Learning How To Be Free

Learning How To Be Free

Ephesians 2 : 4 – 9, But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. NKJV

If we are made complete in Christ, and we are according to scripture, why do believers struggle with such feelings as rejection, unworthiness, isolation, etc., after accepting Christ? Paul teaches us about salvation in a way that helps us to overcome the feelings of our heart. As we have accepted the gift of God, salvation into our heart, we have also received the Spirit of Truth as well. He begins revealing to us the inadequacies of our flesh nature- the old man.

This is where many Christians begin to struggle in their faith walk and might make a premature decision to give up and believe their feelings. This struggle stems from being a carnal being that has lived according to their feelings and desires their entire until salvation set us free. Now we are required to walk by faith. As we learn to walk by faith and not be driven by our feelings or desires there will be times of weakness where our old mindset will try to pull us back into walking according to the flesh through guilt and shame of having those old feelings. We can overcome the feelings of our heart by continuing to walk by faith.

Let’s use an example to help you grasp what the Lord is saying to us today. A person isn’t feeling well and they go to their doctor. Once the doctor has listened to the person’s description of the symptoms, he begins to examine the patient to determine what is causing the discomfort of the person. After the examination the doctor determines that his patient is suffering from a health condition that is treatable through proper diet and exercise. This would be the equivalent of someone beginning to walk by faith according to the truth and hearing the Holy Spirit reveal to them the weaknesses that have held them back from obedience in the past. Like the patient who receives directions from their doctor, we should be willing to hear instructions from the Holy Spirit as He reveals the weaknesses in our walk.

Instead of listening to the Lord for instruction, we tend to get hung up on the fact that we have a weakness or desire that must be corrected. Instead of moving forward by obeying the Holy Spirit, there is a tendency to want to give up because we now know what the root cause of our issues is. If we draw back into unbelief instead of walking with the Lord in faith it can cause us to either begin to take ownership of the feelings of rejection, unworthiness, etc. as a being a part of our new identity or try to do works in the strength of our flesh nature to earn what is only given to us freely.

If this word describes what you have been fighting in your spirit and know that it is truth than submit to what the Holy Spirit is saying and follow His instructions. Just like the doctor gives people a diagnosis and then a prescribed cure, so does the Holy Spirit but in a spiritual context. This means we have to accept it and obey His direction by faith.

As we learn to walk by faith and listen to the leading of the Spirit of God, we are now walking in our new identity by God’s grace. Sometimes as you follow doctor’s orders on the way to recovery, you will have flare-ups from the condition; it can also be that way in our spiritual walk of faith to recovery of leaning on the understanding of our flesh nature. There will be those times when the flesh nature will hinder your development because we’re all human, but we must also remember that this battle with our flesh nature and weaknesses is fought and won by faith that it might be by God’s grace. Salvation is the gift of God and no one can earn it through the works of their flesh. Obey and walk by faith and you will see victory in your life.

Learning to accept the free gift of God,
Pastor Asa Dockery 

A Whole New World

John 7 : 37 - 39, On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. NKJV

Paul teaches us in his writings that we are ambassadors of God’s kingdom on the earth. Jesus told His disciples and us that we are in the world but we’re not of the world. You may ask, “How is this possible, that I can be a Christian who lives in the world but not be a part of the world?” You have been born again by faith in Jesus Christ. Now you’re a citizen of the heavenly kingdom of God and you are to fulfill your heavenly assignment.

Everything to do with God and His kingdom must be understood, accepted and inherited by faith in His Word. We live in the reality of a fallen world but as Christians we are not to live in bondage or under the power of the sin that is in the world. We have been made free through our faith in Jesus Christ and have been called to serve Him in the earth.

Jesus gave us an example of how the principle of faith operates in the heart of a believer. He told those present at the feast that day, if they were thirsty to come to Him and drink. If you read His invitation with a carnal mind, you would draw the conclusion that He must have had a container of water and was offering some refreshment to the guests. If that were the case then the next statement that He made about “living water” wouldn’t make much sense. When we make the transition over to faith, our faith opens us up to a whole new world where God supplies all of our needs and not man.

