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
Have you ever tried to talk with someone in a room that is filled with other people conversing? Restaurants in America seem to enjoy playing music at a very uncomfortable level. Consequently, when you have loud music and even louder voices in a closed room, it can become very distracting. I suppose you could stand up and shout for everyone to be quiet and ask the restaurant manager to turn off the music, but you might be asked to leave. Except for walking out of the loud room, I suppose the only other option at this point is to remain focused on the person you're talking with while turning a "deaf ear" to the other voices and noises.
As we seek to learn more about Jesus and to please Him with our lives, we will have to overcome the distractions of Satan. You might be able to walk out of a noisy restaurant, but you can't run away from the distractions of Satan. The only way to overcome distractions is to learn the principle of being focused on Jesus while living in a world filled with spiritual distractions. Our flesh nature, even as Christians can cause us to fall prey to distractions from time to time. So we must train ourselves to remain focused on Christ no matter what cries out for our attention.
We must guard our hearts when focusing on Jesus so that we don't allow fear to overcome our faith. If we allow this to happen, we will take our spiritual eyes off of Jesus and drown in our unbelief. Which would have been easier for Jesus, giving Simon the power to walk on water, or silencing the storm for Simon? You may be asking what that question has to do with Simon being distracted. Why is it? Simon had the faith in Jesus to walk on water, which is humanly impossible, but didn't have the faith that Jesus could have authority over the storm? Perhaps we can learn a very valuable lesson from Simon's story. It's easier to walk by faith when there are no storms or threats that oppose us while we're walking by faith. However, if our faith can't stand up to the fire of a trial, then what good is our faith?
This story perfectly illustrates just how important it is for Christians to maintain our spiritual focus on Jesus, especially when storms arise. We must keep our eyes on Jesus in order to continue walking above the weight and the sins of this world. We must ask ourselves one question, as it pertains to maintaining focus by overcoming distractions. Why doesn't Satan want us to keep our eyes on Jesus? He knows when Christians have their complete focus and heart's attention on Jesus, he has no power over them in which to stop them from reaching Jesus. Therefore, if you struggle with "spiritual attention disorder," and you allow fear to rule your walk and cause you to lose focus, then you must learn how to die to the flesh nature. Dying to the old nature, which vies for your attention, is a day-to-day process, but it is an obtainable goal. This is the victory that overcomes the world even our faith. Satan couldn't stop us from coming to faith in Christ because Christ originated our salvation, so he attempts to distract us from walking by faith so that he might cause us to go back into unbelief.
Walking in Victory Toward Jesus,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving
Psalms 128: 1 - 4, Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in His ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. NKJV
Today is a very special day, and as you prepare to celebrate by giving thanks to our heavenly Father let me share this special message with you. It is just a simple reminder of the best blessings that the Father has bestowed upon us... and that is to have our families and/or friends with us to share in the blessings given to us by the Lord. As we train ourselves to fear the Lord and walk in His ways, it allows Him to release His blessing so that we are able to enjoy life with those we cherish.
One of the definitions of grace is divine influence upon the heart. God doesn't make a big "to do" over blessing us to draw attention to Himself, but it does give Him great pleasure when we live in a way that permits it. In subtle ways He empowers us to enjoy life, even though the world we live in isn't so kind to us. We can read in the Bible how that God blessed the clothing and the shoes of His people while they were in the wilderness for 40 years. His blessing just makes things work better and last longer. He also gives us a stronger harvest when we sow, because we have chosen to seek His kingdom and righteousness first.
Let us all give thanks unto the Lord, especially today, for His grace and His goodness; when they come from Him, they make us rich and add no sorrow. I pray God's richest rewards on you and your family on this very special day (and always). Happy Thanksgiving from the Dockerys!
I'm Hungry,
Pastor Asa
Today is a very special day, and as you prepare to celebrate by giving thanks to our heavenly Father let me share this special message with you. It is just a simple reminder of the best blessings that the Father has bestowed upon us... and that is to have our families and/or friends with us to share in the blessings given to us by the Lord. As we train ourselves to fear the Lord and walk in His ways, it allows Him to release His blessing so that we are able to enjoy life with those we cherish.
