God Knows Us Better Than We Do

Job 1: 8 - 11, Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" NKJV

Wouldn't it be wonderful to know God in the same way that He knows us? Through today's devotion, God is teaching us that He has made the Way possible for us to know Him even as we are known? In Christ, we have full access into the glorious throne room where God dwells so that we can commune with Him personally. We have also been given the Holy Spirit, who further reveals our heavenly Father to us through the person of Jesus Christ.

In today's scriptures from the book of Job, we see that God is speaking to Satan about the character and faith of Job. It seems as if God is Job's advocate in court and is defending him against Satan's railing accusations. I thank God for giving us this glimpse into the realm of the Spirit so that we might know for ourselves what goes on just before we "go on trial."

In America's court system, the accuser has to offer up evidence that will support or add credence to their case. All that Satan had to offer in his argument was an accusation; however, God laid out a very specific defense on Job's behalf. One of the most asked questions from believers and non-believers alike is centered on the reason why God allows us to suffer. Nevertheless, I'd like to share a new insight about Job's trial that was given to me by the Holy Spirit. 

Job wasn't privy to the conversation that was being discussed in the spirit-realm between God and Satan. He didn't know what was about to take place that would invade his life and bring him to his knees. Nonetheless, Satan struck Job's family, possessions, and livestock; and he destroyed all that Job had. However, in response to all that Satan had done against him, Job never sinned, nor did he speak foolishly against God. It is human nature to want to strike out and get revenge when someone commits an offense against us. Even so, faith will give the place of vengeance to God.  

The trial of Job's faith and patience only served to prove that what God had already spoken about Job before Satan's attack against him was true. As a result of Job having faith in God and loving Him more than worldly possessions, he came into agreement with God's report about him instead of agreeing with Satan's report. 

We are most vulnerable to doubt when we come under a spiritual attack. We will know when doubt begins to fill our minds because we will begin to have wrong thoughts about God and ourselves. Consequently, we must make a decision whether to believe God's Word or the demonically inspired thoughts.

We must choose to stand on what God has declared in His Word about who He is and who we are in Christ, lest we enter into temptation and lose faith. As we endure the temptation by standing in faith, based on what God has said about us in His Word, then He can rebuke Satan and reward us.

When Job endured his trial and kept his faith, his enemies were rebuked, and Job was rewarded double for his trouble. Because of his stand of faith and his believing the report of the Lord, God restored twice as much to Job as he had lost. Are you on trial today? Do you feel like striking out against someone because of the wrong that they have perpetrated against you? Remember, there has already been a discussion about you, even before you got the evil report. The case was previously tried, and the verdict was in your favor. All you must do is pray for strength and stand in faith until you receive the verdict of "innocent in Christ."  

God Knows Me,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Hope Arises When We Turn to God

Psalms 107: 1 - 7, Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way that they might go to a city for a dwelling place. NKJV

Have you ever noticed that we don't always have the right answers or the solutions to problems? Are you faced with difficulties that seem insurmountable to you? The Psalmist in today's scripture gives us both encouragement and instruction for when life gets to be too much for us. It is in those times when we're surrounded by trouble and controversy that our souls can begin to faint.

You will know that your soul is fainting when you just can't handle the pressure and responsibilities that this world throws at you. You will also know that you are losing heart when everything becomes overwhelming. When we battle with depression, it is as though we have no power within ourselves to do even the smallest of tasks.

The people who are mentioned in the verses for today's word were overwhelmed in their souls. They had so much coming against them that they saw no hope and became defeated in their hearts. It was at this point; they turned to the Lord of mercy for assistance; and He delivered them from all their distresses. As a result of them calling on the Lord, He showed them the correct way to live. They learned how to cope with life's problems through His power. Oh, that people would praise the Lord for He is good, and His mercy endures forever. 

However, even when we are in despair, Hope will begin to return when we choose to turn our hearts over to the Lord. It's not enough just to tell Jesus our problems; He wants our hearts also, so that He might give us His mercy. As we surrender, hope will fill our hearts and souls; and strength will finally return. It's not that the issues we face have gotten better, but rather, it's that we have given our heart's attention to the Lord. As a result, He will fill us with His power and grace, and we will experience His love. 

Like the psalmist, we, too, will begin to praise the Lord and declare that His mercy does endure forever. Faith in Jesus will cause us to have an eternal perspective. However, when we're consumed with problems, and our soul faints within us, we can't seem to see beyond today. Just look at the difference Jesus makes in the life of the person who decides to place their trust in Him. The Lord gives us vision, and without vision, the people perish. Thank God for Jesus. If it wasn't for the hope that He gives us, where would we be?

