faithful to God. He will take care of the rest. Who knows? You might just be the next Esther or Nehemiah that God uses to deliver His people.  

May we all lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us and let us run the race that God has set before us with great joy and endurance. Jesus desires to call us His friend.

Serving His Purpose,
Pastor Asa Dockery

The Word Gives Us Life

Genesis 2 : 4 – 7, This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. NKJV

In John 10: 10, Jesus said that He came to give us life and that more abundantly. It was, and it still is, God’s intention for His children to be blessed in every area of our lives. Both Paul and Peter declared in their epistles that we, who have been born again by the incorruptible Seed of God’s Word, are blessed with EVERY spiritual blessing in Christ. Nevertheless, most do not know or haven’t received the riches of God in Christ Jesus because they lack the knowledge of truth.

Jesus teaches us in John 6 that if we don’t eat His flesh and drink His blood, we won’t have life. However, if we partake of His flesh and drink His blood, we will have life. Jesus isn’t literally speaking of eating His flesh. Nonetheless, He gives us this illustration to show that we must be more than just hearers of the Word of God, if we desire to receive spiritual nourishment from it. The Lord wants us to become partakers of His Word so that we can receive His life. Those who live by the lusts of the flesh will perish, but those who live by and through the Word of God shall live forever. Consequently, we must get into the Word of life and hide it in our hearts so that we won’t transgress against it and then suffer death.

You may be wondering why I chose today’s scripture from Genesis 2 and what it has to do with what I’ve written thus far. You will notice that according to Moses’ time-line, when Adam was formed from the dust of the ground, God had not yet allowed any trees, shrubs, or vegetation to grow outside the Garden of Eden because it hadn’t rained and there was no man to till the ground.  Imagine with me how desolate it must have seemed to Adam when he became a living being, opened his eyes for the first time, and saw nothing but dirt all around.

Let me reemphasize that there was nothing living outside the garden; therefore, God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden in order for Man to have the things that were needful for him to continue to live. Why would God first bring man into a place where there was nothing to live off of and then place him in a small garden? It was a prophetic illustration of us (Christians) being in a world that is filled with sin and death; nevertheless, now, because of our faith, we have been placed in Christ, just as Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden. Our very existence comes from being connected to Christ in the Spirit. We do this by living in the Word and keeping it hidden in our hearts.

Jesus tells us in John 16, “In this world we will have tribulations; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Why did He tell us this? If we should try to live according to this world’s ways, then we will have tribulations. Instead, we can rejoice while the world is in tribulation because we have been hidden in Christ; He has already overcome the world, and so have we, through our faith in Him.

In other words, God has already provided everything that we need in Christ; and we are to look to Him for our needs to be supplied. There is no need for us to go to the world seeking any need because the Lord has seen to it that we will have all our needs met according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Furthermore, God has promised us that if we delight ourselves in Him, He will even grant us the desires of our heart. Nevertheless, we must be very careful to guard our hearts so that we don’t give Satan a place, lest we open our hearts to destruction and decay as Adam and Eve did in the garden.

From the moment Adam and Eve turned their hearts against God and His commands, they began to experience spiritual separation, which is death. They were still physically alive, but they were disconnected from God’s life. Death slowly but certainly robbed them of every blessing that God had freely given to them while they were in the garden of provision. After they sinned, God drove them from the garden. They had to work hard with great sorrow after committing sin against the Lord. God was no longer the provider of their needs because they had made the decision to become “their own god”.

It’s time for the nations and all believers, who have known God and have experienced His goodness in their lives, but have turned away from Him, to return and live again. Jesus said that unless we abide in Him (His word), and He abides in us, we won’t have life or bear fruit. However, if we will abide in Him, and He in us, then we will abide in His life; we will bring forth much fruit, and our fruit will remain. Spiritual fruit doesn’t decay. God’s blessings don’t add sorrow to our lives. Let’s pray and ask the Lord to turn our hearts back to Him and His Word so that He can become “our God” once again. It is time for REVIVAL! We need to be revived by the truth of God’s Word and live again for Him, alone.

Alive In Christ,
Pastor Asa Dockery