One of the definitions of grace is divine influence upon the heart. God doesn't make a big "to do" over blessing us to draw attention to Himself, but it does give Him great pleasure when we live in a way that permits it. In subtle ways He empowers us to enjoy life, even though the world we live in isn't so kind to us. We can read in the Bible how that God blessed the clothing and the shoes of His people while they were in the wilderness for 40 years. His blessing just makes things work better and last longer. He also gives us a stronger harvest when we sow, because we have chosen to seek His kingdom and righteousness first.
Let us all give thanks unto the Lord, especially today, for His grace and His goodness; when they come from Him, they make us rich and add no sorrow. I pray God's richest rewards on you and your family on this very special day (and always). Happy Thanksgiving from the Dockerys!
I'm Hungry,
Pastor Asa
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
He Gives His Beloved Sleep
Psalm 127: 1 - 2, Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep. NKJV
Do you have trouble sleeping at night? Do the concerns of the day keep playing over in your mind? The Psalmist gives us some insight into why this might be occurring in our lives. Let's look at what the Lord is saying to us today.
In Genesis 11, we read about a group of people that had a common goal; they wanted to build a tower so that they might make a name for themselves in the earth. They desired to build something that reached toward heaven and that would awe the people who would live after them. They trusted in this tower to be their honor and their legacy of greatness in the earth. There was one huge problem with this; although they were all unified in the building of this mega-tower, they didn't include the Lord in their plans. God has said that He will have no other gods before Him...they had made it a god by declaring that it would reach heaven. So this got God's attention, and He confounded their language so that they couldn't understand one another. As a result, the tower stood uncompleted, and acted as a reminder to the people that they should include God in their plans. It taught those who were involved in the planning and building of this huge undertaking that when you leave God out of your plans, you're plans are doomed to fail. Instead of being a structure that awed and impressed people, it has become a fixture in history that serves to remind us of man's limited abilities, of his shame, and of his dishonor. The Lord must be in the building process and in the plans, or those who labor will do so in vain.
The Psalmist also talked about the Lord being the watchman who guards the city. In America, we have 24/7 security guarding our most important resources and weaponry. When we begin to think it is our greatness that has kept us safe, at the cost of ignoring the Lord as our spiritual protection, it causes us to begin to think that we are above having a breach in our security. This will cause a false sense of ease (rest), if you will, and allow complacency to slip in unaware. Before September 11, 2001, America considered her borders safe; it was almost as though we thought they were impenetrable. But early that morning on the East coast of America, we watched in horror at what was unfolding before our very eyes; and I've heard it said by someone in government that they had never even considered the possibility that a commercial airplane would be used as a missile whose goal was to destroy human lives. America had become too independent of God and more dependent on our own reputation and skills. It cost this nation more than lives and money; the peace and the sense of safety that we once took for granted now has been replaced with homeland security and code alerts. Except the Lord is the Watchman, then our watchmen guard in vain.
What the Lord wants to convey through the Psalmist and through this devotion today is that we must place our complete faith and trust in Him in everything that we set our hands to do. We will never become so secure, so righteous, or so holy that we no longer need to look to and trust in the Lord's provision, protection, and power.
As a result of us placing our complete trust in the Lord to take care of us and our children, He will give His beloved sleep. Teach yourself the principles of this Psalm, and you will develop a trust in the Lord that will allow you to enter into His rest and have peace in your heart. (Even in a time of trouble) As a pastor, I have many occasions in which things trouble my spirit. Yet, I have learned how to lay those thoughts and feelings at His feet and ask for His rest to guard my heart. He is faithful to take those cares and give me sleep and rest. When you wake up from His sleep, you will be rested as well. So take whatever troubles that you have been carrying to bed with you...and tonight, give them to the Lord first; let Him have them...and then you enter into peaceful sleep and rest.
Encamped About by His Angels,
Pastor Asa
Do you have trouble sleeping at night? Do the concerns of the day keep playing over in your mind? The Psalmist gives us some insight into why this might be occurring in our lives. Let's look at what the Lord is saying to us today.
