Living Soberly

Titus 2: 11 - 14, For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. NKJV

When Jesus died on the cross at Calvary, it wasn't just for our sins. He died so that when we come to faith in Him, we can live our new lives for Him, and He will be glorified through us. Jesus was a type of Seed. Consequently, we, who believe in Him as our Savior are His fruit. Once we accept Jesus' redemptive work as payment for our sins, we are the benefactors of God's grace; God has an inheritance in us. In other words, when we become born again, it is no longer all about us; all things now connect to God. Nevertheless, how will we choose to live our lives after coming to faith is God's inheritance? If we should choose to be entangled in the cares and pleasures of this world, then God will receive no glory for the work that He has accomplished in our souls.

We are commanded in God's Word to live soberly. This term simply means that we are to live holy and undefiled having a sound-mind and being self-controlled under the power of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, only the believers who fear the Lord will be willing to exercise self-control or discipline while living in this present world.

I can't write about this subject and not be reminded of the sin of Samson and David. They were both godly and God-fearing men who allowed their flesh nature first to seduce them and then intoxicate them into committing sin with no hesitancy. Unfortunately, because of their evil actions, great sorrow and shame took over their lives. They were reaping what they had sown; Romans 3 instructs us that the wages of sin is death. 

We're living in very troubling times today; even so, we must be spiritually minded so that we can discern the times in which we're living. Many are wondering where God is in all the madness and calamity we're seeing. Some are even considering that God has washed His hands of us. However, if we know scripture, we know that those whom God loves, He also chastens or corrects. God is allowing this generation to reap a small portion of what it has sown in the flesh, to shock us out of our slumber or drunken stupor. Even so, as a result of the correction that God has allowed, many believers have given themselves over to fear because they don't know the ways of God. 

If we read Matthew 25, we will understand that the Bridegroom had to awaken the ten virgins prior to His return. Five of them were wise and were prepared. Nonetheless, they fell asleep while waiting. However, five of them were foolish. The unwise virgins misused their time while waiting on their Bridegroom; they did nothing to get prepared. Nevertheless, what does this parable mean to believers in the world today? It means that we must not allow ourselves to be seduced into living for the pleasures of self. Instead, we must be about our Father's business serving the Lord with whole hearts. If we commit, and we live according to God's will, His Spirit will keep us from falling asleep spiritually and entering into temptation. Those who drink do so at night. We must not adopt and adapt to the ways of the world just because it appears that God has forsaken us. It's only a test to see whether or not we will obey God's commandments (Deuteronomy 8).

Are you a Christian, who is concerned or maybe even worried about the direction society is headed in our generation? Are you living everyday to serve God and to fulfill your destiny in Christ? The Lord is calling us to awake and to arise from our slumber. He is calling His church back to their First-love so that we can bring Him glory in the earth. God isn't trying to destroy the world. He is working very diligently to prevent Satan and the flesh of man from destroying it. God wants to sober up His people so that He can continue blessing us. Even though we have already chosen to accept Christ, we must choose this day Whom we will serve. Let's glorify God by living a sober and blessed life until Jesus returns.

Living Every Day for Christ,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Is Jesus Your King?

1 Samuel 8: 6 - 9, But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day -- with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods -- so they are doing to you also. Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them." NKJV

 As individuals and as the body of Christ, we must never make the mistake of asking God out of our lives, and then turning to man to provide what only God can. Is Jesus your King? Do you look to Him to supply all of your needs? Israel asked to replace their spiritual King with an earthly one, and God granted that desire. Nevertheless, in the following scripture, God told Samuel what will happen to a nation when they have known God, but decide to reject Him as King because they believe man has a better way of leading them. 

1 Samuel 8: 11 - 18, And he said,"This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not hear you in that day." NKJV

Remember, when God led His people into the wilderness, it wasn't man who provided their needs; it was their God. As long as Israel allowed God to rule over them, even though they didn't obey His voice, He took great care of them (Deuteronomy 8). They were required to live on what God provided for them in the wilderness; however, they weren't in bondage to any man or dictator lording over them. 

