The Principle of Honor

Deuteronomy 28 : 1 – 2, "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: NKJV

Whenever Adam sinned against the Lord, he lost the blessing of the Lord on his life; you can read about that blessing in Genesis 1. As a result of Adam’s decision to dishonor God and His commandment, he had to live under the curse of sin. As a sinner, he discovered what hard-labor and sorrows were all about. There was something else that man inherited from the sin nature besides hard work, and that is a “works” based mindset. The fallout from living in sin and the neediness it develops in us and from being separated from the life of God is to feel “unworthy.”

It doesn’t matter how guilty we may feel when we choose to live in sin; nor does it matter how hard we may try to work to earn the blessing of God, it can’t be earned. People who refuse to submit to God’s will for their lives, but, instead, choose to live on their own terms will, likewise, try to compensate for the void of God’s life and blessing in their heart by working harder. It isn’t just about getting their needs and desires met; if someone who dishonors God in their heart becomes successful, then they will also seek to draw their identity and self-worth from their accomplishments. Too many times, we equate success with being blessed. However, blessing has everything to do with honoring God in our hearts and not in the riches or acceptance of this world.

Through Adam’s decision and failed example, we can see more clearly that we shouldn’t try to earn what can only be freely given through honor. Once the Lord reveals to us that we struggle with a “performance” mentality, instead of trusting and honoring Him, He can then teach us how to learn the principle of honor… and, consequently, we will be blessed. As we honor God and His Word in our hearts, His favor will grant us entrance back into His blessing of increase, fruitfulness, and multiplication.

This new journey to spiritual liberation from dead works and to becoming blessed by God’s presence begins when we seek the Lord with our whole heart. As we endeavor to please Him and to live according to His Word and His will, then the blessing of the Lord will come upon us and overtake our lives. You see; the blessing of the Lord can’t be earned. Nevertheless, it surely will be given to those who live to please God.

Do you find that most of the things that you set out to accomplish are difficult and produce very little joy, peace, and contentment? If so, then stop seeking those things and begin to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all the rest will begin to follow you. It’s time to get our hearts in agreement with God’s heart, to get our lives in proper order, and to live the blessed life in Christ.

Honoring God,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Who Is Like Our God?

Hebrews 12 : 1 – 2, Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. NKJV

I want to take this opportunity today to encourage you to keep your focus on the Lord. Ever since Lucifer (afterwards known as Satan) fell, he has always tried to upstage God. In every major conflict between God and Satan, Satan has been defeated and demoted without fail. When Lucifer rose up in rebellion against God, God cast him out of heaven. Consequently, he lost the position and prominence that he enjoyed when he was an arch angel of God.

Whenever Satan embodied the serpent in the garden and caused man to sin against God, God cursed the serpent. As a result, he went from walking to crawling on his belly. Furthermore, when Satan opposed God by nailing Jesus to the cross, God highly exalted Jesus and, once again, stripped Satan of even more of his dominion over mankind.

In chapter 12 of the Book of the Revelation, we read that Satan will declare a war against the kingdom of God, and the church; however, we (the church) will overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony, and loving not our lives unto the death. At which point, God will cast Satan out of the second heaven, and he will live on earth for a season… after the church has exited earth.

So why am I sharing about the failed attempts of Satan opposing our Great God? We all know that Satan is no match for God. Nevertheless, “we” can struggle with doubt and fear when the enemy attacks us. When we come under attack from Satan, we must guard our hearts against doubt and fear. Why? If we don’t guard our hearts with all diligence when the enemy strikes, then we allow Satan to gain access through our doubts about God’s protection. As a result, fear will consume our hearts.

Do you remember what happened to Simon when, for only a brief moment, he took his eyes off Jesus while walking on the water? He began to sink and drown in the same water that he was previously walking upon. Just like Simon, we, too, lose spiritual courage and strength when we allow the world’s problems to captivate our heart’s attention. When this happens, it can cause us to give over to worry, doubt, anxiousness, and fear; and we began to sink in our own weaknesses. Greater is He (Jesus) that is in us, than he (Satan) that is in the world.

When you see calamity, or you hear about all that is going “wrong” in the world, please remember to keep Jesus at the center of your heart’s attention. Don’t be pulled into believing the enemy’s reports and becoming overwhelmed. God is still in control; and even though it’s getting darker in the world, the Light of Christ is at the same time shining bright in us.

If you find it too difficult to keep your focus on Christ because of the severity of the storms that are looming overhead, simply enter your prayer closet and seek the Lord with your whole heart. If you will choose to pray and seek God’s face about the concerns on your heart, you will experience the power of God in your heart and life. The Lord will strengthen and encourage you to, once again, walk on the water in victory over your enemies.