In Genesis 11, we read about a group of people that had a common goal; they wanted to build a tower so that they might make a name for themselves in the earth. They desired to build something that reached toward heaven and that would awe the people who would live after them. They trusted in this tower to be their honor and their legacy of greatness in the earth. There was one huge problem with this; although they were all unified in the building of this mega-tower, they didn't include the Lord in their plans. God has said that He will have no other gods before Him...they had made it a god by declaring that it would reach heaven. So this got God's attention, and He confounded their language so that they couldn't understand one another. As a result, the tower stood uncompleted, and acted as a reminder to the people that they should include God in their plans. It taught those who were involved in the planning and building of this huge undertaking that when you leave God out of your plans, you're plans are doomed to fail. Instead of being a structure that awed and impressed people, it has become a fixture in history that serves to remind us of man's limited abilities, of his shame, and of his dishonor. The Lord must be in the building process and in the plans, or those who labor will do so in vain.
The Psalmist also talked about the Lord being the watchman who guards the city. In America, we have 24/7 security guarding our most important resources and weaponry. When we begin to think it is our greatness that has kept us safe, at the cost of ignoring the Lord as our spiritual protection, it causes us to begin to think that we are above having a breach in our security. This will cause a false sense of ease (rest), if you will, and allow complacency to slip in unaware. Before September 11, 2001, America considered her borders safe; it was almost as though we thought they were impenetrable. But early that morning on the East coast of America, we watched in horror at what was unfolding before our very eyes; and I've heard it said by someone in government that they had never even considered the possibility that a commercial airplane would be used as a missile whose goal was to destroy human lives. America had become too independent of God and more dependent on our own reputation and skills. It cost this nation more than lives and money; the peace and the sense of safety that we once took for granted now has been replaced with homeland security and code alerts. Except the Lord is the Watchman, then our watchmen guard in vain.
What the Lord wants to convey through the Psalmist and through this devotion today is that we must place our complete faith and trust in Him in everything that we set our hands to do. We will never become so secure, so righteous, or so holy that we no longer need to look to and trust in the Lord's provision, protection, and power.
As a result of us placing our complete trust in the Lord to take care of us and our children, He will give His beloved sleep. Teach yourself the principles of this Psalm, and you will develop a trust in the Lord that will allow you to enter into His rest and have peace in your heart. (Even in a time of trouble) As a pastor, I have many occasions in which things trouble my spirit. Yet, I have learned how to lay those thoughts and feelings at His feet and ask for His rest to guard my heart. He is faithful to take those cares and give me sleep and rest. When you wake up from His sleep, you will be rested as well. So take whatever troubles that you have been carrying to bed with you...and tonight, give them to the Lord first; let Him have them...and then you enter into peaceful sleep and rest.
Encamped About by His Angels,
Pastor Asa
Monday, November 21, 2011
The Lord Requires Faith, Not Curiosity
John 3: 1 - 4, There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" NKJV
The writer of Hebrews tells us, "He that comes to God must believe that He is (exists), and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him." In today's verse, you read about a Pharisee, who was a ruler over the Jews, named Nicodemus. There was something different about this Pharisee that set him apart. He sought out Jesus... even though it was under the cloak of darkness. I suppose he came to Jesus at night so that the other men wouldn't know that he was curious to find out more about this Jesus.
It takes more than a suspicion or a curiosity to get to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. When you approach Him, you must believe that He is, indeed, who He says He is. Obviously, Nicodemus saw something in Jesus that other religious leaders didn't, and this drew him to Jesus. He saw the mighty works of Jesus and listened to the powerful messages that Jesus taught; he also recognized that Jesus was able to teach with great authority. This gave Nicodemus enough evidence that he was willing to admit that God was with Jesus, but He didn't say that Jesus was God.
So when Jesus was asked by this Pharisee about His authority, He wanted to lead him on into a faith relationship with Him. He told Nicodemus that he must be born again... if he wanted to see the kingdom of God. It's at this point that we see curiosity could only take him so far in his dialogue with Jesus. Once Jesus spoke to him in a spiritual context, this leader began to be bewildered. You see, Nicodemus was thinking naturally, and Jesus was speaking spiritually. This leader wanted to know how Jesus acquired His authority. The natural man can't receive the spiritual truths of God, and this is why we are required to come to God by faith. If we truly believe in Jesus as the only begotten Son of the living God, then the Father will give us understanding of spiritual truths.