Even so, the moment they rejected God as their king, God warned them of the severe consequences that would come upon them by making such a foolish decision. As long as God was permitted to be their provider and protector, the children of Israel didn't have the burden of being accountable for their own provisions. However, once they decided that man was a better choice than God, they became responsible to "Keep man up," so that he could take "care of them." 

Now, does that sound like a wise trade-off? Absolutely not! It wasn't the king who was providing for the people; neither was he defending the people. It was the people who were both doing all the work and sacrificing their children for the king. What kind of horrible system is this? Even so, nations throughout history have chosen to accept man's rule over God's. They have sacrificed their sons and daughters, as well as their liberties, in order to reject God and give a man rule over them.

When America began to turn its back on God, it was in a much better state of affairs than it finds itself in today. Like Israel, we have placed ourselves in bondage to man by rejecting God as our King... to a degree. In the past 12 years, America has increased its debt more than 10 trillion dollars. If we look at a graph on the internet of the rate of U.S. borrowing since its inception as a country, we will realize that we are suddenly drowning ourselves in national debt. Since our government can't produce money, but receives its revenue from its citizens, we are now called upon to take care of the mounting debt. All the while, economists and governmental officials have been warning our leaders that this direction will soon bankrupt our country. 

However, here is the point of today's word: No man can take God's place as king in our lives or in our nations. There is no man and no nation that has enough wealth to replace God. In Psalms 24, we're told that the earth and its fullness and everyone who lives upon the earth belong to God. Therefore, only God can take care of man's needs.

The needs of the people are far too great for us to take care of apart from God's goodness and favor. Our economic situation in America is just another warning sign telling us that we need to repent and turn to God and ask Him to be our King once again. As long as America acknowledged the God of the Bible, at least in its activities in the government and society, we as a nation flourished. However, now that this nation has kindly asked God to give us a man to rule over us, just as Israel did, we have quickly slipped into bondage. 

Let us, who know the Lord and seek to follow in His ways begin to humble ourselves and seek God's face and His mercy for our great nation. Perhaps He will take our sacrifice of praise and prayer and turn the deeds that were meant to produce evil by Satan and use them to bring about a mighty move of God in our land (2 Chronicles 7: 14).

Many churches began a 21-day fast this week. Will you join with us in prayer and fasting for the salvation of nations to be performed in 2013? God is waiting on the return of His people to righteous and holy living before He can move in our nation(s). If you have a desire and a hunger to be a part of this time of humility and repentance, please email us and let us know. One can chase a thousand, but two can put ten thousand to flight. Thank you for your participation. prayer@whcnorth.org

Jesus Is the King of Kings,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Avoid the Pit of Condemnation

1 Peter 4 : 12 - 14, Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. NKJV 

How do you respond to trouble when it knocks at your door? I have seen how many Christians (including me) respond to trouble. There is a tendency to ask, "What did I do wrong that caused this trouble?" But here is the danger in asking   such a question: It places your attention on you and not on the righteousness of God. Do you remember what kind of a day scripture says that Job had when he lost his family, his livestock, and his health? He lived under the old covenant... before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But thankfully and unlike Job, we're under the new covenant (of grace by faith in Christ), and we do have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Father has given us the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth and to convict us when we sin against the truth. God doesn't have to use fiery trials to break us of sin. But if we don't want to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, then He will let us reap the corruption of our flesh. 

So when you face trouble in your life, do you struggle with self-condemnation? I have heard some teachers say that if a Christian has problems, it's because they lack faith. Peter contradicts that teaching and explains the correct purpose of the trials. We are partaking of Christ's sufferings when we are faced with trials in this life. Will we continue in faith or will we draw back in unbelief? 

The purpose of having faith isn't to keep us from having trials, but it is to be placed in Christ so that we might walk in the righteousness of God as His child. So when a trial visits your house or interrupts your life, look to the Lord to lead you through it; do not look to your own weaknesses. He has given you the measure of faith (Romans 12 : 3), and He promises to help us endure the trials by faith and to then overcome the trials while remaining in faith. 