Christ in You Is the Hope of Glory,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Faith Brings Us into Agreement with God

Matthew 16: 15 - 18, He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. NKJV

Did you know the very moment that you confessed Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord you were given a new identity? Paul teaches on this principle in 2 Corinthians 5. He said, "If One died for all, then all have died. Jesus died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Paul goes on to teach us in this chapter on spiritual transformation that old things have passed away, and all things have become new in Christ. This occurs when we place our faith in Christ."

People know you according to your earthly name and identity; however, when you believe in Christ, you're given a new beginning and a new identity in the spirit. We can see how this transpires in today's scripture from the gospel of Matthew. Jesus asked his disciples a question about His own spiritual identity; and even before Simon had the time to think what the answer should be, God revealed it to him by the Holy Spirit. Now here is where the transformation begins to take place.

Jesus declared that the Father had revealed a particular truth to Simon by the Holy Spirit, which means that this was spoken into Simon's spiritual ears. At this point, Simon could have dismissed it as a "bad or wrong" thought. He could have ignored it and kept his mouth closed, but he didn't. What caused Simon to proclaim what was revealed to his heart? It was his faith. When he heard or realized the truth that the Holy Spirit had told him, Simon not only believed it in his heart, but he also confessed it with his mouth. In other words, he agreed with God through faith. Instantaneously, Simon was given a new name and a new identity. His old life, in the sight of God, was dead. At that very moment, he was a new creation.  

When God reveals a spiritual truth to us like he did with Simon, we have the option of denying it or keeping it to ourselves. However, if we will confess the truth, subsequently our confession of faith will bring us agreement with what God has revealed to our spirit. When God sees that there is agreement, He can perform His Word in our lives, just as He did in Simon's that day.

I'm not teaching about the power of positive confession; I want you to understand the importance of speaking out of your mouth the things that God has revealed to you so that He can perform His Word in your heart and life. Just as Simon declared Jesus' hidden identity through his faith and was transformed, God will do the same work in your life as you declare His written and revealed Word out of your mouth by faith. 

Speaking the Word through Faith,
Pastor Asa Dockery

God Has Given You Power to Be Heard

2 Chronicles 7: 14 - 15, If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. NKJV

Truly, the God of heaven and earth has given His people a very special privilege; however, it is a huge responsibility as well. In the days of King Solomon, God gave the Jews great favor. He allowed them to build a temple where they could assemble together and pray. After the temple was constructed, God gave His own special people the favor that allowed them to pray and have their prayers be heard. As a result, repentance was brought to their nation and healing to their land.

Even so, in the New Testament, we have been given a greater covenant through Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews did a masterful work under the leadership of the Holy Spirit explaining the vast difference between the old covenant and the new covenant. Today, we don't have to go to a specific temple and pray. You see; we're in Christ, and it is through Him that we have access into the most holy place.  

God has chosen us, who have placed our faith in His only-begotten Son to represent Him in the earth. In Christ, we have been granted favor. Nonetheless, unlike the old covenant believer, we have been given access into the very presence of God. It is there that we can come before the throne of grace, obtain mercy, and find grace to help us in a time of need. 

The world is very much in need of God's grace and His restoration. The responsibility to invite God's help into the earth falls upon the children of God. The heavenly Father has given us the power to be heard through Jesus Christ. We can call to Him in times of trouble and know that He hears our prayers and supplications. 

Instead of losing hope and giving into despair over the direction your particular nation may be heading, turn to the Lord in faith. God has made a covenant with us in Christ. He has given us the promise that if we will pray, He will hear our prayers, forgive us of our sin, and heal our land. You and I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us. Greater is He that is in us than he who is in the world. The battle has already been won. It's up to us to see that the victory is protected in our generation. Let's pray until we see the hand of God moving across the land and lives are saved.

We Have the Power in Christ,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Kept from Things I Cannot See

Matthew 26: 20 - 22, When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. Now as they were eating, He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me." And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, "Lord, is it I?" NKJV

Is it possible for a Christian to know what they are capable of doing? God told Jeremiah that the heart of man was desperately wicked and deceitful above all things, and who can know it. God also told Jeremiah that He searches our hearts. According to today's passage, the disciples not only didn't know who the betrayer was, but each one wondered if it was him.