You Can Do This,
Pastor Asa Dockery

 

Stop Running Away

John 8 : 31 – 32, Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." NKJV

Since the fall of man, he has been afraid of God. Whenever God’s presence descended upon Mount Sinai, there was thundering and lightning, the ground quaked, and the people trembled. The sight of God was so overwhelming that the Jews refused to hear God’s voice. Let me interject something here. If the presence of God was so terrible and frightening, why was Moses not afraid to enter the thick darkness and speak with God?

The answer to this puzzling question is very simple. The children of Israel allowed unbelief to rule their hearts; and, consequently, they rejected God. Moses, on the other hand entered God’s presence with faith and, therefore, understood what was really going on that day. In Exodus 20, Moses told the people not to be afraid of God. God was only revealing His power to them so that they might possess a reverential fear of the Lord that would keep them from sin.

Jesus gives us even more clarity as to why people, and many Christians, are either afraid of God, or they are fearful of “facing” the truth. John 3: 19 – 21, And this is the condemnation that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." NKJV

It’s not that we’re afraid of the truth, itself; it is that we understand that the truth of God will force us to face our fears. The Jews in their unbelief didn’t want to have to face the realization that they had unconfessed sin in their hearts. God wanted them to come into His presence in faith so that He might use their faith to overcome the fear that held them in bondage to the power of sin.

Are you on-the-run? Is there something from your past or hidden in your heart that you don’t want anyone to know about? Does the fear of being put to shame cause you to run instead of trusting God to defend you? When God appeared to Moses at Horeb, he had been on-the-run for murdering an Egyptian. Therefore, when God revealed to Moses the plan to send him back to Egypt to free the Jews from Pharaoh’s power, Moses was afraid to return. God explained to Moses that the Pharaoh who pursued him was dead.

When Moses turned his life over to serve the Lord, it caused him to have to go back and face his past. Even so, because Moses was obeying God, he returned to Egypt with power and liberty. Like Moses, God has a far better plan for your life than to see you run from your past or from a failure. If you turn your life and the outcome of the situations that have made you afraid over to God, then He can set you free from the fear that is caused by unbelief. Remember this: God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

Walking in God’s Love,
Pastor Asa Dockery

 

Sounding An Alarm

Luke 12 : 42 – 48, And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. NKJV

We are truly living in the last of the days that lead to the returning of the Lord. We know this because we are witnessing the fulfillment of the prophecies that were foretold both by Jesus and many of the Old Testament prophets. Therefore, we, who have been born again, must guard our hearts so that we don’t allow the world and its influences to derail us from being and remaining faithful until the Lord returns.

Remember, Jesus tells us that in the last days it will be like it was in the days of Noah before the flood. People will be eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage; nevertheless, they won’t discern the times. For them, the Day of the Lord will come upon them as a thief in the night. They will be caught unaware.

We are living in very troubling times. However, I’m not speaking of the violence and the threats of war that loom over us daily; I am just reiterating what the Bible has been saying all along. Times are troublesome because people are doing exactly as Jesus foretold in Matthew 24. Millions have lost the fear of the Lord; and, as a result, they’re entering into temptation by disregarding God’s Word and warnings. The Holy Spirit is prompting me to sound an alarm in His holy mountain (Joel 2).

America is at a crossroad. This country was founded upon the principles of God’s Word. Consequently, these statutes are embedded in our constitution, as well as other civil documents that frame our government and beliefs as a “Christian” nation. It is because of its faith and willingness to live sacrificially unto God that He has caused His grace to shine on this nation and made it great.

Nevertheless, in recent decades, we have seen a “turning-away” from God and His Word in our nation. As a result, those who were previously committed to Christ and His service to God’s kingdom have begun to cast off restraint, just as Jesus said in today’s scripture. Pastors, ministers and churches are not adhering as closely to the true precepts and commands of God’s Word as they once did. Both churches and society have become lax in upholding the Godly principles which cause and sustain life. The further our nation slips away from God’s commands and the love for His kingdom, the more our nation descends into darkness and degradation.

As Peter stated in his epistle, it is time for judgment to begin in the house of God. It’s time we call ourselves back to living a life that is holy and acceptable before God. It’s time for the church to become “salt and light” in the world again. We, the church are Christ's ambassadors; we possess the Word of life and Jesus’ authority to exercise His will in the earth. I am very concerned (putting it lightly) that if we don’t return to the Lord, we as a nation are headed into darker days and troubling waters.