So if you have faith in Christ today, and you're faced with job termination, sickness, relational conflicts, etc., then know that God has already given you the power to overcome the trials of life. The key to having  victory in your battles is in your faith. The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord, not us, will deliver us out of them all. He will be faithful, but we must remain faithful. Those who endure to the end will see their salvation. 

Waiting on the Lord, 

Pastor Asa

I Tried But Failed

Proverbs 24: 16, For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity. NKJV

At some point, all of us have tried to quit a habit or a sin because we felt the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Even so, it's easy for us to become discouraged when we try to either quit something or begin something new, and we fail at it. However, instead of throwing up our hands and deciding to live with the issue or bondage, we should remind ourselves that this isn't our battle. In today's scripture, we see that the righteous may fall; nevertheless, they will rise again... but that isn't true for the wicked. What is the difference between the two? Jesus is. 

The wicked person doesn't have the power of Christ in his or her life because sin has separated them. The unsaved don't have the grace of God to cover them when they fall because they have rejected His love. Since they don't have Christ dwelling in their hearts, they fail; and they don't recover because they have no power over sin.

However, this isn't so for the person that has been redeemed. Christ in us makes all the difference; we know that, in Christ, we are forgiven and accepted in God's sight. Therefore, if we should stumble and fall, we understand that God won't abandon us; even so, through our brokenness, He will empower us to get back up once again.

We are made righteous in God's sight through our faith in the work of Christ. Jesus came to earth and died both for our sin debt and to set us free from the bondage of sin. It is without any works of our own; it is simply us placing trust in what Jesus has done for us that God has forever pardoned every believer in Christ. Nonetheless, once we are born again, it is our responsibility to accept God's forgiveness of our past sins and to receive His love into our hearts. You couldn't pay for your sins, neither can you stop sinning apart from God's help.

When we struggle with accepting God's forgiveness and unconditional love, we will also struggle with old habits, mindsets, and sinful behaviors. Therefore, we must learn how to delight in the Lord, even though we may still struggle with the truth that He has completely accepted us and loves us. As we learn to delight ourselves in the Lord, He will begin to grant us the desires of our heart. God has always loved us, and we know this because of what Paul wrote in Romans 5: 8. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

Now, we need to learn how to love God. Paul teaches us a very important principle in Ephesians 5. He wrote, "He who loves his wife also loves himself." When a man doesn't love himself, he will have difficulties loving his wife. Paul goes on to teach us that the relationship between a husband and wife is a representation of Christ's love for His bride, the church. Therefore, I submit to you on the authority of God's Word that we must learn to delight ourselves in God and love Him before we can have total and complete victory over our own flesh nature. We have to give ourselves completely to Christ in the same way that a wife gives herself to her husband, and the two become one. 

It's certain that you and I can't quit sinning apart from Christ, but if we will "work" on becoming one with Christ, instead of trying to quit on our own or in our own strength, then His power can begin to fill our hearts and set us free. Therefore, this year let's focus on becoming one with Christ. We must allow Him to take care of the things that we have no power over. Let the transformation begin.

Being Made New in Christ,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Grace to See in the Night Seasons

John 11: 9 - 10, Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." NKJV

When we read the words of Jesus in the above scripture, it seems as if He is speaking literally. However, that isn't the case. He is teaching His disciples and us to walk in the Light of His Word to prevent us from stumbling or backsliding into sin. The Lord uses natural things to help us grasp spiritual principles so that we don't walk in inner darkness or ignorance. In John 8, Jesus tells us to continue abiding in and obeying His Word; doing so will cause us to know the truth that sets us free from spiritual bondage.

Let's bring this down where we live every day. Generally, we go about our day doing what needs to be done. However, on occasion, we will run into a situation where we will feel as though we have been blindsided by a person or circumstance. I use the term "blindsided" to let you know that not everything in your daily life is just a coincidence or an accident. Satan is busy trying to trip you up spiritually and give you an occasion to fall into temptation.