Likewise, when we get into desperate situations, it can cause us to panic and become defensive or territorial. If we should allow the power of lust to rule our hearts, it can drive us to commit unrighteous and evil acts. The key to overcoming the evil that is in our hearts (caused by the fall of man) is to trust God with our whole heart. As a husband, father, and pastor, I ask the Lord regularly to keep me from acting out of my heart in a sinful way against Him.  

While studying God's Word, I have found that there is nothing wrong with telling other like-faith believers that you don't trust your own heart. In fact, the Bible tells us in Proverbs not to lean to our own understanding, but in all our ways, we are to acknowledge God. Peter tells us in his epistle that Satan is going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. How does he know who is a likely candidate, and who isn't? He sets us up in certain challenging situations, and when the test comes, he moves in with his lies with the hope that we won't turn to God, but, instead, listen only to him.

Remember, Jesus calls us sheep, and as such we are vulnerable to the wolves of the world. If we should stray from the protection of our Shepherd and the communion of the flock of God, we can become prey for Satan to attack us in our mind, emotions, and desires. If you feel that God has given me this word specifically for you, then know there is something you can do today to keep you from crossing certain lines that will place you at odds with the Lord.

Each disciple asked Jesus if they were the one He was speaking about that would betray Him.  Likewise, we must also turn to the Lord and ask Him to keep us from listening to or trusting in our own hearts. This is called having integrity before the Lord. Once we give ownership of our hearts over to God, it is His responsibility to keep us from anyone or anything that might be a setup from Satan.  

Satan preys on our spiritual ignorance and blind spots so that he might gain an upper- hand over us. Paul tells us in Timothy that Eve was deceived, but that Adam wasn't deceived. Therefore, we must give our entire heart over to the Lord and place our trust in Him. As we begin to practice this, the Holy Spirit can begin to lead us into all truth, keep us from temptation, and deliver us from evil.

When God called Abraham out of his father's country and away from his kindred, it's obvious that Abraham had some flesh issues in his heart. On occasion, when he would go into a new place, he would ask Sarah to tell a partial lie; he asked her to say she was his sister and not his wife. He did this because of fear that the men of that village or city would try to kill him in order to get Sarah, since she was very beautiful. Let me interject this thought: notice that Abraham totally excluded God from the situation and made an assumption, which ultimately got him into trouble with the king. He was leaning on his own understanding (Genesis 20).

One day Abraham entered Gerar, whose king was named Abimelech. To protect himself, Abraham asked his wife to lie. Because of this fabrication, the king took Sarah into his house that night. God appeared to the king while in a dream. In the dream, God told him that he was a dead man because he had taken another man's wife. Of course, you can imagine how this made the king feel, seeing that he had been lied to by Abraham. When the king told God that he had done this out of the integrity of his heart, God replied, "Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore, I did not let you touch her.  

I love this story because it shows how God will keep me when I have been set up by someone else's wrongs...wrongs that might cause me to believe a lie and sin against God. God will keep us from sin as long as we honor Him continually in our hearts, as He did with Abimelech. God didn't allow the king to commit a sin that would bring a curse on him and his people. The Lord doesn't want us to be pierced through with great sorrow because of sin that we committed out of our ignorance. He desires that we trust in Him and honor His Word so that He might keep us from entering into temptation. Fear and lust both want you to listen to them as you make daily decisions; listen to God instead.

Lord, is it I?

Pastor Asa Dockery

Free At Last

Romans 8: 12 - 14, So, dear brothers, you have no obligations whatever to your old sinful nature to do what it begs you to do. For if you keep on following it you are lost and will perish, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush it and its evil deeds, you shall live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. TLB

The Lord hates sin, and He hates it for a good reason; it destroys the souls and lives of those He has created and loves. We can see the love of God in the story of Israel's great exodus from the land of bondage. Pharaoh was an oppressive king over God's people. The taskmasters under Pharaoh were cruel to the children of Israel. If they didn't meet their daily quota of bricks and hard labor they would beat them. But after 400 years of that oppression, the Lord heard and answered the cries of His people because of their afflictions.

In much the same way, sin is a harsh taskmaster over God's fallen creation. So as He sent Moses to deliver Israel, He has also sent Jesus to deliver fallen man from the oppression of Satan over the world. Just as Egypt had cruel taskmasters, we too have the flesh nature to contend with on a daily basis. Although, we, who are born again have been made free from sin, we also know that the flesh nature which is rooted in bondage to the spirit of fear wants to oppress our lives with habits, lusts, and weaknesses of our flesh.