As we become introduced to operating in the realm of the Holy Spirit as spirit beings, at first it seems strange to us. As we grow in our faith as children of God and become comfortable with the understanding and speech of the kingdom, the ways of this world become foreign to us. This is how you will know that your faith in God’s Word is changing your heart and causing you to become spiritually minded and no longer carnally minded.

The key to walking in the understanding of the Spirit and accessing the promises and provision of God while in this world, is to walk by faith in God’s Word. As they believed on Jesus, He gave them the power to become children of God and to have the living water begin to flow out of their innermost being. By faith we can tap into the realm of heaven where God dwells and bring into this realm all that is needed to protect and sustain us in this life.

Once we establish in our hearts that we’re going to always live by faith in Christ and His Word then we will grow in confidence that He is a very present Help in times of trouble. We will have the certainty that He is with us at all times and in all situations. At this point, we will then understand what God’s grace has done for us. Through our faith in Jesus we can be transformed and live in the world as pilgrims or sojourners waiting for the day of Christ’s return. Faith takes our attention away from how we began in the garden and changes us to look forward to the future when we shall be reunited with Christ.

Changed by faith in Jesus,
Pastor Asa Dockery

A Change of Heart

Ephesians 4 : 20 – 24, But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. NKJV

It’s very easy to become a born again child of God but it’s very challenging, to say the least, for a Christian to become Christ-like. The Lord gives us natural examples to show us spiritual principles. Whenever Jesus taught the people of His day He would use physical things and human problems in order to communicate and relate to people who were carnal thinkers so that they could comprehend spiritual concepts.

When a woman gives birth to her baby she realizes the infant is going to act and speak as an infant. It is the parents’ responsibility to nurture and train that child up in the way that he or she should go. When you look at a new born baby or an infant, you don’t always know if they are a girl or boy. It takes time and development for a baby to take on its own characteristics that distinguish its’ identity.

If we don’t understand that a Christian has to be renewed in the spirit of their mind where they begin to look Christ-like, we might have a tendency to say they’re not really saved based on their actions. Just because a person believes in Jesus for their soul’s salvation doesn’t mean that they have allowed the Word to change their heart.

Spiritual immaturity is manifested in our actions. If we haven’t taken the time to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into the truth then we will remain carnally minded and our actions won’t always align with our beliefs. When this occurs it causes others to question the authenticity of our faith. Paul definitely understood the transformation process of being changed from a carnal minded person into a spiritual minded disciple of Christ. He had to undergo such a transformation in his own walk and life.

The Bible is our moral compass. It teaches us how we should behave, vote, conduct business and how to settle disputes within the body of Christ. Therefore, Christians are to show their love for the Lord by keeping His commands. Until the Word of God is revealed to our heart than it is possible for a Christian to walk in carnality or the ways of the world.

If your actions contradict the Word of God and people see the contradictions, than your witness of Christ is made ineffective. In other words, there will be no fruit in your life. Jesus said that we should live in such a way that men will see our good works and cause them to glorify the Father because they know our works are of Him. Let me challenge you today to align any area of your new life that doesn’t agree with the Word of God.

As a Christian, our conversations are to be holy and not filled with gossip and filth. Jesus asked how sweet water and bitter water can flow from the same fountain. It was in the context of Him teaching about doing His will and not just being religious that He spoke of this fountain in us. He doesn’t want us to only have a form of godliness but He wants us to be clothed in humility and godliness as the children of God. To seek change means that you must first seek God and He will cause the change to occur that you seek.

Being changed from the inside out,
Pastor Asa Dockery

A Higher Standard

Matthew 5 : 21 – 22, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. NKJV

Matthew 5 : 27 – 28, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. NKJV

Matthew 5 : 43 – 45, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; NKJV

Do you remember the moment you asked the Lord to save you from your past sins and failures and to accept you as His child? Didn’t you feel clean and brand new when God applied the blood of Jesus to your sin stains and your guilty conscience through your faith in Christ? It reminds me of the time when God used Moses to bring the children of Israel out of the land of bondage and away from the oppression of man.