We must not allow ourselves to be led by only our soul, which consists of our thoughts, desires, feelings, and rationales. As believers, Jesus wants us to be led by the Holy Spirit; His Word will be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We live in a natural world. Nevertheless, we are engaged in a spiritual battle with enemies who are invisible to the human eye; this is why we're instructed in scripture to hide God's Word in our hearts so that we won't sin against it. When we choose on a daily, or at least a regular basis, to feed from God's Word and be willing to listen to the leading of His Spirit, we are allowing "spiritual" safeguards to be placed around our "physical" steps. 

There are guardrails on the sides of the road; however, they're only in places where lives have been lost, or in dangerous locations like sharp curves and steep drop-offs. We don't have a guard rail that extends the length of every highway. Now consider this: When we come upon a bridge, there are always safeguards that continue the length of the entire bridge. Why is this? It is because as long as we are over a body of water or a high overpass, there is a possibility that we might veer off of the bridge. Why do I bring up the differences between highway guardrails and those on bridges? God doesn't seek to control our lives, but He provides protection in perilous places. His Word will keep/protect us during the times when spiritual darkness seeks to destroy our lives by blinding us to impending danger. The Light of His Word will keep us safeguarded until we have successfully passed through the danger.

When we learn to walk in God's Light, called the Word, and we begin to place our trust in Him to keep us in all our ways, we can be at rest. We don't have to fear because we don't know what is waiting up the road of life. We know that God has us covered because we have honored His Word. He will protect us from stumbling and wrecking our lives on the sharp curves of life. The Lord doesn't want us to constantly fret and worry about the future. Thferefore, He has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to assist and direct our steps by setting boundaries in the areas and seasons of life where danger lurks. 

Trust in the Lord with all your hearts and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. The Light of God's Word illuminates our human understanding so that we can see the invisible, and we can do the impossible. All we need is to exercise our faith.

Walking By Faith, 

Pastor Asa Dockery

The Patience of God

2 Peter 3 : 8 - 9, But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. NKJV

God told Hosea that His people are destroyed because of a lack of knowledge. When believers don't know God's ways or His Word, it leaves them susceptible to Satan's devices. In other words, Satan can use spiritual ignorance against us because it gives him an upper hand in the battle. Therefore, we are commanded by Jesus to know His Word and keep it so that we won't sin against it.

Are you a Christian, yet you still have unrepentant sin in your heart? Or, you might have a loved-one or friend who is living in sin and doesn't see or feel the need to repent for their actions. In every instance, sin has consequences; we know this because Paul tells us in Romans 3, "The wages of sin is death." James also warns us that when sin is conceived, it brings forth death. Even so, you may not see death immediately as a result of unrepentant sin in your heart, but that doesn't mean it won't happen. 

When God warned Adam about the tree of knowledge, He told him that in the day that he partook of it, he would surely die. We know from reading Genesis 3 that Adam didn't die right away. In fact, he lived 930 years. Doesn't it seem as though God might have missed it just a little? Adam saw many days come and go, but never experienced the word that the Lord had spoken to him about sin? 

As you have read in today's scripture, many, not knowing the ways of God mistake His patience as slackness. When God came and asked Adam if he had eaten of the forbidden fruit, it wasn't because God didn't already know; God knows before you or I commit a sin what we're going to do. Therefore, He has placed warnings in His Word to try to prevent us from opening our lives to sin, regret, and death. God was offering Adam an opportunity to confess his sin, but Adam didn't.

When it comes to unrepentant sin that goes seemingly unchecked and without consequences, America is living on borrowed time. Millions of babies have been aborted in the name of convenience; and immorality such as fornication, adultery, and homosexuality has become the norm in our modern times... even though God's Word warns of the repercussions of such sins. Nevertheless, because nothing has happened to this nation, like it did in Sodom and Gomorrah, we continue on as if sin has become acceptable in God's eyes now. God has been longsuffering toward our sin so that we have the time to come to our senses and repent before it's too late. However, our society has mistaken His patience as slackness or compliance. There's a false sense of security that nothing "bad" will happen because we have been committing these sins for decades and life continues on.