Even though Jesus offered Nicodemus an opportunity, through faith, to see with spiritual eyes, he chose to hear and see only with his natural ability. As a believer, you will have many occasions to misunderstand your heavenly Father; it will be in those times that you will be tempted to ask Him, why? We have the right to ask the Father why, as long as we do so in faith and trust. If we do it in doubt... where we are questioning His character and His authority as God, then we cross over into tempting the Lord. We are required to remain humble in the sight of the Lord, and He will give us spiritual understanding in exchange.
So the next time something happens in your life and it begins to challenge your belief in the Lord and in His goodness, know that this will require trust from you. When you're faced with a hard season, a tough decision, or a tragedy that tests your confidence in God's character, then know that it is a temptation of the Devil. Before you can get clear understanding, you must first be willing to submit to the Lordship of the Father and trust Him, then you will have the power to resist the Devil's temptation to oppose the Father; then Satan will have to flee from you. You will know Satan has left you when you don't have negative thoughts or feelings about God... or feel pushed with the need to question His will for your life. Without faith, we can't please Him, but with faith, we can know Him personally. He is faithful.
Trusting Through the Test,
Pastor Asa
The writer of Hebrews tells us, "He that comes to God must believe that He is (exists), and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him." In today's verse, you read about a Pharisee, who was a ruler over the Jews, named Nicodemus. There was something different about this Pharisee that set him apart. He sought out Jesus... even though it was under the cloak of darkness. I suppose he came to Jesus at night so that the other men wouldn't know that he was curious to find out more about this Jesus.
It takes more than a suspicion or a curiosity to get to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. When you approach Him, you must believe that He is, indeed, who He says He is. Obviously, Nicodemus saw something in Jesus that other religious leaders didn't, and this drew him to Jesus. He saw the mighty works of Jesus and listened to the powerful messages that Jesus taught; he also recognized that Jesus was able to teach with great authority. This gave Nicodemus enough evidence that he was willing to admit that God was with Jesus, but He didn't say that Jesus was God.
So when Jesus was asked by this Pharisee about His authority, He wanted to lead him on into a faith relationship with Him. He told Nicodemus that he must be born again... if he wanted to see the kingdom of God. It's at this point that we see curiosity could only take him so far in his dialogue with Jesus. Once Jesus spoke to him in a spiritual context, this leader began to be bewildered. You see, Nicodemus was thinking naturally, and Jesus was speaking spiritually. This leader wanted to know how Jesus acquired His authority. The natural man can't receive the spiritual truths of God, and this is why we are required to come to God by faith. If we truly believe in Jesus as the only begotten Son of the living God, then the Father will give us understanding of spiritual truths.
Even though Jesus offered Nicodemus an opportunity, through faith, to see with spiritual eyes, he chose to hear and see only with his natural ability. As a believer, you will have many occasions to misunderstand your heavenly Father; it will be in those times that you will be tempted to ask Him, why? We have the right to ask the Father why, as long as we do so in faith and trust. If we do it in doubt... where we are questioning His character and His authority as God, then we cross over into tempting the Lord. We are required to remain humble in the sight of the Lord, and He will give us spiritual understanding in exchange.
So the next time something happens in your life and it begins to challenge your belief in the Lord and in His goodness, know that this will require trust from you. When you're faced with a hard season, a tough decision, or a tragedy that tests your confidence in God's character, then know that it is a temptation of the Devil. Before you can get clear understanding, you must first be willing to submit to the Lordship of the Father and trust Him, then you will have the power to resist the Devil's temptation to oppose the Father; then Satan will have to flee from you. You will know Satan has left you when you don't have negative thoughts or feelings about God... or feel pushed with the need to question His will for your life. Without faith, we can't please Him, but with faith, we can know Him personally. He is faithful.
Trusting Through the Test,
Pastor Asa
Friday, November 18, 2011
Better Not Let God Hear You
Matthew 26 : 40 - 41, Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." NKJV
There's a valuable lesson in the passage for today's devotion that I want to share with you. When we allow our flesh nature to rule our hearts and cause us to disregard our obedience to the Lord's command as the disciples did, it will cause us to enter into temptation. God has done everything within His power for us through Jesus Christ in order that we might be saved and obtain spiritual victory. Nevertheless, there are still some THINGS we must obey so we will be able to walk in victory over our flesh and over unbelief.
