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