The children of Israel were crying out to God because of their anguish and the oppression of their taskmasters. As slaves to Pharaoh and having to live in the land of bondage, the Jews knew what hard labor without reward was all about. We can’t even begin to imagine how these “slaves” were threatened and beaten on a daily basis by their enemies. But God heard their cries and saw their afflictions and brought them out of their bondage with a high-hand.

As these former slaves were leaving what had been their prison camp for 400 years, they were taking with them all of the memories and scars of their experience of that land. Once they saw God drown Pharaoh and his mighty army in the Red Sea, they knew their days of bondage and anguish was over.

As hard and painful as slavery was for the Jews and their families to have to live under and to endure, they discovered something in the wilderness that challenged them even greater.  Once they had crossed the Red Sea and were now alive in the wilderness, they soon discovered that the land didn’t have the resources that were needed to supply their need for food and comfort.

This nation of former slaves knew what hard work was all about but God was going to introduce them to a new principle called “living by faith” apart from their works. He was going to supply all their needs and fight their battles but all He asked of them is that they would obey His voice and keep His commandments. When the people realized that the land couldn’t handle their needs it caused them to begin to worry for their lives. Instead of trusting God they allowed unbelief (God had forsaken them) to fill their heart. In spite of their unbelief God supplied all their needs and fought their battles. He remained faithful to His people even though the people had turned in their hearts against His voice.

As they saw what was ahead for them, they begin to reminisce about how “good” they had life in Egypt. They obviously had selective memory because they had forgotten about the days and nights of anguish and crying out to God for deliverance from their oppressors. Yet, they chose to harden their hearts to God’s voice even though they knew God was taking care of them. We must guard our hearts from unbelief when life doesn’t go according to our terms. If we belong to God then we must also believe that God knows what we need and also realize that it’s not always found at a store or a job, but from Him.

As they hardened their hearts because they didn’t agree with God’s plan of getting them to the land of promise, it prolonged their stay in the wilderness. You see, the Promised Land would only be granted to those who lived by faith and they weren’t willing to hear God’s voice, so God couldn’t bless them for their disobedience. So all that came out of Egypt and was filled with unbelief died in the wilderness. You may be asking what does this have to do with me. Well, here is where we come into the story.

Look back at today’s passages. Jesus introduced a new principle when He began to preach to the Jews that involved, not the Law, but truth and grace. Jesus took what was hard to keep under the Law and made it impossible under grace. I gave you three examples from all that Jesus taught that day on the Mount of Olives, to show you how much harder it is for a believer under grace than those who were under the Law. (JEWS)

Why would Jesus take something that people struggled to obey in the Old Testament and make even harder under the New Testament? So we would realize like Israel that man doesn’t have life by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. We can’t keep Jesus’ commandments in our flesh so we must humble ourselves and realize that Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus taught us that what is impossible with man is now possible with God. Through faith in Christ we have become children of God and GOD IS WITH US!

With God all things are now possible. You can obey Jesus’ commands even though they require more than sacrifice, because He has given to you, His Holy Spirit. Now you must be willing to walk humbly by faith and receive the grace to inherit the promises of God’s kingdom through your faith. You and I can’t live a holy life in the weakness of our souls but we can live holy before God through His grace as long as we humble ourselves to His voice. Be encouraged today and know that God is with you. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

Praying for you to succeed,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Setting The Record Straight

Matthew 5 : 17 – 20, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. NKJV

A very important lesson concerning truth! Peter admonishes us in his epistle that no prophecy that is contained in scripture was given by personal interpretation of the prophets but was God-inspired through the power of the Holy Spirit who moved upon them.