We know by what Jesus said to the disciples that none of the disciples "had" to enter into temptation. However, they chose to allow their flesh to rule their spirits. Instead of praying for God to strengthen them for the battle that was just ahead of them, they slept. They did this because of unbelief. Anytime we can hear the voice of God and ignore Him as the disciples did, it tells God that we don't believe His instructions. We also see this unbelief in operation with Adam in the garden. God told him not to eat the forbidden fruit, but he disobeyed and indulged anyway. We always talk about and preach on the sin of commission (doing something wrong), but did you know that there is also a sin of omission? James tells us, when we know the good that we should do and choose not to do it, to us, it is sin.
The thing that opened Adam and the disciples up to being tempted and sinning against the Lord was their lack of obedience to do what He had previously told them. God has promised to make a way of escape so that we won't have to enter into temptation because something is too hard for us to handle. Nevertheless, if we should choose not to heed His voice because of unbelief, then we will allow the enemy to tempt us into sinning against the Lord. Why is OBEDIENCE so important to the child of God as it pertains to living in victory over the Devil? To obey God is to walk or live by faith. When we choose to obey and live by faith, we are, at the same time, crucifying the flesh nature and living a victorious life over the wiles of the Devil. John teaches us in his epistle that our faith in Christ is our victory over the world. If we should allow unbelief to rule our hearts, and if we give place to our flesh instead of the voice of God, we are allowing ourselves to be placed in bondage to Satan's lies.
Let's advance this teaching to the reason for today's word. When we find ourselves living in unbelief as the disciples did, there's a tendency to begin to complain to God about the conditions that we have to live in. Look at how many times the disciples hardened their hearts and walked in fear when Jesus expected them to walk in faith. They did this over and again because they doubted the true identity of Jesus. Had they submitted to His Lordship and obeyed Him, they wouldn't have had any problems with unbelief.
We also see this principle of unbelief at work in the generation that God delivered out of Egypt. Every time the Holy Spirit spoke to that generation, they hardened their hearts because of unbelief. The only way to please God is by our faith, and that is demonstrated through our obedience. Therefore, when they chose to operate in unbelief, it prevented them from inheriting the promises of God. Consequently, they walked in lack. When they encountered lack, they began to murmur and grumble to Moses and God about the awful conditions of the wilderness. Unbelief had them blinded to the fact that the condition of lack wasn't caused by God, but, instead, by their own disobedience.
When Christians choose to walk in unbelief, we will be blinded. Moreover, our blindness will cause us to blame someone else for our lack of faith, as Adam blamed Eve. In conclusion, we know the unbelief that both the generation that was delivered in the wilderness, and the disciples of Jesus struggled with was caused by their unwillingness to surrender to the authority of God in their hearts. Therefore, whenever their unbelief got them into a desperate situation, they turned on God (Jesus). When we choose to ignore the voice of God because of a flesh-fit, and it opens the door for trouble, we must be careful not to murmur; instead, we should repent for our unbelief, lest we tempt God with it and force Him to become angry with us. God overlooked the sin and the weaknesses of Israel when He delivered them; He has looked beyond our faults as well. However, there is one thing God won't overlook, and that is a heart that murmurs against Him because it is filled with unbelief. If you find yourself murmuring against the Lord, you might want to check your heart with the Holy Spirit to see if you have missed an earlier command from the Lord.
Just sayin',
Pastor Asa Dockery
There's a valuable lesson in the passage for today's devotion that I want to share with you. When we allow our flesh nature to rule our hearts and cause us to disregard our obedience to the Lord's command as the disciples did, it will cause us to enter into temptation. God has done everything within His power for us through Jesus Christ in order that we might be saved and obtain spiritual victory. Nevertheless, there are still some THINGS we must obey so we will be able to walk in victory over our flesh and over unbelief.
We know by what Jesus said to the disciples that none of the disciples "had" to enter into temptation. However, they chose to allow their flesh to rule their spirits. Instead of praying for God to strengthen them for the battle that was just ahead of them, they slept. They did this because of unbelief. Anytime we can hear the voice of God and ignore Him as the disciples did, it tells God that we don't believe His instructions. We also see this unbelief in operation with Adam in the garden. God told him not to eat the forbidden fruit, but he disobeyed and indulged anyway. We always talk about and preach on the sin of commission (doing something wrong), but did you know that there is also a sin of omission? James tells us, when we know the good that we should do and choose not to do it, to us, it is sin.