Even though you are a Christian that has experienced the saving grace of our heavenly Father, you may still be struggling with bondage to sins and to fear in your life today. This isn't the time to retreat in condemnation, but it is an opportunity to hear some "good news" about your plight. Jesus never came to condemn fallen man because of sin; He was sent to love us and give His life for our sin that we might become God's righteous children.

I will ask different people from time to time if they're being obedient, and they all seem to have the same answer: "I'm trying to obey, or I'm trying to quit doing wrong." The truth is, God never required us to "try" ... this is why He has given us His Holy Spirit. As we set our hearts to obey the Lord, the Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome any struggle, offense, mountain, or fear that might try to stand in our way. Just as Paul wrote in the verse today, we are not obligated to obey our old sin nature and indulge in its evil desires, but we can, through the power of the Holy Spirit put to death the deeds of the sin nature and live in freedom. Our heavenly Father doesn't want us to live in bondage or put up with oppression from the Devil of our past. He has given us everything we need to live a fulfilled life of godliness.

Jesus said in John 10: 10 that He came so that we might have life in us and enjoy it to the full (or in abundance). We can only obtain that level of life in our soul by allowing the Holy Spirit to liberate us from the bondages of the flesh nature. If you struggle with a habit or sin and have felt as though you couldn't ever get free, then take these verses out of Romans 8 and meditate on them until you see the chains of oppression begin to fall off of your life. Each day when you wake up ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to live that day in total victory over the enemy of your soul. The key to total breakthrough is consistency. He or she that endures to the end shall be saved. The Lord wants us to walk in His life and experience His liberty in our hearts. My prayer for you is that this word today will become a reality in your life, and you will enjoy life as never before.

Walking in God's Power and Love,

Pastor Asa Dockery 

Total Transformation

Matthew 16 : 13 -18, When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. NKJV

I have been a pastor for eleven years and during this time, God has had me to preach consistently on one topic. Can you imagine what subject would be so important to us as believers that God would have a church camp out on it for this long? Give up? The subject is obedience. I have never known why God wanted me to teach obedience, in some fashion, week after week, and year after year; nevertheless, I obeyed.

Graciously, this week the Holy Spirit revealed the reason to me. In Romans 1:17, Paul instructs us that the just shall live by faith. It is impossible to please God without faith. However, how do we live by faith? Faith comes from hearing and hearing comes from God's Word. We live by faith when we keep God's Word and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We live by faith when we seek to know and fulfill God's purpose and plan for our lives after we are born again.

In Ephesians 2: 8, Paul tells us that we receive the gift of salvation by our faith and through God's grace. Let's take a moment to break that verse down. According to Romans 12:3, you have a measure of faith in your heart. When you place your faith in Jesus as the Son of God, God will, at that moment, grant you the grace (power) to become His child. Therefore, power is released when Christians exercise their faith and obey God, which will cause them to inherit the promises of God. This power called God's grace also empowers us to be transformed into a new creature in Christ.

Nevertheless, what happens when believers decide that they don't want to listen to the voice of God or live according to the Bible or God's purpose? Why wouldn't a believer desire to please God? Well, that's a subject for another day. If we don't obey God, then we're not walking by faith. Consequently, we won't receive the grace of God to inherit the promises of God; and we will remain unchanged spiritually. James 4: 7 says that God opposes the proud (those who strive to be friends with the world); even so, He will give more grace to the humble (those who choose to be a friend of God). Jesus said we're His friends when we keep His commandments.

To establish further what I'm teaching, I want to conclude today's word with an example of someone who is called the "father of the faith." God appeared to Abram and told him to leave his father's country and to separate himself from his kinfolks. Abram stepped out in faith, but he didn't fully obey God's voice because he took his nephew, Lot with him. For twenty-five years, Abraham walked with Lot; and for the same amount of time Sarah didn't give him the son he had been promised. However, shortly after Abraham parted ways with Lot, Sarah became pregnant with Isaac, who is called the son of promise.

We can plainly see that Abraham's partial obedience prevented the grace of God from empowering Sarah to bear a son in her old age. When believers partially obey God and then try to justify their disobedience, it will prevent the grace of God from releasing the power in us to receive the promises of God in our lives as well. Don't take my word for it. Study the Word of God for yourselves, and you'll come to the same conclusion. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Salvation isn't just about receiving promises of natural blessings in this life; more importantly, it's about being transformed into the image of Christ. When Simon spoke in agreement with what the Father had revealed about Jesus being the Christ, God released His grace, and it transformed Simon into Peter. Christ is first revealed "to" us by the Holy Spirit, and then He is revealed "through" us as we choose to live by faith. 

By Faith through Grace,
Pastor Asa Dockery