Even so, Paul warns us in his letter to the Thessalonica, "When the world says peace and safety, sudden destruction shall come upon them, and they shall not escape." Let us repent as individuals and as a nation before sudden destruction comes upon us. Let us not mistake God's patience as Him going along with our sins or winking at them. In Adam's case, it appeared as though God had missed it. Nevertheless, let me remind you what Peter said in today's scripture. In the context, he was addressing a day with the Lord as being one-thousand years; God is longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance. How long did we say Adam lived? He lived 930 years! How long is a day with the Lord? It is 1,000 years!  Consequently, we see that Adam fell short of living one day. In plain speech, he died in the day that he had eaten of the fruit of sin, just like God foretold. 

Do we really want to keep tempting the Lord God with our unrepentant sin? Absolutely not! This devotion was taken from a sermon the Lord had me to preach at WHCN recently. I invite you to go to our website and watch it in its entirety. "Where Was God When Lives Were Lost?" It is a powerful Word on the goodness of God and how it brings us to repentance. America needs the goodness of God, not to stimulate our economy, but to stimulate our hearts to begin to repent and seek His heart, instead of sin.

Please consider forwarding this message to your family and friends so that we can join together and pray for God to grant this great nation repentance and spiritual restoration. "Lord, turn our hearts away from lust and sin and grant us the convicting power of the Holy Spirit so that we will be drawn once again into your presence and protection. In Jesus' name, we pray and agree. Amen!

Sounding a Wakeup Call,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Happy New Year 2013

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

The congregation, media ministry, and staff of World Harvest Church North (WHCN) want to wish you a very blessed and healthy New Year. As I was considering today's devotion, I couldn't help but remember all the goodness that God has bestowed upon us over the previous year. Even in the face of difficulties, we have witnessed God's unfailing love and faithfulness to His people in so many ways. 

WHCN is beginning 2013 just like we did 2012, with a 21 day fast. During the 2012 fast, God performed a creative miracle; He extended a woman's leg so that she didn't have to walk with a limp or a cane. Shortly after this major miracle, our financial secretary was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease called "Myasthenia Gravis." It attacked her muscles and would have destroyed her lung's ability to function and produce oxygen. Nevertheless, on the Wednesday that she was diagnosed by her physician, she had her son drive her to the church; and during the service that evening, God completely healed her. She couldn't talk; and she couldn't walk without a walker; however, she walked out of the church talking and without any assistance. She is back at her job and doing well. Also during the fast, a woman who had surgery to fuse vertebras together in her neck was healed. She can now move her head to the right for the first time since the damaged occurred.

It was also during this time that the church retired over twenty-thousand dollars of debt. The Lord did this during the winter months and while most of our congregation was struggling financially. Throughout 2012, we have watched the goodness of God at work in individual lives, in families, and in other churches that we are in fellowship with. 

Miracle after miracle was wrought by the Lord in our midst this year. We have had at least two individuals who were diagnosed with cancer completely healed. God gave us favor with our media ministry and empowered us to launch World Harvest Cyber Church. While I was in Bulgaria, I could watch our service as it was being streamed live over the internet. Most recently, the Lord has given us favor with Cross.tv to launch our television and internet ministry on iTunes, Apple, Google, and Roku channels. I am reminded of the seed that Joseph sowed during a time of famine, and God blessed his obedience with a one-hundred-fold blessing. God has done so much for WHCN, our families, and the media ministry that I truly cannot tell it all.

I share these praise reports with you for two reasons: The first is to give God all the glory for the great miracles He has given to His people and laborers. The second is to build YOUR faith in God's promise to supply all of your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I want to leave you today by declaring the priestly blessing (found in the scripture below) over you and your family; this is the same blessing that God commanded Moses to speak over the children of Israel. I truly believe that the kingdom of God is going to prosper and grow as never before in 2013. 

Numbers 6: 22 - 27, And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."' "So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them." NKJV

Happy New Year!

Pastor Asa Dockery