The thing that opened Adam and the disciples up to being tempted and sinning against the Lord was their lack of obedience to do what He had previously told them. God has promised to make a way of escape so that we won't have to enter into temptation because something is too hard for us to handle. Nevertheless, if we should choose not to heed His voice because of unbelief, then we will allow the enemy to tempt us into sinning against the Lord. Why is OBEDIENCE so important to the child of God as it pertains to living in victory over the Devil? To obey God is to walk or live by faith. When we choose to obey and live by faith, we are, at the same time, crucifying the flesh nature and living a victorious life over the wiles of the Devil. John teaches us in his epistle that our faith in Christ is our victory over the world. If we should allow unbelief to rule our hearts, and if we give place to our flesh instead of the voice of God, we are allowing ourselves to be placed in bondage to Satan's lies.
Let's advance this teaching to the reason for today's word. When we find ourselves living in unbelief as the disciples did, there's a tendency to begin to complain to God about the conditions that we have to live in. Look at how many times the disciples hardened their hearts and walked in fear when Jesus expected them to walk in faith. They did this over and again because they doubted the true identity of Jesus. Had they submitted to His Lordship and obeyed Him, they wouldn't have had any problems with unbelief.
We also see this principle of unbelief at work in the generation that God delivered out of Egypt. Every time the Holy Spirit spoke to that generation, they hardened their hearts because of unbelief. The only way to please God is by our faith, and that is demonstrated through our obedience. Therefore, when they chose to operate in unbelief, it prevented them from inheriting the promises of God. Consequently, they walked in lack. When they encountered lack, they began to murmur and grumble to Moses and God about the awful conditions of the wilderness. Unbelief had them blinded to the fact that the condition of lack wasn't caused by God, but, instead, by their own disobedience.
When Christians choose to walk in unbelief, we will be blinded. Moreover, our blindness will cause us to blame someone else for our lack of faith, as Adam blamed Eve. In conclusion, we know the unbelief that both the generation that was delivered in the wilderness, and the disciples of Jesus struggled with was caused by their unwillingness to surrender to the authority of God in their hearts. Therefore, whenever their unbelief got them into a desperate situation, they turned on God (Jesus). When we choose to ignore the voice of God because of a flesh-fit, and it opens the door for trouble, we must be careful not to murmur; instead, we should repent for our unbelief, lest we tempt God with it and force Him to become angry with us. God overlooked the sin and the weaknesses of Israel when He delivered them; He has looked beyond our faults as well. However, there is one thing God won't overlook, and that is a heart that murmurs against Him because it is filled with unbelief. If you find yourself murmuring against the Lord, you might want to check your heart with the Holy Spirit to see if you have missed an earlier command from the Lord.
Just sayin',
Pastor Asa Dockery
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Distractions from the Enemy
Nehemiah 6 : 1 - 3, Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it(though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono." But they thought to do me harm. So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?" NKJV
God has called you and me to do a great work in the earth. Therefore, there is no higher calling or mandate than to accept and to fulfill the purpose of God for our lives. There came a time when Nehemiah, the king's cupbearer, heard about the destruction of the wall that once protected the Jews from their enemies. When he received the news and realized the reproach that such an evil deed had brought upon his people, Nehemiah became very sad, and his countenance fell before the king. God gave him favor with the king, and Nehemiah was relieved of his duties, so he could go and rebuild the wall.
Occasionally, we are called upon by the Lord to lay aside one calling in exchange for a higher calling so that God might use us to rebuild walls and lives that have been torn apart by the enemy. If the Lord has moved you from one place to another, or released you from one purpose in order to prepare you for another, then you must be aware of the schemes Satan will try to use to distract you from serving God's will in a new place or new season. Satan has only a few weapons at his disposal, and one of the most effective of those is distractions. He works very diligently to capture our focus away from God's purpose for us so that he might cause us to leave off God's work.
Here is one of the main indicators that lets me know whether or not something is a distraction from Satan: He will use both situations in your life, and he will use the flesh of others to direct the focus of your attention to you. This is the ploy used by Sanballat and Geshem that we read about in today's passage. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem used intimidation, threats, and manipulation like weapons to distract Nehemiah from fulfilling God's purpose through his continued obedience.