God is calling America and the churches in America to repentance and to “man” our posts in His kingdom. We must be about our Father’s business. Therefore, we must forsake the allure and temptations of this evil world. Let us not get caught up in the widespread deception that is taking this world by storm. Instead, let us humble ourselves and pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways.

God doesn’t want destruction to occur in America. Nevertheless, if we don’t heed His warnings and pray for His protection to cover our sins, then what option will He have? He will have to allow the seeds we’ve sown in rebellion to produce corruption.

God’s heart is still for America, but He needs American Christians to wake up, rise up, and return to righteous living. He needs Christians in America to begin to pray and call on His name so that He can bless us with a mighty revival of repentance, like He did in Nineveh. God isn’t willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. The Lord wants to find us as faithful and obedient stewards when He returns so that He can reward us for a job well done. It’s a huge task, but know this: Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

Sounding An Alarm To The Church,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Prioritizing Your Life

Luke 10 : 38 – 42, Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." NKJV

God created us in His own image and likeness. Consequently, since God is a triune being… Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we, too, carry the distinction of being triune; this sets us apart from any other creature. If you have received the Holy Spirit into your life, then your spirit has been regenerated. God now occupies that part of our being, and He gives us the authority to die to the weaknesses and lusts of our flesh nature. Remember, Jesus told the disciples when they fell asleep in the garden that their spirits were willing, but their flesh was weak. So instead of praying, they slept, and this caused them to enter into temptation.

As Christians, we are to utilize the power of the Holy Spirit through humility to bring our fleshly nature under control so that we might serve God and not self. This will require that we invest the time that is needed to seek God’s face through prayer and being faithful students in God’s Word. These simple steps will assure us that we will have the spiritual strength to overcome the wiles of the Devil when he tempts us with distractions.

It’s easy for us to become distracted and not even realize that we have allowed those distractions to cause us to neglect being in God’s presence. This was the case in Martha’s life as she sought to “serve” Jesus, who was visiting her house. Although it appears that Martha is being a gracious host, if we peer deeper into the story, we soon discover that Martha’s heart isn’t filled with pure motives. She resents the fact that her sister, Mary, is just sitting at the feet of Jesus and hasn’t offered to help her with serving Jesus. If Martha were doing this service unto the Lord as a way to honor Him, then she wouldn’t hold resentment in her heart against her sister, but it doesn’t stop there. She is so consumed and driven by a “works mindset” that she demands that Jesus tell Mary to help her serve.

Luke tells us in this story that Martha was “distracted.” I find his assessment of her to be somewhat strange considering that someone needs to serve the others if the evening is going to be a success. King Solomon tells us that there is a time for every purpose under heaven. Martha was distracted because her life was driven by works and was off-balance. Mary, on the other hand, sought to learn from Jesus and not be driven by the “works of man” as a means to please others. Because Mary prioritized her time and gave honor to Jesus, she was persecuted by her own flesh and blood. You see, if we’re like Mary and aren’t driven by distractions to perform, then we will be persecuted with feelings of inadequacy because we’re not “doing our part.”

Mary was listening to Jesus, who was imparting eternal truths into her life. Satan doesn’t want us to focus on eternity; instead, he uses the weaknesses of our flesh to drive us so that we become consumed with the temporal and lose sight of what is really important. As Christians, we have certain duties that demand large portions of our time on earth, but we must not allow these duties to become distractions where we give more honor to the temporal than we do to listening to the Holy Spirit about the eternal. Jesus gently, but firmly corrected Martha by telling her that what Mary was receiving from Him would never be taken away from her. Martha forsook an eternal moment with Jesus for a temporal moment with the dishes.

When we take the time to ignore the distractions in this life to meditate and listen to the voice of God, He will impart truths into our lives that will sustain our souls and can never be stolen from us by Satan. The Word of God endures forever, and when we choose to hide God’s Word in our hearts, Satan can’t rob those “promises in the making” from us. If you find yourself constantly driven to the point that you can’t rest in the presence of the Lord, and it grates your nerves to watch other people sit at the Master’s feet, then this is your eternal word for today… REPENT.

Times of Refreshing in God’s Presence,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Altering The Truth

Matthew 15 : 1 – 6, Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -- then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. NKJV

Where did the Pharisees come from? They are a sect of Jews, who were wealthy and who saw themselves as better than their fellow countrymen. The Hebrew word for Pharisee means: separatists or to be separated. They sought the accolades of man more than God. The entirety of their worship was the outward expression of certain customs and practices. The earliest record that I have found dates the emergence of this sect of Jews and their customs as far back as 150 years before the birth of Christ.