When God invited Israel to meet with Him at the base of Mount Sinai to become acquainted with Him, His presence and power made them afraid. Out of fear, they chose not to hear the voice of God but they wanted to listen to Moses instead. This is dangerous for two reasons. This gives place for people to dismiss man as their spiritual authority, as we see in the account of Israel under the leadership of Moses. Also, it gives place for leaders to begin to misinterpret the Word of God and to lead people astray. Jesus didn’t come to earth as our High Priest to get in the “way” of mankind getting to God, but He came to be the “ONLY WAY” for man to know God.

The latter reason that I mentioned is where the Holy Spirit is leading us today. In the context of today’s scriptures from Matthew’s gospel, we see where Jesus is establishing truth with those who were present that day. He told the Jews that He had not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it. In order for Jesus to fulfill the Law had to mean that He was sent by God. This statement set Him apart from the other leaders of the temple and Judaism.

He proceeded to inform the people that anyone who disobeyed the Law and taught others to follow suit was the least in the kingdom of heaven. He went on to say that whoever kept or obeyed the Law completely and taught others to do the same would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Once again, He set Himself apart from the religious leaders of His day with this statement. If you read Matthew chapter 5 you will notice how Jesus begins to teach them what has been said of old and then He begins to set the record straight. He continued on to tell the crowd that their righteousness had to exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees or they wouldn’t be allowed to enter the kingdom of heaven.

When Israel rejected the opportunity to hear the voice of God, it opened the door for Satan to lead God’s people astray from the true righteousness which comes by faith and not through works of man. When the Law proved to be more than demanding on them than the people wanted to bear, they simply interpreted it to mean what they wanted it to say, according to their own lusts and sin. They allowed men to lead them according to their own point-of-view rather than God’s intended view. This caused Israel to establish their own form of worship and righteousness according to Matthew 15 and Romans 10. 

Therefore, Jesus began His teaching ministry with His longest sermon, revealing the false doctrines of the Pharisees. Later, Jesus privately warned His disciples of the leaven (sin) of the Pharisees. You can see through today’s word what happens when God’s people ignore or refuse to listen to the voice of God. It gives place for the flesh of man to misinterpret the truth of God’s Word to fit our carnal ways and lusts.

Jesus tells us in John 10 that His sheep know His voice and another they won’t follow. If you find it hard to hear and know when God speaks to you as one of His own, then you must invest time in His presence and seeking His face. He will open your ear to hear the Holy Spirit. As Israel ignored the voice of God, it gave place for a group of men to arise on the religious scene and to lead them astray. As the Old Testament closes, you hear of prophets, kings and High Priests and priest but who were the Pharisees?

I guess you could call them lawyers who took it upon themselves to correctly interpret God’s Law when they themselves didn’t know God, according to Jesus’ teachings. They come on the scene between Malachi and Matthew’s gospel. Doesn’t it seem as though we are living in a time when men are trying to rewrite and misinterpret the Word of God through political correctness? Just sayin’

You shall know the truth,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Trapped

Philippians 4 : 13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. NKJV

As a pastor for more than twelve years, I have seen many Christians fall into the traps that were set by Satan, the adversary of their soul. To fall into a trap of Satan simply means we believe a lie about ourselves, and we, therefore, remain in bondage to a demonic stronghold. A lie of Satan becomes a stronghold the moment we believe what he is telling us about a situation or a condition we are facing instead of standing on the Word of God.

In the natural, a trap brought on by a lie may be an addiction, an emotional wound, a crutch, or anything that forces you to believe or think that you can’t get past a certain issue or vice. If you think that you can’t overcome a problem or an addiction in your life, then you are bound in your walk. Christ didn’t come to save us from sin so that we could die in bondage to its power. According to Luke 4: 18, He was sent and anointed to set us FREE!!

I, myself have fallen prey to Satan’s lies in recent years and thought I would never break free, but God was faithful. Satan had me blinded and convinced that things would never be any better. For a while, I believed his lies because I was weary from the battles. Nevertheless, through prayer and continued obedience, Satan has lost the strangle hold on my life that was brought on by fear.