Please take the time to read the first five chapters of Nehemiah to get a full understanding of all that Nehemiah had to endure and to overcome just to remain committed to the rebuilding of the wall. God had called Nehemiah away from serving the king because there were many lives at stake. Likewise, isn't it interesting how Satan will use people, threats, intimidation, and seduction to try and pull us away from serving God in order to protect ourselves? Consequently, Nehemiah was an excellent example for us to model our prayer life after when faced with these types of attacks. Throughout his book, we read where Nehemiah would call on the Lord to provide strength, protect, and fight for him so that he could continue to rebuild the wall.
Satan loves to distract Christians so that lives are left unguarded from his lies and assaults. He will use lusts and fear to cause us to place our focus on "self" instead of serving the purposes of God in our life. Do you know without any doubt that you're in the center of God's will? If you answered "Yes," then you must guard your heart from becoming distracted. If your answer was "No," then you must be willing to seek God's face and allow Him to remove any distractions from your life, thus enabling you to focus clearly on His will and not your own. You will know when you receive a "mandate" from God because you won't be able to ignore it or run from it. Like Nehemiah, God's hand will rest upon you.
Staying Focused During the Storms,
Pastor Asa Dockery
God has called you and me to do a great work in the earth. Therefore, there is no higher calling or mandate than to accept and to fulfill the purpose of God for our lives. There came a time when Nehemiah, the king's cupbearer, heard about the destruction of the wall that once protected the Jews from their enemies. When he received the news and realized the reproach that such an evil deed had brought upon his people, Nehemiah became very sad, and his countenance fell before the king. God gave him favor with the king, and Nehemiah was relieved of his duties, so he could go and rebuild the wall.
Occasionally, we are called upon by the Lord to lay aside one calling in exchange for a higher calling so that God might use us to rebuild walls and lives that have been torn apart by the enemy. If the Lord has moved you from one place to another, or released you from one purpose in order to prepare you for another, then you must be aware of the schemes Satan will try to use to distract you from serving God's will in a new place or new season. Satan has only a few weapons at his disposal, and one of the most effective of those is distractions. He works very diligently to capture our focus away from God's purpose for us so that he might cause us to leave off God's work.
Here is one of the main indicators that lets me know whether or not something is a distraction from Satan: He will use both situations in your life, and he will use the flesh of others to direct the focus of your attention to you. This is the ploy used by Sanballat and Geshem that we read about in today's passage. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem used intimidation, threats, and manipulation like weapons to distract Nehemiah from fulfilling God's purpose through his continued obedience.
Please take the time to read the first five chapters of Nehemiah to get a full understanding of all that Nehemiah had to endure and to overcome just to remain committed to the rebuilding of the wall. God had called Nehemiah away from serving the king because there were many lives at stake. Likewise, isn't it interesting how Satan will use people, threats, intimidation, and seduction to try and pull us away from serving God in order to protect ourselves? Consequently, Nehemiah was an excellent example for us to model our prayer life after when faced with these types of attacks. Throughout his book, we read where Nehemiah would call on the Lord to provide strength, protect, and fight for him so that he could continue to rebuild the wall.
Satan loves to distract Christians so that lives are left unguarded from his lies and assaults. He will use lusts and fear to cause us to place our focus on "self" instead of serving the purposes of God in our life. Do you know without any doubt that you're in the center of God's will? If you answered "Yes," then you must guard your heart from becoming distracted. If your answer was "No," then you must be willing to seek God's face and allow Him to remove any distractions from your life, thus enabling you to focus clearly on His will and not your own. You will know when you receive a "mandate" from God because you won't be able to ignore it or run from it. Like Nehemiah, God's hand will rest upon you.
Staying Focused During the Storms,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Praise Your Way Out
2 Chronicles 20: 21 - 22, And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever." Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. NKJV
In the Old Testament, the people of God fought in the natural/physical realm, but under the New Testament covenant, believers war with spirits of darkness. These spirits war against our hearts and our minds trying to bring us into captivity and bondage. As Christians, we must be on guard and watchful when we find ourselves being controlled more by our emotions than by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Where the Spirit of the Lord is (in control), there is (or will be) liberty.