By the time Jesus had arrived on the scene, this group of self-righteous men had found prominence in the eyes of both the Roman and Jewish leaders. Through their vain form of worship of God, they had greatly influenced the Jews and led them astray from the true meaning of God’s Laws. They took upon themselves the role of interpreting and enforcing the Laws of Moses which they felt were applicable to their own philosophies. Today, we would call it “picking and choosing” the parts of God’s Word that we desire to keep and being dismissive of the rest. It was amid all of this confusion that God sent Jesus to begin to preach “THE TRUTH” to His people.  

God, through Jesus was calling His people back to Himself to worship Him in Spirit and in TRUTH, so He could, once again, bless them. As Jesus went about preaching the truth, many times He would reference the “false beliefs and teachings” of the Pharisees and the scribes.

Throughout the gospels, you can read where Jesus would dispute the teachings and the traditions of the elders, Pharisees, and scribes by preaching the truth according to the Law of Moses and the faith of their father Abraham. As Jesus’ influence grew among the Jews and especially among the poor, the Pharisees watched as their power and influence began to erode. This “threat” caused them to begin to devise plots where they could trap Jesus in His own words.

However, when their feeble attempts to discredit Jesus failed, they sought ways that they might destroy Him and bring an end to His earthly ministry. The people of Jesus’ day who listened to His teachings were set free, not only from their sins against God, but were also set free from demonic possession and oppression.

Consequently, the people experienced the freedom that obeying the truth can provide. Through these encounters with the power of the living God, Israel began to be torn between the traditions of man and the truth of God. Today, that same battle is still being raged in the world, the battle between religion and the truth. Jesus tells us in John 8, if we will continue in His teachings, we will come to know, or recognize the truth, and the truth that we know will set us free from bondage. God desires for His people to be free to worship Him with their whole hearts… not according to man’s traditions. 

You Shall Know the Truth,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Family Violence

Genesis 4 : 6 – 8, So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. NKJV

The Word teaches us that Adam and Eve committed the first sin against God. Unfortunately, mankind has had to suffer the consequences of their actions for thousands of years. After they sinned in the garden, God told them what would be the consequence of their sins. It never occurred to them that one day they would have a son, who would take the life of his brother and cause them unbelievable pain and heartbreak. I can make that assertion on their part because they had no record or way of knowing what sin really does to the human race. How could they know what murder was or that their own flesh and blood was capable of such a horrific act of violence?

Adam and Eve transgressed the commandment of God, and it caused them to have sin in their hearts. However, when Cain slew Abel, it was the first act of sin recorded in the Word against another human. Satan used the sin that was hidden in the heart of man to afflict deep sorrow and hatred upon the first family. All through the Old Testament, we can read where family violence was a way of life for many Jews, who followed the Lord. Just because we know Christ, it doesn’t mean that Satan won’t attack us or our families and cause us to have to endure some horrible trials.

When Cain discovered that God showed respect for Abel and his offering, but rejected him, it caused Cain to become violently angry and filled with jealousy. Paul tells us to be angry, but not to allow sin to rule our hearts or actions. It was one thing for Cain to be mad, but he also had a jealous heart against his brother’s accomplishments. Jealousy is a work of the flesh or the result of sin in the heart of humans. It drove Cain to take the life of his own brother.      

As Cain allowed sin to fill his heart with violence and turn him against God, Satan also used that occasion to turn his heart against the family. The Apostle John wrote in his epistle, “How can we say we love God, whom we have not seen, when we don’t love our brothers, whom we have seen?” Sin not only turns our hearts away from God, but it is manifested through our actions by turning our hearts on each other.

God warned Cain not to allow sin to rule over his heart. He also told him that he should rule over sin. Every believer in Christ has the power to rule over sin, but they must be submitted to God and His authority. The Apostle James tells us to submit first to God, resist the Devil, and he will flee from us. If we refuse to submit to God or His Word, then we can become just as open to violence or violating God’s Word as Adam, Cain, or David. David was considered by God to be a man after God’s own heart and look at the violence he carried out. The result of David’s sin brought domestic violence to his home and family, and cost him and Bathsheba great sorrow and loss.

God instituted the family before He introduced His church to humanity. He ordained marriage before He introduced the family. It seems to me what God esteems and holds dear or sacred, Satan loves to defile and destroy with hatred and violence. The Holy Spirit had to “constrain” me to write this as a devotion to you today. I enjoy writing words that encourage and uplift our spirits. However, today, the Lord wants us to realize the need for prayer to be directed to help families that have been torn apart and\or destroyed because of family violence.

You may be a victim of family violence and wondering if God knows or even cares. This is your WORD from Him today, a Word to show you He not only knows, but He also cares for you.

The Name of the Lord Is a Strong Tower,
Pastor Asa Dockery