Like many others, you may be in a trap of Satan today. Are you fighting a battle against something in your life that won’t seem to let go? Then you need “MORE GRACE." This is not a cliché. Instead, it is a truth that can set you free so that you can begin to walk out of the trap. You must not accept defeat. If you are a Christian, then Christ will cause you to triumph ALWAYS. The key is to turn to the Lord and submit yourself (including any doubts, fears, or unbelief) you may be holding onto in your heart. God is for you. However, you must be willing to believe and accept this truth before He can give you the power to come out completely.

Just because you have a stronghold in your life, it doesn’t mean that God has abandoned you. The Lord has promised that He would never leave or forsake us. Even so, we must give Jesus our full attention and cooperation in this matter. When the Holy Spirit instructs you to make the first step or to take action, you have to obey His voice and let Him take care of the details. This will require you to submit to Him and trust His instructions at all times. As you take the initial steps, doubt, fear, and unbelief will begin to scream out, “You can’t do this." Nevertheless, don’t worry; once you obey God’s voice, it’s not you doing the work. It is God’s strength and grace flowing through you.

With each act of obedience and faith, you will find that it will become easier to obey because of the new grace that has been given to you.  "You" have gotten out of the way, and grace has taken over. Remember, before grace, you couldn’t even attempt to walk out. However, now that you have submitted, God’s grace is moving you forward to freedom. You can walk out of the trap and never look back. Before I leave you today, let me share the verses that God gave me for you:

James 4 : 5 – 7, What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the Holy Spirit, whom God has placed within us, jealously longs for us to be faithful? He gives us more and more strength to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble." So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. NLT

The more we submit by faith to God’s will and His Word, the more grace He will extend to us so that we can come out of the traps of Satan.

Walking in Freedom through More Grace,
Pastor Asa Dockery

 

The Power of Prophecy

Acts 12 : 5 – 7. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. NKJV

In the context of today’s scripture, James has been killed by Herod. Therefore, when Herod saw that it pleased the Jews, he captured Peter as well and was going to execute him. However, Herod had to postpone Peter’s execution because it was Passover; and it was unlawful to perform such a deed on that day.

Can you imagine what it must have been like for Peter during this time? His friend and fellow servant of the Lord had been killed, and he was now being held by armed guards. Nevertheless, even on the night before Peter was to be killed, he slept. How was Peter able to sleep with all the turmoil and danger surrounding him?

Like Peter, you may be facing uncertainty in your life. You may have recently received an evil report that has you upset. Please cast your care upon the Lord and rest in His love so that He can guard your heart from fear with His peace.

Peter had great peace in his heart about the outcome of the situation because He had a promise from God. What’s more, Peter had faith that what Jesus had promised him would truly come to pass in his life. It was because of Peter’s faith in what Jesus had previously spoken over him that gave him the assurance that this night would not end in death, but victory. Therefore, he slept.

What did Peter know?  Jesus had already told Peter how he would die. He also told him that he would die as an old man. Because Peter was given this prophecy, he could rest while everyone else was worrying and wondering what would become of him. Here is the scripture reference that I am writing about:

John 21: 17 – 19, He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me." NKJV

In this world, we will all face hardships. Therefore, we are required to make a choice when trouble enters our lives. Will we place our trust in God and stand on His Word like Peter, or will we allow fear to rule our hearts and rob us of our peace in Christ? We all have a promise in Isaiah 54. No weapon that is formed against us shall be able to prosper. Consequently, when you hear of a weapon being formed against you, you have to exercise your faith in God’s Word until victory is won.

In Psalms 23, David stated that even though he had to pass through the valley of the shadow of death, he would not fear evil because the Lord was with him. Jesus is with you because His Spirit lives within you. Hold onto your peace and let fear pass you by. God has got this!

Leaning on the Arm of Jesus,
Pastor Asa Dockery