The Holy Spirit gave the instruction to write this devotion for someone, in particular. If this word resonates with you, then receive it as a word from the Lord for you today. Life is moving at such a rapid pace that it becomes a little overwhelming at times. What we might not realize about living in such a fast-paced world is this... our senses are stimulated by all the techno-gadgets, and this can "work" our emotions into a frenzy. If we don't keep a check on what is allowed to grab our attention, and we latch on to everything that comes along, we can quickly become emptied in our soul. Once we become weak or have an empty feeling in our hearts or emotions, we can be opened up to negative feelings.
You see. Our soul is not the source of our life, but rather it must be constantly filled by the presence of God. If all that feeds us during the day primarily comes through our senses and from this world, then eventually we will become depleted. Therefore, we must pull back from the world that is vying for our attention and begin to set our hearts on praising the Lord. As we praise God from our hearts, the presence of God will begin to be released through the anointing that comes from praise.
Your praise will invite God's presence into your heart and fill your emptied soul with light and life from the Holy Spirit. Doesn't the Word of God command us to put on the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness? Heaviness can occur when we become either tired or weak with a lack of spiritual energy caused by being away from His presence.
One of the primary reasons we were created was to give God praise. Therefore, we must fulfill that function if we desire to be fulfilled in our soul. If we neglect the vital essentials that keep us strengthened and well, then the world can begin to tear down our defenses and make us susceptible to becoming emotionally driven. As sons and daughters of God, we're to be led by the Spirit of God and not by our emotions or desires. By maintaining a consistent focus on praise, prayer, and time in God's Word, we are feeding our soul with God's life.
Paul and Silas were thrown into prison, and at the midnight hour, they began to praise God. As they praised the Lord, His presence began to shake the foundations of what was holding them against their will. Likewise, when we choose to praise God in our place of bondage or pain, God's presence is released into our situation to break strongholds from our hearts, our souls, and our minds. Let your faith supersede your feelings and begin to attract the presence of God into your "prison" today.
Praising God,
Pastor Asa Dockery
In the Old Testament, the people of God fought in the natural/physical realm, but under the New Testament covenant, believers war with spirits of darkness. These spirits war against our hearts and our minds trying to bring us into captivity and bondage. As Christians, we must be on guard and watchful when we find ourselves being controlled more by our emotions than by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Where the Spirit of the Lord is (in control), there is (or will be) liberty.
The Holy Spirit gave the instruction to write this devotion for someone, in particular. If this word resonates with you, then receive it as a word from the Lord for you today. Life is moving at such a rapid pace that it becomes a little overwhelming at times. What we might not realize about living in such a fast-paced world is this... our senses are stimulated by all the techno-gadgets, and this can "work" our emotions into a frenzy. If we don't keep a check on what is allowed to grab our attention, and we latch on to everything that comes along, we can quickly become emptied in our soul. Once we become weak or have an empty feeling in our hearts or emotions, we can be opened up to negative feelings.
You see. Our soul is not the source of our life, but rather it must be constantly filled by the presence of God. If all that feeds us during the day primarily comes through our senses and from this world, then eventually we will become depleted. Therefore, we must pull back from the world that is vying for our attention and begin to set our hearts on praising the Lord. As we praise God from our hearts, the presence of God will begin to be released through the anointing that comes from praise.
Your praise will invite God's presence into your heart and fill your emptied soul with light and life from the Holy Spirit. Doesn't the Word of God command us to put on the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness? Heaviness can occur when we become either tired or weak with a lack of spiritual energy caused by being away from His presence.
One of the primary reasons we were created was to give God praise. Therefore, we must fulfill that function if we desire to be fulfilled in our soul. If we neglect the vital essentials that keep us strengthened and well, then the world can begin to tear down our defenses and make us susceptible to becoming emotionally driven. As sons and daughters of God, we're to be led by the Spirit of God and not by our emotions or desires. By maintaining a consistent focus on praise, prayer, and time in God's Word, we are feeding our soul with God's life.
Paul and Silas were thrown into prison, and at the midnight hour, they began to praise God. As they praised the Lord, His presence began to shake the foundations of what was holding them against their will. Likewise, when we choose to praise God in our place of bondage or pain, God's presence is released into our situation to break strongholds from our hearts, our souls, and our minds. Let your faith supersede your feelings and begin to attract the presence of God into your "prison" today.
Praising God,
Pastor Asa Dockery
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)